Dallas Cowboys: Week 1 NFC roundup that affects America’s Team

I know we are all initially hopeful but I thought that the Dallas Cowboys are a dark-horse candidate to compete and possibly win the NFC. When talking about the AFC, I believed the Cleveland Browns were the dark horse team in that conference.

I find it amusing that those two teams opened up the season against the most recent Super Bowl participants and both teams lost by nearly identical scores. It might be the football gods telling us these teams are close but still have much work to do.

Before the Cowboys can think about Conference Championships, they first must win their division. The Philadelphia Eagles dismantled an Atlanta team that could be picking first in next year’s NFL draft.

Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan did not look like himself and maybe his “Matty Ice” nickname is a suggestion for his future rather than his penchant for staying cool under pressure. The Eagles looked good but I am reserving judgment until I see them consistently play the way that they did.

When talking about the opposite side of the spectrum, the New York Giants looked really bad against Denver. Quarterback Daniel Jones scored as time ran out to pad the score a bit but there is no hiding that performance. Like Philadelphia, I will withhold judgment. I will say that as much talent as Daniel Jones possesses, his turnovers are a real problem for that football team.

The Washington Football Team was supposed to have this all-world defense yet they had their share of issues as well. Their front four showed off their talent yet there were some plays that had me scratching my head.

Allowing second-year quarterback Justin Herbert who had to learn another offense, to throw for over 300 yards is concerning. Herbert stayed away from Washingtons’ big free-agent cornerback pickup in William Jackson III.

Los Angeles Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa had his way against Washington’s rookie tackle Samuel Cosmi and quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick might already be out for the season. I would be surprised if he doesn’t at least miss a significant amount of time. The Chargers are the Cowboy’s next opponent so keeping Bosa off of Dak Prescott will be critical.

Someone who might end up missing a lot of time is Minnesota head coach Mike Zimmer. The Vikings struggled against the Cincinnati Bengals and it might be time for a new voice. The team should also attempt to move on from Kirk Cousins. Maybe they can call a quarterback-needy team like the Washington Football, never mind.

Another team Cowboys fans in Dallas love to hate is the San Francisco Forty-Niners. I was going to put them near the top of the conference but blowing a lead to the Detroit Lions is as wacky as it gets. It appears as if Dan Quinn isn’t the only former Atlanta Falcon coach who has trouble keeping leads.

The entire NFC North is winless and that includes Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers. I have never seen Rodgers play as bad as he did and I have to wonder if it is skill or spite that is ailing him. He looked uninterested and it might be time for Green Bay to seriously consider trading the man.

Denver looks like the logical landing spot so I just hope if Green Bay moves him, they wait until after the November 7th contest against the Cowboys. I have had enough of Aaron Rodgers. On the flip side, the entire NFC West has started off with a victory. From Kyler Murray in Arizona to Russell Wilson in Seattle, I still have no idea or guess on who will win that Division.

The Los Angeles Rams were my early favorite to win the West and they did their part by dismantling the Chicago Bears but I have gotten more San Francisco picks from fellow content makers that confuse the situation further. I’m really happy the Cowboys did not have the NFC West on their schedule this year. They do have to play Arizona so Chandler Jones watch will be in effect in early January.

The New Orleans Saints also looked fantastic but I have always thought Jameis Winston was fools gold. I have always thought highly of New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton but turning Winston’s career around would be a great achievement.

The Saints are in a similar situation as the Cowboys. The Saint’s defense is very good and all they need is an average play on offense to compete. Thursday, December 2nd, will be an exciting matchup between these two teams.

Winston was 14-20 for 148 yards to go along with his five touchdown passes. If New Orleans continues to play strong defense, Winston not turning the ball over makes them a serious threat in the NFC. Unfortunately for Winston, that is easier said than done.

Lastly, I wanted to talk about the Chicago Bears, specifically quarterback Andy Dalton. Dalton is just like any other quarterback in the NFL. If you give him time, he can lead a team to victory. If you need an example, look at his games against Minnesota and Cincinnati when he played here in Dallas last season.

The Bears starting Dalton over rookie quarterback Justin Fields might be more about the Bears’ porous offensive line than it has to do with Fields’ development. I have my doubts Dalton will survive behind that offensive line so they might just be letting the football gods determine when Fields get on the field as a starter.

The Cowboys are already behind in the standings but it is as even as it can get. The NFC is exactly 8-8 after Week 1 in a long season. I just hope Week 2’s results don’t force the Cowboys narrative to change into a week three do-or-die game.