Jeff Gross/Getty Images

There’s something about the Dallas Cowboys.

Maybe it’s because they’re the richest, most famous team in the NFL, maybe it’s their brash owner, or maybe it’s their swagger-enriched history. Whatever the root cause (likely a combination of all of the above), America’s Team faces higher expectations than any team in America.

And the expectations are particularly powerful in 2010, because this is the year in which Dallas’ new billion-dollar stadium — the Taj Mahal of NFL venues that debuted in 2009 — hosts the Super Bowl.

What’s more, the roster appears to be equipped for a run at Lombardi.

Quarterback Tony Romo is coming off his best statistical season and has a new weapon in rookie Dez Bryant; the three-headed-monster backfield should only continue to improve; the pass rush is primo, with edge rushers DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer defining the term “dynamic duo.”

The Cowboys are stacked. Of course, they’ve been stacked on more than a few recent occasions. And they fail, pretty much perennially, each January.

Why might things be different this year? What is it about this Cowboys edition that has me thinking they’ll take the field in Arlington, Texas on Feb. 6, 2011? The answer isn’t particularly tidy, but it sure as hell feels as though the right pieces are finally in place and things are about to come together for this team.

That’s what this scribe thinks. Which means you can probably expect Dallas to go 6-10.

2009 in a nutshell: After winning the NFC East with an 11-5 record, they win their first playoff game in 13 years. But then they implode in the divisional playoffs against Minnesota.

Why 2010 could be different, in a nutshell: Another year of maturity for Romo; major changes to the offensive line.

Three random thoughts/observations/projections

1. The aforementioned pass-rushing duo of Ware and Spencer get most of the credit for the defence’s success, but those two are actually part of a potent triangle in the middle of the Cowboys’ front seven, and the top point of said polygon is a guy named Jay Ratliff — a 3-4 nose tackle who found a way to fight past continual double teams to record six sacks in 2009. Ratliff, 29, may have been a Pro Bowler in 2008, but he didn’t arrive on the superstar scene until last year. And although the dude doesn’t get the credit that fellow 3-4 nose tackles do (think: Vince Wilfork), he might actually be the best player at that position in the NFL.

2. As good as Romo and his trio of running backs were last year, there is some concern that the skill players won’t be able to hold up if the Cowboys’ offensive line doesn’t adapt to some fairly sizable changes. The relatively inexperienced Doug Free takes over for the departed Flozell Adams as Romo’s blind side protector at left tackle, while right tackle Marc Colombo and left guard Kyle Cosier (both of whom have spotty injury histories) are currently out with knee problems.

3. Where does Dez Bryant fit in with the offence? Romo not only has to try to spread it around to one of the league’s top wideouts (Miles Austin), one of the league’s top tight ends (Jason Witten) and three halfbacks who are well-equipped to catch the ball, but Roy Williams is still slated to start in front of Bryant. Considering that the rookie has missed pretty much all of August with a high-ankle sprain, it’s not looking as though Bryant will make a major impact in his first year.

2010 prediction: Especially considering the injuries in Minnesota, the Cowboys might be the most talented overall team in the NFC. They’ll get past the Saints and Packers in the playoffs and host the Super Bowl. But I’m not convinced they’ll win that game.