Dallas Cowboys Predict ‘We’ll Be Ready! for Philadelphia' After ‘Catching Our Breath’; Will Overly-Emotional Eagles Be Ready?
The Dallas Cowboys earned some much-needed rest on the Sunday of Week 13 in the NFL.
Dallas has played four games in 19 days. Games it has all won, mind you, but the physical toll of an NFL season is enough by itself without short turnarounds.
The Cowboys’ latest venture - a 41-35 win over the Seattle Seahawks on “Thursday Night Football” - is evidence of just how grueling this stretch has been. Dallas is known for its stout defense this season, but surrendering 35 points to a previously-struggling Seahawks offense can be head-scratching…until you take it in context.
Head coach Mike McCarthy believes as much. He noticed a difference in his team this week during practice, and after an emotional win on national television, he’s giving his team a few days to recuperate.
“Yeah, they’re tired,” McCarthy said postgame on Thursday. “You could see it during the week. I mean, it took them a while to get back. So, they'll be off for the weekend. We'll get back together Monday. We'll do some things Monday morning and then we'll go into a normal seven-day week.”
It’s a good place to be in for Dallas. The Cowboys have the luxury of being able to “take a breather” because of their standing in the current NFC playoff picture. The goal is still to catch the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East, sure, but a 9-3 record is nothing to scoff at.
Of course, next on the schedule is the biggest game of the regular season for Dallas. If it hopes to catch the Eagles - a possibility that increased with the Eagles' emotionally-charged 42-19 loss to the 49ers on Sunday - it will need to win the rivalry rematch next week on “Sunday Night Football.”
“We’re where we need to be right now,” McCarthy said. “I'm really just focused on our guys catching their breath here. Let's try to get back into a normal, semi normal flow. But yeah, we'll be ready for Philadelphia.”
The NFC race was impacted on Sunday when the Eagles lost; Philly is 10-2, with the Niners, the Cowboys and the Lions all at 9-3. While the Cowboys rested their bodies on Sunday, they know they can’t rest their minds.
“I’ll watch it,” McCarthy said late last week “Yeah definitely. We play Philadelphia. They’re the next up.”
It’s much easier to rest after a win, but even in some downtime, the Cowboys aren’t forgetting who comes to town next week. Much of the season (and a potential path to the Super Bowl) will be on the line next Sunday.
