News: BTB: Cowboys Loss to Chiefs: A Major Missed Opportunity

NewsBot · Sep 16, 2013

Right after the Cowboys 17-16 Loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, I tweeted the following.

One positive for #Cowboys today... Eagles & Skins both lost in early games & NYG have Broncos... So shouldn't lose ground in division...

— Joey Ickes (@JIckesBTB) September 15, 2013

But the more I thought about it, my tune changed a bit. This loss is big, and it's a big time missed opportunity. The NFL regular season is largely about positioning your team to make the playoffs, because as it's been said, "once you're in the tournament, anything can happen." The most surefire way to get into that tournament is to win your division, in the Cowboys case, the NFC East. On Sunday, the Cowboys missed a great opportunity to put themselves in early position to do just that.

Before you say that it's only week 2 and that there are 14 more games for every team, remember that the last 2 years this division has come down to a single game in week 17, so every single game matters. The current standings in the NFC East are as follows.

Win/Loss Win % Games Back
Eagles

1-1 50% -

Cowboys

1-1 50% -

Commanders

0-2 0% 1

Giants

0-2 0% 1

When you look at it in this context things don't look so bad. The Cowboys are tied for the lead in the division with the Eagles, both teams have a division win and a non-conference loss. Looking back on the loss, you'll think of key missed opportunities for the Cowboys - Lance Dunbar's fumble after converting a first down, or the sack fumble on Tony Romo. What about Will Allen dropping an interception on the first drive, or Bruce Carter letting a pick-6 fall off his hands or Dez Bryant "pushing off" Brandon Flowers, taking his eye off the ball on a fourth quarter opportunity for a big play. If the Cowboys had gotten the better of even one of these plays, as they did so often in week one against the New York Giants, They would likely have bested the Chiefs and this is what the standings would be.

Win/Loss Win % Games Back
Cowboys

2-0 100% -

Eagles

1-1 50% 1

Commanders

0-2 0% 2

Giants

0-2 0% 2

I don't know about you but I would love to have a two game head start on Robert Griffin III and the Commanders this early in the year and be two games up on the Giants with a head to head win. Couldn't ask for much more after week two.

But instead, here we are, a .500 team in a .500 league unable to take advantage of the chances presented to move ahead, and left wondering if we are in for another season of disappointment from our beloved 'Boys.

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News: BTB: Cowboys Loss to Chiefs: A Major Missed Opportunity

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