Think a Lot of People Are Making Too Much of Sunday's Game

[_sturt_]

It's an important game. More important than most. And against an arch rival.

But... soberly speaking... it's important mainly for what the result says to the team members about their capacity to win an important game. It's a confidence booster, or it's a confidence crusher.

And on the other hand, it does not mean we're not going to play in post season. It does not mean there is no path to a Super Bowl. The ultimate prize still is attainable. The consequences of losing are almost entirely cerebral... in the players' heads. The consequences of winning are largely that, though with the caveat that a better shot at post season home field advantage is on the radar.

Here's the thing. If we lose this one, and win out the rest of the schedule, the PHI game will mostly resonate a month from now as the SF game resonates right now... you shake your head, but you also recognize the other side of the ledger gives a lot of reason for hope. And if we win this one, the gauntlet in front of us doesn't go away. We still have to go to Buffalo, still have to go to Miami, and still have to play Detroit, and having beaten PHI won't allow us to start any of those games spotted even a 1 point lead.

Everything, in other words, will still matter. Win or lose.

 

[blueblood70]

It's an important game. More important than most. And against an arch rival.

But... soberly speaking... it's important mainly for what the result says to the team members about their capacity to win an important game. It's a confidence booster, or it's a confidence crusher.

And on the other hand, it does not mean we're not going to play in post season. It does not mean there is no path to a Super Bowl. The ultimate prize still is attainable. The consequences of losing are almost entirely cerebral... in the players' heads. The consequences of winning are largely that, though with the caveat that a better shot at post season home field advantage is on the radar.

Here's the thing. If we lose this one, and win out the rest of the schedule, the PHI game will mostly resonate a month from now as the SF game resonates right now... you shake your head, but you also recognize the other side of the ledger gives a lot of reason for hope. And if we win this one, the gauntlet in front of us doesn't go away. We still have to go to Buffalo, still have to go to Miami, and still have to play Detroit, and having beaten PHI won't allow us to start any of those games spotted even a 1 point lead.

Everything, in other words, will still matter. Win or lose.

Wow way to neutralize your own point,

it literally is all the things you said and that's the reason we're making a big deal about it both teams are fighting for the division lead with only five games left in the season..

it is bigger than you think it is for all the reasons you mentioned and more , the Cowboys need it more just for the confidence to say we did beat the team who has the best record in the NFL who got all the breaks and barely beat us in the last game to go out just for confidence and beat them is great but it also is for the division it is a rival we're tired of hearing fly Eagles fly it is a very big game because why it's the next game up on the schedule it happens to have all those factors involved with it....

Will a loss make or break our season probably not we're probably gonna end up with the fifth seed anyway, it's all stacked against us, we're going to go to the playoffs regardless so yeah in that case it's not that big a deal but it's a big deal in all the other reasons that we really want to go out and win the game at home on Sunday Night Football which is prime time against a prime opponent it's time to go ahead and just shut it down,​

​

I'd like to see them absolutely punch the Eagles in the mouth just the way San Francisco did because then you're talking about a lot of confidence....​

 

[aikemirv]

It's a confidence game.

We need to win it!

Dak needs to win it!

 

[VaqueroTD]

Always weirded out by the threads that start before big games trying to downplay the implications.

Stuart Smileys of the Cowboys World. (That may be too old of a reference now for the younger crowd)

"That's okay, we stilll lost, and gosh darnit, we're a good person!"

I need a GIF of Jimmy Johnson slamming his fists on the table telling his players, "The object of the game is to WIN damnit!"

 

[JoeKing]

Beating the Eagles keeps the door open for the Cowboys to still have a path to the 1-seed. A lot still has to happen for that to happen but the Cowboys have to keep taking care of their own business.

 

[Sydla]

It's an important game. More important than most. And against an arch rival.

But... soberly speaking... it's important mainly for what the result says to the team members about their capacity to win an important game. It's a confidence booster, or it's a confidence crusher.

And on the other hand, it does not mean we're not going to play in post season. It does not mean there is no path to a Super Bowl. The ultimate prize still is attainable. The consequences of losing are almost entirely cerebral... in the players' heads. The consequences of winning are largely that, though with the caveat that a better shot at post season home field advantage is on the radar.

Here's the thing. If we lose this one, and win out the rest of the schedule, the PHI game will mostly resonate a month from now as the SF game resonates right now... you shake your head, but you also recognize the other side of the ledger gives a lot of reason for hope. And if we win this one, the gauntlet in front of us doesn't go away. We still have to go to Buffalo, still have to go to Miami, and still have to play Detroit, and having beaten PHI won't allow us to start any of those games spotted even a 1 point lead.

Everything, in other words, will still matter. Win or lose.

If we lose to Philly but win the rest, then we cost ourselves a shot at the division and the #1 seed and a bye. If we were to win out (including Philly), all we would need is the 49ers to lose to the Ravens and Philly to lose to, say, Seattle and we'd be the #1 seed.

So yeah, the game Sunday is vitally important.

Basically your post is a pre-game hedge in case we actually do lose. And yes, losing at home to a wounded Eagles team that just got skull dragged by the 49ers would be bad and not protend to good things the rest of the year.

 

[DallasEast]

It's an important game. More important than most. And against an arch rival.

