Albert Einstein said, “Problems cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them.” Someone needs to tell Jerry Jones.

For a team with legitimate Super Bowl talent and unmatched buying power, the Dallas Cowboys sure have a lot of unsolved problems. An extreme but legitimate snapshot of this organization is found in last season’s Week 17 disaster at Philadelphia.

In a de facto playoff situation, the “win and you’re in” Cowboys put on a performance that even the Washington Generals would have found pathetic. Five turnovers led to a 44-6 drubbing in which the star quarterback (Tony Romo) looked timorous, the head coach (Wade Phillips) clueless, the hotshot coordinator (Jason Garrett) brainless, the brash defense porous and the club, as a whole, heartless.

The only thing sadder than the fact that Dallas’s airball surprised absolutely no one is the fact that the last criticism––the one about being heartless––is justified. The Cowboys, America’s Team, have no heart. They’re a franchise still coasting on popularity that stems from the dynasty that Jimmy Johnson built two decades ago.

The last time the Cowboys won a playoff game was 1996. Since then, they have cycled through myriad head coaches and quarterbacks, brought in bundles of talented draft classes and signed scores of top-dollar free agents. They annually appear on national television the maximum six times (including Thanksgiving) and their blue star is found not just everywhere in Texas, but everywhere in the United States. But really, the Cowboys are just football’s version of Paris Hilton: famous for being famous.

The one constant during this dreadful bout of mediocrity has been Jerry Jones. Arguably the shrewdest businessman in pro football, Jones has kept his club in the NFL’s brightest spotlight. Indeed, the infatuation with the Cowboys will only escalate in 2009, as they open Cowboys Stadium, the NFL’s first $1 billion arena. Building a modern day Coliseum might be the only way Jones can regain relevance during Super Bowl week (Dallas will host the big game in 2011). His aptitude in the boardroom is matched only by his ineptitude in the locker room.

The story with Jones’s team this year is whether Tony Romo can become a leader. The 29-year-old has come to embody the Cowboys. He has movie star good looks, scintillating talent and a penchant for melting down late. Romo’s career record in September, October and November is 22-4. In December, it’s 5-8.

The weight of the world is on Romo’s shoulders this season. Just as he did in hiring Bill Parcells a few years ago, Jerry Jones flashed rare humility by acquiescing to the in-house suggestion box that was overflowing with index cards saying “Dump Terrell Owens!” But releasing T.O. is not the solution to Dallas’s problems––their problems are much deeper than that. After all, this team suffered from poor chemistry and late-season collapses long before “The Player” arrived. But maybe, just maybe, the release of Owens is a sign that those deeper problems are finally being fixed.

But probably not. Head coach Wade Phillips is still here and, in the final year of his contract, somehow an even lamer duck than last season. Had wunderkind offensive coordinator Jason Garrett done a better job in ’08, he’d likely have Phillips’s job now. But shoddy game-planning and questionable play-calling dimmed Garrett’s star (after declining the Ravens and Falcons head coaching jobs last year, Garrett wasn’t even offered the Rams head coaching job this past offseason). Now, Jones is likely eyeing a star-studded 2010 head coaching market that should include Mike Shanahan, Jon Gruden, Mike Holmgren, Brian Billick and Bill Cowher. These men have combined for six Super Bowl rings during Dallas’s playoff drought.

Of course, should the Cowboys go out and, you know, actually live up to their potential in 2009, Jones may have no choice but to retain Phillips. In hopes of that, Phillips has taken over full command of the defense (his area of expertise) and has vowed to pull an anti-Coughlin by changing his style to something tougher. For example, Phillips will now fine players the NFL maximum $453 for every pound exceeding their weight target in training camp. Of course, those same players are still cashing millions of dollars worth of checks from Phillips’s boss.

Offense

Whether a 62-year-old Phillips can actually change at this point in his life is almost a moot issue, considering that the most important change is going to come from Jason Garrett. If this offense is indeed to be “Tony Romo friendly”, Garrett must commit to being a run-first play-caller in his third season. When Terrell Owens was here, it made sense to set up the run with the pass. After all, Owens and tight end Jason Witten were a frightening one-two receiving punch, and punishing running back Marion Barber, until his injury-plagued ’08 season, was stuck behind a so-so Julius Jones on the depth chart.

