Day after reactions can be extreme and even misleading. Still, after the disappointing loss to the Green Bay Packers, it is no question that the Dallas Cowboys came crashing down to earth. A slow start, some bad miscues, and the seemingly inevitable penalties in critical situations resulted in a disheartening loss. Most glaring, perhaps, was how the vaunted defense under Dan Quinn could not protect a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter. Now the team faces some harsh and unwanted realities, plus some new questions.
A wild card bid may be the only remaining path
The way the Cowboys got to 6-2 before the bye started to seduced fans into feeling real optimism and even a touch of excitement about this team.