Dallas City News

Since Mike McCarthy became the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, he’s consistently preached the same word repeatedly—toughness. The word can seem redundant in a sport that demands players to be physically superior to their opponent across from them to win every game.

NFL teams are, by nature, tough. However, it’s more noticeable when a team lacks toughness, and it gets put into question. The 2021 Cowboys hosted a Wild Card game against the San Francisco 49ers and lacked the mental and physical toughness to beat a team that was supposed to be inferior to them.

Fast-forward a few years, and it feels like the Cowboys are stuck in a Dr. Strange time loop of regular-season success only to be disappointed in the playoffs, with the final straw breaking the camel’s back being the home playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers.

These losses have shaken McCarthy’s core philosophy, leaving fans wondering if the Cowboys can ever be the tougher team when it counts.

In a season that seems to be shaping up as a crossroads point for the franchise from all levels, there’s hope the team can return to being the team that McCarthy has always asked them to be.

Preseason games shouldn’t be taken literally but instead focused on specific nuances: how teams line up on offense, what stands out on defense, and who the players are that can make their way onto the roster to be contributors this season.

The Las Vegas Raiders wanted to play their starters on offense and defense for most of the game, while McCarthy and the Cowboys kept the same approach as he did in Week 1 to play backups. For a Raiders franchise that’s built its reputation on fear and always seems to play with a chip on its shoulder, Dallas proved to be a more formidable team.

A team’s ability to respond and be resilient when things get out of hand can show more about their toughness than a linebacker de-cleating a running back. When it felt like the Raiders showed signs of life on offense, the Cowboys defense stiffened and didn’t allow their momentum to continue.

After Andrew Booth allowed a 48-yard reception to the 12-yard line on Las Vegas’ second drive, the ball moved just one more yard before the Raiders were forced to kick a field goal. Las Vegas got within one point late in the third quarter. Dallas’ offense followed it up with a three-and-out, giving the ball back to the Raiders.

Aiden O’Connell was driving the offense down to the Cowboys’ 39-yard line, looking to take the lead when cornerback Kemon Hall intercepted a pass and returned it for a touchdown, extending Dallas’ lead to 20-12.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Dallas run game showed signs of life, headlined by their rookie starters, Tyler Guyton and Cooper Beebe. Both players bring a nastiness to a Dallas offensive line that’s hoped to recapture that magic in one offseason.

The social media clip above shows Beebe “dirting” two defensive starters on one play, exciting Cowboys fans about his development and potential as a Week 1 starter. Guyton continued to show his arrow points up despite coming into his rookie season with the “development” label. He’s put in the work this offseason to prove evaluators wrong.

Even Trey Lance, who continues to be the focus of the offseason, showed some grit and led the Cowboys’ offense on a 14-play, 76-yard drive capped off by a beautiful fade pass to rookie Ryan Flournoy in the endzone.

The preseason is used to evaluate the depth of the roster and identify areas where coaches need to adjust their strategy heading into the season. McCarthy’s message of toughness was loud and clear on the field at Allegiant Stadium Saturday. The Cowboys started to pick up the broken pieces of their identity from a year ago and forge them into something stronger—something tougher.