Cowboys: Next 5 Days Will Decide

These next five days will say a lot about how the 2015 Dallas Cowboys story ends.

The Cowboys are either about to embark on an epic comeback or they are about to put a bow on one of the most disappointing campaigns in recent memory. Whichever one it proves to be, the next five days will go a long way in telling the story.

Tomorrow (Day 1), the Cowboys will travel to Florida to take on the 4-5 Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins, fresh off their come-from-behind win against the Philadelphia Eagles, have been riding a wave of momentum since the firing of Joe Philbin and appointment of Dan Campbell.

The Cowboys will have their work cut out for them playing the Dolphins at home on Sunday. The Cowboys have been disappointing in nearly every phase of the game and  desperately need to turn the momentum on their dismal 2015 season.

Stopping the bleeding of the seven game losing streak is priority #1 and if the Cowboys can’t beat the Dolphins on Sunday, their season is likely done regardless of what happens around the NFC East. Speaking of “around the league”, the Eagles and Redskins each play critical games of their own on Sunday.

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The Giants have a bye week, keeping their division lead fully intact regardless of what their NFC East brethren do. The Redskins face the 9-0 Panthers and are all but guaranteed a loss against the NFC’s best team. The Cowboys clearly must cheer for the Panthers in this game because a Redskins loss would drop the team to 4-6 and fully within reach of the Cowboys.

The Eagles face an all-too-familiar opponent on Sunday when they host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Obviously the Cowboys want the Bucs to win here and move the Cowboys within a game of their division rival Eagles.

But this isn’t about one important day in football; it’s about a five game span that offers a Thanksgiving Day game to both the Cowboys and Eagles.

The Eagles will take on the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving’s early game. The underachieving Lions may be the underdog in this matchup but they have firepower and home field advantage working in their favor here.

Speaking of “Thanksgiving”, “underdog”, “firepower”, and “home field advantage”, The Dallas Cowboys will host the undefeated Carolina Panthers Thursday afternoon. Carolina, armed with the best defense in recent memory, will be the Cowboys’ most difficult dragon to slay this season (all due respect to New England, of course).

In this five day span, if the Cowboys can win both of their games, the Eagles lose both of their games, and the Redskins lose their game, the Cowboys will have a very legitimate chance at a comeback this season

Under that scenario, the Giants remain the same at 5-5 (in first), the Redskins would be 4-6 (second place with two remaining Cowboys matchups), and the Cowboys and Eagles would be at 4-7.

If the Cowboys lose even one of these games, their statistical odds drop them even further from contention and add one more nail to their figurative coffin.

A very fine line separates the good teams from the bad teams and often times, that fine line is a great QB and a little momentum.

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The Cowboys have a shot, and if they can go 2-0 over the next five days, people will recognize their chances. These next five days will say a lot about how the 2015 Dallas Cowboys story ends.