IRVING — Jerry Jones left town after Philadelphia dismantled the Cowboys in a Thanksgiving showdown for the NFC East lead.
No, he wasn’t driven away. This trip was planned before kickoff.
Jones said Friday on KRLD-FM (105.3) that he was “sitting on a mountain top … with one of the most gorgeous views you’ve ever seen.”
No idea if the Cowboys owner saw greener pastures ahead.
But this much is certain: December hasn’t been a forgiving month for the Cowboys.
Only three times since the Cowboys won their last Super Bowl after the 1995 season have they posted a winning record in December. The Cowboys are 32-48 after November (that includes a 3-4 record in early January games) during that span.
Despite the lopsided loss to the Eagles, the Cowboys are still 8-4 and have never been in better position to make the playoffs under coach Jason Garrett heading into December.
“We’ve got it still right there for us, and we’ve played at a level that will let us get it done,” Jones said after the Eagles beat the Cowboys, 33-10, “and this team has a lot of confidence.”
This Cowboys team is much healthier going into the final month than those that have collapsed in recent seasons. Dallas also has a better offensive line and a more consistent running game that should continue to benefit it on the road, especially if the weather is bad.
But speed bumps await Dallas. Three of the Cowboys’ final four games are on the road, at Chicago, Philadelphia and Washington. The good news: The Cowboys are 5-0 on the road this year. Every other NFL team has at least two road losses.
The Cowboys’ lone home game in December is against 7-4 Indianapolis, which leads the league in total offense.
Though they’re four games over .500, the Cowboys wouldn’t be in the playoffs if they started today. The loss to Philadelphia has put the Cowboys in a position where they will have to shake their December woes. They will probably have to post a rare winning record in the final month to secure a playoff berth.
“November and December, that’s crunch time,” cornerback Brandon Carr said. “That’s when the games get heated. Everything matters then. We’ve been in that situation a few times in this locker room, a lot of guys, but this year the position we put ourselves in, it allows guys to believe that we’re almost there.
“If you want it bad enough, you’re going to put the work in and go hard to try to make it reality for us. This team has grown a lot in the last year, year and a half. Guys are going to quickly digest [Thursday’s loss] and make our corrections and get over it, because games come fast. Each game is going to count right now.”
Quarterback Tony Romo has a 12-17 record in December, his worst month as a starter.
Cornerback Orlando Scandrick and receiver Dez Bryant were adamant after the loss that Dallas can’t continue to blow opportunities.
That’s exactly what the Cowboys have done the last three seasons under Garrett.
At 7-4, Dallas was in great position heading into December in 2011 but lost four of its final five games. The Giants beat them twice to win the NFC East.
The Cowboys finally experienced some success in the final month in 2012. They had their first winning record for December since 2001 but still couldn’t close the deal. The Cowboys lost their final two games, including the finale at Washington that was for the division title.
Last season, the Cowboys entered December at 7-5 but again limped to the finish line and a third consecutive 8-8 season. Dallas lost three of its final four games, including the finale at home against Philadelphia for the NFC East crown.
“When you finish the years the way we have, it causes you to reflect,” tight end Jason Witten said. “I think more than anything we didn’t execute at key times that led to it. If you go back at different points in those games in December, we didn’t execute very well. There is no secret to that. Other teams did, and they played well and made those plays, and we didn’t.”
So this is familiar territory for the Cowboys. They’re again in position to make the playoffs. Will they experience another December demise or finally close strong to end their four-year playoff drought?
“We are a poised team. I think we’ve learned from those experiences,” Witten said. “It doesn’t make it any easier when you get in those situations, but that will help to the extent that we understand that we have to make plays and bounce back from this.
“This is a tough stretch for everybody. The teams that play well this time of year are the teams that usually make the playoffs. Our team is focused on that, and we are in a good position being 8-4, but we’ve got to learn from this and move forward. I know we have the right type of guys to do that.”
The last time the Cowboys closed the season with three of the last four games on the road was their 13-3 campaign in 2007. Even that talented bunch was 2-2 in December.
Garrett believes in tunnel vision, focusing on the next game and not the next month. The Cowboys play at Chicago on Thursday. Last year, the Bears rolled over Dallas, 45-28, in what was the coldest regular-season game in Cowboys’ history (8 degrees at kickoff with a minus-9 degree wind chill).
The Cowboys have lost three in a row against the Bears since 2010 and have dropped three of their last four games in Chicago.
Good news: Since 2009, the Cowboys have won four of their last five games at Philadelphia. They’ve also won four of their last six at Washington.
“This is what I know,” Garrett said Friday. “If we do what we are supposed to, plan to do and want to do, then good things are going to happen for our football team.”
