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Ultimate Standings: Dallas drops after poor 2015

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Dallas Cowboys

Overall: 89
Title track: 40
Ownership: 60
Coaching: 96
Players: 81
Fan relations: 108
Affordability: 103
Stadium experience: 46
Bang for the buck: 106
Change from last year: -22

The Cowboys are the most valued franchise in the world, according to Forbes -- but imagine how high the value would get if they would win. They have not won a Super Bowl since 1995, and after coming within a whisker of the conference championship game in 2014, they plummeted to a 4-12 mark in 2015. The Cowboys' success seems to be tied to Tony Romo's health. If Romo is healthy, they win. When he isn't, they lose. The arrival of Dak Prescott seems to have changed the narrative a little, but the rookie quarterback is still learning as he goes and it is impossible to know yet if he is truly the real deal.


What's good

The Cowboys' title track checks in at No. 40, thanks to their storied history and the fans' belief that even when things are bad, a title can't be too far away (despite the drought, only 10 NFL teams ranked better than the Cowboys in "the team has won or will win at least one championship in my lifetime"). It's true that the Cowboys have an offense that can carry them if all of the pieces are healthy. They have the best offensive line in football. Rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott should be one of the best in the NFL. Dez Bryant is healthy once again. And even with Dak Prescott performing well in Romo's absence, the Cowboys are still Tony Romo's team. If Romo can stay healthy, the Cowboys can score a lot of points, protect their defense and be the best team in the NFC East. Is that enough to get them to Super Bowl LI? That seems a little much.


What's bad

A 106th-ranked bang for the buck proves it: Paying high ticket, concession and parking prices is a lot easier when a team wins. The Cowboys didn't win in 2015, so it becomes a little more painful. AT&T Stadium is the best of the NFL, but it comes with a price (the fourth-highest average ticket cost in the NFL, and the league's most expensive parking). Off the field, the Cowboys have managed to cash in with their $1.2 billion stadium. On the field, they haven't. They have a sub-.500 record at home since they moved to Arlington in 2009.


What's new

Coming off a 12-4 finish to the 2014 season, things were looking up for the Cowboys in the coaching department. Head coach Jason Garrett was rewarded with a five-year, $30 million contract after the Cowboys made the playoffs, but then they slipped to a 4-12 finish. The fans noticed, dropping the Cowboys' coaching rank 37 spots (to No. 96) and their player rank 28 (to No. 81). Both of those drops come down to Romo's injuries: With a healthy Romo and Bryant, Garrett went 12-4. Without them, he went 4-12 -- and the team won just one of 12 without Romo. While blaming a lack of depth is reasonable, the Cowboys were competitive in enough games that coaching could have made a difference. Garrett might find himself at least on a moderately warm -- if not hot -- seat in 2016.

Next: New York Jets | Full rankings