The Cowboys, and many of their fans, came out of their first Philadelphia contest feeling pretty good about themselves. Despite the loss, Dallas appeared to be the better team that day. It took a handful of bad bounces and questionable calls to lose that game and they still fought back and had a chance to overcome it all in the end.
While the loss hardly constituted a moral victory, it was enough to show the cluster-fudge that happened in San Francisco a few weeks prior was well behind them, and that Dallas was a legit force to be reckoned with.
Still, the national media and many outside the fanbase only recognized the final result. The Cowboys had again lost to a good team and were continuing to live up to their reputation as a team that can only beat up bad teams.
Even though the Cowboys have roughly a 100-point advantage over Philadelphia in scoring margin amongst common opponents, they trail in wins. Fair or not, it’s the reality of the situation and something Dallas has to accept.
As things stand today, the Cowboys don’t play a team with a losing record again until Week 18 in Washington. And by then, Dallas may be resting players for the postseason.
Beating teams with a winning record is the only way to re-write the narrative and show the Cowboys really do belong on that top tier in the NFC. And it all starts with Seattle on Thursday.
The Seahawks, 6-5, may not be a juggernaut but they’re a winning team and in the playoff picture. Beating them is a step in the right direction.
After Seattle, the Cowboys host the Eagles for a much-anticipated revenge match. If Dallas has any hope of changing anyone’s perspective, they need to win this. Otherwise, the criticism will be relentless and frankly, deserved.
Arguably the scariest game left on the schedule is traveling to Buffalo to take on the Bills in mid-December. The Bills are fighting for their playoff lives and adverse weather isn’t just a possibility, it’s a likelihood.
Before ending in Washington, the Cowboys face 8-3 Miami and 8-3 Detroit. Both teams are forces of nature and will offer significant challenges to Dallas.
Current odds say the NFC East crown is likely out of their reach, so Dallas isn’t necessarily required to run the table down the stretch. But in order to reset any narratives and instill faith in their postseason viability, they need beat the Eagles and look strong throughout this upcoming stretch of games.
While daunting, it’s an opportunity they should embrace and something fans should welcome.
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