All or Nothing is an Amazon Prime series detailing an entire season with a specific sports team. Season 3 focuses on the 2017 season of the Dallas Cowboys.
As a Brit and someone who’s knowledge of American sports is limited, I have taken it upon myself to learn more about the game of football. I personally find documentaries fascinating and I’m hoping that this dive into the Amazon Prime Docu-series All or Nothing will enable me to learn more. The third season covers the NFL team, the Dallas Cowboys during the 2017 season, I know of the Cowboys and the Cheerleaders as they have been a team that has been spoken about more widely than previous teams being covered in this show, but will they match up to my beloved Cardinals, I guess we will see.
The 2017 Dallas Cowboys Season.
We follow the whole season, from the NFL draft in 2016 and then jumping ahead to their first game till the end of the Dallas Cowboys season, this is also the first season since 2002 that Tony Romo isn’t in the starting line-up due to his retirement after the 2016 season. During this season we also deal with some very heavy topics such as domestic violence and race equality.
We start the show at the Hall of Fame is honoring Jerry Jones who as a special performer, Justin Timberlake says is the best to ever do it. The cowboys are a family business and have the mantra of “build the team you want to coach” and they began building a team that will take them to the playoffs, for the 2017 season this started a year earlier. They have three main young stars that seem to be pulling comparison to the three triplets of the 90s, it is a lot to live up to but can they do it?
Dallas Cowboys vs New York Giants [13/9] – The first match of the season seems the Cowboys face off against long-term rivals the Giants. We meet Witten who has been with the Cowboys for 15 seasons and is the true leader of the team and locker room. While he briefs the other Captains, a new storm has been brewing with Ezekiel Elliot and his 6-game suspension from the NFL.
Denver Broncos vs Dallas Cowboys [42/17] – DeMarcus Lawrence is the player of the week, being awarded boxing gloves and a championship belt, the cowboys reward excellence and push their players to do the same. The cowboys also encourage the team to bond to create more unity while elsewhere it is uncertain if Elliot will be able to play past the second game. With everything that is happening, it seems not everyone has their head in the game, and it shows with the Broncos crushing the Cowboys.
Dallas Cowboys vs Arizona Cardinals [28/17] – Jason Garrett isn’t happy and wants to make sure his team knows where they messed up and how to improve. Questions are now being raised about whether Elliot is in the right frame of mind to even be on the feild. He is intent on refocusing for the next game against the Cardinals. After everything else going on now the NFL and its players are butting heads with the president of the USA, the Cowboys have always stood for the national anthem, but will that change in Arizona? Whatever they do they will do as a team and today is no exception, the team along with the owner takes a knee for silent reflection and prayer before staying standing for the anthem, all linked arm in arm. The game is intense, but the Cowboys keep fighting and manage to defeat the Cardinals on their home turf.
Los Angeles Rams Vs Dallas Cowboys [35/30] – DeMarcus Lawrence will always do what’s best for his family and if that isn’t staying in Dallas for another season then it’s a decision he will have to make. Elliot will be allowed to play again this week but with his inability to sleep and all the things that have been going on, including being called fat and hearing that he has lost a step, it isn’t that surprising that he is stressed and turning up late to practice. Orlando Scandrick is on the defensive team and is playing with a broken hand but hasn’t lost a step, they face off against the LA Rams who are looking confident with their new coach. By halftime, the Cowboys are in the lead, but the Rams are playing just as aggressively and with the defensive team spending so much time on the field holes are starting to appear and Todd Gurley of the Rams helps them take the lead.
Green Bay Packers Vs Dallas Cowboys [35/31] – They next play the Packers who spoiled their playoff dreams last season. David Irving is finally back in the defensive team after a four-match suspension for a failed drug test. The Cowboys start off this game with aggression and take the lead, but with Aaron Rogers now on the field could the game change course? And it does, with just over a minute left of the game the Cowboys manage to take the lead, but Aaron Rogers is the difference-maker for the Packers
The Cowboys now have their bye week, this is a scheduled week off during the season to allow players to recoup and recover before the rest of the season. It also gives the coaching staff a chance to evaluate the first half of the season, make changes and refocus on the task at hand, making the playoffs.
