LANDOVER, Md. -- A juicy NFC East rivalry with the Washington Football Team became juicier this week when Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said Thursday, "We're going to win this game. I'm confident in that."
It prompted a response from Washington coach Ron Rivera, calling that "a big mistake."
Now, it seems, the heated benches at FedEx Field have become part of the story, but it is not as nefarious as it may seem.
Yes, the Cowboys' logos are on the heated benches inside the stadium, but the team did not ship them up from Texas. (They don't need heated benches at AT&T Stadium.)
Dallas got word from the Seattle Seahawks, who played at Washington on Nov. 30, that the heated benches at FedEx Field kept going out during their game. In order to prevent that from being an issue Sunday with temperatures in the mid- to high 40s, the Cowboys partnered with Dragon Seats out of Cleveland and had the seats shipped to the stadium.
This way, the Cowboys are guaranteed a warm seat before the game. A loss to the Washington Football Team, however, would put them on the hot seat in the division. Dallas would have just a one-game lead on Washington, with a rematch coming at AT&T Stadium on Dec. 26.