Cowboys Escape Lions' Gambit, but Remain Super Bowl Pretenders

Even with Saturday night's narrow win over Detroit, Dallas hasn't done enough to prove it's a serious championship contender.

The legends were easy to spot behind Jimmy Johnson as he beamed on the microphone, reminding the thousands of fans inside AT&T Stadium and the millions watching from home why the Dallas Cowboys were the team of the 1990s.

Even those born in the 2000s could recognize Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin, Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett. It was long overdue for Johnson to make the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor, but the head coach of two Super Bowl-winning teams was worth the wait.

Dallas, however, is tired of waiting for another Lombardi Trophy—and it might have gotten to the point that an NFC title game appearance would suffice. (Don’t tell that to the Cowboys legends on the field Saturday night, most of whom were members of the five Super Bowl teams in the ’70s and ’90s.)

So what about the Cowboys of 2023? They have a few players that one day will make the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor to join DeMarcus Ware, the lone player from the exclusive club that primarily played in Dallas after the turn of the century.

But having star players—such as Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons—might not be enough to help the current Cowboys make it past the divisional round for the first time since 1996. Well, unless more opposing players make costly mental mistakes on critical plays the same way Detroit Lions left tackle Taylor Decker did on a bonkers ending that helped the Cowboys win, 20–19, to avoid spoiling Johnson’s special night.

Prescott celebrates after a touchdown pass during the Cowboys' 20–19 win against the Lions :: Kevin Jairaj/USA TODAY Sports

For full context, Decker said he reported as eligible, and official Brad Allen said he didn’t. Allen also said in the pool report that Dan Skipper reported as eligible, but Skipper said he didn’t. It was a messy ending, one that probably won’t have a resolution unless NFL Films caught the audio before the first two-point attempt. But let’s go back to analyzing an entertaining game and avoid letting the officials command the spotlight for a change.

The Cowboys didn’t answer questions Saturday night about their year-long road struggles as they extended their home-game winning streak to 16 games, though they did raise additional concerns. These Cowboys (11–5) appear to be Super Bowl contenders when playing at home, but one problem: they probably won’t have a home playoff game.

All the Philadelphia Eagles (11–4) have to do to win the NFC East is beat the Arizona Cardinals at home Sunday and the New York Giants on the road to end the regular season. The Eagles control their own destiny against two of the worst teams in the NFL because the Cowboys couldn’t win one away from Dallas during the recent two-game trip vs. the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins. The two losses against the AFC East also serve as reminders that Dallas lost to the San Francisco 49ers and in Philadelphia earlier this year.

The Cowboys are more pretenders than Super Bowl contenders because they can’t win away from home and suddenly also have defensive issues (but more on that in a bit). They’re also 0–4 on grass this season and their offensive numbers dip away from artificial turf. If the Eagles handle business the next two weeks, the Cowboys will take the NFC’s No. 5 seed and a road trip for the opening round of the postseason against the NFC South champions—most likely the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who can clinch the division by beating the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.

Last season, Prescott’s Cowboys crushed Tom Brady’s Bucs in Tampa during a wild-card matchup. That might not be the case in a few weeks because Dallas now has problems defending the run and downfield passes. If Jared Goff didn’t commit turnovers and miss throws, perhaps the Lions (11–5) would win without Dan Campbell needing to attempt a gusty two-point conversion in the final seconds of regulation. Decker, who caught the pass on the initial two-point try, failed to get the official’s attention, bailing out Dan Quinn’s soft coverage defense on Detroit’s final drive.

The recently-crowned NFC North champions also have plenty to prove before they’re taken seriously in the postseason. Goff hasn’t been as good as last season, the Lions still have defensive problems and the team struggles playing in outdoor venues. But at least the Lions have an air of intrigue thanks to Campbell’s aggressive decision-making, as evidenced by his commitment to passing on overtime and attempting the go-ahead two-point conversion.

Campbell was determined to gain momentum on an 11-play, 76-yard drive that ended with no points in the second quarter. Campbell ignited the drive on a fake punt that turned into a 31-yard play, but the third-year coach got greedy on a fourth-and-goal attempt from the 4-yard line that was stopped.

Campbell giving the green light on two fourth-down attempts signified how much of a wild-card the Lions could be in the postseason. The right balance of gusty and creative calls can sway momentum and win playoff games against any opponent and on any playing surface—grass or artificial turf.

But aggressive calls don’t help much when costly turnovers arise. Both teams failed to get points in the red zone, including Lamb’s fumble in the end zone that gave the Lions the ball early in the second quarter and denied Dallas a chance to extend its lead.

The Cowboys aren’t as aggressive with coach Mike McCarthy. They have plenty of talent and are dominant at home, and any team can win it all with all the surprising upsets 2023 has had.

But Dallas has shown nothing during the regular season to make us believe this postseason will end any differently than the previous 27 years. They have history, but there’s probably no mystery as to where the Cowboys will finish in a few weeks—unless they get more breaks, like miscommunication between official and offensive lineman.