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This notion was on full display on Thursday Night Football against the host Chicago Bears, as the Cowboys cruised to a 41-28 win that was actually far more lopsided for most of the game than the Bears' garbage-time points might suggest.
Sure, the Cowboys couldn't collect their ninth win of the season without a little drama—that's not their style. Yet, it was a collapse halted by some of the same impressive play we've seen from the Cowboys this season, the team slamming the door in the same fashion with which it's become playoff contenders, against the collective wisdom of the football community.
Overall, Romo was pristine on 21-of-26 passing with three touchdowns and zero interceptions, but those numbers are more like game-manager stats against a team as atrocious on defense as the Bears.
This might be a quarterback league, but only talking about Romo following this contest—especially as some sort of redemption for a signal-caller who frankly doesn't need redemption from anything—ignores the beauty of the Cowboys' game.
This matchup was about more than just Romo.
It was about how bulletproof the Cowboys have made him with the protection they've put around their QB. I'm not just talking about the offensive line, either (though, I've certainly made that case before). Over and above the offensive line's improvement in 2014, the Cowboys have surrounded Romo with absolutely everything he needs.
On one hand, that eliminates a lot of pressure from Romo and the need for him to do it all for the Cowboys.
Then again, it also eliminates any excuses anyone may have made for him in the past.
Romo is famously bad in December, with an 11-15 record prior to this year. Now, with nine wins under its belt and a playoff berth likely on the way, it's time to stop betting on this team to tailspin in the final month of the season.
This Is DeMarco Murray's Team
One of the biggest things that is evident anytime one watches the Cowboys is that Romo may be more a part of the supporting cast than he is the star of the show.
Running back DeMarco Murray, not Romo, is the straw that stirs the drink down in the Big D.
Against Chicago, Murray totaled 179 yards rushing on an anachronistic 32 carries, which wouldn't be surprising if the game were a black-and-white replay of something from back in the '70s, but...nope, it's totally 2014, and that just happened.
There's some wisdom in Dallas' season-long assault on Murray's well-being, even above the fact that it's clearly working. Murray is a free agent this offseason, and they may be using him up before they lose him.
Bleacher Report's own Mike Tanier wrote earlier this season that Murray "deserves a payday that may never come." The column is fantastic and touches on the economics of the running back position while also noting the severe drop-off most backs have after the kind of season Murray is having.
From Tanier:
Research confirms that too many carries are harmful for a running back's long-term value. Coaches have discovered multiple benefits of a "committee" approach: injury insulation; fresh legs; the ability to customize roles for fast, powerful or sure-handed backs; and so on.
Coupled with the always increasing emphasis on passing, committee systems devalue running backs, causing them to slide down draft boards. The result is a salary decrease for running backs on the front end (they are drafted lower) and the back end (they are less coveted on the open market).
Research also confirms that running backs wear down significantly after age 26. Teams know this.
This isn't saying that Murray won't be a Cowboy next year, or that he won't get a big splashy contract that makes it sound as if he's about to start club hopping with Bill Gates and Richard Branson. No, the Cowboys will almost assuredly offer Murray a deal that looks something along the lines of a few years and umpteen million dollars, but it's also sure to be back-loaded and hardly guaranteed.
That's the future, though.
For the immediate present, this team is on Murray's shoulders far more than it is on Romo's.
Pro Football Focus has Murray as the sixth overall back (subscription required) in the NFL, but that factors in his work pass blocking and catching passes. When one sorts by rushing only, he's the best by a pretty fair margin. It's no surprise, really, because when you delve into PFF's signature stats, Murray is also one of the most elusive backs in terms of creating on his own, and one of the backs most apt to bust a long run.
Of course, Murray isn't only creating on his own. He has one of the best run-blocking lines in all of football paving the way for him. Yet, it is untrue that the line is making Murray successful or that any old back could be putting up these kinds of numbers in Dallas.
Simply put: If you're looking for a weakness in Murray and the Cowboys' ground attack, you should quit while you're ahead.
