Divisional Rivals Always Play Dallas Cowboys Tough
By Dink Kearney
Oct 19, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray (29) runs with the ball against the New York Giants at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
The first six games the Dallas Cowboys played were good games with a mix of drama (overtime win against the Texans) and surprise wins (Seattle and New Orleans). Although those were good games and helped propel the Cowboys to a 6-1 record, I knew the real litmus test for the Cowboys would be against the NY Giants. The Giants knew the Cowboys better than all of the seven teams put together. And the Giants were coming off of a 27-0 whipping by their rival, the Philadelphia Eagles.
So the Giants were ready to not only beat their divisional rival, but end the Cowboys five game winning streak and put them third in the division.
So if anyone thought the Cowboys were going to roll up the Giants like a piece of trash, they were wrong. The game was somewhat close and the Giants even held the lead at one point. Heck, they even made a final push until the Cowboys stripped the ball and recovered the fumble to end the game. Yes, Cowboys’ fans everywhere were worried that Eli Manning was going to lead his team on a scoring drive and somehow force overtime.
That’s what I was thinking.
I wouldn’t have been surprised if the Giants had forced overtime and the game ended in a dramatic fashion. The reason is because all NFC East Divisional games are tough. Real tough. The Eagles, Giants, and Redskins will always play the Cowboys tough.
Especially them Redskins!
These rivals know the Cowboys so well and hate them so much, combined with tradition, that the records don’t even matter. Want proof? Against the Giants, the Cowboys did not sack Manning, but the Giants allowed seven sacks to the Eagles. And the Giants have one of the worse offensive lines in the league.
Plus, the Giants played like they were 6-1, too.
Yeah, the Cowboys dominated and played like they were one of the best teams in the league, but this wasn’t any blowout, by any stretch. The Cowboys battled like it was a heavyweight fight. Racking up over 400 yards in total offense, while DeMarco Murray set a rushing record and Dez Bryant put on a clinic on how to beat one on one coverage. But the Giants fought hard, too. Going for it on fourth down, scoring a touchdown and giving the Cowboys all it had.
Not a cake wall.
And the Redskins will not be a cake walk, either. They are truly the nemesis of all nemesis. No team battles the Cowboys harder than the Redskins.
Forget that Colt McCoy will probably be the starter. Forget that the Redskins are 2-5. Forget it. Forget about the 8 point spread.
Don’t think for one minute the Cowboys are going to win by five touchdowns.
Because they won’t.
These two teams have a history of upsetting each other when least expected. Two years ago, a rookie named Robert Griffin III came to At&T stadium and defeated the Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day. The game put them on a winning streak that ended with them beating, you guessed it, the Cowboys to win the divisional crown.
Last year, Kirk Cousins played like a Pro Bowler and almost beat the Cowboys at FedEx field. And back in 1989, the Cowboys won only one game. Guess who they beat? The Redskins. For their only win of the season.
Just forget about the records and focus on the battle that you will witness on Monday night.
The Eagles will be a heavyweight fight on Thanksgiving night, too. It’s going to be a street fight and the Cowboys will be battled tested. But that’s the true test for the Cowboys. How they handle their divisional opponents and beating them.
Because winning your division is the sure way into the playoffs.
So why not do it the hard way and beat the teams who know you the best?
Because that’s the true litmus test. The Cowboys know that. They beat the Giants already.
Because the path to the Super Bowl starts with winning their division.
They are 1-0 in their division.
And that’s all that matters.
For now.