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Todd Archer, ESPN Staff Writer
FRISCO, Texas — Maybe you have seen Dak Prescott‘s commercials for a national bed manufacturer once or a thousand times over the past few years. The Dallas Cowboys‘ quarterback believes in a good night’s sleep.
With the Cowboys looking to stretch their winning streak at AT&T Stadium to 13 regular-season games with a victory on Thanksgiving against the Washington Commanders, sleep is one of the major factors.
Unlike a lot of teams, coach Mike McCarthy allows the Cowboys to spend the night at home and not at a local hotel before a home game.
“I mean, you’re sleeping in your bed,” Prescott said. “As simple as that.”
The Cowboys changed their normal protocol after their season-opening loss last year to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when they scored just three points. McCarthy imposed an “honor curfew” on nights before home games and they have not lost at AT&T Stadium since.
Players still have the option of staying at the team hotel the night before the game if they choose, but most opt for their own bed.
“That was a cool thing because he put that trust in us to be accountable, to be where we’re supposed to be, to be ready for that next day,” left guard Tyler Smith said. “Him doing that, allows guys to be at home with their families, and that’s been a huge focal point of his — family.”
Like a lot of things, McCarthy points to his time with Marty Schottenheimer in Kansas City from 1993 to 1998 as a reason why he has changed to this approach. The Chiefs slept at home before games under Schottenheimer. When McCarthy was with the Green Bay Packers, he asked his player leadership council if they wanted to sleep at home, and they actually opted to stay at a hotel.
“They didn’t want to sleep at home, just because everything is five minutes away up there, so it’s a different deal,” McCarthy said. “They just liked the routine of it. I just think there’s tremendous benefit of it.”
Whatever the reason why the Cowboys have found success at home, they need it to continue these next three weeks if they want to have a legitimate chance to compete for the NFC East title and perhaps homefield advantage.
After playing the Commanders on Thursday (4:30 p.m. ET, CBS), the 7-3 Cowboys play another Thursday game, versus the Seattle Seahawks. Ten days later, they get a chance to avenge their Week 9 loss to the NFC East-leading Philadelphia Eagles (9-1).
“That’s the oldest formula to me out there: Win all your home games,” McCarthy said. “If you can just split on the road, you’re probably where you need to be to get in the playoffs.”
When owner Jerry Jones dreamed up the concept of AT&T Stadium, it was with the idea of it becoming a difficult place for opponents to play. The initial results didn’t pan out that way. After a 6-2 home record in 2009, the Cowboys lost six, three, four, three, four and seven games at home over the next six seasons.
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Cockcroft: Sky’s the limit for Dak vs. Commanders
Tristan H. Cockcroft previews Dak Prescott’s Week 12 matchup against the Commanders.
Since Prescott’s rookie year in 2016, the Cowboys are 43-18 at home, third best in the NFL to Kansas City and Green Bay. Since McCarthy became the coach in 2020, the Cowboys are 21-8. From November to January over that stretch, they are 10-4 in the regular season at home.
“The energy, the focus is at another level,” defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence said. “In order to get to where we want to go, you definitely have to take care of homefield advantage. I feel like we’re taking more pride in that.”
The Cowboys have averaged more than 93,000 fans in their first four home games. Sometimes, in the past, opposing fans have taken the place over since the $1.2 billion stadium became something of a destination spot. It’s been nothing unusual to see Terrible Towels waved when the Pittsburgh Steelers visited or the cheese heads when the Packers visited.
While a large number of opposing fans might still come to AT&T Stadium, there has been little reason for them to cheer this season. The Cowboys have outscored opponents 160-50 there in their first four games. The closest margin of victory was 20 points (30-10) against the New York Jets.
The points scored and point differential is the largest through four home games since 1973 when the Cowboys called Texas Stadium home. The current win streak is the longest since 1979-1981 when they won 18 straight.
Yet, even if the Cowboys continue to win at home, they might not get the chance to play a postseason game at AT&T Stadium. The only way to guarantee having at least one home playoff game is to win the division.
And that eats Jones.
“When I think about our success, or the result of our success, it hits me right in the face that if you don’t have a certain kind of success, you won’t get a playoff game at home,” Jones said. “That’s a big deal to me. You ask, and I’m saying: That’s a big deal. That’s not Super Bowl, but it’s a pretty significant thing to think about not having a playoff game at home. When I go to camp, I think about that. It’s a big deal.”
In 2007 and 2016, the Cowboys had homefield advantage throughout the playoffs and lost in their first game in the divisional round to the Giants and Packers.
“Those are edges. Miss those trains, you’ve missed a shot,” Jones said. “I haven’t had a chance but twice, I think. My point is, I recognize the train you’ve missed when you don’t get that home field. Of course, you get it all the way through, that’s the height of success for the season.”
The Eagles’ win against the Chiefs on Monday did not help the Cowboys, but, as Prescott has said numerous times this season, they have to run their own race. And for the next three games, the race is at least at home.
“You can feel it in the locker room. Our home locker room, I mean I enjoy it,” McCarthy said. “The music, it starts off in my generation, then by the time they all get there [it’s more present day]. … There’s just a tremendous amount of energy in there. I think that’s a part of it too. I think when you do have a chance to go home, there’s the excitement of getting up and getting going. I think we all sleep better in our own bed.”
