The Dallas Cowboys 2017 Season had its highs and lows but ultimately was a disappointment in the eyes of most fans. Expectations were high after finishing 13-3 in 2016 and earning the #1 seed in the NFC, but the Cowboys ended up 9-7 and more importantly failed to make the postseason. You can blame it on coaching, a difficult schedule, the Elliott suspension, Dak’s regression or the young defense but no matter how you slice it, the Dallas Cowboys season is over. Looking back, these are the most memorable games from 2017.
Most Dominant Victory
The victory over the San Fransisco 49ers in week 6 was the Cowboys most lopsided win of the season. The 49ers were 0-5 at that point but they were a competitive team who had lost their previous 4 games by 3 points are less. The 40-10 victory was even more impressive because the Cowboys had to play that game without the services of their star kicker Dan Bailey.
Worst Loss
The Cowboys had a rough stretch once the Elliott suspension was finally handed out but none of those losses was as bad as the week 2 loss to the Broncos. Ezekiel Elliott played in that game but might as well have been suspended after having rushed for a total of 8 yards and notoriously giving up on a play after an interception was thrown by Dak Prescott. The 42-17 road loss was bad enough at the time considering that the Broncos were thought to be a very good team. It feels a lot worse now knowing how awful the Broncos played the rest of the season.
Most significant Victory
When the Cowboys handed the Chiefs their 3rd loss of the season in week 9 I was convinced that they would go on a run and make the playoffs. The Chiefs had started 5-0 and looked like the best team in the league at one point. As it turns out as the Chiefs were merely a team in disarray when they played the Cowboys. The loss to Dallas was in the midst of a 1-6 stretch for the Chiefs, including a loss to the lowly Giants. But, none of that was apparent at the time and the win against Kansas City was the apex for the Cowboys 2017 season.
Most significant Defeat
In week 16 the Cowboys had a golden opportunity to control their own destiny and earn a playoff berth. Losses by Atlanta and Detroit opened up the door for the Cowboys and all they had to do was beat the Seattle Seahawks to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Dallas defense put forth one of their best performances of the season but the Cowboys offense was not up to the task. Untimely turnovers and poor play calling were too much for the Cowboys to overcome and they lost the game 21-12 thus ending their season.
Most Thrilling Game
The week 5 loss to the Packers was probably the most heartbreaking loss of the 2017 season for the Cowboys. It was painful to watch the Cowboys blow a big 1st half lead for the second consecutive game and once again leave Aaron Rodgers with too much time on the clock. The loss still stings today but the game was quite entertaining to say the least. In the fourth quarter alone 30 total points were scored and the lead changed 5 times! In the end Cowboy fans had to watch helplessly as the Cowboys defense once again failed to stop Aaron Rodgers in crunch time.
Team Awards:
Offensive MVP: Ezekiel Elliott RB. runner up Tyron Smith OT
Defensive MVP: DeMarcus Lawrence DE. runner up Sean Lee LB
Top Rookie: Jourdan Lewis CB. runner up Chidobe Awuzie CB
Comeback player of the year: Jaylon Smith LB. runner up La’el Collins OT
Most consistent: Jason Witten TE. runner up Zack Martin OG
*Photo by Kieth Allison https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/legalcode