Maybe I was wrong about the whole “tough love” thing last week. Even after my brilliantly conceived pep talk, the Cowboys somehow managed to still lose, 39-31, to the second worst team in the NFL. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn the Lions were desperately attempting to throw the game in order to get a shot at the first-draft pick but were somehow foiled by the unstoppable losing machine the Dallas Cowboys have become.
But I’m not here to whine about what went wrong. I’ve done more than enough of that. Instead, I’m giving some props to an underappreciated force in the Cowboy’s season so far: the offensive line. They deserve much of the credit for the Cowboy’s performance, but they’ve remained mostly invisible in my commentary and even to other players on the field. In fact, I’d be willing to bet that if you asked Tony Romo or the Detroit Lions defensive line, they’d probably tell you they weren’t even aware the Cowboys had an offensive line last Sunday.
This is just the kind of thinking I would like to put to an end. So, in my last blog before the Cowboys probable playoff sweep and Super Bowl upset victory, I’d like to take a moment to introduce you to the real unsung heroes of last week’s game.
This article appears in 2006.