Facing a potential 0-2 hole, Dallas must eliminate self-inflicted wounds against Washington to avoid a historical playoff death sentence and silence the growing panic at The Star.
The Dallas Cowboys, as Week 2 approaches with the Washington Commanders coming to AT&T Stadium on Sunday, are on alert. ...
Maybe all the way down to their "tippy-toes.''
After a horrible showing against the New York Giants in a 28-20 Week 1 loss, the Cowboys now face a Washington team that gave Philadelphia all it could handle last week before finally succumbing.
Given how poorly Dallas played at New York, there isn't much confidence right now inside Cowboys Nation that this defense is better than the NFL-worst 2025 edition.
Yes, it's "just one game.'' But that doesn't render it insignificant. ...
Which is why such a premium is being placed on the Cowboys winning on Sunday.
Could you imagine this Dallas team starting 0-2? That's nightmare fuel.
But that feeling of fright exists outside of The Star.
Inside the building? Maybe they are whistling past the graveyard here, but we have heard of the confidence the team has that it can turn things around on defense.
With an 0-2 start looming, is there a more critical sense of urgency in the locker room?
"I wouldn't say so critical to where people are on their tippy-toes, but definitely 'urgent' because it's a division game ...," Pickens said, acknowledging that the same thing was in play against the NFC East rival Giants. "But definitely just be on your P's and Q's.
"I think that's the mindset that people are more honing in now."
The Cowboys cynic has a right to ask, "Why not 'more honing in last week'?''
But here we are.
We've studied the history to know that the odds are stacked against Dallas (and for that matter, against 0-1 Washington) making the playoffs if it starts 0-2; 90 percent of teams that start 0-2 fail to qualify for the postseason.
And seven times in Dallas history, the club has started 0-2 ... with the 1993 Super Bowl team the only playoff club in the bunch.
So yeah, as our Richie Whitt writes, "It feels like it is getting late, early'' for this Cowboys team.
Yes, it is only one game, and that shouldn't be a cause for panic. But there is a difference between "panic'' and "concern'' - concern for how rookie defensive coordinator Christian Parker and his defense will respond, concern about whether Dak Prescott and his offense can live up to its billing, concern that head coach Brian Schottenheimer's much-ballyhooed "Cowboys Culture'' is build on a foundation of Jello.
If in Week 2, Dallas again piles up the penalties, suffers an assortment of self-inflicted wounds and allows itself to look confused while getting bullied?
Dallas' playoff journey might be over before it begins.
So "urgency'' is merited - and yes, maybe Pickens and the Cowboys ought to get way up their on their "tippy-toes.''
