Hostile
The Duke
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Similar to the Commanders Primer last week, I figured I would focus this one not on the History of the Eagles again, but rather on the significance of other information.
Let's get the most unpleasant fact out of the way first. Dallas has not won a season finale since Chan Gailey was the Head Coach. Dave Campo, Bill Parcells, and so far Bum's Boy are all winless to finish the season. Our last season finale victory was the 1999 season. We are 0 for 9 this decade.
Because of this monumental losing streak in season finales we are 21-28 overall to close a season. This is the 4th time we will end the regular season with a game against the Eagles, we are 1-2 in those games. One of the losses was Tom Landry's final game in 1988. The other was last year's debacle. The lone win happened in 1980. This is the 3rd time the final game between the two teams will be played in Dallas.
This game will also mark the 7th time the regular season has ended in January. Currently we are 2-4 in January regular season games. However, due to this decade's ineptitude we are riding a 3 game January regular season losing streak.
This will be the second time Dallas has played a regular season game on the calendar date January 3rd. The very first time we ever ended a regular season with a game in January was after the 1982 season. We were on Monday Night Football and we were playing the Minnesota Vikings. We lost that game, but the game is remembered for something besides the loss.
Tony Dorsett set the NFL record for the longest Touchdown from scrimmage as he scampered 99.5 yards to the endzone. Amazingly, Dallas only had 10 men on the field. One of Tony's blockers failed to make it into the game. Now I am sure someone is going to try and point out that it is not the longest touchdown in NFL History. It is from scrimmage. Meaning the from where the ball is snapped. Returns taken out of the endzone after a punt, kickoff, or takeaway are not from scrimmage.
The season no longer ends on Monday Night Football. Dallas was one of the featured teams on MNF 5 times to end a season. We were 1-4 in those 5 games. Tom Landry must have hated MNF in the 1980's as we lost 3 straight in consecutive years including the 2 years that followed Tony D's record touchdown. The only win we had on MNF to close a season was during Barry Switzer's era. It was Barry's only season finale win in his 4 years here.
When the Switzer era ended the season finale record for the Cowboys stood at 19-19. Chan Gailey won both of his season finales and then Dallas stumbled in this decade with Dave Campo at the helm. He was 0-3. The Big Tuna was 0-4. Wade Phillips is 0-2 so far. If he wants to save his job, winning that game might be a good start.
But let's be honest, winning that game will not be enough to save Wade's job. He needs to get it done in the post season. That is something he has never been able to do. It is the monkey on his back. It is also the albatross around the Dallas Cowboys' necks.
I get a chuckle out of one aspect of our post season misery. Some of the people who harp the loudest about the post season drought have no idea how long the drought is. I have heard 13 years. I have heard 14 and even 15 years this season when it is brought up. If we lose our first playoff game this year the drought will be 13 years.
We are currently at 12 years and counting. We did win a post season game after the 1996 season. From 1997 through 2008 if you count every season on your fingers you should end up with 12 seasons. Your first hand will fill up at the year 2001. Your second hand will fill up at the year 2006. 2007 will be 11 years, 2008 will be 12. This year, if we stumble yet again, will be 13 years of post season drought. The media doesn't even know this. Unless they count 1996 too. I don't think that is exactly honest in calling it a drought.
We are currently on a 6 game post season losing streak. We lost that game in 1996 and then have made the playoffs 5 more times and have lost each time in the first round. Those seasons were 1998, 1999, 2003, 2006, & 2007.
One thing that is at stake in this final game is who wins the NFC East. The winner of this game takes home that crown and the loser ends up being one of the Wildcard playoff teams. Dallas has been a Wildcard team a total of 8 times. If we lose this game, it will be our 9th time as a Wildcard.
One caveat to that number is the 1982 strike shortened season. That year Divisions were done away with, and the post season was simply called a tournament.
Winning the NFC East. That is goal number one. Dallas has done this 16 times. Overall they have 20 Division titles. In 1966, the first year the Cowboys made the playoffs, we won the NFL East division crown. The next 3 seasons the NFL expanded to 4 divisions. Dallas was in the NFL Capital Division and won all 3 season crowns those years. In 1970 the NFC East was born after the AFL-NFL merger. Dallas has won that Division 16 times in the 38 years so far. If you count 39 years, don't forget the strike shortened year in 1982. A win this week will be 17 times in 39 seasons.
If Philly were to win the game and therefore the NFC East it would be their 8th NFC East crown and 6th this decade. They have dominated this decade under Andy Reid. Currently they have 7 NFC East crowns, with 5 of them coming this decade.
The Giants also have 7 NFC East crowns. 3 this decade. The Commanders have 6 NFC East crowns. None this decade. The St. Louis Cardinals won 2 NFC Crowns in the 1970's. If you total them all up there are 38 NFC East Champions so far and Dallas has 16 of them, shooting for number 17 with a win next Sunday.
No matter whether we win or lose it looks like we would end up facing the Eagles. The only scenario where that does not seem to be the case is if Green Bay and Arizona tie next week (they play each other) or Minnesota loses tonight and next week, and Arizona loses next week. Those seem to me to be very remote possibilities. So I am pretty much resigned to accepting the fact we will play the Eagles in the first game of the post season. We are 2-1 all time versus the Eagles in the post season. In those 3 matchups the home team has won each game.
If we win next week it will mean that we swept the Eagles in the regular season. It would be our 17th season sweep of the Eagles. Neither team has ever swept the season and the post season. All 3 times we have previously met them in the post season the season series has been a split. All three seasons the winner of the post season matchup went on to the Super Bowl. The Eagles lost to the Raiders in 1980. Dallas won Super Bowl XXVII in 1992 and XXX in 1995.
