A victory over the Patriots could give the Cowboys their signature win to spark a playoff run

The Dallas Cowboys are facing the New England Patriots this Sunday. You might recognize the Patriots as the team that has been in each of the last three Super Bowls for the AFC. In fact, they’ve been in quite a lot of Super Bowls in recent years. The Patriots have made it to the conference finals in eight straight seasons. That’s amazing. In contrast, the Cowboys haven’t played in a conference championship game in almost 25 years as you have to go all the way back to mid-’90s to see them make it that far into the playoffs.

The Patriots are having a strong season as they sit atop the AFC with a 9-1 record on the year. They are almost a touchdown favorite against the Cowboys. There is no doubt this will be a tough game for the Cowboys, but it is certainly a game they are capable of winning. Last year, they faced a red-hot New Orleans Saints team that had won 10-straight games. With the help of a strong defensive performance, they shut down one of the league’s best offensive teams, holding on to get a 13-10 victory over the Saints. It was a statement game that sent the message that they could hang with anyone. The Cowboys finished the season strong winning seven of their last eight games, with the victory over the Saints being square in the middle of that run.

Beating the Patriots would certainly send a statement as well, but a road victory in Foxboro could mean much more than that. If the Cowboys are going to eventually get over the hump and move on to higher levels of success, there is always a signature moment that leaves people talking for years to come. A turning point. That one moment in time where things change.

This Cowboys team is on the verge of doing something special. We just don’t know when it’s going to actually happen. The ups and downs of the season has made us question whether 2019 will be the year. Beating a good Patriots team could be the catalyst this team needs to shoot them full of confidence and make them believe that a championship is theirs for the taking.

New England has won 10 straight divisional titles. They’ve won the last five contests between these two teams as you’d have to go all the way back to 1996 the last time the Cowboys beat them. That’s a long time. In 1996, people were doing the “Macarena” and Jerry Maguire was rocking the box office. A win over the Patriots would not only end that long drought, but it could serve as the catalyst the Cowboys need to ascend back to the elite echelon.

Is that getting ahead of ourselves a bit? Absolutely, but it has to start somewhere. Imagine this...

• Sunday early games, the Eagles lose to a Seahawks team that has won six of their last seven games.
• Sunday afternoon games, the Cowboys beat the Patriots.
• Cowboys take a two-game lead with a tiebreaker advantage.

How would that make you feel, Cowboys Nation?

If Dak Prescott comes out and shreds one of the best defensive teams in the league, it’s a big deal. And the rest of the league will take notice that these Dallas Cowboys are in it to will in.

(GIF courtesy of ESPN via Facebook)