Dallas Cowboys Vs San Francisco 49ers [40/10] – They face the 49ers this week and with the rest, they have had, it’s about time the team comes together and pushes towards the playoffs. During the bye week Ezekiel Elliot’s 6-week suspension was reinstated and has been banned from the facility but the following week his injunction has been approved, allowing him to be available for the 49ers game. With everything that Elliot is going through and the constant uncertainty of whether he will play or not, we are starting to see the player we know he is, we also see his teammates and coaches encourage him. The Cowboys are in the lead but without a kicker, who has injured himself in warm up, they must be careful in how they continue moving forward.
Dallas Cowboys Vs Washington Redskins [33/19] – Bryant and his rival Norman are about to face off in the next game, they might have mutual respect but on the field, their competitiveness and aggressive nature will be there for all to see. While the team trains the Jones’ focus on family matters and supporting Jeff’s grandsons’ high school team. This is close in the first half of the game, with Elliot scoring two touchdowns to get the lead, but will he even be able to play past today against the Redskins. Mike Nugent is a new signee for the Cowboys, as a kicker, and he makes 4 field goals to help his team to take the lead.
Dallas Cowboys Vs Kansas City Chiefs [28/17] – Ezekiel Elliot will now be out for his six-week suspension, but who is set to replace him? Alfred Morris, Darren McFadden, and Rod Smith are the plan B and are now given a chance to show America and the Cowboys why they should be in that spot. It’s Halloween and David Irving gets the chance to take his little girl out trick or treating and it’s a great moment amongst all the hassle of Ezekiel Elliot, who is now allowed to play this week. Gary Brown is the coach for the Running Backs, and he holds a dinner for all of his boys, who he considers family, at his house to create a sense of unity while also creating a relationship with the boys outside of football. After an intensely fought game, the Cowboys come out on top again.
Atlanta Falcons Vs Dallas Cowboys [27/7] – Ezekiel Elliot is yet again suspended which means he will miss this week against the Falcons and the rest of the season before the playoffs, he is also banned from the facility, meaning he will need to train somewhere else. Bring in plan B and the chance of a lifetime for Alfred Morris, Darren McFadden, and Rod Smith. We meet Morris and his family, who seem down to earth as he explains that he still has his first car and intends to fix it up. This match is a hard one, with points being difficult to get and now injuries are beginning to pile up for the Cowboys and if that isn’t bad enough, they lose to the Falcons my 20 points.
Philadelphia Eagles Vs Dallas Cowboys [37/9] – Morris is doing great during this game, but it is another tough one for the Cowboys, ending the first half just two points up. But the Eagles are better and crush the Cowboys easily and it looks like they won’t win their division but if they continue playing this way, they won’t even make the playoffs.
Los Angeles Chargers Vs Dallas Cowboys [28/6] – Jalon Smith was the second-round pick for the 2016 draft, despite his last college game being a disaster, he tore his ACL, MCL and suffered nerve damage in his leg, but the Cowboys took a chance on him and now it might be his time to shine. He was out all of 2016 and is essentially a rookie, which means he has made mistakes but with his brother, Rod Smith, by his side, these two could be unstoppable. Rod Smith is a very talented individual and has shown he has the versatility on the field, which is something coaches like in their players, the Smith brothers are a good investment for the team. This is the 50th time that the Cowboys have played on Thanksgiving, which means the traditional halftime show, and its now time for Jalon and Rod to show their team why they are worthy of being on the team and Rob gets his first rushing touchdown of his NFL career while his family watches on but it’s not enough to win the game.
Dallas Cowboys Vs Washington Redskins [38/14] – The Cowboys are about to have a rematch with the Redskins and changes are being made to the team after a three-game loss. Darren McFadden is released three days after Thanksgiving and decides to retire after 10 years in the NFL, which is sad but what he feels is the best for him right now. Morris is looking to be the star of the game and he is sporting some beautiful cleats, bright blue with glitter and a unicorn but Prescott is taken off the field and sent for a quick X-ray, luckily his hand isn’t broken, and he can return to play. The team has finally found its mojo with Bryant becoming the highest touchdown scorer in franchise history. The Cowboys win the game, and it is such a feel-good moment for everyone as is the reward Alfred Morris is given for all his hard work, being gifted with his first-ever car being done up and road ready.
