Since Mike McCarthy grew to become the top coach of the Dallas Cowboys, he’s constantly preached the identical phrase repeatedly—toughness. The phrase can appear redundant in a sport that calls for gamers to be bodily superior to their opponent throughout from them to win each recreation.
NFL groups are, by nature, robust. Nevertheless, it’s extra noticeable when a group lacks toughness, and it will get put into query. The 2021 Cowboys hosted a Wild Card recreation in opposition to the San Francisco 49ers and lacked the psychological and bodily toughness to beat a group that was imagined to be inferior to them.
Quick-forward just a few years, and it feels just like the Cowboys are caught in a Dr. Unusual time loop of regular-season success solely to be upset within the playoffs, with the ultimate straw breaking the camel’s again being the house playoff loss to the Inexperienced Bay Packers.
These losses have shaken McCarthy’s core philosophy, leaving followers questioning if the Cowboys can ever be the harder group when it counts.
In a season that appears to be shaping up as a crossroads level for the franchise from all ranges, there’s hope the group can return to being the group that McCarthy has at all times requested them to be.
Preseason video games shouldn’t be taken actually however as an alternative centered on particular nuances: how groups line up on offense, what stands out on protection, and who the gamers are that may make their approach onto the roster to be contributors this season.
The Las Vegas Raiders needed to play their starters on offense and protection for many of the recreation, whereas McCarthy and the Cowboys stored the identical method as he did in Week 1 to play backups. For a Raiders franchise that’s constructed its fame on concern and at all times appears to play with a chip on its shoulder, Dallas proved to be a extra formidable group.
A group’s capacity to reply and be resilient when issues get out of hand can present extra about their toughness than a linebacker de-cleating a operating again. When it felt just like the Raiders confirmed indicators of life on offense, the Cowboys protection stiffened and didn’t enable their momentum to proceed.
After Andrew Sales space allowed a 48-yard reception to the 12-yard line on Las Vegas’ second drive, the ball moved only one extra yard earlier than the Raiders have been compelled to kick a discipline aim. Las Vegas bought inside one level late within the third quarter. Dallas’ offense adopted it up with a three-and-out, giving the ball again to the Raiders.
Aiden O’Connell was driving the offense right down to the Cowboys’ 39-yard line, seeking to take the lead when cornerback Kemon Corridor intercepted a move and returned it for a landing, extending Dallas’ result in 20-12.
On the offensive aspect of the ball, the Dallas run recreation confirmed indicators of life, headlined by their rookie starters, Tyler Guyton and Cooper Beebe. Each gamers deliver a nastiness to a Dallas offensive line that’s hoped to recapture that magic in a single offseason.
The social media clip above reveals Beebe “dirting” two defensive starters on one play, thrilling Cowboys followers about his improvement and potential as a Week 1 starter. Guyton continued to point out his arrow factors up regardless of coming into his rookie season with the “improvement” label. He’s put within the work this offseason to show evaluators flawed.
Even Trey Lance, who continues to be the main focus of the offseason, confirmed some grit and led the Cowboys’ offense on a 14-play, 76-yard drive capped off by a wonderful fade move to rookie Ryan Flournoy within the endzone.
The preseason is used to guage the depth of the roster and determine areas the place coaches want to regulate their technique heading into the season. McCarthy’s message of toughness was loud and clear on the sphere at Allegiant Stadium Saturday. The Cowboys began to choose up the damaged items of their identification from a 12 months in the past and forge them into one thing stronger—one thing harder.
