3 games in 11 days. Advantage or Disadvantage

[Jarv]

There's been a lot of talk about the 3 games in 11 days. Of course is really nothing new to Dallas for the last 20 or so years, except that normally its 3 games in 12 days (Due to the fact that we play the 1st on a Monday night, not Sunday).

So, lets take a gander on how this works out.

The 1st of the 3 games is at Philly. Being that its a Monday night game away is never good. It means Tuesday is a travel day and makes for a sort prep week against Detroit. The good news is the extra time we get to prepare for Philly, being that this is our bye week before the game.

Philly is playing away at the Skins on a Sunday night this week. Playing away on a Sunday night is normally a day loss, but seeing how its only a couple hour drive to Washington it really won't matter much.

Bottom line, as far as schedules and byes, we have the advantage on Philly BASED UPON our bye to rest players and game plan for them.

Okay, now the 2nd game is against Detroit on the following Sunday. As noted, we lose 2 days because of the game being played in Philly and it being on a Monday night. Detroit is playing home against Arizona, no travel and they are in an early 1PM game.

One advantage we have is that this is a home game so we don't have a travel day like Detroit has. Although we lose 2 by playing away on a Monday night. So the advantage goes to Detroit.

Game 3 is at home Thursday against Denver. Denver is playing at home as we are the previous week, so that is a draw. The advantage we gain is two fold. One, the game is home for us so we don't have a travel day in a very short week of prep. Two, is the fact that we have been doing this Thanksgiving game for numerous year and this will be BP 3rd year of it. We have more experience preparing for the Thanksgiving game. Advantage Dallas.

Now, to summarize. Of the 3 games we play in this short span of time, Dallas has the scheduling advantage in 2/3 of the games. Now these advantages/disadvantages are based totally on schedule and not the strength of each team.

If we delve into that just a little bit its fun to note that that the teams we do have the advantage over (Philly and Denver), based on schedule, are the stronger (better teams) of the teams we'll play in that span. The one team that does have an advantage over us schedule wise is Detroit, which is...and I say this with a grain of salt...an easier game and at home.

Now, for the final caveat. After the Denver game, we get the mini bye. an extra 3 game to prepare for the away game at Giants stadium. The Giants are playing in Seattle the week before our game at their house. They will lose a day due to cross country travel and we'll be coming off our mini-bye. Advantage Dallas (Scheduling wise again), even tho it will be a Gints home game.

By the way, I will be at the Giants game so I'll be able to see 1st hand how my theory has panned out.

All in all 3/4 of those games we will have extra time to heal wounds and prepare for games which is very high on BP list of things he looks at. I just love the fact we have the TG game every year and I'm not surprised other teams ***** about it. This year it seems to really be in our advantage. I've not compiled stats from other years to see if its been a disadvantage in years past, but I'm sure it was. Not this year.

Thoughts ?

 

[Ashwynn]

I dont know if its an advantage or not, but I love the fact we are one of only two teams to play on thanksgiving. It makes for a short week, but afterwards we get 10 days, so it could be both an advantage at one point and and a disadvantage on another point. Either way, its a Cowboy Tradition to play on thanksgiving, and I love that.

 

[Derinyar]

I think you look at it the Sunday before and figure out who has less injuries to deal with, that team has an advantage.

 

[Hoov]

There's been a lot of talk about the 3 games in 11 days. Of course is really nothing new to Dallas for the last 20 or so years, except that normally its 3 games in 12 days (Due to the fact that we play the 1st on a Monday night, not Sunday).

So, lets take a gander on how this works out.

The 1st of the 3 games is at Philly. Being that its a Monday night game away is never good. It means Tuesday is a travel day and makes for a sort prep week against Detroit. The good news is the extra time we get to prepare for Philly, being that this is our bye week before the game.

Philly is playing away at the Skins on a Sunday night this week. Playing away on a Sunday night is normally a day loss, but seeing how its only a couple hour drive to Washington it really won't matter much.

Bottom line, as far as schedules and byes, we have the advantage on Philly BASED UPON our bye to rest players and game plan for them.

