Opinion
Every sport consists of teams that are on another tier in terms of popularity and success.
While success has been difficult to come by recently with their last NFL championship coming in 1996, the Dallas Cowboys are still regarded as one of the biggest franchises across America and the world.
“America’s team” is often the nickname used for the five-time Super Bowl champions.
It came about from the 1978 highlight film where narrator, John Facenda, appeared with the opening line, “They appear on television so often that their faces are as similar to the public as presidents and movie stars. They are the Dallas Cowboys, America’s team.”
Financially, the Cowboys are the richest franchise in world sports according to Forbes, valued at a staggering $8 billion spearheaded by owner Jerry Jones.
‘Almost’ is the word most associated with this group that has performed below par for many years now.
They always have some promising players on their roster and deceive many fans and pundits with great performances in the regular season, only to collapse in the post-season or the latter stages of the season where so much is riding on the line.
Dak Prescott (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
It is hard to remember the last time when the Cowboys were seen as the finished article and mentally strong enough to go all the way.
This time around, however, everything is seeming to be falling into place for a team most recently known as a laughing stock.
For starters, the NFC East is the most competitive division in the entire league.
1. Philadelphia Eagles (13-3)
2. Dallas Cowboys (12-4)
3. New York Giants (9-6)
The Eagles have been absolutely phenomenal throughout the season led by star quarterback Jalen Hurts, seemingly virtually unstoppable.
Last week the Cowboys were able to take down Philadelphia 40-34, despite the absence of Hurts. In years gone past, it would be normal for Dallas to mentally crumble under the pressure. Instead, they were able to weather the storm of the Eagles’ relentless fighting spirit to send a message to the rest of the NFL.
Psychologically is where they have improved by making better decisions and taking fewer risks as well as the defence standing strong in most outings.
This all comes down to head coach Mike McCarthy who in the past has been criticised for his play calls and conservative approach.
In his third year at the helm of the Cowboys, those critics all remain silent for the meantime. The 59-year-old has adjusted his tactics both offensively and defensively, relying on his experience from his Super Bowl win as coach of the Green Bay Packers.
Ranked 11th in the league for points against in 2022, the defensive line of the Cowboys has been the core to their success with safety Jayron Kearse proving to be pivotal.
Offences win you games, but defences win you championships. With the ambition of Super Bowl glory in mind, the backline is capable of shutting down almost any of the top teams come playoff time.
Early on in the opening week of the season against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a continued misfortune of injury luck hit Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott once again, giving McCarthy a headache when he came back into the side.
Why? Because back-up quarterback Cooper Rush was influential in guiding Dallas to four wins in a row after that loss to Tampa Bay.
Two interceptions against a poor Tennessee Titans unit on Friday took Prescott’s tally up to 14 interceptions in his 11 appearances this campaign.
If the Cowboys are to lift the Lombardy Trophy, the errors on Prescott’s end desperately need to be lowered.
He has the ability to carry the side with the passing game, but the run game is just as deadly with running back Ezekiel Elliott providing such a massive threat.
The big question remains whether the defence of Dallas can withstand the constant pressure of a thriving offence such as the Chiefs or the Bills who will punish any mistake gifted to them.
For now at least, the signs look positive and the improvements are visibly noticeable.
“America’s team” truly believe that this is their moment.
Just like the Cowboys’ 1978 highlight film, this could be a thrilling movie to look back on for years to come.
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