The Dallas Cowboys are going to be looking to get the bitter taste of the disappointment they suffered at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers last season in the postseason.
Of course, they're right back in it, getting set to take on the ageless wonder Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFL Wild Card round. But they're not heading into the postseason the highest of notes.
Their setback against the Washington Commanders was extremely disappointing and raised doubts as to whether or not their poor play would carry over into the postseason and once again end their campaign early.
But for team owner and general manager Jerry Jones, they're going to be using that as motivation to get back on track when it matters the most.
“We get to suck on that all week,” Cowboys team owner Jerry Jones said in the postgame locker room at FedEx Field. “And if that doesn’t make you want to get ready to go in 6-7 days, nothing else will.
“That was as thorough a butt-kicking as we’ve had this year. And we’re going to find out if that will get you ready or not. It should.”
Head coach Mike McCarthy isn't terribly worried about his team, expressing his confidence that they'll respond accordingly.
“It’s disappointing, no question,” McCarthy said. “The timing of it is not what you’re looking for. I clearly recognize that. But it’s like a lot of things in life: When you get kicked in the ass or punched in the mouth, you have a chance to respond.
“I have great confidence in our football team that we will respond.”
