It’s football withdrawal season. Sure, there’s the free agency frenzy to keep track of, there are mock drafts to dissect, there are contract clauses and salary caps to crunch. But for the fan who just wants to park it on the sofa for an afternoon and take in an honest-to-goodness game, with running and throwing and tackling and after-further-reviewing and all, the pickings are pretty slim this time every year.
In 2020, though, that drought is compounded heavily by COVID-19. Whether on genuine lockdown, practicing some common-sense self-quarantining, or doing a little basement social distancing from the rest of your family and their never-ending Disney+ marathon, the phrase, “Are you ready for some football?” may elicit a slightly more visceral reaction these days.
The NFL has thrown fans a lifeline by making their Game Pass service free through May 31.
And while one can satisfy their pigskin craving with tons of original programming like A Football Life, Hard Knocks, and Mic’d Up, nothing restores a sense of normalcy (at least temporarily) like making some snacks, putting on a jersey, and cueing up a regular season game.
The archives go back to 2009, offering over a decade’s worth of football on various viewing platforms. Games are available in several different flavors: full broadcast (best for enjoying Tony Romo’s crystal-ball commentary, Troy Aikman’s no-nonsense stylings, or Booger McFarland’s head-shaking buffoonery), condensed versions (when you need a quick fix just to pass the time during Frozen 2), and even from the All-22 “coaches’ angle” (for maximum nerding out over the Xs and Os).
Cowboys fans, here’s a collection of games worth going back and re-watching, a full 17-game schedule (because there are no bye weeks in quarantine) to keep you cheering (mostly) while you’re under couch arrest.
2009 (finished 11-5, 1st in NFC East)
Week 15: Cowboys 24, Saints 17
It was the team’s first season in what is now called AT&T Stadium, but for this ’twas-the-week-before-Christmas tilt, the 8-5 Cowboys traveled to the Superdome to battle the undefeated Saints in primetime.
Dallas jumped out to a 17-3 halftime lead on a touchdown pass from Tony Romo to Miles Austin and a scoring run by Marion Barber. Barber would score again in the second half, but the hero of the night was DeMarcus Ware, who caused a pair of Drew Brees fumbles, one of which ended a late potentially-game-tying drive by New Orleans.
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Wild Card Weekend: Cowboys 34, Eagles 14
Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Dallas had swept the regular-season series with Philadelphia by a combined score of 44-16. After a scoreless first quarter, the Cowboys blew things open with 27 points in the second and never looked back. Tashard Choice, Miles Austin, Felix Jones, and John Phillips all found the end zone in what was the Cowboys’ first playoff victory since 1996 and coach Wade Phillips’s first-ever postseason win.
Referee Ed Hochuli got loads of airtime in this one, as the two clubs set a league record for the most penalty yards (228) in a playoff game. Sloppy? Yes. But a win over the Eagles is a win over the Eagles. And a win over the Eagles in the playoffs is even sweeter.[lawrence-newsletter]