Cowboys ‘Urgency Meter’: Deep Playoff Run Expected? 'Pressure is On!’

The Dallas Cowboys have one of the better rosters right now and this has them in Super Bowl contention, but with a host of stars needing re-signing, the urgency to get that elusive Lombardi Trophy is as high as ever.

There's no doubt that the Dallas Cowboys are in Super Bowl contention, but being in such a position also brings pressure to perform. This is familiar to the organization, but it's set to hit overdrive next season.

Coming off back-to-back 12-win seasons and poor playoff losses to the San Francisco 49ers, the pressure on Dak Prescott and his team has amplified. With a roster that is as loaded as it's ever been in the last decade or so, the Cowboys know the time is now, and there is pressure to perform. …

So much so that NFL.com has done an "urgency meter" for Super Bowl contenders, and Dallas, naturally, has its meter reading high (8.3/10).

"Jerry Jones turned 80 years old last October," NFL.com writes. "It's been decades since his team won something other than the NFC East. The longtime owner remains deeply involved with the day-to-day operation of his beloved Cowboys, a team that hasn't reached the NFC Championship Game since Wonderwall was on the charts. 

"Jones is right to look at his team and see a legit contender that can put up a fight against the Eagles and perhaps come out of the NFC in late January. … The pressure is on for a deep playoff run. A disappointing campaign in Big D could lead to big changes."

Two things we must clean up here. One … Having an NFC Championship drought extending well past 10,000 days is actually the responsibility of Jones. And two, “day-to-day hands-on Jerry” is overblown compared to decades past.

But having said that, yes, going forward a great deal of responsibility falls on head coach/play-caller Mike McCarthy.

Having overseen 24 regular-season wins and one playoff win, McCarthy is now taking the reins on offense. The buck starts and stops with him. 

Anything other than an NFC Championship appearance for "Big Mike" and there will no doubt be the wolves at his door. … clutching in their paws that figurative “urgency meter.”

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