0-1 is not a must win. Many teams start out 0-1 and make the playoffs. It might change your seeding but it won't keep you out of the playoffs.
How many seasons past have we missed the playoffs by 1 game? Every game is just as important as another, game 1 and game 14 carry the same weight. It could be argued that that first game against Carolina was the most important game of the year. We finished last year very poorly, confidence in the team, coaching and players was very low. We had a massive amount of turnover in coaches and overhauled many position groups and so many young players. This organization needed to be able to come out strong in that first game, shake off the stench from last season, build confidence in the organization and our young players. Instead, this team looked like they had just met each other for the first time in the parking lot before the game. We had more time to prepare for that game than any other game you play all season, but it was treated like an early preseason game. Despite the final score, we were never really in that game and just set the tone of the season to come. We weren't prepared at any level to play that game and that has continued to show through this season.
Every game needs to be approached as a must win game, the margins to make playoffs and seedings are often decided by just one game. You don't get to pick and choose which games you will win or lose. The next game is always the most important game of the season and when teams don't treat it that way, then you get what we have in Dallas. If there was any game this season that we should have been considered a "must win" it should have been the first one. This team desperately needed to exorcise some of the demons from last season and start from ahead than having to coming from behind.
