Benched! Why'd Cocky Cowboys Bring Their Own Sideline Seats to Washington?

Some in Washington have convinced themselves that this is yet another "Cocky Cowboys'' move, but that - just like the idea that Dallas coach Mike McCarthy "boldly guaranteed a win'' - is overblown.

LANDOVER, Md. - There had to be a logical explanation for why the Dallas Cowboys installed their own sideline benches here at FedEx Field for today's meeting with the Washington Football Team.

The headline-grabbing guess? Coach Mike McCarthy is trying to further flex his muscular belief that "We will win this football game'' by making himself right at home in the visitor's building.

The more logical guess? It has something to do with what we like to call "rickety new FedEx Field.''

As we noted in a video report at 9:30 a.m. ET: Guess No. 2 is the correct one.

It is a rarity: Why would a visiting team ship its own benches to a road game?

The short version of the story: The Cowboys had been informed by a previous visiting team or teams that the "hot-seat benches'' used on the visitor sideline have in the past malfunctioned.

The #DallasCowboys rented their own heated benches for today’s game vs #WashingtonFootball and got them logoed @CBS11Sports #Genius pic.twitter.com/etbltyPSsH

— Bret Kelly (@BKSpxshooter11) December 12, 2021

It is about 46 degrees in Landover right now, clear but cool, and the hot-seat benches might come in handy. So the Cowboys found themselves a company in Cleveland, per ESPN, that could provide and ship working-condition benches to the Washington area.

And voila, here they are.

Some in Washington have convinced themselves that this is yet another "Cocky Cowboys'' move, but that - just like the idea that Dallas coach Mike McCarthy "boldly guaranteed a win'' - is overblown.

Now, the need for warmth on the sideline does not necessarily mean the benches had to have Cowboys branding and logos slapped all over it.

The benches are not about bragging. But the Cowboys are, yes, always about branding.