home of the Dallas Cowboys for the first time as a broadcaster last year after retiring as the storied franchise's all-time passing leader.Now it's the 15-year tight end's turn.Witten's move from the field to ESPN's "Monday Night Football" booth was a little more sudden and surprising than Romo's decision to join CBS after he had lost his job to Dak Prescott.The club's career leader in catches and games was still a starter when he left [url=www.thecowboysfootballauthentic.com]Womens Leighton Vander Esch Jersey[/url] , and probably a little more beloved than his best friend and former quarterback. The fans figure to illustrate as much when the Cowboys (3-4) host the pro team from Witten's home state, the Tennessee Titans (3-4), on Monday night."It will certainly be emotional for me," Witten said. "Why wouldn't it be after 15 years and so many relationships inside that building with fans and teammates and management and coaches and all that stuff?"Unlike Romo, Witten had a ceremony to say goodbye in the spring after he had already started his offseason training at the team's facility. The announcement days before his 36th birthday came after the realization that it would be difficult for Witten turn down a chance to be one of the NFL's lead analysts.Also unlike Romo, Witten's transition has been rough. He's been criticized more than Romo, who was an instant hit by showing the ability to predict plays and has shown more an ability to connect with viewers.The most notable moment for Witten so far came when he slipped and said Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers had pulled "another rabbit out of his head" with a tying touchdown pass late in a 33-30 overtime win against San Francisco."I would never walk into something like that and say, 'Hey, I'm going to be on this level from minute one,'" Witten said. "I'm not going to be perfect but I think over time if you listen, you win them over by saying [url=www.thecowboysfootballauthentic.com]Youth Allen Hurns Jersey[/url] , 'Man, the guy is sharing a lot of football with us that we didn't necessarily know.'"I believe in myself. I believe I'll be good at it."Witten will have a friendly audience at AT&T Stadium, regardless of whether people are watching from their devices in the stands."His leadership in the locker room and the practice field throughout games was off the charts and a great example for all of us how to go about your job," Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said. "A rare guy, a special guy we are all fortunate to have been around."The obvious question is whether Witten will hesitate to criticize Prescott, or Garrett, or any of the tight ends trying to replace him. Prescott thinks so."I expect Witten to be critical," said Prescott, who had Witten for his first two years in the league, both as the Dallas starter. "I tell the story about when I first came in, how tough he was on me then. So now I don't expect it to be any different."Witten kept his composure during his 15-minute retirement speech in May at team headquarters [url=www.thecowboysfootballauthentic.com]Womens Sean Lee Jersey[/url] , about 35 miles from the stadium. It should be pretty easy to do the same when he's shown from the booth, mostly likely after a tribute video on the giant screen that hangs above the field."I think that's why when I made the decision back in May, why I put so much time into it, was because I knew once I did I wasn't going to allow myself or was going to try really hard not to get to the emotions of it all," Witten said. "Will it be different? Absolutely. Will be it be awkward going into that stadium? Of course it will be."Just as it was for Romo a year ago.Cowboys vs. Panthers: Five things to watch in the game The Dallas Cowboys will be playing football on Sunday in a real game that will count in the standings. Can you believe it? The time has finally arrived. The Cowboys will square off with their first NFC South team as they travel to Carolina to face the Panthers. The last time these teams met was in 2015 and the Panthers gave the Cowboys a 33-14 Thanksgiving beat-down. Carolina came into that game 10-0 and finished 15-1 en route to a Super Bowl appearance.The Cowboys are hoping for different results this time as they look to get off to a good start in 2018. It’s should be a great game as these teams are evenly matched, but what are some things that could be the difference maker? Here are five things to watch when these two teams square off.Panthers DT’s vs. Cowboys interior OLThe Cowboys were going to have their hands full with the Panthers stud defensive tackles Dontari Poe and Kawaan Short no matter what, but the absence of All Pro center Travis Frederick is going to make it that much more challenging. Backup center Joe Looney has been solid in relief, but when you consider that he’ll have rookie Connor Williams on his left, that can create a cause for concern for Cowboys fans as they fend off two former Pro Bowlers.The offensive line is such an important part of the Cowboys success. They need it working to get Ezekiel Elliott going and they need it to keep Dak Prescott upright. Winning the battle in the trenches is going to be key for Dallas on Sunday.Which will effectively influence...Cowboys first-down efficiencyThere is no secret that the Cowboys are going to employ a heavy does of the running game. Keeping quarterback Dak Prescott in manageable down-and-distance situations is going to be imperative and the Cowboys offense will need to win on early downs to make that possible. With the tough defensive front of Carolina, it’s going to be difficult for the Cowboys to move the pile. Dallas will need to work in some bootleg tosses, play-action [url=www.thecowboysfootballauthentic.com]Womens Connor Williams Jersey[/url] , and quick passes in order to keep the Panthers from overloading against the run.If the Cowboys get stuffed early or have some negative plays that put them behind the chains, then their offense could be forced to play uphill. It’s going to be important for the Cowboys to be efficient on first down.Randy Gregory vs. Taylor MotonThe Panthers offensive line is beat up as several key starters are battling injuries. One of those key starters is left tackle Matt Kalil who was selected fourth overall in the 2012 NFL Draft (by Minnesota). On Tuesday, the Panthers put Kalil on injured reserve, making him unavailable to them for the first half of the season.That leaves second-year tackle Taylor Moton to protect Cam Newton’s blindside. While Panthers fans are pleased with the progress of last year’s second-round pick, Moton is very inexperienced and only played five snaps last year.Opposing Moton will be another second-round pick who doesn’t have a whole lot of playing experience himself - Randy Gregory. However, the Cowboys young edge rusher has hit the ground running once he was reinstated by the league and he’s ready to show the world what he can do. This will be an interesting battle to keep an eye on as how well these players perform will have a huge affect on how successful these teams can be this season.Double-down on double-deuceChristian McCaffrey can be explosive when he gets in space and the Cowboys defense will need watch this guy carefully. McCaffrey can beat you as a running back, but he’s even more dangerous catching passes as the majority of his 1,000+ scrimmage yards last season came as a receiver. With Panthers coach Ron Rivera indicating that McCaffrey will get a heavy amount of touches, this could open things up for the second-year running back to have a big season.The Cowboys will counter that with the great explosiveness of All-Pro linebacker Sean Lee. And with the improved movement from Jaylon Smith, the defense has a good core group of players who can go after the ball carrier. When it comes to McCaffrey, the Cowboys better allocate an extra defender to track his whereabouts. He’s a slippery littler sucker and if they don’t have an insurance policy in place when one guy misses [url=www.thecowboysfootballauthentic.com]Youth Byron Jones Jersey[/url] , it could turn into a big play for Carolina.The rookie receiversThe Cowboys didn’t select fan-favorite D.J. Moore in the first round, but the Panthers did. Dallas opted to wait until the third round to draft their new wide receiver when they selected Michael Gallup with the 81st overall pick. How well will these young receivers fan in their NFL debut?Devin Funchess is the Panthers top receiving threat at the moment, but with with the talent of Moore, it’s only a matter of time before he starts becoming more involved in the offense. Cam Newton has a big arm and if Moore gets loose deep down field, it could result in a big play for the Panthers offense.The Cowboys have an assortment of receivers and could end up dressing all six of them on the roster. It’s unclear what Gallup’s role will be, but he developed some nice chemistry with Prescott in training camp. Can the rookie makes a splash in his first NFL game?What will you be watching on Sunday?