(Editor’s Note: Time to check the mail! The DallasCowboys.com staff writers answer your questions here in ‘Mailbag’ presented by Miller Lite.)
I realize that management, the coaching staff and players won’t use this as an excuse, but did the unusual schedule in November and December factor into the quality of play? In that stretch, the Cowboys had two Monday night games and three Thursday games. There was also a Sunday night game as well. I can’t help but think this caused the inconsistent play, especially on the offensive side of the ball. – John Scholl/Vancouver, WA
Patrik: There are excuses and then there are reasons, and this falls into the latter category, for me. Do I believe the mess of a schedule — three games in 11 days and, eventually, another week of Sunday + Thursday (Christmas) football — was the sole reason for the Cowboys running out of gas? Nope. Do I believe it played into it, along with a list of other things that are glaringly obvious? Yep. I’m of the belief that, focusing in on your question here, tasking NFL teams with playing two games in four days and three in 11 is a recipe for exhaustion, not to mention the safety component. Alas, it doesn’t matter what you or I think, so all the Cowboys could do was line up and try to make it not matter … and they did, until they didn’t.
