Could expectations be a downfall for the Dallas Cowboys?
Jerry Jones' Dallas Cowboys hype train came to an emergent stop last season when Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers went into Dallas and extended the Cowboys' playoff drought for at least another year. Despite this, last season for the Dallas Cowboys exceeded any fan, front office, coaching staff and player's expectations. An NFC best 13-3, the best since 2007, was a prayer answered (and then some) from the football gods after their season seemed over before the regular season even started. There was no way that a rookie forth-round draft pick by way of Mississippi State and a rookie running back could lead one of the world's most well-liked franchise, right? WRONG, a killer scenario played out to the best, and gave Cowboys fans a great and powerful vision for what the future of their franchise was going to be. Elliott and Prescott are just rookies, imagine what they could do with more experience and more time.
Once the Cowboys clinched a playoff spot last season, expectations went through the AT&T Stadium roof. Fans were already packing up the car for the four hour road trip to Houston. The Packers had different plans, and when Mason Crosby's 51-yard field goal went through the uprights with 0:00 on the clock, Cowboy fans were devastated. However, were Cowboy fans more devastated that they lost the game OR were they more devastated they they couldn't exceed their expectations?
Most people wearing Cowboy navy blue and metallic silver, had (and still have) their eyes on the prize, to send the Lombardi Trophy back home to Dallas. Reporters and writers reporting on how it is the year for the Dallas Cowboys. The expectations were enormous, and that put a lot of pressure to the 53-men (+ coaches) on the home sideline that January afternoon.
The pressure was brought more upon the two stars of the future. And that pressure is still on them as expectations arise for the upcoming season. The fact that people are expecting them to perform better than what they did last year, is a very hard task to put on people who led the league in rushing and someone who completed almost 68% of his passes. The simple truth was that they were only as good as their offensive line, which was out of this world amazing last season. The offensive line for the Cowboys is something that is in question. With the losses of veteran leader Doug Free and Ronald Leary to free agency, the Cowboys offensive line has open spots for younger and more inexperienced players to fill.
An off season or an injury by Elliott would put more pressure on Prescott, which could result in panic or forced passes. Something that he didn't have to take him his hand last season and would most definitely trim down his performance and quarterback ranking.
A 10-6 record this season is a possibility for the Cowboys this season. If you were to tell Cowboys fans before last season that their 2017 season was going to end up being 10-6, they would be ecstatic. Now, the expectations are on a whole different level. A 10-6 season would be a disappointment, even if they make the playoffs.
