The football gods giveth and the football gods taketh away. How else do you explain the Dallas Cowboys’ Jekyl and Hyde win-loss record from November to December? No matter what the Cowboys did wrong they couldn’t lose in November and now it seems that no matter what they do right they can’t win in December.
I mean look at Tony Romo’s numbers from the last two games. He has completed 49 of 73 passes for 620 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions yet the Cowboys have fallen in both games. Romo has thrown an interception in only one game over the past six weeks and that was when he threw two picks in the Cowboys ’narrow win over the Miami Dolphins.
You really can’t blame the Romo-coaster for the Cowboys’ December record but where else could you put the blame? I know one place on the team that has unfairly received the spotlight over the past two weeks and that is the kicking game.
Jason Garrett unintentionally iced his own kicker Dan Bailey in the fourth quarter of the Cowboys’ overtime loss to the Arizona Cardinals two weeks ago. Then in Sunday’s game versus the New York Giants, Bailey’s field goal attempt which could have sent the game into overtime was blocked leaving the Cowboys winless so far in the month of December.
Adding insult to injury, the Cowboys may have lost the one guy who was so critical to their undefeated November run and that is DeMarco Murray. Murray will miss the rest of the season after breaking his right ankle versus the Giants on Sunday. The Cowboys are now forced to resort back to Felix Jones who began the season as their starting running back before Murray took over the position back in October.
Murray’s loss may be more costly than Cowboys’ fans realize. With Murray out that puts the onus on Romo to beat teams by himself and we all know how risky of a proposition that is. Especially when you consider that the Cowboys will probably need to go undefeated the rest of the season if they want to make the playoffs.
And although the last two opponents they face this month are a combined 9-17, neither looks to be an easy win. Dallas has to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Tampa this upcoming weekend. The Bucs will be looking to redeem themselves after an embarrassing loss in Jacksonville this past Sunday.
After that the Cowboys will finish the month of December at home versus the Philadelphia Eagles on Christmas Eve. The Eagles spanked the Cowboys 34-7 earlier this season and always seem to be a tough matchup for the Cowboys. Hopefully the Cowboys will have a much better outcome this time around since they will be facing the Eagles in Dallas.
At least their rematch against the Giants won’t be until January 1st. That way they won’t have the weight of their December demons hanging over them as they face off against the only team in the NFC East that could take the division crown from them.
The Cowboys definitely have a difficult road ahead of them though. As the football gods watch down on the NFL landscape from their mounted perch, they will be paying special attention to the Dallas Cowboys as America’s team fights for its playoff life. When their mettle is weighed in the scales will the Cowboys be found wanting? We'll know for sure in a couple of weeks.
Roosevelt Hall is an NFL Blogger for The Sport Mentalist and also writes for both The Penalty Flag and Outside The Redzone. He can be contacted at RHall_TPFB@Yahoo.com. Follow him on Twitter @Sportmentalist.
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