Patrik: The easy answer is for them to make the playoffs in his first season, and to do so after experiencing so much adversity on the field and a devastating loss by way of the tragic passing of Marshawn Kneeland, would be nothing short of impressive. Granted, as you noted, the gauntlet awaits the Cowboys coming out of their bye week and, sitting at 3-5-1, the odds of them making the playoffs sit at below 10 percent. That said, the blockbuster addition of Quinnen Williams ties to the additional trade acquisition of Logan Wilson to play him in tandem with a returning DeMarvion Overshown and, well, it’s clear the defense will look wildly different over the second half of the season. If that side of the ball can get anywhere close to the middle of the pack with production, and the offense can wake back up and cut out the penalties, the Cowboys could potentially go on a run between now and late December that could stun NFL fans; and if they were to do that, even if they narrowly miss the playoffs, I’d be willing to argue that while Year 1 under Schottenheimer may not have been a success, it certainly couldn’t be viewed as an outright failure, either.
