The Cowboys endured an up and down start to their 2023 season. Enroute to their 4-2 pre-bye week record, they offered surprises both good and bad.
The biggest of which was likely their complete inability to match up against the rival 49ers. After being bounced from the postseason two consecutive years, one would imagine the Cowboys had narrowed the gap. Alas, that was not the case in the latest showdown. Dallas was manhandled every step of the way. It humbled a team and fanbase who had visons “this year was different.”
On the flip side was their resiliency. Despite the roadblocks along the way, the Cowboys showed an ability to overcome that had not always previously been present. They overcame the San Francisco loss by winning a tightly fought grudge match against the Chargers in Week 6.
They overcame early injuries to their secondary, linebacking corps and offensive line, by slightly altering their scheme and adapting to the situation at hand. The Cowboys haven’t always been known as an adaptive team so their ability to simply survive is one of the many pleasant surprises.