The uneasy potential titleholder contender
The Dallas Cowboys still consider themselves a major league team, but they haven't been part of the NFL's elite for a while now. They're more like mediocre squads than Super Bowl contenders, even in this year's season.
Fortunately, they won't be on the field this upcoming weekend. They're taking a bye week – a much-needed break after their humiliating 9-47 loss at home to the Detroit Lions last week. It was one of the club's worst defeats in history and happened on the 82nd birthday of team owner Jerry Jones. Team coach Dan Campbell, from the Lions, even gave Jerry a gift by taking his starters off the field during the final quarter.
The Cowboys didn't just lose the game; they were publicly shamed. The Lions dominated them, just like a bully in the playground. They took their hats, mocked them, pushed them around, and left them feeling weak – in front of 93,644 fans. The Cowboys barely put up a fight. "Last week was both very frustrating and sobering," lamented Jerry Jones.
The loss marked the fourth consecutive loss in their fourth home game, including the Wild Card game against the Green Bay Packers in mid-January. Quarterback Dak Prescott called for "harder training," admitting that the loss was a "low point." He even criticized his own performance, completing only 17 of 33 passes for just 178 yards, throwing two interceptions, and getting tackled four times.
Struggling against the better teams
The Cowboys have a record of 3 wins and 3 losses – an even score. But a closer look reveals that two of the losses were decisive. In addition to the loss against the Lions, they also lost to New Orleans 19-44. Their victories against the New York Giants (20-15) and in Pittsburgh (20-17) were hardly impressive. And their 33-17 win against the Cleveland Browns at the beginning of the season doesn't look as impressive now, considering that both the Giants and the Las Vegas Raiders have also beaten the Browns, who are in their own crisis with a 1-5 record.
The Cowboys have no excuses – they know their position all too well by now. They've completed more than a third of the regular season, and every team has established its system and philosophy by this point. The Cowboys' main issue is, well, many major issues.
Prescott doesn't seem like a leader – he seems lost. But his offensive line doesn't give him enough protection either. The running game is almost nonexistent, and the defense is just a big net, letting opponents score points with ease. According to Fox Sports, only the Houston Oilers have allowed more points in their last four home games – that was over forty years ago.
Dwindling expectations
Expectations in Dallas are always high, but results often disappoint. It's about time for some introspection – a good, hard look in the mirror. It's time for some honesty. Who are these Dallas Cowboys, really? They like to project an image of a big, successful franchise. They still consider themselves "America's Team."
A team with a large fan base, a shining reputation that extends far beyond Texas, even across the USA. The Dallas Cowboys – a term that instantly conjures up a specific image. Like Real Madrid, the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Yankees, Muhammad Ali, Roger Federer, Usain Bolt, or Michael Schumacher.
Yet, these Dallas Cowboys are just pretenders to the throne this season, much like they've been for many years. The odds of missing the playoffs are higher than winning it all. Their last Super Bowl win was all the way back in 1996, when Dak Prescott was just two and a half years old, and CeeDee Lamb hadn't even been born.
Their current 3-3 record reminds some of the "memorable" years of Jason Garrett, according to Yahoo Sports. Garrett was the head coach in Dallas from 2011 to 2019, embodying mediocrity. In four of his nine years, the Cowboys ended the season with an 8-8 record, reaching the playoffs only three times and losing each opening game.
No Change Under Mike McCarthy
Mike McCarthy took over as head coach in 2020, succeeding Garrett. He was expected to bring the Cowboys closer to a title, especially by Jerry Jones. But, as we know now, McCarthy has fallen short of these expectations. He has only managed to guide the team to one playoff win, and he's still the Cowboys' coach.
The calls for a change, for a switch, seem to not concern Jones. He should have let McCarthy go a long time ago – but firing him would be an admission of failure for a Jerry Jones, the undisputed ruler of the Cowboys' universe, at least in his own mind. Maybe, Jones might argue, "trying a little harder" might be "enough change."
The squad is undeniably lacking key players due to injuries. For example, Pro Bowl linebacker Micah Parsons and cornerback DaRon Bland are both sidelined. Additionally, defensive ends DeMarcus Lawrence and Marshawn Kneeland, as well as wide receiver Brandin Cooks, are all unavailable. Yet, one wonders, as "The Athletic" queries, if this team, despite the injuries, has the potential to heat up at the right moment, qualify for the playoffs, and even challenge for the championship. The likelihood, according to the online source, is higher that the situation will "grow even more unsightly" than writing a story with a happy ending.
Despite their wealthy history and large fan base, the Dallas Cowboys currently find themselves in the NFL's middle tier, struggling to contend for the Super Bowl. Even in this season, they're more like mediocre teams than title contenders, as shown in their 3-3 record and challenging games against stronger opponents.
In the upcoming NFL schedule, the Cowboys won't be playing due to their bye week, providing a much-needed rest following their embarrassing 9-47 loss to the Detroit Lions. This defeat was particularly humiliating, with the Lions dominating them just like a bully in the playground, marking a low point in their recent history.
