'Our Biggest Challenge of the Year!' Cowboys' McCarthy on Lions, Tyron Injury, Micah's Gripe

'This Is Our Biggest Challenge of the Year!' Dallas Cowboys Coach Mike McCarthy on Lions, Power Rankings, Tyron Smith Injury Update, Micah Parsons' Gripe

FRISCO - There are just two games left on the Dallas Cowboys' regular season schedule, and we might not be any closer to knowing who they are as a team than we were after Week 3 or Week 5. ... and on Tuesday, coach Mike McCarthy and team owner Jerry Jones inside The Star started the push forward to Week 17.

On the loss at Miami: "We've been talking about getting to an 11th win,'' McCarthy said. "And we're still not there. ... We've got to take care of what's in front of you.''

And on how to jump this week from 10-5 with the 11-4 Lions in town for a Saturday visit?

"Our biggest challenge of the year,'' McCarthy called the showdown with NFC North champs Detroit.

On the possible availability this week on injured Tyron Smith, via Jones on @1053thefan: “Hopefully Tyron will come on around. We injected him last week, and that usually works. Hopefully we can have him. He’s a huge difference-maker, Tyron Smith.”

On the griping of Micah Parsons wanting to get ref calls on the way to more sacks, and whether his vocal nature on the subject is a distraction: "I don't see the young man worrying about it in his preparation,'' McCarthy said. "I don't see it as an issue.''

If you remember, Dallas lost a frustrating game against the Cardinals in Arizona in Week 3, raising questions about the direction of the team. Then, in Week 5, the Cowboys were run out of Levi's Stadium by the 49ers in a humiliating road loss. Again, questions about the ability of Dallas to beat a good team surfaced.

Now, after two consecutive road losses, both to "good" teams, we still don't really have answers. As in previous seasons, it's going to take a playoff game for us to determine how good this team really is.

As one outlet's Week 17 NFL Power Rankings were released, we see the Cowboys fall again, and maybe rightfully so. Entering Week 15, riding a five-game winning streak, Dallas was all the way up to No. 2 just behind San Francisco.

After Week 15's road loss to the Bills, the Cowboys fell all the way to No. 5. Now, after the Christmas Eve loss to the Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium, Dallas has fallen all the way to No. 8. That means teams like Cleveland, Detroit and Buffalo all in front of them.

Or, heck, we can look at USA Today's power rankings, and Dallas is all the way down to No. 10!

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Our Mike Fisher - writing here about a ranking of Dallas at No. 6 - notes that that's exactly where the Cowboys were before Week 1 ... rendering some of this as sort of silly. Fish also notes, "The only 'power rankings' I care about are called 'the NFL standings.''

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A legit point.

Dallas has an important matchup with the Lions in Week 17, a Saturday night contest at AT&T Stadium - again, to McCarthy, a "biggie.'' A win could afford the Cowboys a bit of confidence heading into the road matchup with division-rival Washington to end the season before the playoffs begin.

Fortunately, the power rankings have zero to do with playoff seedings. And hopefully McCarthy and Jones are right about Tyron and Micah, too, and their issues won't get in the way of success.