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The Cowboys are one fourth of the way into a “red” stretch of time that will define their season.
A 40-3 thrashing of the San Francisco 49ers was great for Dallas Cowboys fans that remember the classic matches between the two franchises. There’s just something about that red (okay, scarlet) and gold clashing up against the blue and silver that really stirs up something special in NFL land.
Amazingly, shades of red opposite the Dallas Cowboys is what we need to get used to over the next few weeks.
Cowboys will have to part the Red Sea over the next three weeks. They will play the Commanders, Chiefs, and Falcons. pic.twitter.com/wG9T7Drl2H
— RJ Ochoa (@rjochoa) October 24, 2017
The Cowboys just beat the 49ers but visit the Washington Commanders, host the Kansas City Chiefs, and travel to the Atlanta Falcons over the next three weeks. Counting the San Francisco game that’s four consecutive games against teams with shades of red jerseys.
This is a four-game stretch that will likely define the Dallas Cowboys season, especially considering the fact that the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Commanders on Monday Night Football, giving them the NFL’s best record at 6-1.
We’ve discussed how the Cowboys can hopefully catch the Eagles before here at BTB, and so much of that involves this “red sea” Dallas finds themselves in the middle of. San Francisco through Atlanta are pivotal games that will arguably serve as the season-defining stretch.
Philly has home dates with San Francisco (0-7) and Denver (3-3) before their bye that will rest them up for their trip to Dallas on November 19th. The Cowboys have to be bulls here (who coincidentally hate red) and do what they can to prepare for an Eagles team that likely won’t lose either of those games.
The Commanders (3-3), Chiefs (5-2), and Falcons (3-3) all present challenges in different ways than the winless 49ers did. It’s worth noting that the Commanders lost a few offensive linemen on Monday night, and that they will be on a shorter schedule this week than the Cowboys.
Kansas City is starting to sputter just a little bit. They are still arguably the league’s best team, but two losses in a row is a serious data point that needs to be considered. For what it’s worth the Chiefs play on MNF next week, which means the Cowboys will get back to back games against teams with one day less of rest and preparation (Washington and Kansas City).
The Atlanta Falcons looked like one of the NFL’s most anemic offenses in New England on Sunday night. They hardly look like the team many were fearful of after their Super Bowl run last year.
The point here is that this “red sea” that once seemed so treacherous when wading into after the bye week, suddenly feels quite doable. Does this mean the Cowboys can go undefeated in this stretch? Of course it’s possible, but obviously not for certain.
Considering the injuries to the Commanders (which we’ll hear more about throughout the week) this feels like a game that will go well for the team employing DeMarcus Lawrence and David Irving. Even if Dallas splits Kansas City and Atlanta, that puts them at 5-4 entering their date with Philadelphia.
Four games in the red sea, and for now the Cowboys are 1-0. How will they finish this stretch? What do you think, BTB?
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