Well, well, well. The Dallas Cowboys are 5-1. Who would’ve thought? I famously predicted (famous in my own mind) that the Dallas Cowboys were going to go 2-14 this year. With a historically bad defense last year and the losses of DeMarcus Ware and Sean Lee, I couldn’t see the Dallas defense being better. Last year, their offense was good, but not great. You can never count on anything positive from the offense. Oh, and add to that an absolutely abysmal preseason.
Fast forward to now. The Dallas Cowboys have to go to Seattle to play the Super Bowl champs. Let’s understand that the Super Bowl champs aren’t the team that they were last year. They’re having some issues. They need wide receivers who can separate and catch the ball. They need another playmaker besides Percy Harvin. Yet, they still have a stout defense. They still have Russell Wilson. I remember just two years ago when the Dallas Cowboys went to Seattle and got shredded early in the season. It was the first time I had an opportunity to see Russell Wilson. I wasn’t dazzled by anything that he did but at the same time, he really didn’t make any mistakes. That is probably the hallmark of Russell Wilson’s game. He may not dazzle you with outstanding throws and arm strength, but at the same time he doesn’t really make any mental mistakes. During that game, the Dallas Cowboys took control early only to have a punt blocked and a couple of key turnovers to seal the game for Seattle.
On Sunday, the Dallas Cowboys had plenty of opportunities to roll over and play dead. They did not. They spotted the Seattle Seahawks 10 points. Through sheer grit and determination the Dallas Cowboys scored the next 17 points. They were in control of the game. Dwayne Harris fumbled a punt, giving Seattle not only momentum, but seven points. The very next drive, the Seattle fans were going crazy. The Dallas Cowboys were deep in their own end of the field, Tony Romo frantically trying to signal his receivers. The center snapped the ball. The ball bounced off of Tony Romo’s leg into the hands of a waiting Seattle defender. Another three points for the Seahawks. Normally, this would lead to Tony Romo trying to fit the ball into an impossibly small window, which would lead to an interception. For some reason, that didn’t happen.
Instead, we saw a remarkable sequence of plays. On a third and long, deep in our own end of the field, Tony Romo throws a back shoulder fade to Dez Bryant who leaps up and grabs the ball over Richard Sherman. First down. A couple of plays later, the Dallas Cowboys have it third and long, again. We’re in the fourth quarter. The Seattle fans are going nuts. Tony Romo goes back to throw and gets immediate pressure off of his left side. He spends out of pressure only to have to avoid another defender in his face. He scrambles to his right. He throws about a 30-yard pass and appears to have overthrown Jason Witten, but the ball lands in Terrence Williams’ hands. Williams makes one of the best catches I’ve seen by a Dallas Cowboy in years. He drags both of his feet as he is falling out of bounds. Magnificent play. Then, the Dallas Cowboys don’t forget how to run the football. In the past, when we were down in the fourth quarter, we would always throw the ball, throw the ball, and then throw the ball some more. Instead we handed the ball to DeMarco Murray. He breaks it for 25 yards. Next play, DeMarco Murray off the right tackle for 6 yards. Now, in my opinion, one of the most remarkable things was when the Dallas Cowboys run the ball again. DeMarco Murray runs right, cuts it back left in his head at the 2-yard line by Richard Sherman. He carries Richard Sherman into the end zone for a 15-yard run and a touchdown. That was the game.
What is remarkable to me is the toughness the Dallas Cowboys have shown on both offense and defense. The Dallas Cowboys have shown not just physical toughness but also mental toughness.
No, I have not jumped on the Dallas Cowboys bandwagon. The Dallas Cowboys have torn my heart out on a number of occasions over the last 15 years. Right now, I’m just gonna sit back and smile. (Let’s see how we do at the end of the season. Let’s beat Philadelphia.)
Ndamukong Suh goes to the Miami Dolphins. Over $100 million.