The mentality of Zack Martin will please Cowboys fans
It's been a year, but the sting of the Dallas Cowboys losing their first-round playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers still hurts. The Cowboys were 12-5 and at home, with Super Bowl expectations attached to them. Being defeated by the 49ers was bad enough, but it was the way the Cowboys were beaten that […]
It's been a year, but the sting of the Dallas Cowboys losing their first-round playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers still hurts. The Cowboys were 12-5 and at home, with Super Bowl expectations attached to them.
Being defeated by the 49ers was bad enough, but it was the way the Cowboys were beaten that left many scratching their heads. Cowboys' right guard, Zack Martin, who made his eighth Pro Bowl in nine seasons in 2022, spoke on changing things this time around.
“We got smacked in the mouth last year,” said Martin. “I think this year, we’ve got to put our head down. Opportunities with a team like this don’t come around very often. We have to take advantage of our opportunities. That’s why this week is such a big week for us. We’ve got to get some confidence and some mojo running into the playoffs.”
Dallas was completely manhandled by the 49ers in the one area no team can afford to be dominated in, the line of scrimmage. The 49ers ran the ball down the Cowboys' throats for 169 yards, averaging nearly 4.5 yards per rush. Also, the 49ers' pass rush had a field day recording five sacks and their rush defense only surrendered 77 yards.
Yikes, to say the least.
As this postseason rolls around and seeing the potential playoff opponents for the Cowboys, there are plenty of possible tough trench wars on the horizon for them. So, Martin certainly has the right idea about getting down and dirty and taking the fight to their opponent and setting the tone on Sunday and riding that momentum into the playoffs.
The Cowboys were riding a four-game winning streak when they traveled to battle the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 15. Although they were up by as much as 17, the Cowboys lost in overtime, and nearly ended any chance that they could win the NFC East.
Dallas has turned it around with two consecutive wins. One was against a tough Philadelphia Eagles team and another versus the Tennessee Titans and their second-ranked rush defense. This Sunday, they will have another tough test against the Washington Commanders who rank fourth in yards allowed and fifth versus the pass.
If the Cowboys can achieve victory in Week 18 it will give them three solid wins going into the postseason, and they can still win the NFC East and get one of the top two seeds depending on other outcomes. However, Martin feels the Cowboys needs to have tunnel vision as they hit the road.
"We've just got to control what we can control," said Martin. "We've got to go out there and take care of business on Sunday. Then whatever happens up north, then it happens. Really, we have to control what we can control, and what we can control is go out there and play a good football game on Sunday."
All eyes will be on the Cowboys when the playoffs start, as usual. But make no mistake about it, how they perform on Sunday will be under a microscope as well.
Feature image via Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
