Five reasons the Dallas Cowboys can finish 5-0

This time last year, the Dallas Cowboys were one game out of first place with four to play. And after a bad Thanksgiving loss, folks thought they were done too.

This time last year the Dallas Cowboys were one game out of first place with four to play. They were coming off an embarrassing 33-10 blow-out to the division rival Eagles on Thanksgiving, and some folks were giving up on the season. The Cowboys were exposed, they said. Here comes the annual December swoon.

In the face of that negativism, the Cowboys won out and took the division. They can do it again this year. Here are five reasons to hope:

5. The offense will be more balanced

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Reports are wide receiver Dez Bryant feels better than he has this entire injury-marred season. Bryant was shut down on Thanksgiving then filleted in the media afterward. After a quiet week he seems ready to embrace head coach Jason Garrett’s maxim: “We distinguish ourselves with our play, not with the things we say.”

If he’s good, he’ll make quarterback Matt Cassel better. If his quarterback is better, the run game will be better because defenses won’t be able to stack the box. The Cowboys can get back to the balanced offense they like to run. Much depends on Bryant’s ability to impact defensive strategy.

This offense doesn’t need to be dynamic to win ballgames. It just needs to be serviceable. Which brings me to point two:

4. The defense will win games

Everybody hates this defense. They can’t sack the quarterback. They can’t take away the ball. They can’t stop opponents in the fourth quarter.

Despite all that, they’re currently ranked 8th in the league in Total Defense. Opponents convert 3rd downs at 37%. That’s tied with Cincinnati’s celebrated defense and better than New England. This defense has been pretty good, just not good enough to bail out the worst offense in the league for 60 turnover-riddled minutes.

Healthy linebackers Sean Lee and Rolando McClain are looking like a force in the middle. Cornerback Morris Claiborne returns for the stretch run, allowing defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli to put impressive rookie Byron Jones back in the rover role. It’ll be all hands on deck for this defense in December.

3. The turnovers will start coming

The Cowboys have the worst turnover margin in the league at -1.1 per game. Part of that is because they are on pace to generate just 10 takeaways for the year.

Know the last time an NFL team finished a season with just 10 takeaways? Me neither. I checked Pro Football Reference back to 1989 – 27 seasons – and didn’t find any. That year, the Cowboys went 1-15 and finished last in the league with a dismal 17 takeaways. Point made. Ten takeaways in a full NFL season is insane.

The Cowboys have been overly unlucky in the takeaway department, but turnovers have a way of evening out over time. The pendulum always swings back. Expect in December for this team to start getting the bounces they haven’t got all season.

2. Every remaining opponent can be had

The Cowboys get the Redskins twice, they host the Jets, and they travel to Green Bay and Buffalo. Every one of those teams is flawed. It’s a tall order to win five straight in the NFL regardless of schedule, but the Cowboys should not be grossly overmatched in any game the rest of the way.

Also consider that Philadelphia won 35-28 in New England on Sunday. They did it with two special teams scores and a 100-yard pick-6. “Any Given Sunday” is a real thing in the NFL, and the Cowboys are due for a few breaks. That said, they shouldn’t need 21 non-offensive points to beat any of their remaining opponents.

1. These players fight like maniacs every minute of every game.

The signature moment of this season for me happened after the two-minute warning in the second half of the Thanksgiving loss. Down by three scores, the game was lost, the team was humiliated at home during prime time, and the Cowboys special teams blocked a field goal.

What a proud moment for the Cowboys fan base. Last year’s team was so fun to root for because they physically kicked the hell out of their opponents. This year’s team is fun in a different way. They’re beat up, short-handed, and can’t catch a break, but every player goes all out every snap. Even when the ball game is unwinnable, they fight.

Next: Four Quarterbacks The Cowboys Could Draft Next Year

A sixth ring would be better, sure, but Cowboys Nation can be proud of this team, and they are capable of delivering a December to remember.

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