Is it an omen? There is more voodoo surrounding this season finale than you can shake a dead chicken at.
Let's get the most unpleasant fact out of the way first. Dallas has not won a season finale since Chan Gailey was the Head Coach. Dave Campo, Bill Parcells, and so far Bum's Boy are all winless to finish the season. Our last season finale victory was the 1999 season. We are 0 for 9 this decade.
Because of this monumental losing streak in season finales we are 21-28 overall to close a season. This is the 4th time we will end the regular season with a game against the Eagles, we are 1-2 in those games. One of the losses was Tom Landry's final game in 1988. The other was last year's debacle. The lone win happened in 1980. This is the 3rd time the final game between the two teams will be played in Dallas.
This game will also mark the 7th time the regular season has ended in January. Currently we are 2-4 in January regular season games. However, due to this decade's ineptitude we are riding a 3 game January regular season losing streak.
This will be the second time Dallas has played a regular season game on the calendar date January 3rd. The very first time we ever ended a regular season with a game in January was after the 1982 season. We were on Monday Night Football and we were playing the Minnesota Vikings. We lost that game, but the game is remembered for something besides the loss.
Tony Dorsett set the NFL record for the longest Touchdown from scrimmage as he scampered 99.5 yards to the endzone. Amazingly, Dallas only had 10 men on the field. One of Tony's blockers failed to make it into the game. Now I am sure someone is going to try and point out that it is not the longest touchdown in NFL History. It is from scrimmage. Meaning the from where the ball is snapped. Returns taken out of the endzone after a punt, kickoff, or takeaway are not from scrimmage.
The season no longer ends on Monday Night Football. Dallas was one of the featured teams on MNF 5 times to end a season. We were 1-4 in those 5 games. Tom Landry must have hated MNF in the 1980's as we lost 3 straight in consecutive years including the 2 years that followed Tony D's record touchdown. The only win we had on MNF to close a season was during Barry Switzer's era. It was Barry's only season finale win in his 4 years here.
When the Switzer era ended the season finale record for the Cowboys stood at 19-19. Chan Gailey won both of his season finales and then Dallas stumbled in this decade with Dave Campo at the helm. He was 0-3. The Big Tuna was 0-4. Wade Phillips is 0-2 so far. If he wants to save his job, winning that game might be a good start.
But let's be honest, winning that game will not be enough to save Wade's job. He needs to get it done in the post season. That is something he has never been able to do. It is the monkey on his back. It is also the albatross around the Dallas Cowboys' necks.
I get a chuckle out of one aspect of our post season misery. Some of the people who harp the loudest about the post season drought have no idea how long the drought is. I have heard 13 years. I have heard 14 and even 15 years this season when it is brought up. If we lose our first playoff game this year the drought will be 13 years.
We are currently at 12 years and counting. We did win a post season game after the 1996 season. From 1997 through 2008 if you count every season on your fingers you should end up with 12 seasons. Your first hand will fill up at the year 2001. Your second hand will fill up at the year 2006. 2007 will be 11 years, 2008 will be 12. This year, if we stumble yet again, will be 13 years of post season drought. The media doesn't even know this. Unless they count 1996 too. I don't think that is exactly honest in calling it a drought.
We are currently on a 6 game post season losing streak. We lost that game in 1996 and then have made the playoffs 5 more times and have lost each time in the first round. Those seasons were 1998, 1999, 2003, 2006, & 2007.
One thing that is at stake in this final game is who wins the NFC East. The winner of this game takes home that crown and the loser ends up being one of the Wildcard playoff teams. Dallas has been a Wildcard team a total of 8 times. If we lose this game, it will be our 9th time as a Wildcard.
One caveat to that number is the 1982 strike shortened season. That year Divisions were done away with, and the post season was simply called a tournament.
Winning the NFC East. That is goal number one. Dallas has done this 16 times. Overall they have 20 Division titles. In 1966, the first year the Cowboys made the playoffs, we won the NFL East division crown. The next 3 seasons the NFL expanded to 4 divisions. Dallas was in the NFL Capital Division and won all 3 season crowns those years. In 1970 the NFC East was born after the AFL-NFL merger. Dallas has won that Division 16 times in the 38 years so far. If you count 39 years, don't forget the strike shortened year in 1982. A win this week will be 17 times in 39 seasons.
If Philly were to win the game and therefore the NFC East it would be their 8th NFC East crown and 6th this decade. They have dominated this decade under Andy Reid. Currently they have 7 NFC East crowns, with 5 of them coming this decade.
The Giants also have 7 NFC East crowns. 3 this decade. The Commanders have 6 NFC East crowns. None this decade. The St. Louis Cardinals won 2 NFC Crowns in the 1970's. If you total them all up there are 38 NFC East Champions so far and Dallas has 16 of them, shooting for number 17 with a win next Sunday.
No matter whether we win or lose it looks like we would end up facing the Eagles. The only scenario where that does not seem to be the case is if Green Bay and Arizona tie next week (they play each other) or Minnesota loses tonight and next week, and Arizona loses next week. Those seem to me to be very remote possibilities. So I am pretty much resigned to accepting the fact we will play the Eagles in the first game of the post season. We are 2-1 all time versus the Eagles in the post season. In those 3 matchups the home team has won each game.
If we win next week it will mean that we swept the Eagles in the regular season. It would be our 17th season sweep of the Eagles. Neither team has ever swept the season and the post season. All 3 times we have previously met them in the post season the season series has been a split. All three seasons the winner of the post season matchup went on to the Super Bowl. The Eagles lost to the Raiders in 1980. Dallas won Super Bowl XXVII in 1992 and XXX in 1995.
Is it an omen? There is more voodoo surrounding this season finale than you can shake a dead chicken at.
