Is the Cowboys’ relaxed schedule really that important right now?

It’s the Dallas Cowboys of the twenty-first century who ruin their own reputation among football fans.

Dallas overcame the long route and prevailed 41-35 over the Seattle Seahawks in a Thursday night game that was broadcast nationwide. With the victory, the Cowboys (9-3) have yet to lose to a club with a winning record. Meanwhile, Seattle (6-6) suffered a setback to their postseason chances as they continue to occupy the outside spots in the NFC Wild Card race.

But for the Cowboys, it beats the alternative, especially as they prepare for a Sunday of NFL football between the other two premier NFC teams, the 49ers and Eagles.

It’s excellent. “It was an incredible victory,” said cornerback Stephon Gilmore. It won’t be attractive all the time. That’s how things will occasionally come down to the wire. Next week, I believe we’ll be prepared.”

Naturally, the 10-1 Eagles will pay the 9-3 Cowboys a visit next week. While we wait…

The ten days that separate the Cowboys’ back-to-back Thursday games—which are now nearly as much of a post-Thanksgiving ritual as Cyber Monday—allow more space for discussion on the team’s schedule.

Dallas’ nine victories have put them in a stable postseason position, but it may be for the best that they aren’t competing for a spot in the College Football Playoff, where winning and schedule strength are frequently seen as the key criteria for admission (the fact that they don’t have a division title probably doesn’t help either).

Dealing Seattle a loss did not help the Cowboys’ margin of victory, especially since the game against the Seahawks was the only one played on Thursday. Out of the current NFC top 10, the current number of.330 is the second-worst, only bettered by a New Orleans team whose postseason prospects are partially maintained by divisional caveats.

Seattle was undoubtedly a better opponent than their previous three opponents (New York, Carolina, Washington), but it may simply be because the Cowboys’ CFP-playing opponents in Austin were also better.

In contrast, consider the experiences of the Cowboys’ fiercest rivals, the league-leading Philadelphia Eagles: while their lone defeat to the New York Jets appears increasingly strange, the Birds have essentially eliminated Miami, Kansas City, Buffalo, and, of course, Dallas from their schedule. When the Eagles play the 49ers on Sunday late in the afternoon, they will have another opportunity to win over fictitious fans.

However, there will be a plenty to discuss ahead of the Cowboys’ pivotal NFC East matchup with Philadelphia on December 10 (7:20 p.m. CT, NBC).

It shouldn’t include schedules. The NFL is not like the College Football Playoffs. Winning nine games by December in any football league is a difficult task in and of itself. Former Dallas manager Bill Parcells summed it up well when he remarked, “You are what your record says you are.”

There would have been an abundance of 1972 Miami Dolphins chasers if moral triumphs were significant. All that counts is keeping up the one-week-at-a-time strategy that this Cowboys team appears to have perfected. One can display the same level of caution and recognition when managing business versus inferior opponents as they can when they can sufficiently become alarmed over a September loss to Arizona.

The caliber of the opponent is one thing, but the Cowboys should also get extra credit for maintaining their composure. The yearly Christmas round of three games, which is usually completed in less than two weeks, can occasionally reflect the character of Dallas’ closing stretch of the season.

Although the custom was abandoned the previous season, a physically demanding stretch that included games against Kansas City and Las Vegas resulted in a victory against New Orleans and the beginning of a 5-1 run to end the regular season. A similar run of results in 2019 (losing two of three) laid the stage for a dismal 2-4 finish to the year and the conclusion of the Jason Garrett era. Let’s just say that, for the time being at least, Arlington’s future and pace are promising.

One of the most recent indications of quarterback Dak Prescott’s increasing growth, maturation, and maturity is his embrace of the feeling of familiarity. Prescott is the face of this revived success and ongoing winning streak.

Naturally, there’s only one “Super” way to get rid of all the detractors. However, there’s no denying that this group is distinct from the others. “There’s a pressing matter,” Prescott stated prior to Seattle’s arrival.

Since we’ve been playing this game for a number of years—even Thursday games—we’ve become familiar with its physical and mental aspects as well as what needs to be done to take care of it. I’m in a wonderful mental state right now to play these guys.

Good teams know how to do ordinary things extraordinarily well. Can one truly argue that Dallas – as it sits on the couch today to watch – isn’t doing that … all while evolving?