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Dallas Cowboys a soft NFC East champion
Lofty Super Bowl expectations dissolved in a wild-card playoff loss
They were competing with Hall of Fame coaches Joe Gibbs of the Washington Redskins and Bill Parcells of the New York Giants and one of the great defensive minds in the game in Buddy Ryan. It wasn’t the NFC East back then. It was the NFC Beasts. That division won four consecutive Super Bowls by three different franchises – New York in 1990, Washington in 1991 and Dallas in 1992-93.
The toughest competition for NFC East teams back then came inside the division from September through December, not in January. You had to survive divisional battles with Hall of Fame coaches and Hall of Fame players – Lawrence Taylor, Reggie White, Darrell Green, Art Monk, Russ Grimm, Aeneas Williams, Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin, Larry Allen, Charles Haley…
The NFC East champion entered every post-season battle-hardened, ready to make a run at another Lombardi Trophy.
That’s no longer the case. No division softens up its champion like the East – and it once again gave its champion false hope entering the 2021 post-season.
With a 12-5 record and the third seed in the NFC playoff bracket, with an offense that led the NFL in both yards and points and a defense that led the league in both interceptions and takeaways, the Cowboys believed they were primed for a Super Bowl run this month. Instead, it was another one-and-done with a homefield loss at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers.
But let’s examine the regular-season achievements of the Cowboys under a microscope. Yes, the Cowboys went 12-5. But they were the only team in the NFL to go 6-0 in its division. That left Dallas 6-5 against everyone else.The Sunday GPS: How 'Bout Them Cowboys? 49ers About to Find Out ... Again - Sports Illustrated Talk Of Fame Network
Counting the 49ers, the Cowboys played five playoff teams this season and went 1-5. The one team the Cowboys defeated, New England, suffered the worst playoff loss of the weekend -- a 47-17 drubbing by the Buffalo Bills. The five losses were administered by Tampa Bay, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Arizona and the 49ers.
The Cowboys scored a franchise-record 530 points this season. But 240 of them came in the six division games, an average of 40 points per game. The Cowboys scored 290 points in their other 11 games, an average of 26.4 points per game.
The Cowboys collected 15 of their 41 sacks in their six division games. That left 26 sacks in the other 11 games. Dallas intercepted 11 of its 26 passes in its six division games. That left 15 interceptions in the other 11 games. The Cowboys forced 14 of their 34 turnovers in their six division games. That left 20 takeaways in the remaining 11 games.
Dak Prescott threw 17 of his 37 touchdown passes in the six division games. That left 20 TD passes in the other 11 games. Ezekiel Elliott scored seven of his team-leading 12 touchdowns in the six division games. That left five touchdowns in the other 11 games.
But at least the Cowboys entered the playoff with a winning record. Washington captured the NFC East in 2020 with a 7-9 mark. The 2019 NFC East champion Philadelphia tip-toed into the playoffs with a 9-7 record. The NFC East hasn’t won a playoff game since 2018. The Eagles joined the Cowboys this post-season with a first-round exit and the division has now lost six playoff games in a row.
From 1986 through 1995, the NFC East won seven Lombardi Trophies. In the 25 years since then they have won three. The Cowboys won 11 playoff games in the first seven years Jerry Jones owned the team. They have won four in the 25 years since then.
Soft division, soft champion.
Lofty Super Bowl expectations dissolved in a wild-card playoff loss
- RICK GOSSELIN
- 5 MINUTES AGO
They were competing with Hall of Fame coaches Joe Gibbs of the Washington Redskins and Bill Parcells of the New York Giants and one of the great defensive minds in the game in Buddy Ryan. It wasn’t the NFC East back then. It was the NFC Beasts. That division won four consecutive Super Bowls by three different franchises – New York in 1990, Washington in 1991 and Dallas in 1992-93.
The toughest competition for NFC East teams back then came inside the division from September through December, not in January. You had to survive divisional battles with Hall of Fame coaches and Hall of Fame players – Lawrence Taylor, Reggie White, Darrell Green, Art Monk, Russ Grimm, Aeneas Williams, Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin, Larry Allen, Charles Haley…
The NFC East champion entered every post-season battle-hardened, ready to make a run at another Lombardi Trophy.
That’s no longer the case. No division softens up its champion like the East – and it once again gave its champion false hope entering the 2021 post-season.
With a 12-5 record and the third seed in the NFC playoff bracket, with an offense that led the NFL in both yards and points and a defense that led the league in both interceptions and takeaways, the Cowboys believed they were primed for a Super Bowl run this month. Instead, it was another one-and-done with a homefield loss at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers.
But let’s examine the regular-season achievements of the Cowboys under a microscope. Yes, the Cowboys went 12-5. But they were the only team in the NFL to go 6-0 in its division. That left Dallas 6-5 against everyone else.The Sunday GPS: How 'Bout Them Cowboys? 49ers About to Find Out ... Again - Sports Illustrated Talk Of Fame Network
Counting the 49ers, the Cowboys played five playoff teams this season and went 1-5. The one team the Cowboys defeated, New England, suffered the worst playoff loss of the weekend -- a 47-17 drubbing by the Buffalo Bills. The five losses were administered by Tampa Bay, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Arizona and the 49ers.
The Cowboys scored a franchise-record 530 points this season. But 240 of them came in the six division games, an average of 40 points per game. The Cowboys scored 290 points in their other 11 games, an average of 26.4 points per game.
The Cowboys collected 15 of their 41 sacks in their six division games. That left 26 sacks in the other 11 games. Dallas intercepted 11 of its 26 passes in its six division games. That left 15 interceptions in the other 11 games. The Cowboys forced 14 of their 34 turnovers in their six division games. That left 20 takeaways in the remaining 11 games.
Dak Prescott threw 17 of his 37 touchdown passes in the six division games. That left 20 TD passes in the other 11 games. Ezekiel Elliott scored seven of his team-leading 12 touchdowns in the six division games. That left five touchdowns in the other 11 games.
But at least the Cowboys entered the playoff with a winning record. Washington captured the NFC East in 2020 with a 7-9 mark. The 2019 NFC East champion Philadelphia tip-toed into the playoffs with a 9-7 record. The NFC East hasn’t won a playoff game since 2018. The Eagles joined the Cowboys this post-season with a first-round exit and the division has now lost six playoff games in a row.
From 1986 through 1995, the NFC East won seven Lombardi Trophies. In the 25 years since then they have won three. The Cowboys won 11 playoff games in the first seven years Jerry Jones owned the team. They have won four in the 25 years since then.
Soft division, soft champion.
