Cowboys Clinch Playoff Berth, but Plenty of Work Remains

Having kept up their end of the bargain with a sloppy win on Thursday night, the Dallas Cowboys spent Sunday watching as their playoff fate unfolded.

Sometimes a team doesn’t put forth their best effort on a given night. Penalties, turnovers, bad bounces, and any other form of bad luck conspire to provide a less-than-desirable outcome. This was certainly the case on Thursday night for the Dallas Cowboys.

But as is the case with a pitcher who doesn’t have his best stuff on a given night, the Cowboys did just enough to give themselves a chance to win. In the end, a win was indeed the outcome. Style points aren’t handed out for NFL victories in December. If you come out on top, great. Take it and move on.

With their status as leaders in the clubhouse intact, Sunday’s action awaited. A Redskins’ loss or a loss or tie by the Buccaneers guaranteed a berth in the postseason tournament. While the Bucs weren’t compliant, the ‘Skins couldn’t top the Cardinals. Thus, the Cowboys find themselves with a spot in the playoffs with four games to go.

Also, when you factor in the Giants losing at Pittsburgh, the Cowboys now hold a commanding three game lead in the NFC East with a mere four games to go. A divisional championship should be a formality.

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Of course, the vagaries of an NFL season hand out very few guarantees. To be sure, the last four games of the season almost seem to mock the aforementioned formality.

The schedule makers seem to have a sick sense of humor when arranging the last month of a season. This is evident with an insane stretch that features the Giants, Buccaneers, Lions, and Eagles.

Three of these teams are scratching and clawing for a place at the January table. And while the Eagles are floundering, they still gave the Cowboys all they could handle the last time they played each other.

It all amounts to an amusement park ride for the team and the fan base alike. For all the 11-1 magic going on, there is nothing resembling a layup for the Cowboys as the regular season winds to a close. Truth be told, this is a good thing. The young bucks on this team are getting a lesson in what it takes to grind through a professional campaign. It’s paying dividends right now, not to mention the seasoning it imparts down the line.

We’re guaranteed January football right now, Cowboy fans. This hasn’t been a given for the last couple of decades. Success had been sporadic and fleeting. When you take this year’s circumstances into account, it’s even nuttier. A generational offensive line and two rookies are propelling this franchise to dizzying heights. It’s a wondrous ride heretofore unseen.

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But this doesn’t mean our guys are out of the woods. Plenty of stern December tests lie in wait. We will see what this bunch is made of well before the January crucible presents itself. Thursday night was simply another sterling example of a team showing us they can win in spite of themselves. If they continue to show this trait, very special and Super things may be in store.

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