Daunting Winter: Cowboys Need To Show and Prove in December

Dating back more than 10 years ago, the Cowboys were the toast of the NFL. Three championships in four seasons and surefire Hall of Famers on both sides of the ball led the team to glory. That was before the concussions, drugs, neck injuries, diamonds, and trash, and well, you get the picture. The Cowboys have not posted a winning record in the months of December and January since 1996. In fact, the team has gone winless in December and January in two of the 13 seasons since '96. For some reason the 'Boys collapse down the stretch and can't hold on to any type of momentum. So, allow me to examine last season's December and January production and then I'll give my reason why they must...show and prove. The Cowboys posted a record of 1-3 in December 2008, losing games to the eventual Super Bowl Champion Steelers, division-rival Eagles, and the Ravens of Baltimore. In two of the four games, the Cowboys threw a couple of the games away. Remember the Ravens game when McGahee and McClain ran as if the police were chasing them? What about the game against the Steelers when Romo and Witten had a "mis-read?" All winnable games for the team from Valley Ranch, they just allowed victory to "slip" through their fingers. When the Cowboys were in their hey-day, they posted winning records down the stretch. The last time the team won a playoff game was 1996. Their record in December you ask? 2-1. It's almost un-thinkable to believe that a team as talented as the 'Boys can fail so miserably in the final months of the season. A couple of years ago when the Giants pounced on the Cowboys in that famous playoff game at Texas Stadium, the G-men were able to show and prove why they belonged, harassing Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo to the point where he started to yell at his offensive line. Still need further reasoning as to why the Cowboys need to win in December? Well how about this one: Championship teams do not falter down the stretch. The Steelers, Giants, Patriots, and Colts all were able to pull it together to make historic Super Bowl runs. Now it's time for the Cowboys to show and prove they are capable of doing the same.-JH