The Giants Sunday night did for the Cowboys what the Cowboys on Sunday afternoon could not do for themselves.
Yes, thanks to the Giants’ SNF win over the Commanders, Dallas is in the playoffs for the second straight year. That’s significant, since the last time the Cowboys made consecutive postseason appearances was in 2006-07.
But it’s hardly cause for celebration following the ‘Boys collapse in Jacksonville, where they blew a 17-point lead and lost to the Jags in overtime, 40-34.
Trevor Lawrence threw four touchdown passes and was sacked only once. The Jags rushed for 192 yards, 103 by Travis Etienne.
Dallas was up 14-0, 21-7 and 27-10 against a franchise that had lost 20 straight games to NFC opponents dating back to 2018. That should have been that.
Instead, more turnovers. More injuries. More blown assignments. More boneheaded mismanagement of the game and the clock. More post-defeat denial, alibis, excuses, rationalizations and whistling through the graveyard. “It’s all good.”
No. It isn’t.
“We Dem Boyz!” Really?
The Cowboys do not respond well to pressure. Well, maybe we should look at it this way. They have now succeeded in avoiding heavy pressure, since that much-anticipated Christmas Eve rematch with the Eagles is now completely meaningless. Philly is up three games in the NFC East with three to play. That’s a wrap.
And don’t read anything into the outcome of this “exhibition game” against the Eagles on Saturday. It has no bearing whatsoever on what might happen should they meet in January for a third time.
Dallas appears locked into the five seed in the NFC and is likely headed for a first-round game in Tampa. True, Brady stunk it up in the second half of Sunday’s come-from-ahead loss to the Bengals.
But, also true. Tom Brady has never lost to the Cowboys. Yeah, there will be some pressure. Not on Brady, mind you. On Dallas.
So, another heroic effort in defeat by the Texans. But you didn’t really think they were gonna pull that off, did you? Not even after they stopped Kansas City on the Chiefs’ first possession in OT, forced a punt and needed only a FG to complete a shocking upset.
Maybe you were surprised that Davis Mills then fumbled away the opportunity. I wasn’t. Maybe you were surprised the Chiefs then scored the game-winning rushing TD on the very next play. I wasn’t.
You want “surprised”? Or, make it “shocked”? I could not believe my eyes when the Patriots—the Patriots, the Hoodie-Coached Patriots—gave away their game against the Raiders. The Patriots? That kinda stuff is much more “Raider-esque,” would you not agree? This was a jaw-dropper. The game was tied on the final play in regulation. We’re headed for OT. Or at least we were until the Pats’ offense “improvised” a needless and reckless “keep it alive” playground lateral scheme. It turned out to be a “prevent” offense. It prevented the Patriots from having a chance to win the game in OT.
The PATRIOTS did that? The “situational football” Patriots? And that mental flat-lining may have ended New England’s playoff hopes.
But right now I’m wondering WWJJD? “What would Jimmy Johnson do?”
I hope I can laugh about this someday. And I’ll probably get there. But that was the crappiest football “fan” weekend of my life. And I’m older than several mountain ranges.
UIW lost. UTSA lost. Rice lost. Boerne lost. Wimberley lost. The Cowboys lost. The Texans lost. I whiffed across the board. I went oh-for-infinity.
So, just in time for Christmas. I have written a Little Golden Children’s Book. The title is, “The Most No Goodest, Stinkiest, Horriblest, Make You Wanna Hurl, Effed-Uppedest Football Weekend Ever”
Whatcha think? Marketable?
Finally, the World Cup Final was remarkable. Astounding. Yes, What the hell did you think I was gonna say?