For those of you obsessed with media-driven narratives, the post-millennia Dallas Cowboys have been a climax of perpetual mediocrity. Quarterback Tony Romo has just one career playoff win, matched by a slew of flubs and shortcomings only the great Buffalo Bills’ teams of the early 1990’s can empathize with. Despite such an impressive resume of lackluster showings in big games, Dallas is yet again on the outside of a playoff race looking in.
Four games remain on the NFL slate, and the Cowboys are 8-4 and just one game behind the Philadelphia Eagles for the NFC East title. However, that one game is gargantuan considering Philadelphia’s recent drubbing of Dallas 33-10 at home on Thanksgiving day. Gobble it up Romo-haters because the Cowboys 2014 turkey is done.
Of Philadelphia’s remaining games, two are home against Seattle and Dallas respectively. The Eagles then conclude their season with division matches on the road in Washington and New York. Should Philadelphia defeat the Cowboys in Philadelphia in Week 15, that will likely be the final nail in Jason Garrett’s coffin.
On the other hand, three of Dallas’s four remaining games are on the road. In Philadelphia, at Chicago on Thursday Night Football, and in Washington at season’s end. Two of these three teams have beaten the Cowboys at home. Finally, Dallas will play its final home game of the year in Week 16 in Indianapolis, the AFC South leaders looking to pick up a game in the seeding race in the AFC. Would anyone be surprised if Dallas dropped three of these four? Even all four?
Dallas’s record is misleading at best, creating disillusion amongst the throngs of fans of “America’s Team” who have false hope of a return to the Aikman-era. In 12 games this season, the Cowboys have played just four teams with winning records, and have one just one win , a 30-23 upset over the defending-champion Seahawks. In this quartet of contests, Dallas has been outscored 112-74, despite the fact that three of these four games were at home. Yes Dallas is 2-2 against playoff teams from 2013, but one of those wins was against the 5-7 New Orleans Saints.
Sure the Cowboys have managed to beat teams they “should” and have lost only games to contenders and division opponents, but which part of a team 22nd in rushing yards allowed, 20th in passing yards allowed, and 16th in defensive points allowed gives one confidence? In the team’s last two meetings against contenders, both at home against Arizona and Philadelphia, Dallas failed to eclipse 270 total yards, and were outscored 61-27.
Worst game I've seen from #Cowboys Hitchens/McClain this year.. Struggled in reads and taking on blocks at 2nd level pic.twitter.com/MKxfOfiHrD
— Ben Fennell (@BenFennell_NFL) December 3, 2014
Unfortunately, the Cowboys woes are not only on the defensive side of the ball. Tony Romo’s offense has only eclipsed 300 yards passing once this season, which occurred in the team’s Week 5 overtime win against the Texans. Ranking this unit 17th in passing yardage on the year. While Demarco Murray’s fast start highlighted a dominant offensive line early in the year, Murray’s yardage is down in a significant manner as well.
In the team’s first eight games of the season, Murray broke 100 yards in each and the team averaged 161.13 rushing yards per game. In the four contests since, Dallas has managed just 113.75 yards per contest in addition to a measly 214.75 passing yards per game in that span. Teams are keying on Murray, and Romo has not been able to make up the difference in the passing game. Dallas is in a downward spiral, creating a trend teams fighting for the wild card berths will capitalize on.
One game behind in the division race and tied with Detroit and Seattle at 8-4 in the wild card, Dallas is reeling and risks falling behind even the seven-win 49ers. The Cowboys current state of play does not favor a playoff run, and neither does the remaining league schedule.
Detroit has by-far the easiest schedule remaining amongst teams in the thick of the wild-card race with contests scheduled against the 2-10 Buccaneers, 5-7 Vikings, and at the 5-7 Bears before meeting the Packers in what could prove to be a meaningless game for the Pack. Making the Lions a virtual lock for a wild card spot barring anything unusual or a flub by Green Bay.
Seattle on the other hand has quite a difficult schedule, but it is against teams they are familiar with. Seattle is at Philadelphia on Sunday, then home against a 49ers team they blew out on Thanksgiving. Following this grudge match will be a trip to a banged-up Cardinals team the Seahawks already defeated 19-3, and finally a home-finale against the 5-7 St. Louis Rams. Yes Seattle fell to the Rams earlier this season, this meeting will be in the home of the 12th man. While far from cupcake, expect the Seahawks to make quick work of their remaining schedule and get back on pace to regain their Super Bowl title.
Be it a difficult remaining schedule, a lack of playoff-caliber defense, an offense losing steam, or a history of mediocrity, there are a plethora of reasons to count the Cowboys out of the 2014 playoff picture.
Photo: USA Today