As Garrett will tell you, there’s no reason to look back now. Not even if you’re gazing from the top of a mountain.
No, he wasn’t driven away. This trip was planned before kickoff.
Jones said Friday on KRLD-FM (105.3) that he was “sitting on a mountain top … with one of the most gorgeous views you’ve ever seen.”
No idea if the Cowboys owner saw greener pastures ahead.
But this much is certain: December hasn’t been a forgiving month for the Cowboys.
Only three times since the Cowboys won their last Super Bowl after the 1995 season have they posted a winning record in December. The Cowboys are 32-48 after November (that includes a 3-4 record in early January games) during that span.
Despite the lopsided loss to the Eagles, the Cowboys are still 8-4 and have never been in better position to make the playoffs under coach Jason Garrett heading into December.
“We’ve got it still right there for us, and we’ve played at a level that will let us get it done,” Jones said after the Eagles beat the Cowboys, 33-10, “and this team has a lot of confidence.”
This Cowboys team is much healthier going into the final month than those that have collapsed in recent seasons. Dallas also has a better offensive line and a more consistent running game that should continue to benefit it on the road, especially if the weather is bad.
But speed bumps await Dallas. Three of the Cowboys’ final four games are on the road, at Chicago, Philadelphia and Washington. The good news: The Cowboys are 5-0 on the road this year. Every other NFL team has at least two road losses.
The Cowboys’ lone home game in December is against 7-4 Indianapolis, which leads the league in total offense.
Though they’re four games over .500, the Cowboys wouldn’t be in the playoffs if they started today. The loss to Philadelphia has put the Cowboys in a position where they will have to shake their December woes. They will probably have to post a rare winning record in the final month to secure a playoff berth.
“November and December, that’s crunch time,” cornerback Brandon Carr said. “That’s when the games get heated. Everything matters then. We’ve been in that situation a few times in this locker room, a lot of guys, but this year the position we put ourselves in, it allows guys to believe that we’re almost there.
“If you want it bad enough, you’re going to put the work in and go hard to try to make it reality for us. This team has grown a lot in the last year, year and a half. Guys are going to quickly digest [Thursday’s loss] and make our corrections and get over it, because games come fast. Each game is going to count right now.”
Quarterback Tony Romo has a 12-17 record in December, his worst month as a starter.
Cornerback Orlando Scandrick and receiver Dez Bryant were adamant after the loss that Dallas can’t continue to blow opportunities.
That’s exactly what the Cowboys have done the last three seasons under Garrett.
At 7-4, Dallas was in great position heading into December in 2011 but lost four of its final five games. The Giants beat them twice to win the NFC East.
The Cowboys finally experienced some success in the final month in 2012. They had their first winning record for December since 2001 but still couldn’t close the deal. The Cowboys lost their final two games, including the finale at Washington that was for the division title.
Last season, the Cowboys entered December at 7-5 but again limped to the finish line and a third consecutive 8-8 season. Dallas lost three of its final four games, including the finale at home against Philadelphia for the NFC East crown.
“When you finish the years the way we have, it causes you to reflect,” tight end Jason Witten said. “I think more than anything we didn’t execute at key times that led to it. If you go back at different points in those games in December, we didn’t execute very well. There is no secret to that. Other teams did, and they played well and made those plays, and we didn’t.”
So this is familiar territory for the Cowboys. They’re again in position to make the playoffs. Will they experience another December demise or finally close strong to end their four-year playoff drought?
“We are a poised team. I think we’ve learned from those experiences,” Witten said. “It doesn’t make it any easier when you get in those situations, but that will help to the extent that we understand that we have to make plays and bounce back from this.
“This is a tough stretch for everybody. The teams that play well this time of year are the teams that usually make the playoffs. Our team is focused on that, and we are in a good position being 8-4, but we’ve got to learn from this and move forward. I know we have the right type of guys to do that.”
The last time the Cowboys closed the season with three of the last four games on the road was their 13-3 campaign in 2007. Even that talented bunch was 2-2 in December.
Garrett believes in tunnel vision, focusing on the next game and not the next month. The Cowboys play at Chicago on Thursday. Last year, the Bears rolled over Dallas, 45-28, in what was the coldest regular-season game in Cowboys’ history (8 degrees at kickoff with a minus-9 degree wind chill).
The Cowboys have lost three in a row against the Bears since 2010 and have dropped three of their last four games in Chicago.
Good news: Since 2009, the Cowboys have won four of their last five games at Philadelphia. They’ve also won four of their last six at Washington.
“This is what I know,” Garrett said Friday. “If we do what we are supposed to, plan to do and want to do, then good things are going to happen for our football team.”
As Garrett will tell you, there’s no reason to look back now. Not even if you’re gazing from the top of a mountain.
