Well, if the Cowboys are going to do it, they might as eliminate their three greatest criticisms at the same time.
Can't beat Brady.
Can't play physical (at San Fran)
Can't raise their intensity level to match the circumstances (Playing the Eagles for the NFC Championship game and advance to the Super Bowl)
Hey, by no means should the Cowboys be favored to accomplish all of this, but I've seen things.
In 1975 nobody expected the Cowboys to have a winning season much less make the playoffs as a wildcard. It was supposed to be a rebuilding year. For the first time in 9 seasons the Cowboys didn't make the playoffs the previous year. Their record was 8-6. All their stars from the late 60's were retiring.
This was an exciting surprise but to beat the #1 seed in the first round?
Back then there were three divisions. There was one wildcard team per conference. Therefore, the #1 seed hosted the wildcard. Of course the Cowboys were the underdogs. When the Cowboys beat the Vikings with Staubach's Hail Mary pass you it was only natural to believe that the Cowboys played tough enough to get lucky and end up in the NFC championship game with the Los Angelos Rams.
Nobody believed the Cowboys could beat the Rams. Nobody!
The Rams had the #1 defense with a defensive line that included Merlin Olsen, Fred Dryer and jack Youngblood. Their defense averaged 9.6 yards a game. They had a stable of star RB's like Lawrence McCutcheon, John Cappelletti, Cullen Bryant, Jim Bertelson. A young Harold Jackson was one of their receivers.
As surprising as the Viking game was, the NFC championship game was stunning, the Cowboys beat the Rams 37-7. At one point it was 31-0. I'll never forget the joy those two games gave me. You see, I was in Air Force basic training at the time, stationed at Lackland AFB. In the group (called a flight, actually) of fifty guys, there were only three of us Cowboys fans and we were getting the Cowboys hate.
Anyway, that was the only season where I never seriously thought the Cowboys might end up in the Super Bowl but they did. You never really know.
I know it's a reach. However, I have witnessed reaches.