Close-knit Cowboys have enjoyed a lovely season
There are three tenets to winning football that coach Jason Garrett has emphasized most with the Dallas Cowboys in 2014: winning the turnover battle, limiting big plays on defense and winning the fourth quarter.
But love is what has carried the Cowboys from training camp to the NFC East title and their first trip to the playoffs since 2009.
“The thing that this team has done more than anything else is it’s a group of guys who really love to play football,” Garrett said. “They show that every day. A lot of people say, ‘I love the game. I love to play.’ But do you show it every day? Do you show it every day in practice and every drill that you do? And certainly, do you show it on Sundays when there is an opportunity?
“It’s a close-knit group who comes to work every day and loves to play and care about each other — all of those positive things. I think we tried to continue to build that throughout the season and I think they embraced that.”
To Garrett, love is an action word and the Cowboys have showed it in how they practice, how they play and how they come to work.
“I think they enjoy being around each other in this building. They work very hard in meetings, walk-throughs, weight room and certainly on the practice field. What we try to do as a coaching staff is challenge our players every day. We try to make it hard on them. And we believe that that brings the best out of the individual players and the best out of the units and ultimately the best out of our football team,” Garrett said. “We still do one-on-ones, pass rush, red zone.
“I think it feeds on itself and you have great examples of veteran leadership on your team.”
The Cowboys’ ability to embrace the love has allowed them be successful in the fundamental tenets of winning that has allowed them to improve from 8-8 the past three years to a 12-4 playoff team.
The Cowboys forced 31 turnovers, the second most in the league and most for the team since 2006.
“Again, that’s a mentality, that’s a mindset,” Garrett said. “The best teams I’ve been around were great finishers — the runners finished, the linemen finished, the great tacklers. That’s what this game is all about. You’ve got to finish the job, each play, each series, each game and certainly over the course of the season.
“I think to your point, the championship teams, by definition, finish well.”
But it all starts with love.
Melton transaction
How bad did defensive tackle Henry Melton want to come home and play for the Dallas Cowboys?
The former Grapevine star signed an incentive-laden, make-good contract that was essentially a one-year deal dressed up in a four-year package.
Melton’s homecoming was almost preempted from the start as he never fully recovered from a left knee injury that sidelined him in 2013 and now his stay in Dallas may be over after being placed on injured reserve Tuesday, sidelining him for the playoffs.
Per a source, Melton suffered a severe bone bruise in his right knee that is close to a fracture in the regular season finale against the Washington Redskins.
The Cowboys signed linebacker James Anderson to take his place on the roster for Sunday’s wild card game against the Detroit Lions.
The move has a taste of finality, considering the team will likely decline the option to pick up the final three years of his contract that would guarantee him $9 million in 2015.
“I can’t think about that,” Melton said. “I love it here in Dallas, love the fans, love everything. So right now we’re just working for this playoff push and take it one day at a time.”
Clarence E. Hill Jr.,
817-390-7760
Twitter: @clarencehilljr
This story was originally published December 30, 2014 at 9:00 PM with the headline "Close-knit Cowboys have enjoyed a lovely season."