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

[visionary]

This is a must win for both teams

Us, to show we can beat winning teams and Dak can perform in big games

Philly, to say the SF game was a fluke and not a pattern

 

[_sturt_]

vitally important.

No.

It's important. Arguably even very important.

Vitally? Vital is life or death.

But win or lose, this team's 2023 season will remain still alive, still vigorous, still having the capacity to get to the holy grail.


We need to have balance. We need to talk in ways that show balanced thought... not overestimating, not underestimating... finding the goldilocks degree of stress/concern/gravity we give to a given game.

People can mock that, but it's right, and more of a reflection on the nature of the mockers than it is on the substance of the OP.

 

[cowboys1732]

Plus screw the Eagles. I loathe losing to that team and listening to the media. I loathe it I tell you!

 

[Nova]

Every win matters, but the odds are they Eagles are going to lose fewer games in the last few weeks than we will-- their schedule is just easier from here on out.

It's likely to be a similar story to last year where we're not really playing for anything in the last couple of weeks.

 

[_sturt_]

This is a must win for both teams

Not to pick on any particular poster, but this is what the OP is getting at.

It's simply not "must win."

Us, to show we can beat winning teams and Dak can perform in big games

Philly, to say the SF game was a fluke and not a pattern

No. If we win the Super Bowl, that we lost to PHI will have no bearing on whether we were able to show "we can beat winning teams and Dak can perform in big games." Because we will have done it in spite of losing to PHI.

But yes. This is just a great opportunity to show it.

Important. Not vitally important. Not must-win.

 

[ElGatoGrande]

It's a confidence game.

We need to win it!

Dak needs to win it!

Yup, confidence is huge for a team (and player) that has yet to demonstrate to themselves that they belong,,, that they can win it all,,, so far this year they've only confirmed they're still in the second tier.

 

[Pass2Run]

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.

Oh, you are exactly right. It isn't a so-called "must win" and if we somehow lose, it just means we got beat by a good team. It won't mean we need to jettison Dak, but many will blame Dak, even if it isn't his fault.

My best guess is they win, though. This team is on an upward trajectory, which is good. Philly is good, but they are vastly overrated
My other best bet is that Philly won't even be in the SB this year. It'll be 9ers, Cowboys, or Lions. representing the NFC. Just my hunch.

 

[VaqueroTD]

Let Dak know it's not a must win. No worries if he loses this one. Glad we cleared that up before the press conference.

 

[Arkyvarminter]

IF we could manage to get the 1 seed and play San Fran in Dallas that would be HUGE!

 

[The Natural]

you don't want to go into the postseason having been swept by any team

 

[CCBoy]

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!"

It doesn't require Jimmy Johnson to remind a person in a fight that no one cheers the second place finisher. Pop 'em in the jaw and let's go!

 

[Pass2Run]

Yup, confidence is huge for a team (and player) that has yet to demonstrate to themselves that they belong,,, that they can win it all,,, so far this year they've only confirmed they're still in the second tier.

It sounds like you've been listening to the in-house media, because that's exactly what they are saying.
The other host was right, though. Who is playing better than Dallas right now?

Dallas is elite? Unless your argument is that there's only one elite team. In that case, you could make several arguments.

 

[FVSTONE]

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.

Dream on! With JJ passing on every FA that could HAVE possibly help this team, then beating the Eagles would send a huge message to the locker-room that additional help need not apply because this current roster is good enough to get deep into the playoffs and possibly the SB. If they lose to the Eagles at home, it's going to send a completely different message that they're still second best in their own division and that just getting to the first round of the playoffs just might be their SB..................

 

[ShortRound]

So it's important? lol but not really,
let's not talk about it, but lets start a thread.

 

[Reid1boys]

It's a confidence game.

We need to win it!

Dak needs to win it!

Agree... we have momentum, our offense is playing great, we have a long home game winning streak, our offense has been scoring a huge numbers at home, we are healthy..... we have ZERO excuses if we lose this game.

This is a big game.

 

[visionary]

Not to pick on any particular poster, but this is what the OP is getting at.

It's simply not "must win."


No. If we win the Super Bowl, that we lost to PHI will have no bearing on whether we were able to show "we can beat winning teams and Dak can perform in big games." Because we will have done it in spite of losing to PHI.

But yes. This is just a great opportunity to show it.

Important. Not vitally important. Not must-win.

By this logic youre going backwards from having won the SB

We have to go forward from where both teams are now

This is a must win for both

 

[Coogiguy03]

Let Dak know it's not a must win. No worries if he loses this one. Glad we cleared that up before the press conference.

we're going to watch film and get better though always

 

[KingCorcoran]

By this logic youre going backwards from having won the SB

We have to go forward from where both teams are now

This is a must win for both

In deference to the 49ers, this Cowboys vs. Eagles game is like two guys fighting over the last available ticket for the maiden voyage on the Titanic.

 

[Mr_437]

Nah man, the division is on the line, the #1 seed is on the line, 15 game home winning streak is on the line, respect and confidence is on the line. All that is on the line, so yes hype this game up!!! If you scared just say you scared, and pick the Eagles to win or something.

 

[PA Cowboy Fan]

Get blown out by the Eagles and then try to convince yourself that this game means nothing.