The four winners of the NFL's divisional round games each offered advice and messages, much like the Cowboys, who didn't do much this weekend except brothers of famous players keeping busy on social media. Can be sent.
But it all starts with the Detroit Lions. Their 31-23 victory over Tampa Bay means Dallas only has one team to hide behind in regards to this franchise's 28-year absence from the NFC Championship Game. Detroit faced Washington in the title game at RFK Stadium in 1991, but that was the last outing for both teams. As a result, 14 of his NFC teams would participate in games previously owned by the Cowboys, and from 1966 he played for 16 of the 30 teams until 1995.
becomes terrible.
Remember when Aaron Rodgers used the frigid AT&T Stadium platform (well, the parking lot outside was frozen) to win his only Super Bowl? That was 13 years ago. The Packers defeated Chicago at Soldier Field in the NFC title game. And the Bears are the team just above Dallas on the list of NFC teams, awaiting a return to their sport's top four. And that was 15 years after the Cowboys defeated Green Bay here on Jan. 14, 1996, to advance to Super Bowl 30.
There's more.
As long as Washington is allowed to remain in the NFC, the Cowboys have a disclaimer — they won't admit their problems, but they can point at the guy at the end of the bar and say, “He's worse than me.'' It's like a drunkard saying, And, certainly, the Commanders have become far worse as a franchise in the 32 years since Joe Gibbs won his third Super Bowl in a decade. In 32 quiet seasons, the team has won just two playoff games. That pales in comparison to the Cowboys, erm, five in 28 years? But at least on behalf of Washington, it can be said that the problem is recognized. The club not only changed its identity (for other reasons), but also changed ownership twice.
Dan Snyder purchased the club from the Jack Kent Cooke estate in 1999. Snyder, a terrible owner on and off the field, was forced to sell a year ago. Therefore, the commanders could at least step out of his shadow. They will have a new coach with the No. 2 pick in the upcoming draft. I'm not going to tell anyone to “watch out for the commanders,” but their time as a joke in the NFC may be coming to an end.
At least the fact that the 49ers will be in next week's game (they're the 6.5-point favorite over the Lions) should give Cowboys fans some comfort. Before beating the Cowboys 42-10 in October, it was comforting to know that everyone was struggling against the team that eliminated Dallas in the playoffs in 2021 and 2022. No one can really solve the 49ers, and the team just runs away from them at times.
Watched Saturday's game and saw linebacker Dre Greenlaw pick off two passes while Fred Warner covered the field like he does every week, presumably for Dallas to make them. It will remind you of drafting Micah Parsons. I'm not suggesting taking him off the line, but with Parsons playing end and some of Dan Quinn's safeties masquerading as linebackers, at least against quality teams. The Cowboys will always be overwhelmed.
So could a linebacker with size as well as speed be in the Cowboys' future?
The Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens may play different offensive styles, but they are sending the same message. In fact, he has two messages. One, if you have the best quarterback in the post-Brady era (I'll explain why Patrick Mahomes is better than Tom another day), you'll win a lot of games in the playoffs. This means that you can do it. This is the Chiefs' sixth consecutive AFC championship and likely their fourth Super Bowl victory in five years. This is surprising since only one club in each conference can earn a first-round bye.
The same goes for having an extraordinarily talented and proven winning quarterback. In fact, Lamar Jackson's running ability will likely be the unstoppable force that keeps Kansas City out of the next Super Bowl. Regardless, when you get a quarterback who's 27 years old and trying to win his second MVP, you're in the driver's seat. The Cowboys have a good quarterback, but they don't have one.
The second is the ability to find and retain great coaches. For Andy Reid, all he did was have 11 consecutive winning seasons. His worst record in Kansas City was 9-7 in the pre-Mahomes era. In Baltimore, John Harbaugh has lost two of his 16 years. This will be his fourth AFC Championship Game, and he should be favored to match Reed for a second Lombardi Trophy.
Imagine spending 16 years under the same coach. Jerry Jones couldn't stand it. Jason Garrett's 9.5 seasons were the second longest after Tom Landry's 29 years. So there's a lot to watch for the Cowboys this weekend, and more to come.
On the other hand, “We Run the Pro Bowl” feels like a hollow replacement as a motto for a franchise that once accomplished so much.
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