In the immortal words of George Bernard Shaw, a highly praised Irish playwright, “The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.”

This quote signifies how genius often is forsaken until the intended outcome is achieved because of the unwillingness of man to think creatively. This is seen historically with figures such as Van Gogh, whose art was described as “crude” and “unrefined” while he was alive, and Nikola Tesla, whose visionary was ignored because of his lack of business savvy.

Similarly, Dallas Cowboy’s owner Jerry Jones made offseason and in season moves that seemed impossible to understand for most fans, such as trading Micah Parsons, super star edge rusher, to the Green Bay Packers for two first round picks and an aging defensive tackle, Kenny Clark. Instantly, reactions from the fans came in.

“This is just Herschel Walker (most lopsided trade in NFL history) 2.0 but bad for us,” said sophomore Scott Jepsen. 

The season started and it seemed like the fans were right. The Cowboys had no defensive leader and little to no pass rush, but as the Cowboys were limping into their midseason bye, Jerry made some moves that changed the whole mindset. The Cowboys acquired Logan Wilson for a seventh-round pick and three-time pro bowler, Quinnen Williams.

In the four games that these men have played, there is a clear difference in the level the defense has played. Through the first nine weeks, the Cowboys allowed an average of 143 rushing yards per game. Since the trade, however, they have allowed an average of 79 per game, leading them to win three of their last four games and keep their playoff odds alive.