COWBOYS
Cowboys face Thursday night disadvantage for first time in franchise history
The Dallas Cowboys are dealing with a short week after two tough losses as they face the New York Giants on the road this Thursday.
It’s always a disadvantage for NFL teams to have short weeks, but in the case of the Dallas Cowboys, their Thursday night game couldn’t have come at a worse time. They are coming off two consecutive losses and must shake it off and move forward by tomorrow when they face their NFC East rivals New York Giants on the road.
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Cowboys face unique TNF disadvantage
But while short weeks are not unique to any team, there is one disadvantage that the Dallas Cowboys will be dealing with for the first time ever. According to their PR department, when the Cowboys head to New York to face the Giants on Thursday, it will mark their first-ever road game on three days’ rest.
All of the other 31 NFL teams have played at least six road games on a Thursday night after having played the previous Sunday. Part of the reason the Cowboys have been able to dodge this fate is that they play at home every Thanksgiving, which falls on a Thursday of course. And for many years, their next Thursday game would be the following week, which gave them the typical six days to get ready for it.
“I think it’s like everything: The first time you go through it, you have a different feeling about it,” said Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy. “It’s just a part of the deal.”
The Cowboys have a lot of challenges to overcome as they face the Giants on this short week. Both teams are 1-2 with their single victory coming against the Cleveland Browns. Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott’s record against the Giants is encouraging. In 14 games against their NFC East foes, Prescott has lost just two, both in his rookie season.
However, the 12-7 record of home teams in Thursday games (with the exception of the season opener) last year is much less encouraging. The Cowboys have a lot to play for this week as they look to bounce back from back-to-back home losses. You can follow all the action from the game with our live text updates, brought to you by yours truly, right here on AS USA.