ARLINGTON, Texas – Just about the time the players and coaches were either getting on the bus to head to the game or maybe some had just arrived at the stadium … the Cowboys were officially eliminated from the playoffs.
Just like that, you're getting mentally prepared to play a football game in front of the world, and you find out the season is virtually over.
And guess what, you would've never known.
That's right, nobody watching Sunday's game could have ever guessed this Cowboys team had been knocked out of the playoff contention. Certainly, the Cowboys were still playing for something right?
There's CeeDee Lamb with one arm hanging toward the ground, and he's going in and out of the game. Surely, he's playing for something.
There's Donovan Wilson, flying around the ball, knocking Mike Evans on his butt over here and diving into Baker Mayfield over there.
Micah Parsons was fighting through double- and even triple-teams and had Mayfield running for his life the entire second half.
I get it, that's what they get paid to do, so should we truly celebrate them for trying hard? And the answer to that is yes!
As much as it kills some of the fans and media to do this, head coach Mike McCarthy should get a lot of credit for the way he continues to get his team ready to play. What was the knock on them all season? It was about preparation. This team couldn't score a touchdown in the first or third quarters to save its life, and now the Cowboys strike first, build leads and, better yet, find a way to hang on.
This definitely wasn't a pretty game at times, other than the final three kneel-downs, preceded by the Landry shift. We know what that means; it means Victory Formation, and that, especially this season, is always beautiful.
Again, I can't help you if you're one of those worried about draft position. Just don't forget how many players on the team are currently in a contract year – 26 to be exact – along with most of the coaching staff in the final years of their deals. So while a lot of the fans might be thinking about getting better next year, a bunch of these players and coaches are fighting for jobs – whether it's here or somewhere else.
But either way, that fight was evident.
I just can't get over CeeDee and what he's doing. I got the chance to talk to him earlier in the week for a few minutes and just relayed to him a lot of the stuff I hear from fans on my podcast, Cowboys StoryLine. I just wanted him to know, if he didn't already, how much the fans are appreciating the way he continues to fight though the pain. And we all saw it on display again Sunday night.
His response was simple, "Well, the thing is … I just love football."
And Lamb reiterated that message after the game, saying that he "is blessed to play this game" and continues to play for much more than money. I think that's what a lot of fans might assume when a player gets paid like Lamb did back in September. That when it gets too tough, or the pain is too extreme, or in this case there are too many losses on the schedule to make a difference, that it's time to throw in the towel.
The only thing Lamb is throwing is the ball … back to the ref after another catch.
No wonder his shoulder hurts so much, he's practically carrying this team on his back, at least the offensive side. The defense is holding up rather well in the form of Parsons and a host of others who are playing great football. Give it up to Wilson for making a lot of plays, to Chauncey Golston, who is putting together a solid season. Don't forget about Nick Vigil and his 10 tackles in place of an injured Eric Kendricks.
It's been a combination of next man up, along with don't give up. You add that together and you've got a team that has won four out of five games to get to 7-8 with two to play.
What are they playing for exactly? Is it Mike McCarthy's job? Is it to get a winning record at 9-8?
Or is it simply because they're a bunch of fighters with a lot of pride and want to go out and prove there's a lot of pride among these players and staff.
Maybe the answer is all of the above. That's what it looks like.
It certainly doesn't look like a team eliminated from the playoffs. And even though that's the reality, it doesn't mean the Cowboys have to accept it.