Okay, now the 2nd game is against Detroit on the following Sunday. As noted, we lose 2 days because of the game being played in Philly and it being on a Monday night. Detroit is playing home against Arizona, no travel and they are in an early 1PM game.

One advantage we have is that this is a home game so we don't have a travel day like Detroit has. Although we lose 2 by playing away on a Monday night. So the advantage goes to Detroit.

Game 3 is at home Thursday against Denver. Denver is playing at home as we are the previous week, so that is a draw. The advantage we gain is two fold. One, the game is home for us so we don't have a travel day in a very short week of prep. Two, is the fact that we have been doing this Thanksgiving game for numerous year and this will be BP 3rd year of it. We have more experience preparing for the Thanksgiving game. Advantage Dallas.

Now, to summarize. Of the 3 games we play in this short span of time, Dallas has the scheduling advantage in 2/3 of the games. Now these advantages/disadvantages are based totally on schedule and not the strength of each team.

If we delve into that just a little bit its fun to note that that the teams we do have the advantage over (Philly and Denver), based on schedule, are the stronger (better teams) of the teams we'll play in that span. The one team that does have an advantage over us schedule wise is Detroit, which is...and I say this with a grain of salt...an easier game and at home.

Now, for the final caveat. After the Denver game, we get the mini bye. an extra 3 game to prepare for the away game at Giants stadium. The Giants are playing in Seattle the week before our game at their house. They will lose a day due to cross country travel and we'll be coming off our mini-bye. Advantage Dallas (Scheduling wise again), even tho it will be a Gints home game.

By the way, I will be at the Giants game so I'll be able to see 1st hand how my theory has panned out.

All in all 3/4 of those games we will have extra time to heal wounds and prepare for games which is very high on BP list of things he looks at. I just love the fact we have the TG game every year and I'm not surprised other teams ***** about it. This year it seems to really be in our advantage. I've not compiled stats from other years to see if its been a disadvantage in years past, but I'm sure it was. Not this year.

Thoughts ?

Nice post. also from your theory it looks like we have an advantage schedule wise against our division foes, extra time to prepare for 2 away division games, that is really a break as these games are the most important. If that helps us win both division games, and i think we beat the Commanders this time around, that leaves us 5-1 vs our division and will really put us in good shape to win the division this year.

 

[ravidubey]

Lamar Hunt hates the Dallas Cowboys franchise, and nothing grates on him more that Dallas has the Thanksgiving tradition it has. The Cowboys forced his Dallas Texans move to Kansas City and become the Chiefs, and he'll never forgive it.

When Hunt led a charge against Dallas' and Detroit's Thanksgiving advantage a few years back, the Detroit Lions screamed bloody murder and actually said they did not want to be caught in the crossfire of the Dallas-hatred. That forced a faction of NFL owners, friends of Hunt, to have to own-up to their anti-Dallas agenda. Joe Gibbs (an NBC analyst at the time) openly agreed "Lamar's right", Dallas has an advantage by always hosting a Thursday game because the opponent has a travel day during a short week.

Some of this anti-Dallas faction even went so far as to suggest that only Detroit should have a Thanksgiving tradition since it was 60+ years old and not "only" 30+ years old like Dallas' was at the time!

With their real motivations exposed, the anti-Thanksgiving movement was quashed, with Tags officially saying he did not wat to mess with tradition, period. The consolation prize was Kansas City getting to play Dallas on Thanksgiving (and getting their lunch eaten on National TV).

 

[percyhoward]

2003:

The Dolphins play a Sunday night game, then have to travel to Dallas for the Thanksgiving game. This gives the Cowboys one more full day's rest than the Phins. Turkey Day result: Miami 40 Dallas 21

Ten days later, the Cowboys pull into Philly with three extra days of rest. It's tied 10-10 at the half, so the rested Cowboys should be able to pull away from the Eagles in the 2nd half. Final score: Phil 36 Dallas 10

Nice theory though

The only way Dallas benefits from 3 games in the short time span is by winning AND staying healthy. Which is also true of any other part of the season, I guess.

