Cowboys Pregame Three Thoughts: Wk 18

A few more steps to the finish line; Dallas with a chance to sweep Washington in 2024

I am positive the NFL schedule makers did not plan for a Week 18 that has almost no games that matter much. In the pursuit of that 17th game and 18th week of the regular season where we play games No. 257-272 of the season slate, we have somehow managed to have about five games that mean anything and one game that seems to mean a lot. Otherwise, there are a bunch of games where we are just checking boxes so we may move along to the next phase. For many, that will be 2025. To others, it means preparation for next week’s playoffs have begun in earnest already.

We are here to make sure you have a little something to consider as we enter the final week of the season. If you are still reading my game previews a full two months after the season was pretty much over, you are a loyalist of both the Cowboys and my writing, so I want to let you know we are going to play this thing out and give it our all.

But, there is no doubt that my mind (and the organization’s mind) has moved to 2025 and how this particular game has very little to do with any of that.

That said, the opponent this week again demonstrates to us both that A) bad teams can stay bad for a long time and B) bad teams can flip it in one year and be right back in the hunt if they play a few cards correctly.

Washington is the only NFC team with a longer NFC Championship Game drought. At the same time, one year ago this week, Washington was losing its 8th straight game, firing another coach, and moving on from another failed QB. Now, they are expected to win their 12th game on Sunday in Dallas.

Things don’t have to be hopeless in this league.

Dave Campo could not win most games. But, if there was one thing he could always do, it was beat Washington. Campo went 5-1 against them over those three seasons where he went 10-32 against everyone else.

So, we have established for decades that the records and point spreads don’t matter in this series. Surely, Washington knows they can avoid a playoff opener in Philadelphia if they just beat a Dallas team that stinks.

But, can they?

These are my Cowboys-Commanders Pregame Three Thoughts: