Mike McCarthy’s message to the Cowboys before their second straight Wild Card appearance was for this current team to not worry about the franchise’s past, like their last road playoff win coming after the 1992 season. The more pressing concern going into Monday night may have been their 0-7 career record against Tom Brady, including two regular-season losses in the last two years.
The Cowboys have been at their best this season in games where they have something to prove, playing up to top competition and consistently proving they belong among the league’s best despite chasing the Eagles for the entire regular season.