The Dallas Cowboys teased their fan base yet again with high expectations. They overpromised then underdelivered. After a 56-14 drubbing of a division rival, the Cowboys went into a home game against the 10-win Arizona Cardinals. That team was reeling and on a three-game losing streak that included a blowout loss to the lowly Detroit Lions. Dallas was a substantial favorite but couldn’t deliver the comeback win.
The Cowboys are still a work in progress, entering the final week of the regular season. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Los Angeles Rams saw themselves in similar Week 17 situations, but they all pulled through in the end to win their games in the final minutes. Those teams have all been to the Super Bowl and still have players and coaches who can led them through such rough waters with experience.
Dallas has coaches that have been to, and won, big games like that, but they don’t have any major leaders on the field with said experience to guide them.
It has shown to be an issue more than once just this season, but these games are part of that growth process for Dallas. Here are some things that were learned and that can be used the next time the Cowboys are in a game like this. That opportunity is likely right around the corner.