Here’s a list of all the pro’s and con’s of that loss:
Pros:
- Jason Garrett’s fate was sealed. ‘Nuff said.
- Winning that week would have prolonged the inevitable, this team and coaching staff had reached the end of the road. Losing 2 weeks later in the Wild Card or in the Divisional could have extended the Garrett tenure. Ew.
- Pick 17 in the 2020 draft. This is a sans Ceedee pro before I get to the obvious. Had we simply lost in the WC round like Philly, we would have been picking at 21 and them at 17. With 15ish real first round graded players every year, the chances at one of those players being available at 17 is high. Trading down or having a player fall in your lap both become very viable options in picks 16-18. At 21, you rarely get as lucky.
-That being said, Ceedee freakin Lamb. Imagine how we would feel if the Eagles got him? I’m glad we lost that game for this reason alone lol.
-This team was a wounded duck on its way down, winning this week would’ve been pointless as we certainly weren’t winning the Super Bowl.
-A culture of coaching ineptitude and a disorganized mess of responsibilities might have finally moved JJ to act like a normal owner. He’s already backed off as GM, and the leash he’s given Mike (a real HC btw) to go out and pick his own staff and impart his philosophy on the draft has been great. If he truly has learned, all the obstacles to deep playoff runs have theoretically been removed.
Cons:
-The way some players are judged after a year that was clearly one in which the coaching staff hit their limit, is severely lacking context. Especially since that week 16 game seems to be the favorite example.
-Never been one to care too much about pundits and fans, but the whole “8-8” Cowboys thing gets old especially when it’s been some time since we’ve been 8-8. How many guys on the roster now were here in ‘13? Now all of a sudden these are all 8-8 guys when the only common denominator between 8-8 and Dallas was Garrett? Gets annoying.
-Finally, acting like Philly is an annual SB lock because they beat us and made the playoffs is such a weird take. Don’t get me wrong they’ve definitely done more recently than us in terms of success, but this is getting laughable. I know they had injuries, but they were 5-7 coming off a loss to Miami. Everyone touts that they made some heroic late season comeback to make the playoffs when they literally beat two of the worst teams in the league and the lame duck Jason Garrett’s, followed by a Wentz injury and WC loss. Yet they are SB favorites by many again and some act like there is a huge gap between us both (Cowherd is the poster boy for this). I’ll take being the underdog but sheesh Philly hasn’t been a juggernaut since 2017 and wasn’t one before that. Solid team, solid FO, not a top SB pick.
In conclusion, that loss might have a huge impact on the future of this division. And to me, is just ahead of the Skins loss in October 2018 that netted us Amari Cooper. Losses that truly became wins.
