December is not as bad as you have been led to believe - either historically, or this season. That is to say, these Cowboys are not as automatically bad in December as people say - especially compared to past Cowboys teams - nor is the December schedule as tough as we have been told.
 
I covered the team's December history in some detail last year, but here is the short version: in 31 years since the NFL went to the 16 game season, the Cowboys have won more than two of their final four games only eight times. They won a Super Bowl two of those years. They won two or fewer in a play-off year ten times. They won one Super Bowl and went to three championships in those years. The bottom line is that even good Cowboys teams have struggled in some Decembers, and losing Decembers are not unique to this generation of Cowboys.
 
Looking only at the Tony Romo "era," the only reason they lost two December games in 2007 is that they never tried to win a season-ender that meant nothing to the play-off seedings. Their opponent, on the other hand, needed a win to make the play-offs. As a fan, I hate "meaningless" games, but the strategy is a common one. The Cowboys were 3-1 after Thanksgiving in games that mattered that year, then took the final game off. That is not a December collapse, and there is no reason to think a December collapse is a given with this team. The 2008 team had problems all year long - they did not suddenly become bad in December.
 
So what about this year? We keep hearing that this is the toughest stretch of the year, and, while that may be true, I don't see any of these games as "unwinnable." As always, I am not making a prediction. I really believe in that "any given Sunday" cliché. I hardly think of any game as an upset. But you still have to consider what is likely to happen. So let's look at the upcoming opponents.
 
@ Giants. The Giants are 1-5 in their last six games, and were saved by the overtime coin toss after a fourth quarter collapse in their one win. I said after the first Cowboys-Giants game that neither team should feel good about that game. Think about it: despite four Cowboys turnovers and a missed field goal, the Giants gave up 250+ yards on the ground and needed a last second field goal to win by two points. All but one of their scores came on a short field. They were far from dominating. Just one fewer mistake by the Cowboys likely changes the outcome. As for the upcoming game, Tony Romo has never lost at the Meadowlands, and Eli Manning now has injuries in both feet. Tough game? Sure. But not scary.
 
Chargers. This is a team that reminds me in some ways of the Cowboys. They have some playmakers, and they can be explosive. They also sometimes struggle, or even lose, in games they "should" win. Can they beat the Cowboys? Sure. But this looks like a pretty even match-up to me, and the Cowboys are at home.
 
@ Saints. Okay, they look pretty scary, and this will be a road game in a stadium that has spooked the Cowboys in the past. Nevertheless, sometimes streaks matter most because you know they have to end. Will the Saints go undefeated? That's a very rare feat. Somebody will probably beat them this season. Why not the Cowboys? Seriously, why not?
 
@ Redskins. Well, we have the freaky rivalry thing going in this game, so even though this one should be easy, it likely won't be. After all, the Super Bowl Champs of 1995 chalked up four losses all year - two of them to the 6-10 Redskins. The 1-15 Cowboys of 1989 beat nobody in the league but the 10-6 Redskins. So flip a coin on this one. But even on a coin flip, you have a 50/50 chance.
 
Eagles. There is a chance, I'd say a good chance, that this game will not matter. But I hope it does matter - to the Eagles. The Cowboys have already beaten the Eagles once this year, and it is a home game. Tough game? Sure. Scary? No. And it it would be poetic justice to ruin their season.