Cowboys Move into 1st-Place Tie in Bye Week, Now Must Finish in Final Stretch

IRVING, Texas — The bye week couldn't have gone better for the Dallas Cowboys.

They got the rest they needed after 10 grueling weeks of football. 

And they got the help they hoped for with losses by the rest of the NFC East: the Philadelphia Eagles, the New York Giants and the Washington Redskins.

The Cowboys (7-3) moved into a first-place tie with the Eagles atop the division, while the Giants (3-7) and Redskins (3-7) both continued season-long meltdowns.

The situation is most acute for the Cowboys because four of their final six games are in the division, including two against the Eagles.

The Cowboys will be the first to tell you they didn't expect to be in this position to start the season. Owner Jerry Jones was very open about the challenges the team faced on defense and told fans they were going to have their backs against the wall.

Now, Jones is talking about making a Super Bowl run. And why not?

The Cowboys control their own destiny for the division title and a playoff berth. They just need to finish.

"Well, I'll tell you this: We didn't really think that possibly this year might be the year, but you sure can't dismiss (a Super Bowl run) at this particular point," Jones said on his local radio show. "I think we're going to have some fun here in these last six ballgames."

The Cowboys figuratively won the bye week. They just need to finish.

The Cowboys believe they are better equipped to finish strong in 2014 than ever before because of their new style. They are a run-oriented team behind NFL-leading rusher DeMarco Murray rather than the pass-happy bunch of past years. They are also healthier and stronger for the stretch run than in the last two seasons.

"I think we feel good," tight end Jason Witten said. "The bye came at a good time. We are healthy. I think it is set up for us to be successful. But I still think there are formulas within the formula of how you play each week that allows you to be successful. That’s what we have to focus on. I think there is a good formula in place on how we play football.  Now, we got to go do it."

The events of the bye week did their part in helping the Cowboys down the road.

The Eagles aren't the juggernaut their record and flashy offense appeared to be. A 53-20 loss to the Green Bay Packers revealed that much. Was quarterback Mark Sanchez exposed to be the bust he was with the New York Jets?

The Redskins have been a dumpster fire on the field and in the locker room for much of the season. Maligned quarterback Robert Griffin III passed for just 207 yards and threw two interceptions. How do they recover from a 27-7 loss at home to the 2-8 Tampa Bay Buccaneers?

The Giants are riding a five-game losing streak following a 16-10 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Quarterback Eli Manning tossed five interceptions in the game. Guess who the rested Cowboys get to start their final six-game run against on Nov. 23? A shell-shocked Manning and the slumping Giants.

So things are set up well. Very well.

The Cowboys are in a first-place tie with the Eagles with six games to go.

They just have to finish.

 
Clarence Hill covers the Cowboys for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. All quotations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.