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For the second consecutive week, the Dallas Cowboys came out flat. For the second consecutive week, the Cowboys relied on their field goal kicker, Dan Bailey, to win the game at the end.
I can forgive some of the lackadaisical play, coming on a short week. Dallas beat Washington in overtime on Nov. 20 and then four days later played the Miami Dolphins on Thanksgiving Day. Neither team, both on three game winning streaks, looked that great in this game offensively. And the bottom line is that the Dallas Cowboys have won four games in a row and their record is 7-4. Next week, they play the Arizona Cardinals and should improve their record to 8-4.
Now, let's talk about the bad news. Dallas has won five of their last six games but those teams combined for a 17-33 record. None of them will make the playoffs this year. When playing actual playoff contenders, Dallas beat the San Francisco 49ers and lost to the New York Jets, Detroit Lions, New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles. The Cowboys are beating the teams they should beat but losing to the good ones.
That will not bode well come playoff time. If you look at the remainder of the Dallas schedule, they should be 9-7 at the worst but it is a possibility, if they split with the Giants or Eagles, they finish 10-6 and make the playoffs as the NFC East champion. Even at 10 wins, Dallas should still have the worst record of the division winners and end up having to play a team like Detroit in the first round of the playoffs, a team that already beat Dallas once.
This shouldn't have to be a worry for Dallas fans but, with the Cowboys squeaking by teams like Washington and Miami, it is a concern. Dallas has to play against Arizona like they did against Buffalo to prepare for the Giants game the next week. With New York playing at New Orleans this week and at undefeated Green Bay the next week, Dallas can possibly lock up the division with a win in their first encounter with the Giants on Dec, 11.
The Cowboys could have a three game lead with three games to go but they need to work on some fundamentals in the meantime if they want to get past teams like Atlanta or Detroit in the playoffs come January.
Author Shawn S. Lealos has followed the Dallas Cowboys since he was a child, his favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s. Through the great years of the '90s and the hard times of the '80s, Shawn never turned his back on America's Team.
Source: Dallas Cowboys
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