What doesn't kill you makes you stronger: Do tougher practices equal tougher Cowboys?

USA Today

3 days ago

Let's face it, the Dallas Cowboys have been pretty soft as of late. It was a trait dating back before even the Dan Quinn era. They were said to be front runners, big play hunters, players more interested in making a splash than executing the assignment. They were undisciplined and untough.
Based on their matchups against the NFL's most physical teams over the past few seasons, it's hard to argue to the contrary. Some of their most embarrassing losses, playoffs and otherwise, have occurred because they were simply out-physicalled on the field.
As Bob Dylan famously said, 'the times, they are a-changin.'
These are not Mike McCarthy's Cowboys. These are not Jason Garrett's Cowboys. They definitely aren't Wade Phillips' Cowboys. You probably have to go back to Bill Parcells to find a training camp that hits like this one.
It's according to plan for first year head coach Brian Schottenheimer. He's seen the dearth of toughness in Dallas. He's seen the undisciplined nature of the team. He's even witnessed the tail between the legs. He's seen everything we as fans and media have seen and he's not going to put up with it.
Changing a culture isn't an easy task. It takes a lot more than changes in practice structure or degree of contact in camp to change a culture. It takes changes in mindset and stubborn competitiveness at every corner. Schottenheimer has fostered a competitive environment every step of the way. From positional dry board competitions to film room competitions, to games on the field, to athletic feats in the locker room, Schottenheimer has them competing.
A shift such as this is not without its consequences. The Cowboys have suffered a rash of injuries since training camp began in late July. With a handful of players still working back from offseason surgeries, some position groups have been operating as a skeleton crew in Oxnard.
Don't get the wrong idea, this isn't a recreation of Red Bryant's Junction Boys or anything. There's no negligence or heartless brutality, but there is an obvious uptick in physicality and contact. It's led to bad blood and fights along the way, which can be seen as a step in the right direction and simultaneously a step in the wrong direction.
There's no perfect way to handle a culture change such as this but it's an issue that Schottenheimer seems hellbent on addressing. The Cowboys avoided disaster when a perceived ACL injury turned into a simple (simple?) fracture for starting left tackle Tyler Guyton. The prognosis went from one season lost to one game lost in an instant and puffed air back into a suddenly deflated fanbase. To some it could have been seen as a learning opportunity or a shot across the bow. But not to Schottenheimer.
The close call for Guyton served as a reminder what the cost can be for operating a hard-nosed training camp such as this. Injuries are unavoidable in all formats but the link between an increase in physicality and an increase in injury isn't a hard one to make. So, is it worth it?
Go watch the Buffalo game from 2023, or the wild card playoff game from season, or any of the San Francisco games over the last few years before you answer that question. Now...is it worth it?
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