The Dallas Cowboys have been on vacation, licking their wounds and formulating a game plan for how things will play out over the last seven weeks of the season. Whether they admit it to themselves or not, the team is no longer the primary focus. I say that in the sense that this iteration of the Cowboys will not attain their goal of a playoff spot. This iteration is done for, and the individuals are going to take precedent over the collective.
That isn’t the same as saying players and coaches will become selfishly motivated; though that is a concern that has to be watched for. No, but players operating within the team concept now will be concerned with how their performance impacts their future; with the team or in the league in general. Coaches have to do things to help prepare themselves for the offseason reboot, and that includes gathering information on the deepest reaches of the roster.
On Tuesday the club will start to prepare for the Minnesota Vikings, but really they are preparing themselves for the seven-game stretch in general. Older veterans need to have their playing time reduced. Free-agents-to-be need to make final pushes for new deals. Younger players need to get live-action game reps which will send them forward in their development. Coaches need to figure out where to tell the front office their weakest links lie and what needs to be fortified. The executives need to evaluate who makes financial sense in the crazy mixed up pandemic reality of the next salary cap.
It’s all a blur.
This past week was meant for introspection and forward thinking, and that’s what we tried to focus on here at Cowboys Wire. Here’s a look at the top pieces we produced that did just that.