Penthouse to outhouse? Really?

For any NFL football fan of the Dallas Cowboys, the past three weeks have been quite a roller coaster ride. In week one, while playing on the road for the big season opening Sunday Night prime time broadcast, the Cowboys completely decimated the New York Giants 40 to nothing! Even the vast difference in the score does not truly reveal the complete dominance of the Cowboys. The defense, while shutting out New York, also managed to secure four turnovers. While the offense was not spectacular, it was efficient and complimentary. It was one of the most lopsided, overwhelming victories in Cowboy opening day history.

A week later, the Cowboys played what most experts would call a better team than the Giants and won 30-10. Once again, the defense played wonderfully, causing 3 turnovers and for the most part, shutting the Jets down. The offense held off the Jets potent defense and was able to coast to victory.

After two weeks the fans, the media, and it would seem the world itself, was ready to proclaim the Cowboys Super Bowl Champions to be. There were statements that this year’s Cowboy defense might be one of the most dominant in a generation. Fans of the team were giddy with excitement for the next game, and detractors of the Cowboys had to bite their lips because there was really no criticism to render.

Then came the third week, and the mighty Cowboys fell to Arizona 28 to 16. The celebrated defense of the Cowboys looked less than ordinary, and while there were numerous injuries on the offensive line which could explain a portion of the malaise, the Texas coast offense looked terribly pedestrian.

In response to the loss, some fans immediately threw up their hands and expressed bewilderment. What they thought was a championship team, was clearly a pretender and would only serve to be another mediocre Cowboys team; the season lost, and we fans are left to spend the next four months enduring another unsatisfying season.

Did the Cowboys really fall from the “penthouse to the outhouse” because of one game? Were the first two games of the season only a mirage? Is the season doomed?

Between the salary cap, which determines how much money each team can spend on talent, and the limited number of spots for players on a team, the NFL has done its best to ensure competitive balance. The difference between winning and losing is often a single play, a dropped pass, a fumble, or a penalty. The margin of difference, even between the best team and the worst team, is very small.

Even though the Cowboys played very, very well in the first two games, there is a lot of “proving” to be done before they can be considered to be a championship team. On the other hand, because they lost on the road and played poorly, does not mean the season is over and they are trash. There is a reason why they play seventeen games in the NFL, and how a team performs over the long haul is what will determine the success or failure of the season.

Seldom is life as good as we imagine it to be, nor is it as bad as we make it out to be after suffering a few misfortunes. Life is like the football season, there are a lot of challenges, and the competition can be tough. If it weren’t tough, what would be the joy in winning?

Cowboy fans, keep your chin up. All is not lost. Let’s see what happens.

Thought for the day: Success is not necessarily defined by what you achieve, but by what you overcome.

Unti next time…I will keep ridin’ the storm out.

sam@hcnews.com