Reconcilable old men refine the Cowboys series
The Dallas Cowboys are doing extremely well in sporting terms. And now club owner Jerry Jones is ending his decades-long spat with former champion coach Jimmy Johnson. Where can this still lead this season?
These Dallas Cowboys are perfect for primetime. What a show by "America's Team" in a 45-10 home win on America's most important holiday, Thanksgiving, against the Washington Commanders. What an offensive spectacle from quarterback Dak Prescott, who scored four touchdowns. What a historic moment for cornerback DaRon Bland with his fifth pick six of the season - and thus a new NFL record.
And then: what TV ratings. An average of 41.438 million people watched the eighth win of the season in the eleventh game. The Dallas game was therefore once again the biggest viewer magnet of the three NFL matches on "Turkey Day". Once again because 42.1 million had already watched the Thanksgiving match against the New York Giants a year ago.
Dallas plays, America tunes in
Since then, only the fantastic Super Bowl LVII on February 12 between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles had attracted more viewers in the USA. In other words: the Dallas Cowboys are in. And how. According to sportsmediawatch.com, the Texans' games have been the ratings hits on US television in four of the eleven weeks of the season so far.
With their record viewership on Thursday, it will be five top positions in twelve weeks after this weekend. On top of that, there are three second places. And the next game in the "must watch" category is already in sight. On December 10, the Cowboys will host runner-up Philadelphia Eagles in the Sunday Night Game.
Offense like a twelve-cylinder
And it really is worth watching the Cowboys' games. The offense led by Dak Prescott runs like a souped-up twelve-cylinder. He has been the playmaker in Dallas since 2016. But it has never been as pleasant for him in attack as it is at the moment, the 30-year-old emphasized. "That's down to many factors. The coaches, the receivers, the offensive line that protects me - we're very balanced and it's a lot of fun," Prescott said in an interview with CBS after the win against Washington.
The 45 points against Washington were the third most points scored in a Thanksgiving game in team history - and the Cowboys were playing on Thanksgiving for the 55th time. It wasn't too long ago that Prescott had only one reliable option in CeeDee Lamb. Against Washington, he distributed his passes among ten players. Above all, wide receiver Brandin Cooks, who was signed from the Houston Texans during the off-season, proved to be the hoped-for reinforcement.
Seven wins with at least a 20-point lead
The offensive power is also evident when looking at the rest of the season's results. In seven of their eight victories, the Cowboys won by a margin of at least 20 points. Their passing game literally blossoms in the late fall. Prescott loves to spread the ball around the field because his O-line gives him plenty of time to find the spots to pass to. The result: the quarterback has scored 17 touchdowns in the past five games - and thrown only two interceptions.
Speaking of interceptions: the victory against Washington was already a foregone conclusion on Thursday, Dallas led 38:10 with just under five minutes left to play. The fans were in a celebratory mood on this holiday and Prescott was already biting into a turkey leg on the sidelines when DaRon Bland provided the perfect Thanksgiving dessert.
"This is history, this will be the record"
The cornerback intercepted a pass from Washington quarterback Sam Howell at his own 35-yard line in the 56th minute. He had already managed to do this four times this season - and four times Bland had subsequently carried the football into the opposing end zone for a touchdown. They call such actions Pick Six. The all-time NFL pick six record was four. Everyone in the stadium knew this statistic - including, of course, CBS reporter Jim Nantz.
When Bland intercepted Howell's pass, took off running and outraced three visiting players on his way to the Commanders end zone, Nantz was already yelling, "This is history, this is going to be the record. This has never happened before in the history of the NFL." Ex-Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo sat next to Nantz at the microphone. He has been a respected expert for many years. And he praised Bland for his "great instincts" and his ability to carry such an intercepted pass "like a running back" into the end zone.
The special oxygen of the Cowboys defense
"Setting this record on Thanksgiving, in front of our fans, means everything to me," emphasized Bland, who has now scored 30 points this season. His action was the final point of the game. And it was also the 84th takeaway since Dan Quinn took over as defensive coordinator in Dallas for the 2021 season. No other club has taken the football away from the opponent so often in this period. "Takeaways are our oxygen, we need them like the air we breathe," emphasizes Quinn.
Dallas, like San Francisco, Baltimore, Miami and Detroit, now has an 8-3 record and the team looks solid, confident and dangerous. The Cowboys' days of rodeo rides seem to be over for the time being. A third consecutive playoff appearance should be a mere formality. The last time Dallas reached the knockout round this often was in the nineties.
Champion coach Jimmy Johnson
Back then, the club was regarded as the top address in the NFL. Under Jimmy Johnson, the Cowboys became champions in 1993 and 1994. Johnson is one of six NFL coaches to win the Super Bowl twice in a row. And there are still many Cowboys fans today who claim that the 27-17 triumph two years later in the final against the Pittsburgh Steelers was largely due to Johnson's groundwork.
For all this, this James William Johnson has already been inducted into the Hall of Fame in the summer of 2021. Now he is also set to become a member of the Cowboys Ring of Honor. This is not entirely new, as Cowboys owner Jerry Jones had already publicly announced this move in 2021. However, this announcement has remained unchanged since then.
Reconciliation of the old men
It is an open secret that Jones and Johnson are not close friends - despite the two titles in the early nineties. The omnipresent and omnipotent owner has often been asked why Johnson is not yet a member of the illustrious "Cowboys Ring of Honor"? Because he couldn't stand his infidelity, was his answer in 2014. In December 1993, Johnson had expressed an interest in becoming a coach with the Jacksonville Jaguars, who were to play in the NFL from 1995.
Jones, in turn, claimed after Johnson's second Super Bowl victory that "any coach would have led the team to the title". Jones is now 81 years old and Johnson 80. A few days ago, the two appeared side by side on television and Jones announced that the champion coach would receive the Cowboys' highest honor during the home game against the Detroit Lions on December 30.
"It's just time, it's right and I wanted to do it this year," said Jones, who stammered a bit at those words. "One reason to do it this year is because I'm alive," Johnson added - making them both laugh. It was a reference to his words from 2021, when, in response to Jones' announcement that Johnson would be inducted into the Cowboys Ring of Honor, he asked: "If I'm still alive?"
Two once-successful companions who had been at odds for decades can finally laugh together. And on the pitch, the team is causing a lot of joy. There is harmony at the Dallas Cowboys - both on and off the football pitch. Who knows where that can lead this season?
The Dallas Cowboys, often referred to as "America's Team," continue to dominate the NFL, with their latest victory against the Washington Commanders on Thanksgiving drawing an impressive viewership of 41.438 million. This victory marked the Cowboys' eighth win of the season and further cemented their position as this season's top ratings draw. Given this success, it's no surprise that the Cowboys will host the runner-up Philadelphia Eagles in a highly-anticipated Sunday Night Game on December 10.
Following their victory against Washington, cornerback DaRon Bland set a new NFL record with his fifth Pick Six of the season, further illustrating the Cowboys' impressive defensive skills under defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. With these results, it's clear that the NFL, American Football, and the Dallas Cowboys continue to be major focuses in the sports world.
Source: www.ntv.de
