Just when it seemed impossible for the Dallas Cowboys to sink any lower, a penalty-laced 24-21 loss to an equally struggling Minnesota Vikings team last Sunday, descended Dallas to rock bottom. 

The Cowboys picked up right where it left off against the Tennessee Titans in week four, racking up penalty, after penalty, after penalty against Minnesota. 

Dallas was flagged 11 times for 91 yards against the Vikings, enough to overwhelm even the greatest football team. 

What made things worse were the types of penalties the Cowboys continued to accumulate.  An excessive celebration penalty, which played a significant role in the loss to Tennessee, false starts, and numerous pass interference penalties against cornerback Mike Jenkins, who was a Pro Bowler just last season. 

The most heartbreaking part for the Cowboys in this disastrous start to the season, is that even though the team ranks third in the league in penalties, Dallas still had a legitimate shot at winning each one of its' four losses to Washington, Chicago, Tennessee and Minnesota, losing all four games by a touchdown or less. 

Brett Favre accumulated just 118 yards and a touchdown for the Vikings while fantasy football's favorite running back, Adrian Peterson, had a season-low 73 yards, tacking on a touchdown off a Dallas turnover. 

The Cowboys, on the other hand, put up good numbers.  Tony Romo nearly doubled Favre's numbers with 220 yards and three touchdowns.  And although running back Marion Barber had just 10 carries for 31 yards, he was the workhorse for Dallas picking up several key first downs on third and short. 

With Favre being nearly doubled by Romo in yards and tripled in touchdowns, on paper, it seemed impossible that the Cowboys didn't come out on top.  However, Romo also doubled Favre in another statistic that crushed Dallas--turnovers. 

Romo threw two interceptions with one coming at a pivotal moment late in the game to Viking linebacker E.J. Henderson, who initially showed blitz but dropped back into coverage as Romo looked to  tight end Jason Witten.   

But the blame can't solely be placed on Romo.  The Cowboys simply couldn't overcome the 91 yards in penalties.  Dallas continued a trend that started in week one--self destruction. 

In the Cowboys last two games against Tennessee and Minnesota, Dallas was called for 23 penalties for 224 yards. 

If the staggering number of penalties isn't considered undisciplined football by Wade Phillips and Co., it would be frightening to see what the Cowboys actually do consider undisciplined football. 

The Cowboys find themselves amongst the bottom feeders of the NFL, joining a 1-5 Detroit Lions, an 0-5 Carolina Panthers and a 1-5 San Francisco club, each holding the worst records in their divisions respectively. 

"We're in trouble.  Relative to our schedule, relative to the league," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said.  "We aren't playing well enough." 

Folks, it's a scary day when the most optimistic man in the world is the only man in the organization to realize the Cowboys are sinking like the Titanic.