It’s natural to exhale after a big win. So much work, preparation and pressure are put on teams each week in the NFL, it’s almost impossible to not breathe a sigh of relief when success is found.
The Cowboys are coming off what is arguably their most successful Week 1 performance ever. Matched up against a division rival and 2022 playoff equal, Dallas posted a 40-0 win on the road during Sunday Night Football. If that’s not deserving of a dramatic exhale, perhaps nothing is.
But with an exhale comes an easing. Focus and intensity often follow suit and the Cowboys go into the following week a little more confident and a little less battle-ready.
Looking back to 2022, the Cowboys had a few memorable blowout wins. They beat Chicago 49-29. They handled Minnesota 40-3. They dispatched Indianapolis 54-19. And they downed Tampa Bay in the postseason 31-14.
How did they do in subsequent action?
Following the big Bears win, they lost in horrific fashion to Green Bay. But then following the Vikings, they beat the Giants by eight points.
Following the Colts, they barely overcame the 3-13-1 Texans, 27-23, and then lost immediately after to Jacksonville in a critical December affair. And who can forget the debacle against San Francisco where nothing went right, after the big win in Tampa Bay where everything went right.
Technically they were 2-2 after those big games, but anyone who remembers that game in Houston knows that was about as flat as this team has seemed and the only reason they won was because of the lackluster opponent.
2021 wasn’t quite as bad, but still offered some great examples of letdowns after big wins.
The Cowboys beat the Falcons 43-3 and then lost the next two games to Kansas City and Las Vegas. They beat Washington 56-14 only to lose to lowly Arizona the next week. They beat the Eagles 51-26 and then proceeded to lose to San Francisco.
Some of those “next week” opponents were excellent teams, so the losses weren’t exactly shocking. But the Cowboys finished both seasons with 12 wins each year so they were also a really good team. An abnormal percentage of their losses came after big wins that had them feeling pretty darn good about themselves.
Following the big win in New York on Sunday, could they be in store for another letdown?
The Cowboys likely had their matchup with the Jets in Week 2 circled, if for no other reason, because of the presence of Aaron Rodgers. For years Rodgers has been the Cowboys’ boogieman. And with ties back to Mike McCarthy’s best days as a coach, it’s hard not to think that game had special significance.
But with Rodgers out with an Achillies injury, the hype is missing from this Week 2 battle. The Jets are still an extremely formidable opponent but with Dallas coming off a huge win against the Giants and the boogieman banished back into the closet, an exhale is understandable for the Silver and Blue.
Does this make them rife for an upset?
Based on their history and the circumstance, certainly.
Staying humble and focused after a big win has appeared to be an issue for the Cowboys over the past two seasons. Being consistently intense is something that eludes this franchise and is arguably the only thing that separates this ridiculously talented roster from their next Lombardi trophy.
This week is a test in the Cowboys’ quest to become great. Exhaling is both natural and dangerous. Dallas has to find a way to maintain the edge amidst all the hype. A home game against a Rodger-less Jets team will be a test to see if they’re championship-ready.
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