Ugly win or not, the Dallas Cowboys improved to 10-3 on the season after taking down the Houston Texans on Sunday.
Much of what we have discussed about the Cowboys was still present on Sunday, as the Cowboys started off sluggish and let the Texans hang in the game for all four quarters. Dallas was finally able to put it together after a 98-yard drive from QB Dak Prescott in the final two minutes of the game.
While we have criticized the Cowboys all year for their lack of consistent play, the Cowboys did show us that they have the ability to win those rough games. Good teams find ways to win games against any opponent, and the Cowboys found a way to avoid the upset on Sunday.
Not every win will be pretty for Dallas, but that’s what we’ve come to expect from the Cowboys, who have one of the top scoring offensive units for the second straight year under HC Mike McCarthy. We have seen the Cowboys blow the doors off their opponents this year, but I found it more impressive that through all the mistakes the Cowboys made early on, they found a way to adjust and leave the stadium with a win.
It still remains to be seen how the Cowboys plan on adjusting these slow starts. With the playoffs just a month away, the Cowboys need to figure out how to overcome their struggles earlier in games. As a huge showdown against the Philadelphia Eagles looms large on Christmas Eve, the Cowboys will surely be put to the test early against the high-flying Eagles offensive attack.
Mike McCarthy and the Cowboys have preached about the theme of ‘resilience’ for their football team this year, and they are certainly going to need a little bit more of that as the post-season approaches. The Cowboys are now without starting CB Anthony Brown and RT Terrence Steele for the remainder of the season. Two huge losses for this team, and the Cowboys will need the next man up to be just as resilient.
The Cowboys know they need to improve and take advantage of a weak NFC, and they have now signed WR T.Y. Hilton as of yesterday and ‘insist’ that they are still actively pursuing free agent WR Odell Beckham Jr. as well. With the addition of Hilton to this offense, his speed and reliability can be a weapon for Dak Prescott and help this offense be more consistent. Hilton can surely draw attention from opposing defense’s that will help free up WR CeeDee Lamb and WR Michael Gallup to make more explosive plays down the field.
The last four game stretch for the Cowboys will not be easy by no means, but I believe the Cowboys are a good enough team to finish out the season strong and enter the playoffs a red-hot team. The Cowboys know they control their own destiny, and finding a way to win this upcoming Sunday against a surging Jacksonville Jaguars team can help put the Cowboys in prime position going into January.