 

[AmericasTeam31]

One word will be to our advantage if we can gain some......MOMENTUM.
If we beat Philly on MNF in Philly that will boost the teams confidence even more than it is already, and I think we all believe that we will beat the Lions, so with the short weeks, we can keep the momentum going against Denver on TG. I think that will be the advantage, if there is any.....

 

[te0002]

I think, on balance, the Thanksgiving Day game is a big advantage for the Cowboys, esp. with the way the bye schedule is this year. 3 games in 11 days comes immediately after a bye and then leads immediately into another mini-bye.

I don't think Philly is anywhere near where they were last year, Detroit should be a win, but Dallas has always struggled against the Lions for some reason and Denver will be a good test. However, I can actually see Dallas sweeping this 3-game gauntlet and head into the final stretch rested, 8-3 and ready to make a major run.

 

[Portland Fanatic]

~ Critical rest times....bye before Philly is perfect....

~ Then Nine days to prepare for Gints...is perfect for us as well.

We must win those and take one game between Broncs or Lions and we are tracking...........

 

[big_neil]

It's 3 games in 11 days, but also 3 games in 26 days since we have the 15 days off between Arizona and Philadelphia. Luckily, Detroit is in the middle. They must win that with enough margin to rest their starters at the end. An OT battle with injuries would spell disaster for the Denver game 4 days later. A 2 game losing streak before Denver would also be a killer. They must win 2 of 3.

 

[Asklesko]

The Broncs-Boys game is going to be one for the ages. Bet on that.

 

[mmurray21]

I think your theory is off because it doesn't take into account the cumilative effect of playing so many games in a short window. Parcells has made mention of giving guys like Glenn and even Henry a rest during the week so they can by 100% for games. It also gives you no recuperation time for the typical bangs and bruises to heal. If the Philly came is as physical as we should expect it can have a cascading effect on the next few games.

 

[Portland Fanatic]

I think your theory is off because it doesn't take into account the cumilative effect of playing so many games in a short window. Parcells has made mention of giving guys like Glenn and even Henry a rest during the week so they can by 100% for games. It also gives you no recuperation time for the typical bangs and bruises to heal. If the Philly came is as physical as we should expect it can have a cascading effect on the next few games.

Which makes our game against Philly a critical game...I think we finish that stretch at 2 and 1, then a MUCH needed break before the Gints.

 

[austintodallas]

Considering we have 2 weeks to rest up first and 2 of the games are at home, I believe this could be an advantagoeus situation for the Boys.

 

[Jarv]

It's 3 games in 11 days, but also 3 games in 26 days since we have the 15 days off between Arizona and Philadelphia. Luckily, Detroit is in the middle. They must win that with enough margin to rest their starters at the end. An OT battle with injuries would spell disaster for the Denver game 4 days later. A 2 game losing streak before Denver would also be a killer. They must win 2 of 3.

Good point, after the Giant game are all of the leagues "byes" over with ?

 

[blindzebra]

Also keep in mind that we can throw in a little bit of prep work on DET and DEN during our bye week.

This breaks down much better than last year where we had PHI at home on MNF, went to BAL on Sunday, and back home for CHI.

 

[Billy Bullocks]

It is a disadvantage to play 3 in 11, we need to go 2-1 over that stretch. However, after its over, we have 10 days to get ready and rested for the Giants. This D-Line depth and RB depth really is going to pay dividents when we start our 3 in 11

 

[AmericasTeam31]

Which makes our game against Philly a critical game...I think we finish that stretch at 2 and 1, then a MUCH needed break before the Gints.

If you throw in the Giants game, I think we NEED to go 3-1 in that stretch to make the playoffs... if we go 2-2, we're sitting at 7-5....that's gonna be tough to get by with...we'd have to go 3-1 at least the rest of the way against the Skins, Panthers, Rams, and Chiefs. That can be just as hard as the 3 in 11 stretch.....

 

[Jay]

Great post, Jarv.

A 'Boys fan from Connecticut too? :starspin

There's actually a good-sized amount of Cowboys fans in CT. Including most of my family.