Cowboys May Have Finally Figured It Out

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I became a fan of the Dallas Cowboys on December 31, 1967, a game that is among the most memorable in NFL history when Dallas played Green Bay in what came to be known as the Ice Bowl.

I’ve watched the organization through its glory days of the 1970′s, the dark years of the 1980′s and the tremendous success it enjoyed in the early to mid 1990′s.

After Dallas won their last playoff game in December 1996, I doubt anyone thought at the time it would be the Cowboys only postseason win for the next 13 years.

Through that time, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones tried everything to regain the magic former coach Jimmy Johnson created with his bold personnel moves that brought in a wealth of talented players. Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin, Charles Haley, and one of my favorite Cowboys of all time, Erik Williams, were the backbone of a team that “got it”.

Every player on Dallas’ roster during the 90′s understood what it meant to be a part of the Cowboys organization. They understood the sacrifices it took to be the best.

Those sacrifices weren’t limited to offseason workouts either. Each player on those Dallas teams gave their lives to the Cowboys, forgoing their personal self interests to focus entirely on the team.

Sure, there was drama. After all, these are the Dallas Cowboys, the darlings of the NFL – America’s Team.

Irvin was known to enjoy the ladies, among other things. Nate Newton was a fun loving guy too, sometimes to a fault. But at the end of the day, every player in Dallas’ locker room knew what they had to do.

Fast forward to December 13, 2009. The Cowboys’ had just lost to the San Diego Chargers 20-17, the team’s second straight loss.

Dallas’ record slipped to 8-5 on the season and the ‘Boys were in serious trouble of falling out of the playoff race. More importantly, the Cowboys next game was on the road against the unbeaten New Orleans Saints.

Things looked bleak for Dallas. Linebacker DeMarcus Ware was injured during the game against the Chargers, carted off the field and leaving everyone wondering if he would play again this season – or ever.

After the game I wrote a scathing piece directed to the Cowboys, claiming they wouldn’t win another game. I questioned their manhood and basically called offensive coordinator Jason Garrett and idiot.

Over the past few years I’ve been one of the Cowboys biggest critics, frequently pointing to the lack of mental and physical toughness I believed prevailed on this team.

I was especially hard on Tony Romo, a player I often wrote about as not knowing what it meant to be the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys.

I’ve been hard on Jerry Jones and his constant meddling, but I was particularly displeased with his acquisition of Roy Williams from the Lions last season for three draft picks and then signing him to a five-year extension worth $9 million annually.

I was disgusted with left tackle Flozell Adams, a man I referred to as “false start”. I pined for a return to the glory days of Jimmy Johnson, Aikman and Irvin. I wanted my hard-nosed, get-it-done Cowboys teams of the past to replace this pathetic version of Big D.

Suddenly, seemingly overnight, the Cowboys apparently started to figure things out. They were getting it. Beginning with an unexpected win over the Saints, Dallas was a team that finally began to understand what it took to become a champion.

Dallas has won four straight, including an impressive 34-14 win over the Eagles to earn their first playoff win since 1996. Romo has performed the way he must if the Cowboys are going to make a run for the Super Bowl.

He’s completed 94 of 141 passes for 1,153 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions during the Cowboys four-game win streak.

Even more impressive is what Romo is saying and how he’s carrying himself during Dallas’ recent run. He has a look in his eyes that suggests he finally realizes what it means to be the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys.

Dallas will face a stern test against Minnesota next Sunday in the divisional round of the playoffs. The Vikings haven’t lost a home game this season and their defense is much better than the one Dallas saw against the Eagles.

The Cowboys are a team that still needs to play nearly flawless football to win. Their propensity to commit stupid penalties remains a problem and there’s uncertainty with kicker Shaun Suisham.

But what is certain is that the Cowboys have matured over the past month, a maturation that has finally caught up with their talent. Maturity, talent, mental and physical toughness go a long way in becoming Super Bowl champions.

If Dallas’ playoff run should come to an end against Minnesota, the lessons learned from this season will prove to be valuable for next year.

The Cowboys are a team that may finally be figuring things out.

Hopefully, they won’t forget the lessons learned from this season, the lessons that taught them what they didn’t seem to know until four weeks ago.