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Cowboys Wreckage Season Reveals 2 Positive Building Blocks

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Adam Schultz | Last updated Jan 10, 2025 11:46 AM ET

By any measure fans, media, and others want to use, the Dallas Cowboys' 2024 season was a colossal failure.

It started with Sam Williams' ACL injury in training camp and ended with a Terry McLaurin touchdown with three seconds left, handing Dallas its 10th loss of the season and a sour way to end the year.

Yes, injuries played a big role in how the Cowboys played throughout the season, with so many Pro Bowlers and All-Pros missing not only one game but several, backups had to carry the load. And in the NFL, that isn't an easy way to live, as Mike McCarthy and Mike Zimmer found out.

But sifting through the year's wreckage, we've found two positives that some might have forgotten.

With so many of the team's leaders on the sidelines, someone had to step up, and in Dallas' case, its two best players, CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons, answered the call.

Going from a receiver who let his emotions get the better of him, Lamb, in Dak Prescott's absence, took on the mantle of offensive leader, playing through the pain barrier to be an example to the rest of his teammates.

His meetings with the media also showed his maturity, often stating his shoulder was banged up but then pivoting to saying nothing would keep him off the field and being with his teammates.

Lamb leading by example, that's what Cowboys Nation wanted to see.

It might have taken a while, but CeeDee showing that he can be the leader this team needs will only benefit the team going forward.

Now to Micah.

They say that injuries can be a blessing and for Parsons, this was the first time in his NFL career that he was sidelined for a significant amount of time.

Watching his defense struggle, when the Lionbacker returned, he was a different player on and off the field.

Parsons, despite missing four games, managed 12.0 sacks in his 13 outings as he led from the front for Zimmer's defense. But that's not all the positive work Micah did.

Known for his way with words, Parsons' tone changed once he returned from his injury. Like Lamb, he wanted to be the leader an injury-ravaged defense needed.

Micah was positive and firm in his stance of wanting to finish the season strong and not wave the white flag, and others followed him. Plus, his comments about his contract show he wants to put the team first. He isn't bothered being the highest-paid non-quarterback in football; he wants other great players around him.

More, Micah, more.

So, while Cowboys fans will look back on this train wreck of a season with little to be happy about, having possibly your two best players emerge as the leaders the franchise has been crying out for is one thing to hang your hat on.

It's not all on Prescott now; he has help.

Teams need their best players to be their leaders, and for the Cowboys, Dak was the lone hand, but now CeeDee and Micah have joined the fight.

It's not much, but having Lamb and Parsons make big, improved shifts in how they operate both on and off the field might just be an underrated aspect of this disaster of a season.

And with that trio all working in unison, the franchise might be in a better place from a leadership perspective than it would have been had 2024 been smooth sailing.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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