The Dallas Cowboys have been a competitive football team for the past ten years. They are currently sixth in the NFL after winning 60% of their regular-season games over that time. They only had a losing record at the end twice, and both times it was due to the loss of their starting quarterback due to a season-ending injury. We knew this team would be loud when Dak Prescott or Tony Romo were healthy. They have qualified for the postseason six times in the last 10 years, three times under Jason Garrett and three times under Mike McCarthy.
Garrett’s Cowboys were the perfect example of excellent but insufficient. Although we anticipated his teams to be fierce, there seemed to bewinning football that benefits both teams. For the past three seasons, McCarthy’s teams had ended 12-5, and some fans were certain that he might be the game-changer this team has been waiting for. However, the Cowboys failed to advance past the divisional round in two of his three postseason trips. In both instances, they were playing at home against a weaker seed, yet they quickly got into a deep hole from which they never emerged. Furthermore, the Cowboys’ most recent playoff loss on Sunday ranks among their most abject performances.
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There are numerous reasons why the sorrow from Sunday’s defeat strikes differently. The Cowboys’ enormous opportunity was one of the causes. This football team has a lot of talent. There were nine all-pro players on the Cowboys roster. Nine. They have players on special teams, defense, and offense. To put things in perspective…
One contender for the Most Valuable Player honor was Dak Prescott.
CeeDee Lamb shattered the team’s single-season records for reception yards and catches.
Micah Parsons competed for the title of Defensive Player of the Year.
With five interceptions returned for touchdowns, DaRon Bland set a record for the NFL.
It wasn’t until the last regular season game that Brandon Aubrey failed to make a field goal.
These are remarkable accolades on their own. All things considered, this appears to be a unique Cowboys club that has the potential to achieve greatness. With a chance to play two home games, they were the two-seed going into the postseason. They would have a strong opportunity to play in the NFC Championship game, something they hadn’t done in 28 years, if they were to win both their wild card and any potential divisional round matchup. Yes, there was a good likelihood that the “can’t make it past the divisional round curse”
That’s what happened in the first half—a 27-0 lead. And just when you thought things couldn’t get worse, the fourth quarter saw a score of 48-16. The Cowboys had a total breakdown in their home stadium, where they had not lost in the previous 16 games. We sat there, jaws agape, staring at one of the most confusing things we had ever seen.
McCarthy, this transformative head coach, showed us a team that was about as ill-prepared as we had ever seen them appear. Quinn, the defensive rock for this team, had his team playing positions taken out of a hat. Nobody was aware of their actions. Even Prescott, during one of the most successful seasons of
The front office will once again attempt to CSI this situation and fix whatever they believe is faulty as we head into another offseason. We have to acknowledge that there’s a good chance this year’s squad won’t be as good as this one. Along with greater learning, more adjustments, and more problems, we should anticipate some coaching changes.
Usually at this point, we would say to you, “Don’t worry, there are reasons to be optimistic,” but this time, that won’t be the case. Arrr. Panic, then panic some more. Although we might find some solace in the idea that this club still has quality and ought to contend next season, that won’t mean anything to us until
