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IRVING — "I think when you spread the wealth around, it’s good for everybody." – President Barack Obama
When President Barack Obama made that statement during his election campaign, he was labeled a socialist, sparking a mini-controversy.Time will tell if Obama’s noble ideals will take hold in America.There is no question his spread-the-wealth message has caught on in the millionaire’s club that is the Dallas Cowboys locker room.Gone is the capitalistic notion of giving the guys with the biggest salaries and biggest egos all the opportunities to make plays.In riding a three-game winning streak to a 5-2 record and into a first place tie in the NFC East with the Philadelphia Eagles, the Cowboys have gotten contributions for across board to more than justify the motif that "when you spread the wealth around, it’s good for everybody.""It’s a lot of guys making players, not just one or two guys and that’s important," coach Wade Phillips said.” We have a lot of good football players. We have some great football players. But we have a lot of good football players and you want to get them involved. That makes you consistent."It also makes you unpredictable and hard to game plan for.The Cowboys still have stars leading the way such as quarterback Tony Romo, Pro Bowl tight end Jason Witten and Pro Bowl linebacker DeMarcus Ware. Aside from Romo, however, Witten and Ware’s numbers are down compared to past years. But production on offense and defense is better than it has been at anytime since Phillips arrived because the Cowboys aren’t just relying on one or two people to get the job done.Twelve players have caught passes. Three runners have 37 or more carries. Nine players have notched sacks. 14 Cowboys have pass deflections, 11 have quarterback pressures and five forced fumbles.Don’t just consider the numbers, but also the unlikely sources they are coming from. Receiver Miles Austin is the biggest rags-to-riches story with six touchdown receptions in the past three games to spark the winning streak and earn a starting spot. Third running back Tashard Choice has been just as impactful as starter Marion Barber with 48 carries for 236 yards and two touchdowns. Cornerback Terence Newman has three forced fumbles. Backup defensive end Stephen Bowen is right behind Ware in quarterback pressures with 13."You got guys making plays, getting sacks, causing fumbles, knocking balls down, doing whatever we can to try to win and be a playmaker," linebacker Bradie James said. "Everybody is really stepping up to the plate."According the Cowboys, the spread-the-wealth plan was a conscious effort to be more socialistic than democratic in an attempt to be a more complete football team.That is a fact that is lost in the seemingly weekly controversy regarding the disappointing production of receiver Roy Williams, whose 14 catches have not close to living up to his $9 million annual salary. The Cowboys would like better numbers from Williams, but they are not losing sleep over it because they have been able to rely on other players such as breakout star Austin.
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