Cowboys Don't Need a Sports Illustrated Jinx to Be Mediocre. But They've Got One Anyway.

With an offensive line featuring two rookies and an undrafted free agent, not difficult to see the Cowboys in a transition -- if not a rebuilding -- season in 2011. Gone from last year's underachieving team: Roy Williams, Marion Barber, Leonard Davis, Marc Colombo and now Andre Gurode. Next to go:...

By Richie Whitt

August 30, 2011

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With an offensive line featuring two rookies and an undrafted free agent, not difficult to see the Cowboys in a transition -- if not a rebuilding -- season in 2011. Gone from last year's underachieving team: Roy Williams, Marion Barber, Leonard Davis, Marc Colombo and now Andre Gurode.

Next to go: Keith Brooking? David Buehler? Terence Newman?

Even before the Cowboys made moves to ensure a line of Doug Free-Bill Nagy-Phil Costa-Kyle Kosier-Tyron Smith, they made non-believers out of Sports Illustrated senior writer Peter King.

SI's annual NFL Preview is out today and King sees the Cowboys going ...

9-7.

Or, a game behind NFC East champ Philadelphia and out of the playoffs. King -- who correctly picked the Packers and Steelers a year ago -- sees Atlanta beating San Diego in Super Bowl XLVI.

In this new age of regionalism, SI has six different covers for its NFL Preview, including one featuring Cowboys' linebacker DeMarcus Ware. Kinda cheap, but SI considers it another Cowboys' "cover", giving the storied franchise a whopping 48.

So take that, Steelers, with your wimpy 39 covers and Green Bay with your paltry 36.

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