A funny thing happened on the way to Week 16 for Dallas. Sunday afternoon’s game between the Eagles and Commanders officially eliminated the Cowboys from the postseason, and two of the biggest and most polarizing stars in town grew into undeniable leaders within the organization.

Despite having “nothing to play for,” CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons played with the level of heart rarely seen under these circumstances in professional sports. The two Cowboys superstars have drawn criticism in the past for things ranging from sideline behavior, to on field body language, to selective effort, to comments and attitudes expressed between games. Legitimate or not many fans have grown weary of such antics and voiced displeasure in two of the biggest franchise cornerstones.

It’s unquestionably been a trying season for the Cowboys. Injuries were catastrophic and Dallas’s hope of posting a fourth straight 12-win season was vanquished three days into November. Superstars were lost, homefield felt like a foreign land and disappointment generally reigned supreme.

The loss of Dak Prescott to a season ending injury left a power vacuum in the locker room. The Cowboys had other great players but no one with the leadership skills and gravitas of the recovering quarterback. With postseason hopes gone and an uncertain future awaiting the franchise in 2025, the team had every reason in the world to mail it in.

Yet in a game that in many ways meant nothing, Lamb and Parsons showed firsthand that, to them, it meant everything. Lamb, physically pained by a shoulder injury, and Parsons, absolutely exhausted carrying the load as edge rusher, showed the grit and determination that harkened back memories of heroes past.

The optics of the situation showed Lamb and Parsons grow as leaders on Sunday night. It was a scene reminiscent of the Grinch overlooking Whoville on Christmas Day. It was the kind of growth that doesn’t just go away. It’s the kind of fight, kind of spirit, kind of leadership that can propel a team into a tide turning offseason.

To many, Sunday’s win against Tampa Bay meant nothing more than a cruddier draft pick next April. But this win wasn’t just any win. It was a win and a performance that can change the very DNA of a locker room.

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