3-Wide: Has the NFL gone overboard with the Cowboys in prime time?
3-Wide is a weekly feature in which theScore's NFL editors debate the hot topics around the league. Grab a cold towel and brace for hot takes.
Were the Panthers right to bench Newton for a dress code violation?
Mitch Sanderson: They didn't necessarily handle it perfectly, but yes, the Panthers were right to bench Cam Newton. The result of the one play he was benched for has pushed this story further into the spotlight than Ron Rivera intended. If the play was a simple handoff and Newton strolled in on the next play, we all would have scratched out heads and shrugged it off. Newton is still a young man who makes mistakes and has learned those mistakes have consequences, big and small. If a team has set rules to enforce being a team, but they don't apply to the star players, then what's the point of having them in the first place?
Arun Srinivasan: Not even remotely, and the asinine sanction backfired against Ron Rivera in the worst possible way. Entering Sunday's game with a 4-7 mark, Rivera chose the most inopportune time in trying to make a statement by benching the reigning MVP. Benching Newton for not wearing a tie displayed that Rivera's doctrine is more important than the team's success. Policing Newton for not wearing a tie may have been the final nail in the Panthers' coffin this year. Let the man wear a t-shirt and sweatpants if he so desires.
Michael McClymont: The crime does not fit the punishment. The matter should have been handled in-house, behind closed doors, and could have been addressed either by shaming Newton in front of the team, or by disciplining him by way of a fine, or excluding him from a practice session, or something. The Panthers are fighting for their playoff lives, so to put the focus anywhere but on winning by sitting him for the first series of a crucial matchup with the Seahawks was foolish. Deservedly so, the Panthers are dealing with the blowback now and realizing it was not something worth drudging up in public.
Which team faces the most pressure over its final four weeks?
Srinivasan: The Denver Broncos face immense pressure in trying to repeat as Super Bowl champions, with the Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs impeding their path to the playoffs. Trevor Siemian is battling through a lingering foot injury, and the team's contingency plan is rookie Paxton Lynch, who's still adapting to the speed of the professional game. Gary Kubiak and John Elway have been afforded plenty of goodwill after winning a title, but anything short of a playoff appearance must be considered a disappointment.
McClymont: Things could be very different in Green Bay next season if the Packers don't run the table and at least slip into the playoffs as a wild card. Packers fans have been blessed and spoiled with a winner for the past seven seasons. There's no telling how they'll handle a losing campaign, especially if they end up conceding the division to the Detroit Lions. The pressure's on for Mike McCarthy and Co. to not waste another year of Aaron Rodgers' prime.
Sanderson: If the Atlanta Falcons aren't careful, they're going to end up right where they were last year, which could mean the end of Dan Quinn's tenure. Starting back-to-back seasons with a 6-2 record and ending them with no playoff appearances is tough to explain. With the Buccaneers breathing down their necks, Atlanta must hold on and with no winning teams on their remaining schedule, there aren't any excuses to be had if they collapse once again.
Has the NFL gone overboard with the Cowboys in prime time?
McClymont: After their nationally televised Thanksgiving Day game and a Thursday Night Football appearance the following week, the Cowboys' next three games will also be in prime time now that their Week 15 game against the Buccaneers has been flexed to Sunday Night Football. But if anyone has earned the spotlight, it's the Cowboys. Riding a franchise-record 11-game winning streak powered by two rookies, Dallas owns the story of the season and it deserves to be shared. Much like the Patriots' epic run to the Super Bowl in 2007, the public wants to see how this thing plays out. The league is merely supplying what the fans are demanding.
Sanderson: The NFL and its partnering broadcasters may be getting a little too greedy with this one (shocking, I know). The Cowboys have a huge fan base and large media market, so ratings aren't likely going to show it, but four national games in a row is too much, especially after they already clinched a playoff berth. Dallas could have a first-round bye wrapped up by Week 16, giving little meaning to that game and, if you haven't noticed, the Cowboys don't play the most exciting brand of football. Yes, they do win, but it's by using a control-the-clock mentality, while they register few turnovers or sacks defensively. Try not to overdo your story lines, NFL.
Srinivasan: Ezekiel Elliott and Dak Prescott's resurrection of the Cowboys has been the NFL's most insatiable storyline, so it's easy to see why they're in the limelight during the final quarter of the year. It's a crushing proposition for egalitarian fans, but simply, the Cowboys put numbers on the boards, impressing the nation, and television executives everywhere, with an explosive offense. Through the first quarters of the season, the Cowboys have been the league's best team, sporting a genuine MVP front-runner in Elliott and the NFL is savvy to capitalize on their surprising success.