Another season has gone by and yet again the Dallas Cowboys have squandered what seemed like a great opportunity to make a serious run at a sixth Super Bowl title. The 2021 version of this team may have provided the organization’s best shot at winning since the 1990s. However, after 12 wins and ranking at the top of multiple categories on offense and defense, the Cowboys were sent home without a single postseason victory.
It’s been a common theme for them over that last decade and a half. The Cowboys have had some very talented teams over that span, posting at least 10 wins in 2007, 2009, 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2021. Unfortunately, they have only produced a total of three playoff wins during that time.
As frustrating as it has been for fans, it needs to be even more so for the players. Not to say that it isn’t, but at some point, the page has to turn and this team has to have success in the playoffs. They have been too talented to only have a few less than a handful of postseason wins since 1995, their last championship season.
Will McClay, the Cowboys’ Vice President of Player Personnel has been the mastermind of building the team’s roster. Over the last several seasons, it’s become one of the most talented in the NFL. With that comes lofty expectations, as it should, but time and time again the Cowboys have come up short.
In the NFL there’s no telling when you’re gonna have a realistic shot to win it all with how much rosters turn over from year to year. This season was the perfect time to strike while the iron is hot and go for the gusto. With 21 free agents to make decisions on, this team will look a lot different in 2022. That’s what makes the Cowboys falling so short in the playoffs this season tough to swallow.
The Cowboys had guys like Tony Romo, Jason Witten, Dez Bryant, and DeMarcus Ware come through the doors in the early-mid 2000s and the 2010s. Most recently it’s been Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, Amari Cooper, DeMarcus Lawrence, and Micah Parsons. It’s been the same old story, however, wondering what could have been instead of relishing the fact that they are a serious contender for the Lombardi trophy year in and year out.
The glitz and glamour of being the most valuable and most-watched team in football are nice for headlines. However, the Cowboys are also the subject of ridicule and jokes from the media due to their continuous shortcomings, and at some point, this team has to get fed up with it and maximize the chances they have been given to compete at a high level.
So, when will this mediocrity end?
There’s no way of knowing when that will be, but it certainly needs to change. The Cowboys have had too many great players over the years as previously mentioned to not have made in past the second round in 26 years. It’s time for a new narrative when it comes to this team and needs to be one of a franchise that is routinely one of the last ones standing.
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