Unless we see something drastically different from Matt Cassel and a stagnant offense that’s been held to one touchdown in the last two games and one or less an alarming five times this season, the Cowboys will lose to the Jets Saturday night.
And when that happens, Jerry Jones’ $1.2 billion stadium will officially be a losing proposition.
That’s right, AT&T Stadium is the NFL’s biggest. But its home-field advantage is one of the smallest.
Since moving from Texas Stadium in 2009, the Cowboys are a .500 team in Arlington. In regular-season games they are a meandering 27-27, including an ugly 1-5 this year with the lone victory coming via great escape in the season opener against the Giants way back in September.
Inexplicably, the Cowboys have been better on the road during the same period, going 30-25 including a perfect 8-0 in 2014.
Part of the mediocrity is, of course, that the Cowboys have been an average team wherever they’ve played the last few years. They’re just not that good. Jones’ stadium has seen two NFC East championships and two playoff wins. In seven years. That’s it.
Hardly the return on investment he was looking for, considering the vision including playing (and hosting) a Super Bowl in Arlington.
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But the stadium’s enormity has contributed to the team’s lackluster results. It seats 100,000 fans, which on paper should be intimidating. But in truth the place has the feel of a grand (foot)ballroom. There’s nothing intimate or charming about it. It’s too fancy for football.
Games at AT&T Stadium encourage fans to be cozy rather than crazy.
Bottom after Saturday night: The Cowboys will be losers in their own building.
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 lives in McKinney with his wife, Sybil, and two very spoiled dogs.
