Maybe I am not as pessimistic as some, maybe I have my fan blinders on and fail to see the light that reporters have omnipotently reported to be there, but I don’t get why the Cowboys are still not being respected going into the Divisional Round of the Playoffs.

Watching reports on ESPN, and various sports websites to include the Dallas Morning News, and you get several stats pointed out to you. The Cowboys are 1-2 in their last three games, or they are 2-2 in the month of December. Would it be impossible to say the Cowboys are 3-2 in their last five games, or maybe even, God forbid, 13-3 on the season tying them with Green Bay in the NFC for best record?

The Cowboys are 13-3, they lead the NFC in scoring, they have beaten the NY Giants twice already this season, and have put up at least 20 points a game with the exception of two games. That’s not to say that their 13-3 record or sweep of the Giants in the regular season guarantees a victory this Sunday, but it should at least be mentioned.

Through out the history of the NFL only 56 teams have had a chance to beat an opponent three times in the season, and only 11 of those teams actually did it. The Cowboys will have their work cut out for them; this is true, but another thing going unmentioned is that the Cowboys have been doing things all season long that no other Cowboys team has been able to do.

What other Cowboys QB has thrown for over 4000 yards in a single season? What other receiver has caught 15 touchdown passes? What other Dallas tight end has caught 96 receptions in a season and gained 1145 yards? None, other than the 2007 Cowboys’ Tony Romo, Terrell Owens, and Jason Witten. In fact only one other Cowboys team (the 1992 Cowboys) has ended the season with the same record as the 2007 Cowboys at 13-3. So why can’t the Cowboys beat the Giants a third time to be only the 12th team to sweep an opponent three games in a season?

Now I’ll grant a few things. The Cowboys will have to be hungry for the win. They’ll have to come out ready to stop the Giants offense at tall cost. They’ll have to be clicking on offense and hoping that Terrell Owens will be ready to return in time for Sunday’s kickoff. Though, if Terrell Owens is out, that may not mean the end of the Dallas Cowboys, but then the Cowboys will be completely reliant on the progress of Terry Glenn.

All of the negative attention on the Cowboys so far in the post season reminds me of the old Rodney Dangerfield saying, “I get no respect,” because clearly the Cowboys are getting no respect after getting to 13 and 3. If the Cowboys get one more first though, maybe they’ll finally get the respect they deserve.