NFC East: Cowboys Joined By 'Dumb & Dumber' (And Dumbest) In Playoff Hopes

FRISCO - Though we’re only five weeks in, the Dallas Cowboys are fortunate enough to be trending in the same direction as the NFL’s most putrid quartet of teams.

Welcome to the NFC Least, featuring "Dumb & Dumber ... & Dumberer & Dumberest.''

The NFC East - long heralded as the NFL’s best division - once boasted immortal coaches such as the Cowboys' Tom Landry and Jimmy Johnson, the New York Giants' Bill Parcells and the Washington Redskins’ Joe Gibbs. It has the most Super Bowl appearances (22) and wins (14). But this feels like a replay of 2020, when the Washington Redskins CommandersFootball Team sheepishly won the division with a record of 7-9.

Last Thursday night’s home loss to the previously winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers was inarguably abysmal. But after watching Sunday’s games, every criticism of the Cowboys could be re-routed directly to their rotten divisional rivals.

Inconsistent quarterback play. Bonehead mistakes in clutch moments. Head coaches botching late-game clock management.

Sound familiar?

Remember how we fried the Cowboys’ Brian Schottenheimer for leaving too much time on the clock for the Baltimore Ravens in Brazil? Eagles’ coach Nick Sirianni duplicated the dumbness in Sunday’s eerily similar loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in London.

The Cowboys left seven seconds on the clock and lost an international game by sending a kickoff out of bounds. The Eagles left eight seconds and lost overseas by putting the kickoff in play. Big difference, the Jags had no timeouts.

Dallas lost on a 56-yard field goal as time expired. Philly - after allowing a 53-yard kickoff return - lost on a 57-yarder. 

It’s coaching malpractice. ... across the entire landscape of the division.

Admitted Sirianni, “I didn't make the right decision, and I lost us that game."

Since misery loves company, the Cowboys and Eagles are 2-3 and both staring up at the 3-1-1 Giants. Both New York and Washington also displayed their ineptitude Sunday, each producing unfathomable gaffes in the final moments of a game that ended in a comedy-of-errors, 27-27 tie.

With less than two minutes remaining and the Giants running down the clock before attempting a potential game-winning field goal, running back Cam Skattebo fumbled at Washington’s 24-yard line. But - right on brand in the NFC Least - the Commanders matched the mistake.

Instead of trying a 41-yard field goal on second down in an overtime spot where any score would end the game, the Commanders got too cute. 

Quarterback Jayden Daniels ran around in the pocket trying to gain more yards. He was tackled in bounds and time expired before Washington could get off another snap.

“We all gotta be better situationally,” said Daniels, who really didn't seem to understand what he'd done wrong. “Starts with me.”

Added Commanders’ head coach Dan Quinn, “It falls on me. At the end, I can make life easy there. We didn't need to gain more yards.”

Schottenheimer: "I hurt our chance to win that game.''

Quinn: "It falls on me.''

Sirianni: "I cost us the game.''

Is there an echo in here?

The Cowboys should still be nauseated by losing to the lowly Bucs. But their spirits should lifted by realizing that this division is run by the Four Stooges.

The current leader in the division is quarterbacked by a 12-year journeyman who has a career record of 38-53-1 and once threw 30 interceptions in a season: Jameis Winston.

Combined, the NFC Least is 8-10-1 with a point differential of an embarrassing minus-49. Of the divisions whose teams have played five games, only the AFC South - led by 0-5 Tennessee Titans - has fewer wins. None come close to having as lousy of a point differential.

The Cowboys seemingly also have bumbling bunkmates that will at least keep this NFL season interesting. By being involved in a divisionl where everybody is Dumb and Dumber and Dumberer and Dumbest