LeBron James, Ray Lewis, Derek Jeter, Captain America, Batman; the list can easily continue with great team leaders. Every team must have someone to take control and lead.
The Dallas Cowboys have finally had their leader emerge in Jason Witten. The Cowboys have been relying on the young talent in Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, and even Dez Bryant, but they really needed someone to take charge and lead the team.
Jason Witten has stepped into that role. The 35-year-old team veteran called a team meeting after the 37-9 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
He said, “I just felt like we need to know where we’re at, and it’s good to have communication and with my experiences, to understand that nobody said it was going to be easy. It’s going to be hard.”[heading]
Stepping Up
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Dallas Cowboys Tight End Jason Witten. Photo Credit: Keith Allison – Under Creative Commons License
This is showing that someone in the locker room really cares about this team. He is taking control and helping the young guys get and stay on track. Dak Prescott is still young, only in his second year with the team, so he needs the help rounding up the guys and taking charge. Now with Ezekiel Elliott suspended, Dak needs all the help he can get.
“Certainly, we understand where we’re at and what we have to do. It’s clear,” continued Witten. “Our focus going into Thursday on a short week is we have to be able to move forward and process what happened on Sunday and stay together. It was a good visit. I think our guys understand what the task is and where we are in the season. We’re 5-5 and you certainly have to play [the] best football this time of year.”[heading]
Remaining Hopeful
[/heading]This new leadership will be put fully to the test after another blowout loss on Thanksgiving at the hands of the Los Angeles Chargers.
Currently, the offense looks lost. Dak looks lost. He has yet to throw for over 300 yards this season. He hasn’t thrown over 200 yards in the current three-game skid. He has five interceptions with zero touchdowns in that same span. Leadership typically falls on the quarterback, but in the current state of the team, a veteran like Witten will be entrusted to lift up his young quarterback.
Witten looks to help lead the Cowboys to another playoff season. It is still possible for them to claim a wildcard slot. They will need the team to step up. The offense has only scored one touchdown since Elliott’s suspension began. With the leadership of Witten coming into light and the return of Tyron Smith, the Cowboys still have time to recover. But that time is running out, and with the state of how the team has looked over the past three weeks, they may need more than just veteran leadership, they may need a miracle.