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Dallas Cowboys: A bittersweet ending to the 2017 season

By Steven Mullenax

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - DECEMBER 31: Nick Foles #9 of the Philadelphia Eagles and Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field on December 31, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - DECEMBER 31: Nick Foles #9 of the Philadelphia Eagles and Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field on December 31, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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With the Dallas Cowboys wrapping up their regular season with a 6-0 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, we take a bittersweet look back at 2017.

Bittersweet. That’s how I would best describe my feelings following the Dallas Cowboys 6-0 defeat of the NFC East champion Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday afternoon. And that’s not simply due to the game itself, which only highlighted many of the issue the Cowboys must tackle in the offseason.

No, bittersweet refers to many things that happened this season involving America’s Team. Obviously, following up the promise of last season, when the Cowboys went 13-3 and earned a bye in the playoffs, posting a 9-7 record without a postseason appearance is depressing. But I think many of us understood it was going to be an uphill battle for Dallas to replicate the success of 2016.

After all, the Cowboys highs from last year had a direct connection to the lows of 2017. For instance, Dallas’s success caused them to have a more difficult schedule this season. Although teams change so much from year to year, it appeared the Cowboys did face many more difficult opponents this season.

Last year’s success also allotted the Cowboys much lower draft selections. Coming off a season where Dallas landed players like running back Ezekiel Elliott, linebacker Jaylon Smith and quarterback Dak Prescott, 2017 rookies like defensive end Taco Charlton, cornerback Chidobe Awuzie and wide receiver Ryan Switzer pale in comparison.

There were just so many “what ifs” in 2017 for the Cowboys as well. The biggest being the suspension of Elliott. In retrospect, his six-game ban midseason was devastating. But Dallas did little to help themselves going 5-3 prior to his suspension starting. If Zeke was able to play the entire year, you have to believe the Cowboys make the postseason.

And bittersweet perfectly describes my feelings towards Dak Prescott in 2017. He is still very much the player that shocked the sporting world last year, turning in one of the best rookie seasons by a quarterback in NFL history. But I also expected to see more growth from him this season. Instead, I saw Prescott play some of his worst games as a professional. And I believe we have the answer to the question “Can Dak carry the Cowboys offense?” – That’s clearly a no.

But that doesn’t mean it will be that way next season. And that’s part of what’s great about football. Your team can have a disappointing season. Then, after the last game of the year, we all move on to next year. With all the hopes and championship aspirations that go along with being a fan.

I think the Dallas Cowboys did a lot of good things and a lot of bad things in 2017. I’m certainly not happy the Cowboys will be watching the playoffs instead of participating them. But I understand the obstacles this team faced this year. And if one or two things had been different, the narrative of this now 9-7 season could have been very different. Again, it’s a bittersweet feeling.

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