BulletBob
The Godfather
- Messages
- 2,597
- Reaction score
- 1,279
The script dictated a very different outcome. Since the second game of the season, these Cowboys seemed to be diverging from recent history. They were finding ways to win, sometimes despite all the odds. Mentally tough, they seemed to be imposing their will on the opponent and finishing strong down the stretch.
So, with the 2-5 Commanders sneaking into town under a shroud of low expectations, the Cowboys and their fan base did not seem too worried. The Commanders would be starting their third string quarterback who had lost five of his past six games. Their defense was banged up, having to start a rookie corner opposite one of the league’s most prolific receivers. Their running game hadn’t seemed to be on track all season. All of the NFL analysts seemed to be in complete consensus agreement: even though this would be a tough-fought division game, the Cowboys would be just too much for the Commanders too handle. Cloaked in hype, with the NFL community awaiting and expecting a crushing victory, the men beneath the silver and blue stars took the field.
And then a frightening glimpse of the past unfolded before our very eyes.
In one game, we experienced a microcosm of the past three mediocre 8-8 seasons:
The only missing ingredient was the inevitable fourth-quarter Romo interception to send the Commanders fans into orgasmic delight.
Through a Cowboy fan’s eyes, we blew it by making too many mistakes and playing in the past. The flip side of that coin, though, is that the Commanders came into a hostile environment with an extremely effective game plan, executed it well, won the turnover battle, and did what no one expected them to do: beat the team with the best record in football (I say this through gritted teeth).
My favorite saying, one I often share with my kids, my Boy Scout troop, and anyone else who will listen, is this:
What happens to you in life is not important. It is how you respond to what happens that makes all the difference.
We are going to see what this team is made of next week. Will they make this game unimportant, by returning to the dominant play of the previous six games? Or will they regress and start down a slippery slope that points in a backward direction.
How they respond will make all the difference.
I only pray that we do not see any more glimpses from our recent past.
So, with the 2-5 Commanders sneaking into town under a shroud of low expectations, the Cowboys and their fan base did not seem too worried. The Commanders would be starting their third string quarterback who had lost five of his past six games. Their defense was banged up, having to start a rookie corner opposite one of the league’s most prolific receivers. Their running game hadn’t seemed to be on track all season. All of the NFL analysts seemed to be in complete consensus agreement: even though this would be a tough-fought division game, the Cowboys would be just too much for the Commanders too handle. Cloaked in hype, with the NFL community awaiting and expecting a crushing victory, the men beneath the silver and blue stars took the field.
And then a frightening glimpse of the past unfolded before our very eyes.
In one game, we experienced a microcosm of the past three mediocre 8-8 seasons:
- A team that when punched in the mouth, usually folds like a cheap lawn chair
- A coaching staff that cannot seem to adjust, either during the game or at halftime, to a very effective opposing game plan (in this case, blitzing on almost every down and bluffing on the others)
- Questionable play calling, including the maddening propensity to drift away from the run despite its recent success (see 2nd and 2 in OT, and 2nd and 3 on the Washington 6 yard line in the 3rd quarter)
- A bend AND break defense who cannot get the opposing team off the field on third down, and cannot make a critical stop at the crucial points that the game demands
- Key turnovers at the most inopportune moments
- A team that plays down to the level of their competition, and cannot put away weaker teams, allowing them to hang around in games that should be won convincingly
- Allowing the opposing team’s backup quarterback to look like a hall-of-famer (McCoy was 25-30!)
- A slew of missed tackles and bad angles taken on defense
- Stars that do not seem to rise to the occasion on the national stage
- A quarterback who seemed to be running for his life most of the game
- Injuries to cornerstone players
The only missing ingredient was the inevitable fourth-quarter Romo interception to send the Commanders fans into orgasmic delight.
Through a Cowboy fan’s eyes, we blew it by making too many mistakes and playing in the past. The flip side of that coin, though, is that the Commanders came into a hostile environment with an extremely effective game plan, executed it well, won the turnover battle, and did what no one expected them to do: beat the team with the best record in football (I say this through gritted teeth).
My favorite saying, one I often share with my kids, my Boy Scout troop, and anyone else who will listen, is this:
What happens to you in life is not important. It is how you respond to what happens that makes all the difference.
- Anonymous
We are going to see what this team is made of next week. Will they make this game unimportant, by returning to the dominant play of the previous six games? Or will they regress and start down a slippery slope that points in a backward direction.
How they respond will make all the difference.
I only pray that we do not see any more glimpses from our recent past.
