For a team that is frequently called “America’s Team” it is strange to see how many people seem to despise the Cowboys. I even put myself in that category. I picked them to cover the spread against the Packers yesterday, but admitted that I was rooting for Green Bay.
But, I don’t think anyone expected what happened on Sunday afternoon. If you missed it, the Cowboys went one and done (again) losing to the 7 seed Packers 48-32. A 16 point playoff loss is bad enough, but the game wasn’t even that close. It was a good old fashioned beat down from beginning to end.
The Cowboys losing in the playoffs has become a cliche punchline at this point. They’ve done it time after time, with coach after coach. Seemingly every year, Dallas has all this hype just to fall short in the end. Whether it be losing late to the Giants or Eagles to lose the division, or just not doing enough and losing in a tight playoff game, the Cowboys always left something to be desired.
But this year felt different. They had a great offense with Dak doing well and CeeDee Lamb being incredible all year. Pair that with a defense that looked almost unbeatable at times. A pass rush that could disrupt almost anyone, and ball hawking secondary that could flip games on their head quickly. Coach Mike McCarthy seemed to have things going in the right direction…but then yesterday happened.
That dream is over. Yes the Cowboys losing seems like tradition, but how they did it this time is worse than normal. They didn’t lose in a close game against a division opponent or something. They got their asses handed to them by a fringe wildcard team with a rookie QB and a group of young players. This game was so bad, that Wikipedia allowed Green Bay running back Aaron Jones’ page to be amended to “Owner of the Dallas Cowboys.” I can’t help but agree there.
You have to give the Packers credit. They won the game in dominant fashion. But this has less to do with them. They’ll get taken to the woodshed by the 49ers next week and we’ll all move on with our lives.
The real story here is Dallas. For a team with such a legacy, this is the ultimate humiliation. You not only got beat, you got crushed. Not only did you get crushed, you got crushed at home by a team that had no business even being in the playoffs. Members of this organization should be hanging their heads in shame.
But…for Jerry Jones and the Cowboys, this kind of embarrassment couldn’t come at a better time. That’s right, this may end up being a great thing for the franchise.
Not sure if you’ve heard, but the New England Patriots have parted ways with the best coach in NFL history, Bill Belichick. And that means he is just out there and available for other teams to interview and perhaps make an offer. For any team that is in need of a coach, this is a unique opportunity. Even teams who are somewhat content with their coaching situation may run the idea of bringing in Belichick in up the flagpole.
There aren’t too many owners that would have the stones to take a coach that has won 12 games a few times in a row and replace him. But Jerry Jones is that kind of owner. Mike McCarthy has proven he can win in the regular season. Great. So can a lot of coaches with the kind of talent Dallas has. What this kind of team needs is a coach with a winning pedigree. That’s what Belichick brings.
Not only does Belichick bring the winning history, but he brings an old school discipline that Dallas has lacked historically. He doesn’t put up with the drama that is typically associated with America’s Team. Now, the biggest issue that Patriots fans cite in their distaste for Belichick, is his inability to assemble high level talent. Well, that’s no issue in Dallas. They have a good QB, great skill guys on offense and a defense that is just missing some glue guys. And what is Belichick famous for drafting? Guys that aren’t top end, but contribute behind the scenes and in those fundamental ways. Some solid mid-round picks to go along with the studs Dallas already has is a recipe for success.
The only real issue that may come up is how Jerry Jones and Bill Belichick can coexist. They both think they know it all, and have been known to have some serious disagreements with others. But you know what can make things easier to cooperate with a bombastic owner? Winning. A wise man once said, “winning fixes everything.” If Bill can come in and win games, Jerry Jones will be able to put his ego to one side for a little. Now, I’m not an idiot, despite what you might think. I don;t think this is a long term solution for Dallas. The Jerry and Bill marriage has a short shelf life. They’re both old and have a lot of prestige. But if they come to an agreement that this is a 3 or 4 year experiment, things can be held in check for a while.
Dallas fans are some of the most reactionary in the league, so they should be all for this. The only people that will be upset about this will be the Dallas media. Jerry Jones is usually an open book, but if Belichick comes in, that’ll stop. You’ll get your run of the mill presser where Bill responds to every question, but answer none of them. The reporters will then fall into the New England media trap, and have to start making shit up, which will expose them like it did the likes of Greg Bedard and Tom Curran.
Belichick coaching the Cowboys will be the best thing for the NFL. We’ll be forced to watch even more of their games than usual, but that’s ok. It’s all worth it if we get the big B in Big D.