The Dallas Cowboys brand is one of the most marketable brands (if not the most) the National Football League has at its disposal.
So, it's no surprise that the Cowboys regularly get picked for national television showcase games which are usually played at night.
Factor in the team's resurgence to the top of the NFC standings, and head coach Jason Garrett is left attempting to work out a system to keep his guys fresh while they wait for late kickoffs like Sunday's 8:30pm start against the New York Giants.
“It’s an age-old issue,” Garrett said. “You’re always asking about the schedule to try to make sure your players are at their best when you kick it off. Typically what we’ve done through the years is have some kind of walk-through the day of the night game to get them out of bed, moving around, thinking football and then giving them some times in the afternoon before the pregame meal and getting on the bus and going to the stadium.”
There's at least one player on Garrett's roster that has no problem waiting for night games to get underway.
“Obviously you’re amped for every game, but you know the whole nation is watching,” defensive tackle Nick Hayden said. “It’s even better because you have the showcase and you can show the whole nation what the Cowboys are about.”
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