Dallas Cowboys face biggest test of fortitude, character and ability

To say the Dallas Cowboys performance in Green Bay was a disappointment, is a bit of an understatement. It was a team loss where all parties carry a portion of the blame. The effort, focus and execution were all poor and it proved to me more than enough to cause a loss to an inferior opponent.

This week in the days following the loss, the Cowboys players and coaches said all the right things. They admitted their mistakes, called out teammates, and assured fans it will not happen again.

While this is a poor way to start a difficult stretch of the schedule, it provides them the perfect opportunity to put their money where their mouth is. Because the next two opponents will take every bit of focus, energy, execution, and fortitude to overcome and will ultimately determine the Cowboys’ future in the 2022 NFL season.

How the Dallas Cowboys respond over the next few days will tell us everything we need to know about this team going forward.

The Dallas Cowboys face the Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants in a span of just four days. The 8-1 Vikings fall on Sunday and the 7-2 Giants come Thanksgiving Day. By record, both are superior opponents. Both are playing the best ball of their respective seasons and both are competing for playoff spots with the 6-3 Cowboys.

Aside from the season opener in Tampa, the Dallas Cowboys are the lowest they’ve been all season. With a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter, they lost to a three-win team they knew they had to beat.

Bone-headed play after bone-headed play led to big runs and explosive passes on defense and unforced turnovers on offense. Individually, they lacked focus and failed to complete assignments they have completed 100 times before.

Since the loss, leaders have stepped up. They’re visibly disgusted and determined to fix it. But will they?

We’ve seen Dallas Cowboys teams before show all the talent and promise of a contender only to wilt under pressure when the going got tough. Is this just another example of a low-character team like that or is this finally going to be the time they fight back?

We honestly don’t know.

All recent history suggests we should be prepared for disappointment. They’ll be good for some flashy plays and blow out wins going forward. But if it gets too physical like before, they’ll cower in the corner.

Yet, every year is a different team so maybe this is the year they toughen up after getting punched in the mouth? Maybe this is the roster that has the right amount of brains, fortitude, character, and leadership to respond the way we’ve been wanting?

Luckily for the Dallas Cowboys they have the perfect opportunity to prove themselves right out of the gate. They face their toughest situation to-date and while a 1-1 split would still keep them in the playoff hunt, it would do little to prove this year will be different from all the others.

Total victory. Physical domination. Accountability and execution.

Asking too much?

No, not if we’re asking for a legit contender for once. Things have to be different before they can be better. Is this the campaign Cowboys Nation has waited for the past 25+ years or is this just more of the same?

We start to answer that on Sunday