Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones has dreamed the ultimate dream.
Going on the "if you build it they will come" theme, the new $1.2 billion Cowboys Stadium has been everything Jones wanted and more.
With the Cowboys hosting Super Bowl XLV there this season, Jones doesn't mind being a little greedy.
"I don't mind telling you it's a great feeling to have a competitive team this year," Jones said. "It's a great feeling. And for this team to do the ultimate this year would be on par with having won the first Super Bowl. I haven't gotten over that. It would be something out of a story book. A man can dream."
With 20 of 22 starters back from last year, the Cowboys have the talent to make Jones' dream a reality.
To make it happen, however, the Cowboys will have to navigate a tough schedule that features a difficult closing slate. And even that might not be good enough.
If the Cowboys truly hope to end the season at home, they will likely need to be home throughout the playoffs. By all accounts, the Cowboys are looking at an 11-5 record, and they will need to be 12-4 or even 13-3 to truly compete for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
If not, they will be hard-pressed to win in the playoffs at Minnesota, New Orleans or Green Bay the three other consensus Super Bowl contenders.
The Cowboys also have some injuries to overcome that robbed their starters of some playing time in the preseason. None are considered serious and all should be available for the bulk of the season.
The good news is that rookie top pick Dez Bryant is all that he was hyped up to be and should give the team another exciting weapon to plug into what was already an explosive attack.
The Cowboys ranked No. 2 in the league last on offense. Now they have another big-play option to go along with tight end Jason Witten and receiver Miles Austin. Bryant will be involved from the outset. First as the third receiver, but he will eventually replace Roy Williams in the starting lineup.
Receivers coach Ray Sherman said the Cowboys have potentially the best receiver corps he's ever had.
And that's saying something since Sherman has coached Jerry Rice in San Francisco; Randy Moss, Cris Carter and Jake Reed in Minnesota; and Javon Walker and Donald Driver in Green Bay.
Since breaking into the NFL in 1988, Sherman has been with the Oilers, Falcons, 49ers, Jets, Vikings, Steelers, Packers and Titans before the Cowboys.
"Time will tell. I can't say that right now," Sherman said. "We have to wait and see. I think we've got a little more talent than we had in Minnesota, little more than I had in Green Bay and even in San Francisco. Overall, talent-wise as a group. Now we had some individuals that were very talented, but overall this talent is probably the best."
Bryant should help the Cowboys improve in the red zone.
If quarterback Tony Romo continues to mature as a quarterback, limiting his mistakes, while still making the big plays, this offense could be unstoppable.
Defensively, the Cowboys want to take the final stop from being very good to dominant. That means forcing more turnovers.
They have two of the league's most feared pass rushers in DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer; they just need to get their hands on more balls in the secondary.
Overall, this team has Super Bowl potential. They are certainly the class of the NFC East and should make a deep run in the playoffs.
IF they are at home for the playoffs, look for them to be at home for the Super Bowl.
If not, look for Jerry Jones' dream to be deferred.
COACHING: Wade Phillips, 9th year (82-59), 4th with Cowboys (34-17).
REMEMBERING: 2009 record: 10-6 (1st in NFC East); lost in divisional playoffs to Vikings, 34-3.
PREDICTING: 2010 regular-season record: 11-5 (1st in NFC East); lose in NFC title game.
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