Blogging The Boys
Not to take anything away from the Dallas Cowboys current three-game win streak, but they are pretty fortunate they are not at 1-2 instead. Slow starts against both the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs nearly doomed them from the get-go, but somehow they were able to overcome the early deficit with some late game heroics.
A few weeks ago in Week 12 the Eagles jumped out to an early 14-0 lead over the Cowboys in the first quarter. They extended that lead to 21-0 after a KaVontae Turpin fumble early in the second quarter, but Dallas was able to put seven points on the board before halftime. After that, it was all the Dallas Cowboys.
The Cowboys were entirely different team in the second half. Defensively they pretty much shut down Jalen Hurts and Company and offensively everything just seemed to click. They ended up scoring 17 unanswered points, securing much-needed victory even after the huge deficit they had to overcome early on.
A few days later in the Thanksgiving matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs the Dallas Cowboys once again got off to another slow start. After just a few plays, Dak Prescott threw an unfortunate interception that resulted in a Rashee Rice touchdown. That could’ve been a game altering play, but fortunately it wasn’t.
Even though the early interception that turned into a touchdown could have been disastrous for the Cowboys, they were able to get the better of the Chiefs from then on. But again, another slow start in back-to-back games put them at a disadvantage early on and could of been the difference between a win or loss.
With the Detroit Lions next on the docket, the Cowboys would be wise to get out to an early start. These two teams have a natural dislike for one another, or maybe hate would be a better description. Whatever the case, this game shapes up to be a tough physical matchup that could be decided by which team has the ball last.
The Cowboys had good chance to extend their win streak to four this week against the Lions, but in order to do so they need to avoid making early mistakes like they had against both the Eagles and Chiefs here recently. That means eliminating turnovers and playing his mistake free as possible, which is easier said than done.
This Week 14 matchup between the Cowboys and Lions could have significant playoff implications. A victory helps both teams keep their playoff hopes alive, but a loss could be devastating for both organizations. That makes avoiding a slow start for the Cowboys all the more important to help secure the “W” this week.
