What is the most important and/or difficult stretch of the season for the Dallas Cowboys?
Odds are we will feel differently about this. Historically and traditionally speaking, the answer tends to come later in the year. Late November, all of December, and the time into January gets hard as the marathon is coming to an end with the playoffs on the horizon. This year though, let’s look at a different time.
My very reckless stipulation that feels reasonable: If the Cowboys make it to Week 6 with four
wins then they are going to the playoffs this season.
Obviously the team reaching that mark would guarantee nothing, but these first five weeks present as the biggest challenge in this scenario. This isn’t necessarily the case because of who the Cowboys are playing. It is more of a result of the treacherous path that it entails from a travel and time perspective.
Consider that through the first five weeks of the season the Cowboys:
- Play two games within the NFC East
- Immediately after have to go to Brazil
- For a “home” game against one of the AFC’s best
- Then return to travel for a game against another, maybe the NFL’s best defense
- Only to play at home on a short week againsta Buccaneers team that has been feisty as of late
Games after this stretch include contests against the Packers, Eagles twice, Seahawks, and the Rams. The point here isn’t that the Cowboys are done with their most difficult opponents by Week 6. The point here is that the first wave of their marathon comes with more difficult circumstances that are out of their control in terms of travel and time. Those things are taxing and can impact contests. That isn’t breaking news.
Maybe you disagree with this hypothesis. Maybe you feel a different stretch is more daunting for your own set of reasons. What is that stretch if so? Let us know in the comments below.