But... soberly speaking... it's important mainly for what the result says to the team members about their capacity to win an important game. It's a confidence booster, or it's a confidence crusher.

And on the other hand, it does not mean we're not going to play in post season. It does not mean there is no path to a Super Bowl. The ultimate prize still is attainable. The consequences of losing are almost entirely cerebral... in the players' heads. The consequences of winning are largely that, though with the caveat that a better shot at post season home field advantage is on the radar.

Here's the thing. If we lose this one, and win out the rest of the schedule, the PHI game will mostly resonate a month from now as the SF game resonates right now... you shake your head, but you also recognize the other side of the ledger gives a lot of reason for hope. And if we win this one, the gauntlet in front of us doesn't go away. We still have to go to Buffalo, still have to go to Miami, and still have to play Detroit, and having beaten PHI won't allow us to start any of those games spotted even a 1 point lead.

Everything, in other words, will still matter. Win or lose.

Win or lose, how a team performs can either boost or crush their confidence. A confident team can be highly competitive and efficient in a game like the one coming up, lose multiple times to the same opponent and still enjoy postseason success. The 2007 New York Giants are a good non-Cowboys example of this observation.

 

[Cowboys1966]

If we lose to Philly but win the rest, then we cost ourselves a shot at the division and the #1 seed and a bye. If we were to win out (including Philly), all we would need is the 49ers to lose to the Ravens and Philly to lose to, say, Seattle and we'd be the #1 seed.

So yeah, the game Sunday is vitally important.

Basically your post is a pre-game hedge in case we actually do lose. And yes, losing at home to a wounded Eagles team that just got skull dragged by the 49ers would be bad and not protend to good things the rest of the year.

It’s vitally important but, in the long run, we’re probably the five seed win or lose.

It’s kind of a bigger game for Philly, if they win, they are probably the 1 seed , if they lose their probably the 2 seed

 

[maryquality]

Always weirded out by the threads that start before big games trying to downplay the implications.

Stuart Smileys of the Cowboys World. (That may be too old of a reference now for the younger crowd)

"That's okay, we stilll lost, and gosh darnit, we're a good person!"

I need a GIF of Jimmy Johnson slamming his fists on the table telling his players, "The object of the game is to WIN damnit!"

LOL@Smiley. I'm old enough to remember him!!

 

[Mark]

Failure is not an option.

 

[Mac_MaloneV1]

It matters for seeding and nothing else.

 

[Streifenkarl]

The "just one game" people again...

Of course it's not the end of the world if we lose against the Eagles. And of course we can still make the play offs. But along with the 49ers game it's very important indicator of where they truly stand. The world is not just black and white. Lots of grey in there and this game is definitely not "just one game".

 

[big dog cowboy]

You mean like on Get UP this morning when they were saying it's the most important game in Dak's career? Oh brother!

I had to accurately tell the family they were wrong. No regular season games are more important then playoff games.

 

[Praxit]

..Id rather win this one and lose to MIA and Buff

This one carries mental MOJO tendencies.

It's like that bad dream, only way to rid of it, is to talk about it.

 

[32BellyOption]

Post season is a given. But win and perhaps we win the division and secure the 2 seed at worst. Lose and we’re set with the 5 seed and possible SF away looming in the second round.

 

[Mark]

It matters for seeding and nothing else.

Playoff implications aside, it matters in terms of maintaining a standard of excellence & confidence going forward.

 

[Jipper]

This is as big of a regular season game as it gets.

Two of the top teams in the nfl fighting for 1st place and division rivals, all on a Sunday night

 

[Mac_MaloneV1]

Playoff implications aside, it matters in terms of maintaining a standard of excellence & confidence going forward.

No it doesn't

 

[InPhiltraitor]

It's an important game. More important than most. And against an arch rival.

But... soberly speaking... it's important mainly for what the result says to the team members about their capacity to win an important game. It's a confidence booster, or it's a confidence crusher.

And on the other hand, it does not mean we're not going to play in post season. It does not mean there is no path to a Super Bowl. The ultimate prize still is attainable. The consequences of losing are almost entirely cerebral... in the players' heads. The consequences of winning are largely that, though with the caveat that a better shot at post season home field advantage is on the radar.

Here's the thing. If we lose this one, and win out the rest of the schedule, the PHI game will mostly resonate a month from now as the SF game resonates right now... you shake your head, but you also recognize the other side of the ledger gives a lot of reason for hope. And if we win this one, the gauntlet in front of us doesn't go away. We still have to go to Buffalo, still have to go to Miami, and still have to play Detroit, and having beaten PHI won't allow us to start any of those games spotted even a 1 point lead.

Everything, in other words, will still matter. Win or lose.

I feel ya on this one, sturt.

To a large degree, I think the perception of this game being the be-all and end-all of creation certainly is from the fan perspective and not an organizational point of view. I'm not buying that mentally this team can't beat another team but you can sign me up for a combination of our roster and coaching staff not being able to best another.

As we are still lamenting the loss to Arizona, which could in the end cost us the no. 1 position, we should be reminded that they all count. Besides, if the counter is that this is a measuring stick game couldn't the same be said of weeks 15, 16, & 17? All wins moving forward are imperative until you mathematically can't move up or down in the playoff pecking order. If we get locked in a spot with regular season games remaining, it's time to rest a few folks.

 

[Stash]