For the first time since Sept. 7 you have a relaxing weekend void of Cowboys’ tension. They are 7-3 heading into their bye week and with Thanksgiving on the horizon and the playoffs a reality, it’s going to be a festive holiday season.
But without a game on Sunday, what are Cowboys fans to do? Root for the Cowboys’ best interests, of course.
A look at this week’s NFL schedule and the rational – and irrational – teams Cowboys fans’ should root for:
Buffalo at Miami: Kyle Orton left us with Brandon Weeden. Here’s hoping he and his mustache get sacked 12 times. Dolphins.
Vikings at Bears: Honestly, I’d rather ogle Kim Kardashian’s bare booty on a magazine cover than watch this epic tilt. But another loss by the Bears would push them to 3-7 and further de-fang their interest in the Cowboys’ visit to Chicago on Dec. 4. Vikings.
Texans at Browns: Anything to keep Johnny Manziel off the field, out of the headlines and away from Jerry Jones’ second thoughts. Browns.
Seahawks at Chiefs: Squinting down the road into the playoffs, the last thing any NFC team wants to do is play in Seattle. Chiefs.
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Falcons at Panthers: Somebody’s gonna win the lousy NFC South and, believe it or not, this winner will still have realistic hopes. In a possible playoff matchup, Cowboys would rather face the team with minimal offensive weapons. Panthers.
Bengals at Saints: Despite the early-season win over New Orleans, avoiding a post-season rematch in the Superdome is preferable. Bengals.
Buccaneers at Redskins: I’ll admit, I’m still not over the Monday Night Football upset overtime loss to Colt McCoy. And obviously I’ll never be over my hatred of the Redskins. And I want 3-6 Washington eliminated and buried by the Cowboys’ Dec. 28 trip to D.C. for the season finale. Buccaneers.
Broncos at Rams: If this was college football we’d root for the Rams in order to boost the Cowboys’ strength of schedule. But it’s not, so let’s just pull for DeMarcus Ware. Broncos.
49ers at Giants: A San Francisco win would breathe life into the Niners’ push for a Wild Card, but it’s worth it since another New York loss would drop the Giants to 3-7 and sap even more of their will in advance of the Cowboys’ Nov. 23 visit. 49ers.
Raiders at Chargers: The more Oakland loses and Dallas wins, the less shallow critics will compare Jerry to Al Davis. Chargers.
Eagles at Packers: It’s nauseating to ever root for Green Bay, but an Eagles’ loss drops them to 7-3 and into a first-place tie with the Cowboys in the NFC East. Hold your nose. Packers.
Lions at Cardinals: Since Dallas already lost to Arizona, catching them for best record in NFC seems unlikely. Plus, playing a potential playoff game in the desert against Drew Stanton isn’t all that daunting. Detroit’s third loss would have beneficial Wild-Card implications for Dallas. Cardinals.
Patriots at Colts: Couple more wins and Indy could have the AFC South and its playoff berth already wrapped up by the time it visits Arlington on Dec. 21. Colts.
Steelers at Titans: Unless they’re playing an NFC East team, we never ever root for Pittsburgh. Got it? Titans.
A native Texan who was born in Duncanville and graduated from UT-Arlington, Richie Whitt has been a mainstay in the Metroplex media since 1986. He’s held prominent roles on all media platforms including newspaper (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Observer), radio (105.3 The Fan) and TV (co-host on TXA 21 and numerous guest appearances, including NBC 5). He currently lives in McKinney with his wife, Sybil, and two very spoiled dogs.
