The secret ingredient that could be fueling Cowboys as they look to extend NFL’s longest home winning streak

FRISCO, Texas —  There are a variety of NFL teams that get an excellent quantity of exposure for ferocious home environments and the on-field luck that happens of their stadiums. The Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium and the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field are two that come to thoughts. However, neither of the ones groups has the NFL’s longest energetic home winning streak. That belongs to the citizens of AT&T Stadium, the Dallas Cowboys, who’ve gained 10 immediately video games there courting again to final season. 

The Cowboys (4-2) have best performed two video games at home this season, however either one of them had been a masterclass in domination towards a few AFC East foes: a 30-10 Week 2 win over the New York Jets and a 38-3 Week 4 victory over the New England Patriots. Present in either one of the ones victories had been takeaways galore on protection complimented via mistake-free offense: The Dallas protection has compelled seven turnovers (six interceptions and one compelled fumble) whilst the Cowboys offense hasn’t dedicated a turnover in the ones two contests. That complimentary soccer is why the Cowboys have allowed the fewest issues in step with sport at home this season (6.5) and moderate the best time of ownership (38:42) of any NFL team in their very own development in 2023. 

AT&T Stadium, most certainly most famed for its massive jumbotron, can hang up to 105,000 other people, together with status room best tickets, and has had a bit over 93,000 fanatics in attendance on the Cowboys’ two home video games this season. Dallas is averaging 93,704 fanatics in step with home sport this season, essentially the most within the NFL. They will play host to the 3-4 Los Angeles Rams of their Week 8 sport on Sunday afternoon.

If the Cowboys defeat the Rams, their eleventh immediately home win would mark their longest streak for the reason that 1991-92 season, a part of their first of 3 Super Bowl seasons within the Nineties.

Cowboys via location this season

*Best in NFL

“Well, I think there’s a number of things,” head trainer Mike McCarthy mentioned Wednesday when requested concerning the crew’s luck at home. “I think number one as far as the fans, the environment that we are able to compete in, and the opposing team likes to come to Dallas, too. So it always creates a very, very competitive environment. At AT&T Stadium, I think the biggest thing, I do believe your preparation, your flow into the game helps you. We’ve changed their home routine up a few times, and I feel like we’re synched and the players are in a good mood. This is our first noon game, so we need to make sure we’re on top of that this week. I think routine helps everybody. The fan base, the environment and the importance of winning at home.”  

McCarthy, who’s in his thirtieth yr as an NFL trainer and his seventeenth as an NFL head trainer, made two key adjustments to his crew’s home sport preparation regimen final season that have helped give a contribution to the 10-game home winning streak: permitting avid gamers to sleep at home as a substitute of a crew resort, and ensuring all in their crew conferences are achieved via Saturday afternoon. Many NFL groups have their complete crew sleep at a resort and bus into the stadium for home video games so as to ensure that each participant is accounted for the evening earlier than a sport. McCarthy has opted to supply Cowboys avid gamers the choice to be at their very own position or keep at a crew resort, a freedom that is obviously having certain effects. 

“A couple of things,” McCarthy mentioned when requested what has modified with their regimen. “The opportunity to sleep in your own bed, but that was a big change. The irony of it is the first place I worked at in Kansas City was for Marty Schottenheimer, where he was a big believer in it. So, giving guys the opportunity to sleep at home, whether it’s a false confidence or whatever, it’s worked. The numbers support the changes that we made and when we made them.”

In previous years, McCarthy would attempt to squeeze in last-second conferences within the ultimate hours earlier than kickoff on Sundays. He now makes positive the ones conferences are concluded over the process the day Friday and completed Saturday mornings.

“It just made it flow better where guys can get into the routine because I have thresholds in everything we do as far as our scheduling. I’m a big believer in the 24-hour time clock, 48-hour time clock. So 24 hours before the game, all their physical activity is done. It’s their mental and emotional time to get ready. I think there has to be a switch or a stopping point because as a young coach I was the total opposite as a quarterbacks coach. I was having quarterback meetings two hours before the game to review the first 15 [plays], and then I look back on it and that wasn’t the right thing to do. The Saturday night meetings got to be overwhelming and too long. So, I’ve tried it the other way is my point. I know this works better. The reality of it is those extra meetings I was talking about, we just pushed them into Friday and Saturday morning. So, we still get it done, it’s just a matter of when. The longer these seasons get, particularly getting into playoff runs year after year, you have to be really cognizant of that.”

Having the power to sleep at home as opposed to a resort on your home town does not sound like too large of a distinction at the floor, however the Cowboys avid gamers relish the privilege of having the ability to accomplish that.  

“It feels good,” 29-year-old protection Jayron Kearse mentioned Wednesday. 

The eight-year NFL veteran performed with the Minnesota Vikings (2016-19) and the Detroit Lions (2020) earlier than signing with Dallas in 2021, so he has more than one league reviews to evaluate what the Cowboys do now with reference to the avid gamers having a collection of the place to spend their weekend prior to home video games. 

“I get to be at home with my kids, family and sleeping in my own bed, so that’s something that’s definitely been different,” Kearse mentioned. “Through my career, being at Minnesota and in Detroit, we never had anything like this, and it just goes to show that Coach [McCarthy] trusts us, as a team to do the right things when we have that little time after we do our practice on Saturday to get ready to get our mindset right for that game on Sunday. It’s just, it’s something that’s been tremendous for me being an older guy being able to be around my family, throughout the whole entire time.”

Despite not staying within the crew resort, Kearse nonetheless has an expert determine tracking his bedtime. 

“My fiancé is in charge of the curfew,” Kearse mentioned. “She tells me and all of my sons when it’s time to get to bed and go to sleep. I’m in the bed [at around 10 p.m.], watching TV. I watch a little film, but I’m chilling.”

The skill to force himself to AT&T Stadium in his personal automobile as a substitute of desiring to hop on one among a couple of buses is every other perk that does not get taken with no consideration. 

“I drive to the stadium,” Kearse mentioned. “It just goes to show that Coach Mike trusts us to do the right thing the night before the game. So far, we’ve done that. We have to continue to do that because this is a privilege. It’s not a given that we get to stay at home and be around our family. We just have to continue to treat it as a privilege because it’s not a given.”

The Cowboys also are coming off their bye week in Week 8 well-rested as a result of McCarthy’s consider in his avid gamers to maintain industry clear of the power. 

“The bye week is always good,” Micah Parsons mentioned Wednesday. “Mike [McCarthy] usually gives us more time than most places because he knows how much [the season] wears on you throughout the year. I thought the bye week was good, productive and fun. I was here for a little bit playing some 2K and Madden and then I went back to Harrisburg [in Pennsylvania] and watched my son play football, so that’s good.”

The Cowboys have 5 in their subsequent seven video games at home, beginning with the Rams. Sitting only one sport within the loss column at the back of the NFC-leading Philadelphia Eagles (6-1) within the convention standings, they are properly acutely aware of the chance this portion of the 2023 agenda items. 

“I spoke on it before the bye week. … We definitely want to take advantage of it,” McCarthy mentioned in their upcoming stretch of home video games. “There are characteristics, patterns and things that will always occur in September. More games are lost in the National Football League than they are won [in September]. Now, your productivity, continuity and consistency needs to take a big step here.”

“It’s going to be huge,” Kearse mentioned. “The numbers show that we’re a better team at home. It’s time to go put the numbers to the test.”