'I Feel Worse About Cowboys' Chances Every Week,' Says ESPN Analyst
FRISCO - Do you “trust” your Dallas Cowboys? Is it possible for a win to increase distrust?
Ryan Clark of ESPN’s Get Up believes that is the case with 8-4 Dallas.
“I continue to feel worse about the Cowboys every single week,” Clark said. “When you watch this team, there was so much going on that was good early on in the season. There was always a bright spot to every close game. Obviously, the only loss at the time was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but you felt like the quarterback was playing at an MVP level. The run game was at an elite level. The protection was exactly where it needed to be and the defense at some points was opportunistic and at other points stingy.”
“We aren’t getting that football team anymore.”
If Clark’s point is that Dallas lost two straight and three of four before last Thursday’s 27-17 victory at New Orleans, well, we all know that.
If his point is that going 1-3 isn’t as good as going 6-0, a Dallas streak before the skid? Well, we all know that, too.
And regarding Dallas’ defense not being “opportunistic”? Clark made these comments on the Friday morning following a Dallas win that featured four interceptions. … Including a pick-6.
But somewhere here in this conversation about the Dak Prescott-led Cowboys we need to include the health and availability of CeeDee Lamb, Ezekiel Elliott, Amari Cooper, Tyron Smith, Neville Gallimore, Randy Gregory, Demarcus Lawrence and even head coach Mike McCarthy.
Clark played in the NFL and is surely aware of the meaning of - and even benefits of - “winning ugly.” There’s not much good in losing. There is value in winning ugly.
Said McCarthy: “You need these wins. You need the adversity opportunities and experiences. … December football, that’s always what it comes down to because that’s the launching pad you have to come off of to be a playoff team and to excel in the playoffs.”
Clark somehow doesn’t see that - and is also ignoring the normal ebbs and flows of a season.
“This was a team I saw carrying the NFC into the Super Bowl,” Clark said. “I no longer feel that.”