But things have changed. Yes, the five-time Pro Bowler Witten only continues to improve (his toughness and concentration in traffic are second to none). And yes, with sustained hard work and a little focus, Owens’s replacement, Roy Williams, can be a big-time No. 1 receiver (he’d better be, considering the Cowboys gave up a first-round pick and $20 million in guarantees last year to bring him here). But as good as Witten and Williams are, Dallas’s backfield is even better.

Barber returns for his fifth season and second as the starter, though in an effort to keep the 220-pounder fresh for fourth quarters––where his tenacious physicality makes him one of the best closers in football––the Cowboys will turn to second-year tailbacks Felix Jones and Tashard Choice on a more regular basis. Both have the potential to be superstars. Jones offers special breakaway speed that is amplified by Ferrari-like acceleration. Choice’s stunning lateral quickness invokes memories of a young LaDainian Tomlinson. Neither is a lock to shine, though. Jones, a first-round pick, weighs only 200 pounds and battled injuries throughout his rookie season. Choice, a fourth-round pick, is 5’10”, 215, but runs with minimal power, which puts his durability in question.

Fullback Deon Anderson provides quick but not booming lead-blocking output. Anderson will likely see fewer snaps, however, as Garrett is expected to utilize more two tight-end formations. The ace formations will be more of an effort to expand the passing game, as second-year pro Martellus Bennett continues his growth behind Witten. The athletic Bennett has a sturdy 6’6”, 253-pound frame, which, assuming he overcomes his immaturity and listens to tight ends coach John Garrett, could make him one of the game’s most dangerous red-zone targets.

As for the rest of the passing game details, the strong-mitted Roy Williams has the size and acrobatic acumen to command double teams. He’ll need to because Patrick Crayton, while supple and polished in his routes, is not going to win a majority of individual matchups. Slot receiver Miles Austin must stay healthy because without him, Dallas has no veritable source of speed. Going further down the depth chart, coaches are fond of Sam Hurd, but he’s injury prone and too similar in style to Crayton. Third-year pro Isaiah Stanback is exciting but green.

Tony Romo’s quick release aids the entire passing game. But more important is his decision-making. It’s when Romo’s presnap reads are rushed that his sandlot style works against the Cowboys. Still, that sandlot style, all in all, is a plus, because with slow-footed veteran tackles like Flozell Adams (left side) and Marc Colombo (right), pocket mobility is vital when quarterbacking this team. (By the way, should Romo get hurt, the offense will take on a drastically different persona under new stationary backup Jon Kitna.)

Adams and Colombo are both still above average, thanks to their sheer size, experience and fortitude in the run game. Directly between the tackles is two-time Pro Bowl center Andre Gurode, a forceful 312-pounder with strong initial technique. Fellow Pro Bowler Leonard Davis (353 pounds) excels in his right guard duties, including as a run-blocker in space. Left guard Kyle Kosier is even more mobile, though a fractured foot has given him fits since last season. If Kosier is unavailable, either Cory Proctor or Montrae Holland will step in and be a downgrade.

Defense

Wade Phillips is the NFL’s only head coach to officially hold defensive coordinator responsibilities in 2009. His most significant assignment will be improving an incongruent secondary. If veteran shutdown corner Terence Newman struggles, the other defensive backs have no hope. Newman’s fluid hips make him the kind of solo man-defender that Dallas safeties can trust enough to ignore. But last season, bone spurs hounded Newman and, indeed, free safety Ken Hamlin had to account for the veteran. In the process, Hamlin became reactionary. The seventh-year pro’s only positive impacts come when he’s the one setting tone. Hamlin can only set the tone if he feels comfortable freelancing.

