Read the opposing arguments from Loyal Homer and Bleacher Fan.
It’s now or never.
In fact, it may very well be never or never for the Dallas Cowboys and the Minnesota Vikings. Both teams sit at 1-3 and both teams have more questions than answers. Both teams were expected to be the elite teams of the NFC and contenders for an appearance in the Super Bowl. Oh, and both teams are desperate.
Both teams have (had?) major expectations and have crumpled beneath them, but for starkly different reasons.
The Vikings lost the receiving corps to injury – despite the team’s latest desperate measures to secure the services of Randy “Every Down” Moss. Now Brett Favre’s elbow hurts, which sounds a lot like a built in excuse for failure. The once vaunted run defense with the Williams’ brothers in the middle is now a middle of the pack group that allows over 100 yards per game on the ground routinely. The team is full of weak spots and led by a desperate coach.
Speaking of teams with weak spots and desperate coaches, the Dallas Cowboys are also playing in this game. Jerry Jones has recently stated that he is not going to fire Wade Phillips until the end of the season, which is something I think few folks actually believe. Here is another situation where the receivers are decimated by injury, running backs are underperforming, and the defense is only two positions better than the Vikings – giving up 102.3 yards per game.
The football basics that make up the best teams are the very traits that appear to have vacated both teams. This game, however, is the perfect opportunity for one of the two teams to reclaim the ground they’ve lost to this point in the season. Neither team is playing to the level most fans and pundits expected, but neither team is dead in the water, yet.
The choice – and yes, it is a CHOICE for these two teams and their collective players – is between 2-3 and a faint glimmer of hope, and 1-4 and certain death this season. It’s a choice because playing well starts in the film room on Monday, it continues in the walk throughs mid-week, it governs thoughts and extra study on travel day, and that choice is made when lacing up cleats pre-game. The team with the most players to make winning choices wins the game and life in the season. The stakes don’t get much higher for an earlier season game, even if it does reek of desperation.
