6-1 doesn't explain it. Are the Cowboys a Super Bowl caliber team? The best of a weak NFC? A trick of the light?

Don't ask me. I've watched all but one game and I'm still not sure.

Start with Romo. Most people do. Guts, mobility, and a strong arm. Romo has them. And he easily could have five more interceptions already. Sometimes he floats the ball, and recently he's dropped down enough to get a good number of tips. Good enough to be the second best quarterback this season, but good enough to take those risks and still run the boards in the playoffs? I just don't know.

The tools are there for Romo to work with. Jason Witten, Terrell Owens, Patrick Crayton, Marion Barber, Julius Jones. But the Patriots took Witten out of the game and ground the offense to a halt. New coordinator Jason Garrett sometimes voluntarily shuts down Dallas' running game, despite having an offensive line any NFL back would be glad to run behind. Can Dallas keep scoring thirty points a game the second time through the NFC East?

If teams learn to take Witten out of the mix, will T.O. keep his head and body together and take advantage of better matchups? If Glenn doesn't come back will Dallas develop an alternate deep threat? Then again, it may not matter. Dallas has adjusted to anything thrown at them defensively, even by New England.

Two areas you don't have to question are the offensive line and special teams. This is the best Dallas line since the Super Bowl days and may even get better as they work together longer. Nick Folk is the kicker Dallas thought it paid for last year in Mike Vanderjagt. A rookie with the nerves of a veteran. And Mat McBriar is the best NFL punter since Ray Guy.

All these questions pale next to the ones of the defensive side of the ball.

The 3-4. Or, should I say the 3-4? Coming into the season we were told it was a different 3-4 than Bill Parcells ran. Wade Phillips' version was supposed to disrupt instead of contain. Meet the new scheme, same as the old scheme. Two sacks a game and Tom Brady looking as pressured as a father playing catch with his son in the back yard.

Against the run, this is a defensive line which will play well against weak lines and backfields and much less so against strong ones. It is not a sure fire run stop defense, and is one injury away from very shaky ground. Tank Johnson won't change that.

What was that about Roy Williams being "set free" under the new scheme. Free to cheat towards the run, free to go after the quarterback, free to justify a $25 million contract extension. Who is that guy trailing behind those receivers on deep touchdown passes? Who is that arm tackler? This one the jury should not be out on. Roy "Ordinary" Williams is just another safety. At best.

Then again, this is the defense that got its back up and saved the day in Buffalo. That shut down the Bears and Rams, and held the Vikings in check today. Maybe this is a defense better than the sum of it's parts, one that will get better as Greg Ellis gets stronger, Terence Newman literally more sure footed, and Anthony Henry healthy. The best may be yet to come.

Still, you wonder. This is a defense that occasionally can't get off the field. There were times today when the Vikings ran at will for large chunks of yardage, even though they had no passing game to set up the run.

Where does that leave the Cowboys? A little ahead of the Giants. Maybe behind Washington if the Redskins develop anything resembling an offense. And miles ahead of the rest of the NFC.

Brave predictions? There is too much talent not to win the conference. Too much to lose in the first round? But after that, what?

As of October 21, this is not a Super Bowl team. Not yet. But it could be. We'll know in four weeks. After the bye week, Dallas has Philadelphia, Washington, and New York. How the Cowboys play the Redskins and Giants will answer most questions.

Maybe the biggest question of all is this. How much is heart worth? This Cowboy team has more of it than the corporate Patriots and the unsteady Giants, more than any Dallas team in years. If heart counts throw all the questions out the window. If it doesn't, this is a team a year away from challenging New England.