Texas’s Frisco (AP) — The Dallas Cowboys and Dak Prescott had previously suffered losses against both of the clubs from the NFC title game the previous year.
They still have nine games left in the hopes of making it that far in the playoffs for the first time since 1995.
Dallas (5-3) is now two games behind Philadelphia (first in the NFC East) following the Eagles’ 28-23 victory on Sunday. The Cowboys ended their regular season there, which forced them to travel throughout the playoffs in an effort to go past the divisional round yet again.
“What is November?” I ask. said Mike McCarthy, the coach. “There’s still a lot of football left, I think.”
There was progress for Dallas.
The Cowboys were on the Philadelphia 6-yard line in the final minute of a game that was tight most of the way. The 42-10 loss last month to San Francisco, which lost to the Eagles in the NFC championship game last season, was decided before the fourth quarter.
“We were inches away,” Prescott said. “We are getting better. I can promise you that, and we are going to continue to get better. We are getting better and we’re OK. We’re damn sure OK.”
The Cowboys do get another shot at the Eagles at home in prime time on Dec. 10. That ends a five-game stretch with four at home, starting Sunday against another NFC East rival, the New York Giants (2-7).
Since the only away game is against one-win Carolina, Dallas would need to win all four before playing the Eagles in Philadelphia if they wanted to have any chance of passing them and beginning the postseason at home.
However, the Cowboys’ loss in Arizona, the Cardinals’ lone win of the season, is also a contributing factor to the two-loss differential.
Reiterating one of his season-long mantras, Prescott exclaimed, “Run our own race, run our race.” “We’re straying from our lane and maybe not paying attention to the things we should be when we start looking at tickers and worrying about these folks and what they’re up to. I’m aware Mike is receiving the same advice to “run.”
Tony Pollard’s first year as the lead back after the offseason release of Ezekiel Elliott and coach Mike McCarthy’s stated desire to run more in his play-calling debut with Dallas have not been a bonanza for the running game.
Pollard is averaging less than 4 yards per carry after being above 5 each of the past two seasons as a complementary back to Elliott, a two-time rushing champion. The Cowboys are middle of the pack in rushing offense after finishing in the top 10 the past two seasons
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