After another humiliating loss, is there any hope the Cowboys can still turn this thing around and somehow reach the playoffs? – William Santos/Austin, TX
Nick: Yeah, I think it's much worse if this is absolutely the best the Cowboys have to offer. If this was their A-team and they got blown out, then yeah, it'd be time to focus on the draft. But the silver lining here is the Cowboys should be getting much better on the defensive side of the ball. We're not just talking about good players but game-changers. Micah Parsons has the ability to wreck a game. DaRon Bland changed several games last year with one play. Eric Kendricks is another really good player who has the ability to stop drives and give the ball back to the offense. All of that together will make for a much better defense and that alone will help the offense. Yeah, it's hard to think this team can make a huge turnaround but it's a long season and they're in the middle of the pack right now. I see reasons to have some hope.
Kurt: Finding a silver lining after a loss like that is tough to do, and things indeed seem bleak. But the Cowboys are going into their bye week with a 3-3 record, which is where most people thought they would be at this point. Now, that's definitely a pretty ugly 3-3, but the season isn't even half over. Who knows what might happen? Maybe the Cowboys will get healthier with DaRon Bland and possibly Micah Parsons returning after the break. Maybe their division rivals will suffer difficult injuries of their own. Maybe some of these young players will improve with experience. Maybe they'll swing a trade to bring in some help. Maybe they'll figure out how to open up the offensive scheme, especially in the red zone. And maybe they'll find a way to make some sort of progress in the run game on both sides of the ball. Yes, that's a lot of "maybes" for a team that has the eighth-toughest strength of schedule remaining, but again, there is a lot of season left and the Cowboys are only a game back in the hunt for the NFC East title. Does this look like a team that can make a lengthy postseason run? Not currently, but earning a playoff spot is still a realistic goal … even though it's hard to see right now in the aftermath of Sunday's debacle.