Not Sure If You Noticed, but Dez Bryant Isn't the Only Weapon on Offense
Thanks to the NFL and networks that decide the Cowboys need to be in prime time every single week (or does it only feel that way?), I write about the Cowboys a lot. A few months ago, I struck on the fact that this crop of Cowboys "triplets" makes them one of the most well-rounded teams in the entire league.
This is most certainly true.
It might not be the whole truth, though.
The Cowboys are more than their triplets of Romo, Murray and wide receiver Dez Bryant. This isn't a knock on Bryant, who had 82 receiving yards against the Bears, but he's not the lone passing target for Romo, who may never be the kind of quarterback to consistently target 10 or more receivers in a game but is gaining confidence in his supporting cast.
The most targeted player in the Dallas receiving game? It was actually Murray with 10 targets (and 49 receiving yards) to Bryant's eight.
Wide receiver Cole Beasley has become something of a cult classic in Dallas. He finished the game with three targets but inexplicably had two touchdowns and 42 yards in catching all three of those targets. (All he does is win!)
Meanwhile, there's old man Jason Witten, 32, at tight end (meant with all the love in the world), and his mini-me, Gavin Escobar. Maybe the tight end position isn't quite as important to Dallas as it once was, but it's still reliable with Witten and Escobar combining for 38 first downs and seven touchdowns this season.
Against Chicago, all of those numbers were put up without wide receiver Terrance Williams, who has been nursing a finger injury and may or may not have lost some snaps to Beasley. Either way, he's a valuable weapon in the Cowboys' arsenal who can be unleashed at any time.
None of this is meant with disrespect to Bryant, who has been phenomenal this season and is clearly the Cowboys' most physically talented player, but it's a benefit to Romo that Bryant isn't his only option both throughout the game and in clutch time.
Defense Has the Ability to Make Plays
Although the Bears tried to make things interesting down the stretch on Thursday night, this game was iced thanks to an Orlando Scandrick end-zone interception—one of the Cowboys' two forced turnovers on the night.
It's easy to blame Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler for that interception...check that, it's probably correct to blame Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler for that interception, but credit also needs to go to the Dallas defense, which played an incredible game outside of a few fourth-quarter drives.
Heading into Week 14, the Cowboys had been allowing 22.8 points per game—good for 16th in the entire league. Is that great? No; but is it as horrendous as last season? Impossible, nor is it as bad as many thought the Cowboys defense would look this year as well (guilty).
This echoes what Cowboys great Roger Staubach told me just a month ago, as he gave his pitch as to why the team has improved:
Offensively, Dallas was strong last year but the defense has improved. 32nd last year and now we’re in the middle of the pack. [Defensive Coordinator Rod] Marinelli’s done a helluva job.
Smart man, that Captain Comeback.
The Cowboys defense is getting it done with a defensive line that may not get a lot of sacks but is consistently pestering quarterbacks and running backs alike. Behind them, is linebacker Rolando McClain, who could be at home watching from his couch, but the Cowboys gave him a chance.
McClain has rewarded them with one of the better seasons by an interior linebacker this year.
Behind McClain is an underrated defensive backfield that has weathered first the poor play and then the loss of cornerback Morris Claiborne and a suspension to the aforementioned Scandrick. All it's done is grab 11 interceptions (tied for 13th in the league, prior to Thursday's game), and the unit seems to be getting better behind Scandrick and safety Barry Church's play.
Are the Cowboys going to win games consistently because of their defense?
No.
But this is no longer a unit that will need Romo to make the big plays in pressure situations as it has in the past. More from Staubach on Romo:
The statistics are phenomenal. He’s also been very effective in the fourth quarter. Yeah, he's made some mistakes, but that's going to happen to anyone who plays in the NFL long enough.
When you don’t have the kind of support you need. Sometimes your mistakes look worse than you are. He’s performed at a very high level.
Now that Romo has all the support that he needs, the team is far more equipped to shake off the December swoon and move forward with a squad that isn't only above .500, but above all of the drama and criticism of years past as well.
Michael Schottey is an NFL National Lead Writer for Bleacher Report and an award-winning member of the Pro Football Writers of America. Find more of his stuff on his archive page and follow him on Twitter.
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