The Dallas Cowboys are doing well. They dispatched the Washington Commanders 38–10, demonstrating their decisive approach to business. Primarily, this secured them the second seed in the NFC, guaranteeing them a home game to begin the playoffs and maybe one more if they advance past the Green Bay Packers in the wild card round. Some elements, though, that might hold and help them advance in the postseason are less obvious. Here are some more nuanced takeaways from the season finale that go beyond just statistics.
Although Mike McCarthy has made a few mistakes this season, this could be his best coaching performance to yet. The head coach’s responsibilities extend beyond the game; they encompass the entire week. Probably the most crucial aspect of his job description is preparation. For the Washington game, this was a crucial duty. Although Dallas had positioned itself well the week before, the team’s tight, contentious victory over the Detroit Lions did little to encourage optimism about its ability to bounce back from back-to-back defeats the weeks before. Prioritizing the team’s performance and establishing a positive atmosphere ahead of the playoffs was crucial.
Additionally, even in the event of a loss, the Cowboys might reclaim the NFC East championship. The Philadelphia Eagles didn’t even come close to winning their game against the New York Giants, so that could have happened. McCarthy should be commended greatly for getting his team ready for the final game. He’s going to have to keep doing that.
Then he called the offense, giving a master class of sorts. For Dallas, playing outside in iffy weather has not always gone well. Although the game was windy and cold, the Cowboys were rarely hampered by it. They not only scored a lot, but they also moved the ball really well. 31 of these were first downs. They have had to depend on third down conversions in many games, but they only faced 10 throughout the entire contest, with a 60% success rate. They converted one fourth down as well. They had nine first downs that came in the opening plays of drives. They scored the remaining fifteen first downs on early downs, as seen by a fast calculation, which is an excellent performance. Things were moving along so well, Bryan Anger never had to punt.
