The NFL certainly has its favorites. Indianapolis Colts fans know this well, as a Midwest team has to have some unusual pull to really get the league and broadcasters' attention. Peyton Manning did that with Indy, but no one should confuse the draw of the Colts with, say, the Dallas Cowboys.
Is that fair? Of course not. Since Dallas won its last Super Bowl in 1996, Indianapolis has been the more successful franchise overall (287-226-1, including 29 playoff games, versus 263-239-1, including only 18 playoff games for the Cowboys). Yet, as player-turned-podcast host Robert Griffin III recently pointed out, Dallas gets the love Indianapolis doesn't.
This happened while Griffin had brothers Josh Downs, the Indy wide receiver, and Caleb Downs, a rookie safety with Dallas, on his podcast this week. Speaking to both, Griffin said, "Caleb...you’re walking into a Netflix special. Josh over there went to a team that’s barely on Tubi."
Robert Griffin III brutally compared the Indianapolis Colts to the Dallas Cowboys
Funny or not, Griffin's observation isn't far from the truth in terms of what he is speaking about: The Cowboys will almost always play in more primetime games than the Colts because national broadcasters see Dallas as the far bigger draw. This allows the Cowboys to build a much bigger national fanbase than Indianapolis can.
Josh Downs couldn't offer much pushback, either. What Griffin said was obvious. Josh also noted that Caleb had lived a charmed football life, playing first at Alabama, then at Ohio State, and now in Dallas. If Caleb Downs wanted to be seen, he chose wisely. Josh went to North Carolina, which is a bit like the Colts in relation to Alabama and OSU.
Here is the rub, however. If a player had their way as far as picking an NFL team to play for that gave them all the attention they needed, then Dallas is one of those franchises. If a player over the last three decades wanted to have a more sustained run of success, that would be Indy.
Plus, all the attention the Cowboys get also invites a lot of dislike. Many football fans don't like the team because they are on national broadcasts more, and for no real good reason. While the New England Patriots aren't well-liked by Indianapolis Colts fans and many fans of other teams, at least the Pats, through long-term success, earned the right to be on primetime games.
In the coming season, the Colts have just two primetime games. One of those is on Thursday night in Week 11 against the Houston Texans, and not one of the more glamorous games on Sunday and Monday nights. The Cowboys have six primetime games.
Indy hasn't made the postseason since 2020, but Dallas hasn't in the last two years. Since the 1996 season, Jerry Jones' team hasn't won more than one playoff game in any season. Since 1998, its postseason record is 4-12. The truth is, the Colts are more worthy than the Cowboys.
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