Dallas CowboysThe Dallas Cowboys opened the season as the preseason favorites to make it to the Super Bowl.

With 13 Pro Bowlers back from last season’s 13-3 team, even they admitted it was Super Bowl or bust in 2008. Eight games later, the Dallas Cowboys are just happy to still have playoff aspirations.

Yes, it was that kind of first half.

The Dallas Cowboys’ once high-powered offense has sputtered. Quarterback Tony Romo has been turnover-prone and is now injured. Receiver Terrell Owens is off to his worst start since 1999. Adam “Pacman” Jones was suspended again.

The Dallas Cowboys traded for one Roy Williams, while the other Roy Williams was lost to injury. And coach Wade Phillips is on the hot seat.

How’s that for some first-half drama? Too bad the Hard Knocks reality show TV cameras were turned off when the preseason ended.

Top controversy

Pacman "Don’t Bother Calling Me Adam" Jones wins in a walk. Despite repeated pledges that he was a changed man, Jones hit the headlines again when he hit a member of his own security team at a Dallas hotel Oct. 7. The Dallas Cowboys saw no reason to suspend Jones, but the NFL did, for four games.

Biggest injury

Take your pick among the lot of Tony Romo, Felix Jones, Kyle Kosier, Roy Williams, Terence Newman, Mat McBriar and Anthony Spencer. Losing Newman has been big. But when the starting quarterback of an NFL team — especially this NFL team — goes down for more than a game, that qualifies as the biggest loss. The Cowboys’ offense has gone stagnant since Romo busted his right pinkie finger Oct. 12. Dallas Cowboys have scored a combined 27 points and three touchdowns in the two games he’s been out. Romo is expected back the week after the bye for the final seven games of the season, as are Newman, Felix Jones and Kosier.