No More Train Wreck

Are these Dallas Cowboys really ready to break the cycle of mediocrity?

If I had to look in the mirror before the start of this Dallas Cowboys season and say, “The Cowboys will be 3-1 after four games,” I couldn’t have done it with a straight face. The Cowboys are now tied for first place in the NFC East with the Philadelphia Eagles, and we must now take a step back and determine if we were wrong about these Cowboys in 2014.

The 3-1 start is the Cowboys’ first 3-1 start since 2008. I doubt anyone thought that would happen after the Cowboys lost to San Francisco to start the season. Sure, the Cowboys ran the ball well, but quarterback Tony Romo threw three interceptions and looked exactly like a guy nine months removed from back surgery should look.

The win over Tennessee was encouraging. The defense dominated the Titans, and the running game didn’t look like fool’s gold after it produced well against the 49ers. The Cowboys then showed guts in beating St. Louis, falling behind by 21 points and rallying to win a game they probably would have lost a year or two ago.

The Cowboys now demand attention for their outstanding play instead of being an outstanding train wreck.

But drilling the Saints 38-17 on Sunday night, a year after the Saints just destroyed the Cowboys in the Superdome in a game that was also on national television? The Cowboys now demand attention for their outstanding play instead of being an outstanding train wreck.

The Cowboys haven’t just bought into the run game after four contests. They’re fully vested. DeMarco Murray leads the NFL in rushing. The offensive line is shoving defenses around. New offensive play-caller Scott Linehan has completely flipped the script and the Cowboys are, finally, balanced.

Romo finally looks like himself. The Cowboys should just stick to the Wednesday core strengthening sessions because they seem to be accelerating Romo’s return to form. His deep ball still isn’t quite back, but he can now elude the rush and throw across his body the way he could last year. Wide receiver Dez Bryant is now ignoring the double teams, keeping his mouth shut and just making plays.

This defense, the one just about everyone thought would simply fall apart like a dollar store pinata, hasn’t. The players don’t impress you individually. But collectively the past three weeks they’ve gotten the job done. The key the past three weeks has been turnovers. The Cowboys have forced seven turnovers in those three games. All three have been wins.

No moment was more crucial on Sunday than midway through the fourth quarter when Cowboys fans started feeling uneasy, with the Saints down 14 and taking over at their own 40-yard line. But the defense stepped up. Sterling Moore broke up a pass. The Cowboys forced Saints quarterback Drew Brees to check down into a pass that had no chance of converting a first down. Then Dallas sniffed out a fake punt with just nine Cowboys on the field.

Last year the Cowboys defense likely would have imploded. That’s what I keep coming back to as I evaluate these Cowboys after four games. The situations that might have destroyed this team a year ago — a lack of commitment to running the football, choking on big leads, falling just short of big comebacks — aren’t happening right now. Maybe they’re just getting lucky.

But maybe they’re not. Perhaps, finally, this team has figured something out. If nothing else, through four games, they’ve bestowed upon their fans an optimism that, frankly, no one could have anticipated this time last month. Since 1990 teams that have started 3-1 reach the postseason 63 percent of the time.

Are the Cowboys a playoff team? Not yet. Have they improved their chances? Definitely. Have they become a team that you don’t have to cover your eyes to watch?

Finally.

DeMarco Murray leads the NFL in rushing.

Photo courtesy of Dallas Cowboys

DeMarco Murray leads the NFL in rushing.

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for the win

Cheer on these Texans competing for Team USA in the 2026 Winter Olympics

Amber Glenn, 2026 Winter Olympics figure skater from Plano

teamusa.com/

Plano's famous figure skater Amber Glenn is on the roster.

The XXV Winter Olympic Games, also known as the Milano Cortina 2026, are right around the corner, running February 6-22 in northern Italy. Out of the 2,900 athletes who will participate in this year's Games, 232 will represent the U.S., with four hailing from the Lone Star State.

North Texans will recognize two local athletes in particular: Ice hockey player Hannah Bilka, who grew up in Coppell, and Plano's record-breaking figure skater Amber Glenn. Another figure skater, Emily Chan, also has ties to Dallas-Fort Worth.

To catch these Texas-born athletes in the 2026 Winter Olympics, viewers can tune in to NBC and its affiliate networks, websites, and apps (like Peacock).

Without further ado, these are the Winter Olympians competing for Team USA with roots in Texas. (Note that there are other athletes with Texas ties, like Jake Oettinger of the Dallas Stars, who are competing in the Olympics but aren't considered Texans.)

Hannah Bilka, 24
Sport: Ice hockey
Texas tie: Bilka grew up in Coppell and is the youngest of four children. At age six, she followed in the footsteps of her older brother, Anthony, and started playing hockey. Due to a "lack of girls’ hockey teams in Texas," she grew up playing hockey with boys.
Fun facts: She won the 2024 National Championship in women’s ice hockey with the Ohio State Buckeyes, the same university where she earned a master's degree in sport management. Her two older sisters, Christina and Stephanie, were figure skaters.
When to watch: The women's ice hockey preliminary round begins on Thursday, February 5. The women's bronze and gold medal matches will take place on Thursday, February 19.

Hannah Bilka, 2026 Winter Olympics hockey player Hannah Bilka is one of two North Texans competing in this year's Games.Photo courtesy of Getty Images

Emily Chan, 28
Sport: Pairs figure skating
Texas tie: Chan hails from Pasadena, a Houston-area suburb in Harris County, but she also calls Dallas home. She graduated from Texas Online Preparatory School as the valedictorian.
Fun facts: She loves to cook, bake, make jewelry, and dreams of opening her own café in the future. Her longtime skating partner, Spencer Akira Howe, is from Los Angeles. They both relocated to train at the Skating Club of Boston in 2019, where Chan now coaches young figure skaters. Chan is also pursuing a family and marriage counseling degree from Grand Canyon University.
When to watch: The figure skating "team event" kicks off on Friday, February 6. The pairs figure skating competition begins on Wednesday, February 16.

Emily Chan, 2026 Winter Olympics figure skater In addition to being a top-notch figure skater, Emily Chan is also trained in Chinese modern dance and ballet.teamusa.com/

Amber Glenn, 26
Sport: Singles figure skating
Texas tie: She was born in Plano, and started skating at just five years-old.
Fun facts: Glenn is a mental health advocate and a member of the LGBTQ+ community. She came out as pansexual in 2019. She loves to play Magic: The Gathering, and her dog, Uki, is named after stalking shadow card Ukkima. She also enjoys anime and Star Wars. On Friday, May 29, Glenn will visit Allen during the 2026 Stars on Ice Tour.
When to watch: The figure skating "team event" kicks off on Friday, February 6. The women's singles free skate competition begins Thursday, February 19.

Amber Glenn, figure skating Plano's Amber Glenn will have the Dallas-Fort Worth crowd on its feet. Facebook/ISU

Boone Niederhofer, 32
Sport: Bobsledding
Texas tie: Niederhofer grew up in San Antonio, and later became a wide receiver at Texas A&M University. His father, Dan, played football for Abilene Christian University. Niederhofer and his family previously lived in Midland .
Fun facts: Niederhofer has a degree in petroleum engineering and worked in Texas' oil and gas industry while competing in bobsledding competitions.
When to watch: The bobsled competition begins on Sunday, February 15. The men's two-man heat will take place on Tuesday, February 17, and the men's four-man heat is scheduled for Sunday, February 22.

Boone Niederhofer, 2026 Winter Olympics bobsledder Boone Niederhofer is a former Texas A&M University football player.Photo courtesy of Getty Images

winter olympics olympics texas amber glenn figure skating