At some point it has to happen, right? At some point all of this nonsense that was created by Terrell Owens a week ago has to catch up with the Dallas Cowboys, right?

As Dallas gets set to take on the Baltimore Ravens tonight, there seems to be a cloud hanging over Valley Ranch just ready to unleash a bolt of lighting and destroy the Cowboys’ season in a moments notice. And while everything looked just peachy in a 20-8 victory over the Giants last week, I’m not buying that things have completely smoothed out for Owens, Tony Romo, Jason Witten, Wade Phillips and everyone else that dons a big star logo on their clothing appeal these days.

First and foremost, everything is always great among teammates when they win. So it was no surprise to see Owens, Romo and Witten all smiles at the end of the Cowboys-Giants game last week, because Dallas won. Problems seem to get pushed off to the side rather quickly when everything is copasetic on the field.

But what has to worry Cowboy fans is that eventually, off-field issues rise to the surface at some point. And one has to wonder if some point is tonight.

The Ravens have a nasty taste in their mouths after losing at home to the Steelers last week when they essentially had a victory locked up. Ben Rothlisberger and the Pittsburgh offense had done virtually nothing until their final drive of the game, yet they made plays when it mattered most and pulled victory out of the jaws of defeat. Now Baltimore’s playoff hopes remain in flux, but a win over Dallas would go a long way in solving that issue.

If things start going array for the ‘Boys tonight, can they hold everything together? Or will Owens start complaining that he’s not getting the ball enough? And will Romo start turning the ball over again like he has a penchant for doing when the Cowboys are losing? Or will Jason Garrett have an answer for the Ravens’ stout defense if his offense isn’t clicking? (Especially if Marion Barber doesn’t play or cannot be effective with an injured toe and calf.)

Many purists think the Cowboys are back on track after their impressive victory over the Giants last week. They can’t stop writing about how Phillips has fixed the defense and how the trio of Owens, Romo and Witten are all best friends now. Hey, maybe they’re right. Or maybe the win over New York just kept the issues at bay for a week. Either way, we’ll find out very soon what kind of team Dallas is made out of because a win would go a long way in proving that this team is what many people thought they would be at the start of the year: A Super Bowl contender.

A couple of the Cowboys’ wide receivers (presumably Terrell Owens, Roy Williams and Patrick Crayton) held a meeting with offensive coordinator Jason Garrett about their role in the Dallas offense compared to tight end Jason Witten, who they say quarterback Tony Romo favors because the two are buddies.

At issue is the perception that Romo relies too heavily on tight end and best friend Jason Witten, and doesn’t always throw to the open man. The breaking point was Sunday’s 20-13 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, in which the Cowboys blew a 13-3 fourth-quarter lead in the final 7 minutes, 15 seconds.

Romo was throwing to Witten on the final interception. Owens openly acknowledges he was open on the play and complained vociferously on the sideline during the game. Romo also missed a wide-open Crayton down the seam on the final drive of the game, and then threw incomplete to Witten on the final play when Crayton was also open.

Crayton said it was a good meeting, a needed meeting, in the interest of trying to win games and have a better offense.

He said they weren’t complaining because they went in with a positive tone and had a frank and honest discussion.

Romo, who talks on Wednesday, was not available for comment.

The Dallas wideouts need to freaking grow up. This isn’t backyard football where you focus on getting the ball to your friends – this is the NFL. I highly doubt Romo is only focusing on getting the ball to Witten. And T.O. saying he was open on the final play in Pittsburgh is no surprise because, well, he’s always open.

Considering the Cowboys are on the brink of making the playoffs but face an incredibly tough final stretch of games, you’d think the team would come together instead of some players holding meetings and complaining about not getting the ball enough.

Jean-Jacques Taylor of the Dallas Morning News writes that Wade Phillips and Jerry Jones have destroyed the team Bill Parcells built.

Parcells had the power to get rid of players, no questions asked. Phillips doesn’t, so he’ll never have the same level of respect from the players. Why do you think Greg Ellis talked to Jerry Jones about his role in the defense?

He wouldn’t have done that with Parcells here because he knew it wouldn’t have mattered. Why do you think T.O. regularly shows up late to morning meetings? He knows there’s no real consequence.
The players know Phillips doesn’t have the ultimate authority, so they don’t fear him. That, my friends, leads to a culture of losing.

But the biggest reason the culture Parcells created is gone is that no one is here to reinforce it.
When Parcells left, he took VP of college and pro scouting Jeff Ireland with him. He took Tony Sparano and three core defensive coaches as well. Yes, Jason Garrett is still here, but he’s not a Parcells’ guy. He’s a Norv Turner guy.

That means everyone with ties to Parcells, who respected the previous culture and could maintain the same type of environment is gone.

That’s why the environment has changed – and it’s not coming back. This team is in the midst of a free fall. Do you have confidence anyone in the organization can stop the plummet?
I didn’t think so.

This team has also lost its edge under Wade Phillips.

Funny how just a year ago the media and Cowboy players were lauding Phillips for being such a “player-friendly” coach and how it was so nice not to walk on eggshells with Parcells gone. How quickly the mood changes when a team starts losing.

Randy Galloway of the Star-Telegram absolutely hammered Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys in one of his recent articles.

Fire Wade? Yes, but here’s what happens:

(1) It allows Jerry Jones, the worst general manager in the history of professional sports (you want me to recite his GM record, sans the Jimster?) to casually blow off another bad hire with the usual, “to our fans, I say I’m sorry it didn’t work out.”

Twelve bleeping years, Jerry. That’s how long it has never worked out with even a playoff win. Or actually, make it 15 years since Jimmy left town as the jumping off point.
How could a good owner be so stupid to allow this GM to keep his job? Not exactly a new question, but it’s the ongoing truth.

(2) It allows a new head coach-in-waiting to take over when he should be under as much siege as Phillips for what has happened on the field. Jason Garrett, the Red-Headed Jesus of Valley Ranch, has been in charge of an offense in a month-long slump. Jason is failing at the moment. So you promote that?

Not yet, Rojo. Not on merit.

(3) It allows a room full of players, who went gutless in St. Louis, to once again weasel their way out of failure, because, of course, you can’t fire the players.

These are the same frauds who were so happy that a mean old man named Parcells hit the road, allowing Jerry to bring in a “players’ coach, a coach who allows us to be men.”

How, Wade, are these “men” working out for you lately?

Red-Headed Jesus of Valley Ranch? That might be the funniest thing I read in some time.

As for his points, I think Galloway is right on the money. The Cowboys are stuck right now with what they’ve got and they better figure it out because there’s no help coming. If Garrett’s offense was still clicking, than Phillips might have gotten the boot last week. But it’s not and Jones doesn’t have a ton of options.