Last week, the Dallas Cowboys were the talk of the town for parting ways with Mike McCarthy and officially entering the search for a head coach. On the same day, reports came out about Jerry Jones having conversations with former Cowboys superstar and Colorado head coach Deion Sanders for the vacancy.
The Cowboys took over headlines across the country.
Everybody recognizes that Jones likes to ensure that his team is being talked about, and if they aren’t, he’ll do something to make sure it happens; he’s admitted as much. However, this past weekend, I couldn’t stop thinking about the Cowboys, and it wasn’t because of the Deion rumors or the head-coaching interviews or anything manufactured by Jones.
In the divisional round of the NFL playoffs — the best weekend of football of the year, in my opinion — the Cowboys seemed front-and-center. If you tuned in, perhaps you’re in a similar boat. Allow me to roll out the red carpet to join me in my brain.
• There weren’t many Cowboys thoughts with the first game of the weekend between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Houston Texans but at one point, my mind did wander. The Texans — the other NFL team in Texas — have made the playoffs the past two years, have a franchise quarterback on a rookie deal and play in a terrible division. Houston looked zombie-like at some points this season and has things to clean up but it was a startling realization to have that the Cowboys aren’t just chasing the league, conference and division — they’re not even the best team in their state. The franchise they’re looking up to was born six years after the Cowboys’ last Super Bowl run.
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• For a long time, the Cowboys shared their misery with Detroit Lions and the Washington Commanders. You always heard how these were the last three teams in the NFC to not reach a conference title game this century. The Cowboys teased fans and turned in good regular seasons every so often before falling flat in the playoffs but the Lions and Commanders were drowning in ineptitude for the longest time. And here they were: Both teams with bright futures no matter what happened in this game, playing for the right to compete for a conference title.
• In the first quarter quarter, Commanders defensive end Dorance Armstrong tallied a crucial strip-sack of Jared Goff, which was recovered by Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu. The first player I noticed on the field signaling Commanders ball was Washington’s veteran defensive end Dante Fowler Jr.
The Cowboys drafted Armstrong in the fourth round in 2018 and Fowler played for Dallas in 2022 and 2023. Both left Dallas last offseason, along with Commanders center Tyler Biadasz, to follow Dan Quinn to Washington.
NEED THAT 🏈
📺 #WASvsDET FOX pic.twitter.com/Egwnhg5rC5
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) January 19, 2025
• Lions defensive back Amik Robertson was injured very early in the game. Injuries were a big part of the conversation in the Cowboys’ struggles in 2024 but the Lions have an argument as maybe the most banged-up team in the league. Detroit placed 16 players on injured reserve this year, including superstar defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, who last played in October. The Cowboys were eliminated from the playoffs after playing 14 games while the Lions captured the No. 1 seed in the conference, while playing in the toughest division in football. It helps that the starting quarterback was part of the Lions injuries, but the Cowboys were 3-5 even with Dak Prescott healthy.
• Injuries may have caught up to the Lions but the Commanders deserve a lot of credit, too. They forced five turnovers. There was the key aforementioned sack, a pick six and interception in the end zone, among others.
This is the Dan Quinn way, something Cowboys fans know well. Dallas was No. 1 in the NFL in turnovers forced in Quinn’s three years as defensive coordinator.
• The Lions ended their conference title drought last year. The Commanders snapped it this year, by beating the Lions. The Cowboys stand alone as the only NFC team to not appear in the conference championship game this century.
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• With Detroit’s loss, offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn were both available to be interviewed by the Cowboys, if they wanted. But the Bears made Johnson their choice Monday, so one of the coordinators if off the board.
• In the two games Sunday, one featured running back Saquon Barkley and the other featured Derrick Henry. The two backs finished No. 1 and 2, respectively, in rushing in 2024, and both were free agents last offseason. The Cowboys signed Ezekiel Elliott. Barkley led the Eagles to a win over the Los Angeles Rams with 205 rushing yards, including touchdown runs of 62 and 78 yards.
• In that Eagles-Rams game, Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts was sacked for a safety. The player who notched that safety? Former Cowboys third-round draft pick in 2020, Neville Gallimore. That was a fun blast from the past.
🚨 SAFETY ALERT 🚨
📺: @NFLonNBC | #RamsHouse pic.twitter.com/qGobKx6PNL
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) January 19, 2025
• Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore virtually interviewed with the Cowboys prior to the game. The former Cowboys quarterback and offensive coordinator is one of the favorites to become the team’s next head coach. Dallas will have to wait a little longer to continue conversations with him.
• After so much recent history with the Eagles and Cowboys going back and forth for the division, who could have imagined an all-NFC East playoff game would feature the Commanders?
• Quinn versus Moore is a fascinating coaching duel. Both were Cowboys coordinators in 2021 and 2022, helping Dallas to a pair of 12-5 seasons. Neither could get the Cowboys to where they now have their respective teams.
Given my job as a Cowboys beat writer, it’s rare that my brain doesn’t tie things I see in my routine to the franchise. But this weekend felt a little extra on the nose, like the football overlords were pouring salt in the wound of Cowboys fans. And if this weekend didn’t do it for you, watching two NFC East teams battle on Championship Sunday for the right to play in the Super Bowl will probably drive it home.
(Top photo of Dan Quinn: Nic Antaya / Getty Images)
