Never-say-die spirit
COURTSIDE
There was nothing for the Cowboys to be ashamed of in the aftermath of their match at the AT&T Stadium yesterday. Even as they failed to deliver what the capacity crowd of 93,396 expected, they knew that they went much farther than conventional wisdom thought they would following starting quarterback Tony Romo’s sidelining due to injury in the preseason. Led by a pair of overachieving rookies in Dak Prescott and Exequiel Elliott, they went on to tie the franchise record for most wins in a campaign with 13, including an unparalleled 11 straight, en route to claiming the top seed in the National Football Conference. Considering where they began, getting to within four points of a divisional playoff victory is nothing short of phenomenal.
Indeed, the Cowboys performed like winners in every sense of the word. Their never- say- die spirit was on full display as they came back from a seemingly insurmountable 3-21 deficit to tie the set-to at 31. Prescott ( 302 yards, three touchdowns) and Elliott (125 yards on 22 carries) predictably stood front and center, but just about everybody else contributed significant minutes. And when they made their second-half run, their single-star coverage looked as up to the task as their point-producing line. Given their determined effort, it’s fair to argue that they would have crafted a favorable outcome had they not gone up against the ultra-confident Packers starring the otherworldly Aaron Rodgers.
Looking ahead, the Cowboys will have plenty of decisions to make. First and foremost, they need to see how to properly bid goodbye to Tony Romo, who believes he still has some good football ahead of him, but who, at 37, can no longer be deemed starter material. The responsibility of steering the blue and white is now clearly Prescott’s, and owner Jerry Jones would do well not to stunt their growth with sentiment. At the same time, they are hard-pressed to upgrade their talent on the defensive end, no mean feat in light of their late-in-theround position in the upcoming draft.
That said, there is every reason to contend that the Cowboys will be a force for some time to come. Head coach Jason Garrett has proven adept at squeezing the most out of his charges, and Prescott and Elliott figure to get even better with experience. In this regard, yesterday may have been an end, but it was also
merely the beginning. ANTHONY L. CUAYCONG There is every reason to contend that the Cowboys will be a force for some time to come. Head coach Jason Garrett has proven adept at squeezing the most out of his charges, and Prescott and Elliott figure to get even better with experience. In this regard, yesterday may have been an end, but it was also merely the beginning.