Dallas Cowboys Vs New York Giants [30/10] – Before the last four games before the playoffs, it’s time for the team to unwind and have their annual Christmas party. They are set to face the Giants again, but big changes have happened, the Head Coach and GM have been fired while there might be a change in the Quarterback position. Despite all of that the Giants take the lead in the second quarter, but the combination of Prescott and Bryant score the first touchdown for the Cowboys tying the game up and giving the team a huge confidence boost allowing them to win the game.
Dallas Cowboys Vs Las Vegas Raiders [20/17] – Bryant and Jourdan Lewis seem to be having a few words that almost ends in a fight during training, but Garret puts this all down to passion, which is what he wants from the team. The Cowboys and Raiders both need wins here and it is another close game with Prescott being the star getting two touchdowns, but with the Raiders leveling the score, the Cowboys need to pull something out. And after a field goal and some amazing defense the Cowboys win, putting the Raiders out of contention for the playoffs.
Seattle Seahawks Vs Dallas Cowboys [21/12] – Ezekiel Elliot is back with the Cowboys after a six-week suspension and while this may seem like good news, the team has finally found its groove after having to fill the gap. Will he slot in and help them win their match against the Seahawks? It seems that the Seahawks might have the Cowboys number here and inserting Elliot in hasn’t brought the team together or improved their plays, it might have been best to leave him out for the rest of the season at this point. The Cowboys lost and this puts them out of contention for the playoffs.
Dallas Cowboys Vs Philadelphia Eagles [6/0] – We are in the last week of games and with no chance of making the playoffs it is time to just go out and play for fun and also to win because you need to end on a high. They are facing the playoff bound Eagles and if they get a win or lose by a slim margin then it will keep the eyes of the fans on the Cowboys moving forward.
Where Are They Now?
Ezekiel Elliot is still with the Dallas Cowboys after a restructuring of his contract before the 2021 season. he played most of the season despite lingering injuries and made it to the Wildcard weekend. despite losing to the San Francisco 49er, Elliot looked great despite playing with a partially torn PCL, that he sustained in week 4.
Dak Prescott is still with the Dallas Cowboys being franchised tagged for the second year in a row, signing a four-year contract extension. His 2021 season was great, with fans seeing the old Prescott back after time off due to injury.
Dez Bryant would be released by the Cowboys in April of 2018, he would sign with the New Orleans Saints in November of that year, he would never play for them after tearing his Achilles tendon in training, he would spend 2019 rehabbing his injury and wouldn’t sign with another team till October 2020, signing with the Baltimore Ravens.
Jason Witten would announce his retirement from Football on 26th April 2018, taking up a position as a lead analyst for ESPN’s Monday Night Football show, but by 2019 he had the ich again and signed a one-year deal to go back to the Cowboys. He would then sign a one-year deal with the Las Vegas Raiders in March 2020, he would be fined 15,000 dollars for breaking the NFL Covid protocol. On 27th January 2021 he announced his retirement, stating that he was signing a one-day contract with the Cowboys so he could retire as one, he has gone on to coach at Liberty Christian School in Argyle, Texas.
DeMarcus Lawrence is still with the Dallas Cowboys, his 2021 season didn’t start off perfectly, being placed on the injured reserve list due to undergoing surgery for a broken fifth metatarsal. He was finally cleared in December of 2021 and played the rest of the season.
Orlando Scandrick would be released from the Dallas Cowboys in March 2018, signing with the Washington Redskins that same month, he wouldn’t be there for long being released that August. That same month he would bounce back and sign a one-year contract with the Kansas City Chiefs his 2019 season was not great being signed by the Philadelphia Eagles that July only to be released in August, by September he had been re-signed by them, only for them to release him again that October. As of right now, he is a free agent.
David Irving would be suspended indefinitely from the NFL for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy in March 2019, he said he would leave football as he was opposed to their stance on marijuana use. He would be reinstated in October 2020 and signed with the Las Vegas Raiders, resigning with them in February 2021 only to be released that May. He is currently a free agent.
In Conclusion
This season was all go from the beginning and had me hooked, the highs and lows were extreme, and having a running story through most of the season really pushed the narrative along. Seeing the Dallas Cowboys try to make the playoffs and finally finding that magic only to just miss out on a wildcard spot was devastating but it ends with the hope of a better season.
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