Cowboys Pregame Three Thoughts: Week 5
Dallas faces a tough test where a gritty win in Pittsburgh could pivot the entire season.
There are forks in the road in every season, and I feel like Sunday night in Pittsburgh is going to be a huge one for the 2024 Dallas Cowboys. If you win this game, order is restored with back-to-back wins on the road, confidence grows as you win a huge game without some of your very best players, and everyone feels good.
If you lose, the noise gets significantly louder, and the looming back-to-back with both teams from last year's NFC Championship Game suggests that 2-5 is about to hit you square in the face. 2-5 will then feel like a coaching search and an early view of the 2025 Draft will come into focus.
So, yeah, this one has been on my mind all week, and that stadium in Pittsburgh should be pulsating. This is going to be a wonderful test that may or may not give us an enjoyable answer.
First, the history between these two is absolutely spectacular. I know the Cowboys have bigger rivals, and those teams play each other way more often, but consider the Pittsburgh Steelers’ case:
The first game the Cowboys ever played was against Pittsburgh, 9-24-1960
The first win the Cowboys ever registered was against Pittsburgh, 9-17-1961
The most common Super Bowl matchup ever played is against Pittsburgh.
And, aesthetically, the most wonderful uniform matchup is against Pittsburgh.
What more do you need?
From the press notes, it is the 34th ever matchup and the 31st in the regular season. Surely, the last time the Cowboys were in Pittsburgh, we saw the signature game of the “21-4“ era and I can still remember Travis Frederick out in front of Zeke on that screen pass beauty.
But, those are in the archives for a reason. They are yesterday. Now, we focus on the here and now. The Cowboys need a win and they need it badly. Let’s dig in.
These are my Cowboys PreGame Three Thoughts:
When Dallas has the ball:
– The Cowboys Offense will need to take this game as their personal responsibility to win their side of the ball. They are mostly intact and have the onus on them to help the defense survive.