Elle Duncan of ESPN used an interesting analogy — which involved Stephen A. Smith’s physique — to describe her experience watching the Dallas Cowboys play the New York Giants on Thursday.
“But I’m gonna give you a little bit of an analogy on this one, as I’m watching this game,” Duncan said of a game the Cowboys won by five points. “And Stephen A., I want to pull you into this because you have worked so hard at becoming trim and strong. I saw the commercial with you and Pat McAfee and Greenie (Mike Greenberg), your muscles are busting out. You’ve spent time, energy and money so that you can like you look — trim, fit, ready to take on the world. And I say all that because based on how you look right now, you look strong. So should I be impressed if you bench press 100 pounds? That’s exactly what the Cowboys just did.
“That’s exactly what the Giants are. You’re the Cowboys, you’ve spent money, energy and resources — you’re supposed to be a Super Bowl contender, and I’m supposed to fawn because you barely beat a team that couldn’t string two straight wins together until Week 12 of last year?”
Duncan seems to believe that the Cowboys should be in the running to win a Super Bowl, but the team hasn’t played at a very high level to begin the 2024 regular season.
Even after Dallas barely defeated the Giants, the team still owns a mediocre 2-2 record on the season. The Cowboys’ first loss of the campaign came when the team was blown out by the New Orleans Saints on Sept. 15. Dallas lost the contest by 25 points, and Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott threw more interceptions than touchdowns (two compared to one).
One week after losing decisively to the Saints, Dallas dropped its second game in a row when it took on the Baltimore Ravens. The game was more tightly contested, however, considering the Cowboys lost by only three points. But Dallas’ defensive unit again gave a lot to be desired, as it allowed Lamar Jackson and company to score 28 points.
In addition, though the Cowboys sit at the .500 mark, both of Dallas’ two wins of the season have come against weak opponents. Dallas handed the Giants their third loss of the season already after Thursday’s win, and the Cowboys earned their other win over a Cleveland Browns team that sits near the bottom of the AFC North standings with a record of 1-2.
The Cowboys’ season has not gotten off to an auspicious start, but the team is still very much in the running to clinch the NFC East division at the end of its 17-game slate. The team is one number in the loss column back of the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders, both of whom own a 2-1 record.
Dallas will hope to pick up its second win in a row and its third of the season when the team takes on the Pittsburgh Steelers on Oct. 6 at Acrisure Stadium. It’s noteworthy that the Steelers are one of the hottest teams in the league at the moment. Pittsburgh is one of only five NFL teams that have yet to pick up a loss.
