It’s tough to win in the NFL. Think about that statement and what it signifies, then analyze it in your head. Think about the transition from college to pro ball: a limited number of college players (3 from a school, if they’re lucky) have an opportunity to get drafted into the NFL, and even fewer actually make a roster out of training camp. Of those guys, a very low percentage ever become everyday players for their respective teams. It just goes to back up the statement that it’s tough to win in the NFL. The best of the best, there really aren’t bad players in the league. Are some more talented than others? Sure, but for the most part, the product on the field come Sunday is the finest athletes football can bring.

All that being said, it should come as no surprise there aren’t often undefeated teams in the NFL as there are in college football. It makes the feat the Patriots accomplished in 2007 even more impressive, although they couldn’t finish the deed in the Super Bowl but winning 18 straight games en route to that big stage. Any given Sunday… and that’s exactly what happened to the Dallas Cowboys against the Packers at Lambeau Field this weekend. Never mind the fact that the Cowboys were riding a 4 game winning streak and were possibly due for a clunker in this league of parity, the critics are pointing out that the Cowboys just can’t handle success. It’s almost as if not being able to handle success had something to do with Roy Williams fumbling the ball, or later dropping one that hit him in the palms.Trust me, Williams was trying to maintain possession of the ball, not worrying about what Ed Werder or John Clayton think.

No, this game was much more than that, for anyone who really follows this Cowboys team knows how the season began. There were more questions than answers, and when Miles Austin burst onto the scene, Cowboys fans proclaimed him a savior, seemingly forgetting about all that had happened before, erasing from memory the Broncos game that got away after a goal line offensive gone bad put the Cowboys at a precarious 2-2. A 4 game winning streak and the Cowboys were back in the thick of it after beating the lowly Chiefs, the Falcons, and the Eagles, to name a few. Why, at least 2 of those games had to be statement games, right?. What we forget is that every game in the NFL is a statement game, yet at the same time, you have to go both ways. If the win against the Chiefs wasn’t impressive and the Falcons win was, you have to go back and take stock after a few weeks to determine how much of a barometer those games really were. Since this very Cowboys team dominated the Falcons a few weeks ago, the Falcons have only won 1 of 3 themselves, losing to the Panthers this past Sunday. Those division rival Eagles? They’re still around, but they’re a mere 2-3 in this current 5 game stretch that includes losses to the Raiders, Cowboys, and Chargers. So is the stock rising or falling? It’s a valid question, one that can only be answered with yet another question.

Are these Cowboys really any different than the ones who started the season 2-2? After all, their only losses were narrow losses, and on the same token, they’ve had a few very close victories as well, with games not wrapped up until literally the last second ticked off the clock. With the emergence of Miles Austin, is he a superstar, or did he simply benefit from teams allowing him a free release to hold the likes of Jason Witten and Roy Williams in check? If Austin is to be called a top-flight receiver after a few great outings, shouldn’t he also be criticized for being a virtual non-factor in the game in Green Bay? Austin even dropped a crucial ball and failed to time his jump to get to another Tony Romo throw that was tossed slightly higher to be sure the underneath defenders couldn’t snag one for the other team.

At 6-3, these Cowboys are just good enough to be in the playoff picture, but not good enough to warrant talk of that elusive playoff victory or the upcoming showdown with the NFC-leading New Orleans Saints. At 6-3, the Cowboys are right where they should be. Not too high, not too low, they are where they were when they started the season and most likely will be when the season ends. That is, they can beat any team in the league, but could also lose to any team in the league, just as they did on Sunday at Lambeau. On a weird day all-around, the Cowboys couldn’t overcome miscues or penalties, and by penalties I mean both their own and officiating errors. While the game can’t be pinned solely on the officials, it certainly could have turned out differently if Jeff Triplette’s crew could have merely gotten a few more things right. Not feeling my drift? I’ll start at the beginning.

Moving back to the 2^nd quarter with time running down, the Cowboys punted, and Tramon Williams clearly stepped out of bounds at the 43, yet the ball was marked at the 50. That 48 yard field goal Mason Crosby hit to take a 3-0 lead just before halftime? It sure would have been tougher to get in position even that close if not for the generous spot.

In the 3^rd quarter, Tramon Williams of the Packers was returning a McBriar punt when the ball came loose. McBriar had seemingly pushed the ball out just before Williams was down, Cowboys ball… or was it? The Packers challenged, and out a shotty angle at best, the officials overturned the call, saying the Packers would maintain possession. Since there had been a flag back at the 23 for an illegal block in the back, the Cowboys accepted the penalty. One problem: the ball remained at the 23 and the Packers were allowed to take the ball there despite protests from the Dallas sideline.

Possibly the most egregious error came late in the game when Tony Romo was blindsided and fumbled the ball. Felix Jones clearly recovered and was down before the ball was ripped loose on the ground, but in the NFL’s effort to be sure every play goes to the end and isn’t prematurely blown dead, the officials let the play go, figuring the Cowboys could challenge if need be. The only problem is Jeff Triplette’s crew wasn’t aware that the particular ruling in question is not reviewable, and despite Wade Phillips being told Jones did indeed have possession, the ball would remain with the Packers, giving them an easy chance for the killer score that put them up 17-0 to never look back.

Even further, Mike McCarthy challenged a call without any challenges left, having already challenged twice and losing one. In what should have been an easy call, a delay of game for 15 yards, the entire crew missed the call, and while the NFL has sent a clear message that they will enforce every rule in the book, especially related to replays, they apparently forgot to read the chapter that included being consistent throughout an entire game. None of this even mentions a 23 yard gain on a pass caught by Tashard Choice that was wiped out by the weakest offensive pass interference call I’ve ever seen when Jason Witten was basically shoved into the defender covering Patrick Crayton, which really should have been called on the defense

Officiating aside, the Cowboys lost a lot more than the game Sunday. They lost right tackle Marc Colombo to several injuries to his leg, one of which required surgery to repair ligaments. Without a proven replacement, this Cowboys’ offensive line could be playing musical chairs for the rest of the season in an attempt to find the most effective rotation. Safety Ken Hamlin is out 2-4 weeks with a high ankle sprain after jumping up in celebration after a big hit, only to fall out the ground grabbing his ankle. You just can’t make this stuff up. At one point late in the game, the Cowboys had 4 non-starters in at defensive back, with Hamlin and the top 3 corners on the team on the bench nursing various ailments.The Cowboys were very fortunate to keep Romo in one piece on a day in which he took more sacks than at any time in his career to this point from a team that had been criticized coming into the game for lacking pressure on the quarterback.

No, this team didn’t lose their focus or desire to win this weekend, but in a league where parity reigns, the Cowboys got a dose of the stiff reality that injuries, officiating, and inconsistency happen. In a league that is almost never perfect, the Cowboys fit right in, at least for one week.

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