Hamlin will have chances to freelance when he’s not focusing on helping second-year corners Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick. At this point, the fifth-rounder Scandrick is actually better than the first-rounder Jenkins, but Scandrick’s style of play is more equipped for the slot. Jenkins and his lankier 5’11”, 197-pound frame can handle the outside, though his tackling and route anticipation must improve. Depth at corner is a serious issue for the Cowboys. The only man with a semblance of experience is Alan Ball who, in his third season, remains a better athlete than football player.

Finishing the secondary, the Cowboys needed a strong safety who wouldn’t blow coverages, so they released Roy Williams and signed Gerald Sensabaugh. Sensabaugh is nothing special––tight hips and slow feet make him a limited pass defender––but he’s not someone for whom Cowboy coaches will have to adjust the game plan. If Sensabaugh goes down, either unpolished but tested 6’6” Pat Watkins or intriguing fifth-round rookie Mike Hamlin could fill in.

The NFL’s most productive pass-rush should escalate Dallas’s pass defense rankings again in 2009. Right outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware, coming off a league-leading 20-sack season, is priming for a record-shattering new contract. Ware is the best all-around front seven defender in football right now. Not only does he routinely devour double teams, he also holds up his end of the deal against the run and drops into coverage from time to time.

Opposite Ware, left outside linebacker Anthony Spencer is not yet a proven commodity. Youthful strength and agility suggests this was the right time for Spencer, a first-round pick in ’07, to replace semi-iconic veteran Greg Ellis (released in June). But Spencer must show he can stay healthy and focused. The only backup outside linebackers are fourth-round rookies Brandon Williams and Victor Butler, neither of whom is expected to make major contributions in 2009.

Inside linebacker Bradie James blitzed his way to eight sacks last season, though his greatest value is as a run-stopper and open field tackler. James is underrated in coverage, but the Cowboys would like to see disappointing former first-round pick Bobby Carpenter replace Kevin Burnett as the premier nickel linebacker. Carpenter’s finesse style is well-suited for a third down role. Working ahead of Carpenter will be Keith Brooking, the estimable longtime Falcon whose best two seasons came when Phillips was his defensive coordinator in ’02 and ’03.

James and Brooking will have to fight blockers more than typical 3-4 inside linebackers, as 298-pound Jay Ratliff is an unusual one-gap penetrating nose tackle. Normally, this type of player in this scheme wouldn’t work. But Ratliff plays with uncanny electricity that makes him a run-stopping dynamo and constant presence in the backfield. Ends Marcus Spears and Igor Olshansky are more traditional anchors. Dallas doesn’t want to renew Spears’s contract unless he makes enough plays to command regular double teams. Olshansky isn’t as demonstrative as predecessor Chris Canty, but he proved when Phillips was his defensive coordinator in San Diego that he’s an excellent fit in this system. Backup Jason Hatcher continues to hone his craft and could see more than just token pass-rushing snaps in 2009.

Special Teams

Kicker Nick Folk is one of the game’s best, both in terms of accuracy and range. Most impressive is his dependability under pressure. That said, Folk, for whatever reason, has been awful on kickoffs. Thus, the Cowboys spent a fifth-round pick on kickoff specialist David Buehler. Punter Mat McBriar is back after breaking his kicking foot in the overtime loss at Arizona last October. Prior to the injury, McBriar could boot one of the highest balls in the game.

Felix Jones is an electrifying kick returner. Considering Tashard Choice gives the Cowboys a third running back, new special teams coach Joe DeCamillis will likely be able to keep Jones in a return role. Unless they tap Terence Newman, Dallas has no dangerous punt returner (Pacman Jones was ineffective last season and got released). Patrick Crayton usually handles this job.

Bottom Line

The hope is for an addition by subtraction with the Terrell Owens release. Dumping Owens should help team chemistry and allow Tony Romo and Jason Garrett to be leaders. But realize, Dallas’s problems existed long before Owens showed up. Every December it becomes apparent that discipline and accountability are lacking with this club. With a toothless Wade Phillips in the last year of his contract, it’s hard to expect much change. Still, there’s loads of talent here, and even a little change should result in at least one playoff win…right?

Predicted finish: 2^nd NFC East