How Would Tom Landry Break Down Cowboys' 2020 NFL Schedule?
FRISCO - To my knowledge, the innovative Tom Landry was the first person to ever announce that he looked at the NFL schedule "in quarters'' - something that became mathematically easier to do in the late 70's when the NFL expanded to 16 games.
Landry's Dallas Cowboys tried to win every quarter of every game, obviously - and then using his thinking, tried to make sure to "win every quarter of the season,'' too.
To this day, it's a compelling way to break down an NFL schedule: A series of four four-game meals, to be consumed (and won) bite by delicious bite.
Let's observe the Cowboys' 2020 NFL schedule (see it here in its full glory, with game-by-game predictions) using the late coach Landry's concept:
FIRST QUARTER: Dallas starts off at the Rams, at home against the Falcons, at the Seahawks and at home against the Browns. Weeks 1 and 3 put a travel burden on the Cowboys, no doubt. But "at the Rams'' might really feel like a Cowboys home game. And "at the Seahawks'' won't be such a disadvantage if the game is played without fans in the stands, a sad bow to COVID-19.
Can the Cowboys emerge from the First Quarter with a 3-1 record?
SECOND QUARTER: The next four games are against the Giants at AT&T Stadium, against the Cardinals in the same venue, at the Redskins and then at the Eagles. Dallas will be favored in the first three of these games. If you're an oddsmaker, you're predicting another 3-1 grouping.
That's an impressive 6-2 start to new coach Mike McCarthy's inaugural season.
THIRD QUARTER: It’s the Steelers here, then a bye, then a tough Thanksgiving sandwich: At the Vikings, the Redskins for Turkey Day and then the challenge of going to the Ravens. Three games in 12 days. Three quality foes and one arch-rival. It's realistic to think Dallas loses the two roadies and wins the two at home.
And the overall record dips a bit, to 8-4.
FOURTH QUARTER: "Meaningful games in December.'' That's an initial goal for every team. Coach Jason Garrett's Cowboys usually had those, and then ... you know.
And here we go again.
At Cincinnati on Dec. 13 seems highly winnable in Week 13. Week 17 at the Giants? Same thing. Ah, but it's the two in between that provide the truest test: Back-to-back home games in Weeks 15 and 16 against the defending NFC champion Niners and then the NFC East defending champion Eagles.
No team has won the NFC East in consecutive seasons since in 15 years, and the Cowboys' ability to keep that nugget intact and to see-saw the title back to Dallas likely pivots on this game. The Cowboys can actually afford to lose to the Niners if they take care of business elsewhere ... and frankly, a win over the Eagles would allow a slip-up somewhere else.
A 2-2 record in the Final Quarter wouldn't blow anybody away. But it would mean a 10-6 mark - and probably the NFC East title on the way to the playoffs.
