'Free This Weekend!' Troy Aikman Reacts to Cowboys 'How to Fix?' Playoff Question
How confident was former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and now-turned-ESPN color commentator Troy Aikman that his former team would be one of the four teams vying for a conference championship?
Aikman was so confident that he went as far as to make sure that his schedule was open for this weekend's slate of games so he could attend what would have been the Cowboys' first appearance in the NFC Championship Game since he last played in one in 1995.
“My season [as a commentator] ended last weekend, with the divisional round. I’m free this weekend," Aikman said. "I really anticipated that Dallas would be playing in the championship game. Figured it would be in San Francisco. So I was planning on going to the game. Didn’t book a vacation after my season.”
Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy (left) and former quarterback Troy Aikman (right).
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Given the 29-year disappearance of the Cowboys from the NFC championship, there is no doubt that if they had made it this season, it would've warranted the attendance of many former players.
“I really liked this team all year long," Aikman said. "I thought they were really talented. … It’s just the same old story, and I don’t mean that as a criticism. ... They’ve put together some really great regular seasons. They just have not, for whatever reasons, played their best football when the games matter most. That’s what you have to do. That’s the key to winning in the postseason and then getting to the Super Bowl.
"What the answer is to that, I’m not sure.”
He's not alone. The Cowboys have amassed 36 wins over the last three seasons yet only have one playoff win to show.
While the Cowboys' postseason struggles over the last 29 years have been the brunt of many jokes on social media, Aikman isn't the only one who thought this season could be different.
After the Cowboys were demolished in their Week 5 game versus the San Francisco 49ers, they made the necessary adjustments to show improvement over the next 12 games. Much of the tinkering done by the Cowboys following the embarrassing loss was on the offensive side of the ball, as coach and play-caller Mike McCarthy blended his "Texas Coast Offense'' with what his quarterback Dak Prescott did well.
Following his "Here We Go" (again) multi-interception game versus the 49ers, Prescott put together an MVP-worthy season, leading the league in passing touchdowns with 36 compared to just nine interceptions while throwing for 4,516 yards.
Combining Prescott and the offense's play with a defense that was near the top of the league in takeaways, the Cowboys earned the No. 2 seed in the NFC and two home playoff games.
It seemed like the stars were aligning until they weren't, as the No. 7 seed Green Bay Packers gave the Cowboys a similar butt-whooping to the ones they received in the regular season by the Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers.
So, instead of potentially being in San Francisco on the sidelines of Levi Stadium to watch the Cowboys play on Sunday, Aikman will likely join many fellow fans on their own couch.
