Cowboys finished 12-5 & have the 3rd seed
in the NFC playoffs.

6 of the Cowboys 2021 Opponents made
it to the playoffs, the Cowboys 3-4 versus
those teams (wins over Patriots & 2 over
Eagles, losses to Bucs, Chiefs, Cardinals,
& Raiders).

~~~

Final Records of Cowboys 2021 Opponents ...121-117 ... .508

~~~

Bucs (won finale) ......... 13-4 includes win over Cowboys, NFC seed 2
Chiefs (won finale) ....... 12-5 includes win over Cowboys, AFC seed 2
Cardinals (lost finale) ... 11-6 includes win over Cowboys, NFC seed 5
Raiders (won finale) ...... 10-7 includes win over Cowboys, AFC seed 5
Patriots (lost finale) ...... 10-7 includes loss to Cowboys, AFC seed 6
Eagles (lost finale) ........ 9-8 includes 2 losses to Cowboys, NFC seed 7
Chargers (lost finale) .... 9-8 includes loss to Cowboys
Saints (won finale) ........ 9-8 includes loss to Cowboys
Vikings (won finale) ...... 8-9 includes loss to Cowboys
Falcons (lost finale) ...... 7-10 includes loss to Cowboys
Broncos (lost finale) ...... 7-10 includes win over Cowboys
Washington (won finale) 7-10 includes 2 losses to Cowboys
Panthers (lost finale) ..... 5-12 includes loss to Cowboys
Giants (lost finale) ......... 4-13, includes 2 losses to Cowboys

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observer <prohumanistfreelover@gmail.com> writes:

> Cowboys finished 12-5 & have the 3rd seed
> in the NFC playoffs.
>
> 6 of the Cowboys 2021 Opponents made
> it to the playoffs, the Cowboys 3-4 versus
> those teams (wins over Patriots & 2 over
> Eagles, losses to Bucs, Chiefs, Cardinals,
> & Raiders).
>
> ~~~
>
> Final Records of Cowboys 2021 Opponents ...121-117 ... .508
>
> ~~~
>
> Bucs (won finale) ......... 13-4 includes win over Cowboys, NFC seed 2
> Chiefs (won finale) ....... 12-5 includes win over Cowboys, AFC seed 2
> Cardinals (lost finale) ... 11-6 includes win over Cowboys, NFC seed 5
> Raiders (won finale) ...... 10-7 includes win over Cowboys, AFC seed 5
> Patriots (lost finale) ...... 10-7 includes loss to Cowboys, AFC seed 6
> Eagles (lost finale) ........ 9-8 includes 2 losses to Cowboys, NFC seed 7
> Chargers (lost finale) .... 9-8 includes loss to Cowboys
> Saints (won finale) ........ 9-8 includes loss to Cowboys
> Vikings (won finale) ...... 8-9 includes loss to Cowboys
> Falcons (lost finale) ...... 7-10 includes loss to Cowboys
> Broncos (lost finale) ...... 7-10 includes win over Cowboys
> Washington (won finale) 7-10 includes 2 losses to Cowboys
> Panthers (lost finale) ..... 5-12 includes loss to Cowboys
> Giants (lost finale) ......... 4-13, includes 2 losses to Cowboys
>
> --- --- ---

IMO you should double-count the divisional opponents for an effective
opposition record of 141-148. OTOH I believe when you count these things
you should not count the games you played, so make that 136-136. In
other words, on a weighted basis, the opposition was exactly 50% in
games against other opponents. Can't ask for a more even schedule than
that.

On Monday, January 10, 2022 at 12:07:01 AM UTC-6, Eddie Grove wrote:

> observer <prohumanis...@gmail.com> writes:
..> > Cowboys finished 12-5 & have the 3rd seed
..> > in the NFC playoffs.
..> >
..> > 6 of the Cowboys 2021 Opponents made
..> > it to the playoffs, the Cowboys 3-4 versus
..> > those teams (wins over Patriots & 2 over
..> > Eagles, losses to Bucs, Chiefs, Cardinals,
..> > & Raiders).
..> >
..> > ~~~
..> >
..> > Final Records of Cowboys 2021 Opponents ...121-117 ... .508
..> >
..> > ~~~
..> >
..> > Bucs (won finale) ......... 13-4 includes win over Cowboys, NFC seed 2
..> > Chiefs (won finale) ....... 12-5 includes win over Cowboys, AFC seed 2
..> > Cardinals (lost finale) ... 11-6 includes win over Cowboys, NFC seed 5
..> > Raiders (won finale) ...... 10-7 includes win over Cowboys, AFC seed 5
..> > Patriots (lost finale) ...... 10-7 includes loss to Cowboys, AFC seed 6
..> > Eagles (lost finale) ........ 9-8 includes 2 losses to Cowboys, NFC seed 7
..> > Chargers (lost finale) .... 9-8 includes loss to Cowboys
..> > Saints (won finale) ........ 9-8 includes loss to Cowboys
..> > Vikings (won finale) ...... 8-9 includes loss to Cowboys
..> > Falcons (lost finale) ...... 7-10 includes loss to Cowboys
..> > Broncos (lost finale) ...... 7-10 includes win over Cowboys
..> > Washington (won finale) 7-10 includes 2 losses to Cowboys
..> > Panthers (lost finale) ..... 5-12 includes loss to Cowboys
..> > Giants (lost finale) ......... 4-13, includes 2 losses to Cowboys
..> >
..> > *--- --- ---*

/> IMO you should double-count the divisional opponents for an effective
/> opposition record of 141-148. OTOH I believe when you count these things
/> you should not count the games you played, so make that 136-136. In
/> other words, on a weighted basis, the opposition was exactly 50% in
/> games against other opponents. Can't ask for a more even schedule than
/> that.

Good points. I'd add that their overtime loss
to the Raiders was to a team that had an
amazing 4-0 record in overtime games and
a 5th game they won on the final play.

The Cowboys loss to the Bucs, a non-call on
a critical offensive pass interference (a bla-
tantly incorrect call in my opinion) was com-
plicit in that 2 point loss.

The loss to the Cards, they were outplayed
-but- bad officiating played a large role, espe-
cially the non-call on a Cards fumble which
the Cowboys recovered with over 2 minutes
remaining.

So, hedging, I'd say the Cowboys came very
close to a 15-2 record, but as they say, if ifs
& buts were candies & nuts, we'd all have a
merry christmas (made famous by ex-Cow-
boys QB great Don Meredith):
https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/47182/origin-of-the-idiom-if-ifs-and-buts-were-candy-and-nuts

The aphorism was coined by the Dallas Cow-
boys quarterback, Don Meredith, who later
became a sports commentator for the TV
show Monday Night Football in 1970.

17 December 1970, Ada (OK) Evening News,
pg. 7, col. 1:

Howard Cosell: “If Los Angeles wins, it’s a
big one, but San Francisco is still very much
in it.”
Don Meredith: “If ifs and buts were candy and
nuts, we’d all have a merry Christmas.”
Howard: “I didn’t think you’d remember that
old canard.”
Don: “Is that what it was?”

Source: Barry Popik.com

The 1970 quip soon became Meredith's catch-
phrase, but it was a modern and comical twist
on a much older proverb dating from the 19th
century

“If ifs and ands were pots and pans, there’d be
no work for tinkers’ hands”
Oxford Reference

This proverb is used as a humorous retort to
someone expressing a forlorn regret (e.g. if only
I had the money...) or an unrealistic and perhaps
over optimistic condition (... and if I had the right
connections, I could be famous.) ...

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