Dallas Cowboys get scheduled Monday Night punishment for playoffs

If the desire was to go as far as possible in the playoffs this winter, the Dallas Cowboys were dealt a nasty hand. Coming off a 26-6 beatdown in Washington, the NFL blessed them with some salt in their still-fresh wound.

While every other team is preparing for games over the weekend, the Dallas Cowboys and Tampa Bay Buccaneers must wait until Monday Night Football to settle their Wild Card match-up. While the last game offers additional rest between the regular and postseason, it offers an equal amount less rest for the winner who moves on to the Divisional Round.

The NFL schedule makers served the Dallas Cowboys the worst possible option in Round 1.

One thing is clear, if the Cowboys play like they did in Week 18, the schedule won’t matter a hill of beans (always wanted to use that expression). It doesn’t matter how mortal Tom Brady and the Bucs look, Dallas can’t mail in an effort like they did in Washington or it will be over in the first quarter.

But Cowboys fans have grown accustomed to the occasional stinker from Dallas. They don’t expect to see back-to-back dumpster fires. They expect to win (once the emotional wounds heal, that is).

Night games are built different. Anyone who’s been to one can attest, the energy is exponentially greater in prime time.

Playing Monday Night not only means the Dallas Cowboys have to survive a ravenous playoff crowd on the road, but a ravenous playoff crowd on the road who have been tailgating all day. Night games are built different, my friends. Anyone who’s been to one can attest, the energy is exponentially greater in prime time.

Assuming the Cowboys survive the affair (big assumption, I know), they have to come back on the short week and face off against someone more rested than them. Chances are likely that opponent will be the Eagles who have the additional gift of the bye week.

The Dallas Cowboys are ratings gold. Tom Brady is ratings gold. It makes perfect sense why the NFL scheduled the game the way they did. But that doesn’t make the ugly scheduling situation any less true. This is a tough draw because Monday Night Football is the worst possible scenario.