The Dallas Cowboys romped to a 54-19 win against the sorry Indianapolis Colts in primetime on Sunday and a buzz is growing around America's Team's chances in the NFL playoffs.
Quarterback Dak Prescott delivered one of his best performances of the season, tossing three touchdowns at AT&T Stadium to take the Cowboys to 9-3 on the year, all but confirming their place in the post-season – although 33 of their points came in the fourth quarter with the Colts hanging in the game until crumbling late on.
But the dominance of the Philadelphia Eagles (11-1) this season means unless they capitulate late on, the Cowboys will face an awkward route through the playoffs as a wildcard team having to play on the road when January arrives.
NFL pundit Colin Cowherd believes the Cowboys' explosive win on Sunday Night Football means nothing when it comes to their prospects of making the Super Bowl, likening the team to a "bully" preying on a weak Colts team (4-8-1), and he believes head coach Mike McCarthy cannot be trusted in the big moments.
"So the Cowboys won 54-19 and everybody in the media is going to lavish them with praise," he said on The Herd. "Listen, the Cowboys are always their best when they are playing the weak or the weakened, and here came the Colts with an old, immobile quarterback, controversy in the organisation and an interim head coach.
"They were a beach ball and the Cowboys were a pitbull ready to pounce on it.
"Do you still trust Mike McCarthy situationally in the playoffs? Or for Dak to have a nine-play drive when they are trailing, overcoming a pass rush? I don't, but if you walk into Dallas a little wobbly, they'll knock you out. They have got six or seven elite players and they will play downhill.
"But for three quarters, two and half hours, didn't you ask yourself 'The Colts are bad, they're on the road, how is this game close?'
"Dallas to me is the classic schoolyard bully. They seize on the weak and terrified, but when they face top quarterbacks, when they face real pass-rushers, when they have to face playoff teams or they have to go on the road and the margins shrink, that is when I don't trust Dallas. I just don't.
"I know I am supposed to, but I don't. December and January football gets cold and tight and uncomfortable and coaching matters more and quarterback play matters more." Dallas have pieced together a three-game winning streak since an overtime loss to the Green Bay Packers last month.
Cowherd believes the Cowboys are among a clutch of teams that are knocking on the door of Super Bowl contention, but he has significant doubts about whether they can compete against the league's elite teams in primetime.
He explained: "Right now, I feel there are four teams in this league that feel different: Cincinnati, Buffalo, Kansas City and Philadelphia. Then there are a few other teams. San Francisco are looking for a quarterback, Minnesota, Miami and Dallas. They are just missing something.
"Firepower at quarterback maybe for Minnesota and Miami. I don't trust the coach with Dallas. San Francisco has the great defence but we don't know what they're going to be at quarterback.
"With Dallas it is this simple. While you lavish them with praise, haven't we seen this before? A weak and wobbly team waltzes into Dallas and the Cowboys roll them in a standalone TV game and everybody freaks out, and then in about three weeks they've got to play a playoff team and maybe it's on the road, it's uncomfortable and they just can't make the plays late.
"I think they are close, but I don't trust them."
