The Dallas Cowboys own a two-game lead in the NFC East with five left to play.
A win over the division rival Washington Football Team on Sunday would all but lock up the East for Dallas. After ending their two-game losing skid with a Thursday night win over New Orleans, Mike McCarthy is feeling good about his team's chances.
"We're going to win this game," McCarthy stated Thursday. "I'm confident in that."
Such a declaration might irk those lining up across from McCarthy's Cowboys, but the coach didn't allow that to deter him from expressing confidence in his squad.
"What am I supposed to say?" McCarthy asked, via the Dallas Morning News’ Michael Gehlken. "I fully expect to win every game I've ever competed in."
Even after losing two straight at the end of November, McCarthy's team has won two-thirds of the games in which it's appeared this season. It's been a significant turnaround from the Cowboys' struggle to a 6-10 finish in 2020, and has them in position to make a deep playoff run.
Washington, meanwhile, is just focused on trying to reach the postseason for a second straight year. After starting 2-6, the Football Team has won four straight and proven it is capable of triumphing in close contests, taking all but one of those games by a single possession.
The Football Team faces a different beast in the Cowboys, who rank first in total offense, second in scoring, fourth in passing and sixth in rushing. Washington will have to bring its best to defeat its rival this weekend and keep itself in the wild-card race. Currently, Washington is slated to be the sixth seed in the upcoming playoffs.
At 6-6, the Football Team can't afford to lose many more of its remaining games. As for guarantees of victory, Washington isn't going out on a limb. Defensive tackle Jonathan Allen put it best.
"The only guarantee in this world is death and taxes." Allen said, via The Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala
The Football Team will hope to make McCarthy pay for his words on Sunday. McCarthy will be sure to bring his W-2s to the nation's capital.
