I was on the edge of my seat through most of the fourth quarter, and seeing the way it turned out has me a lot sad, but not necessarily devastated. I hate the Packers, so so much. They seemingly have a divine presence on their side, much to Tim Tebow’s chagrin, and for the people who put a lot of money in two Dak and Zeke, it was not a fun night. The fact that the Cowboys are now done in the playoffs, it only begs the question of what happens to value now that dreams have been dashed?

The Good

Its clear that Dak and Zeke are special players. They played extremely well last night, and if the defense had even gotten on the bus to play, the story would be different. The sheer stats alone probably saved Dak’s numbers from taking a larger dip than they would normally during the offseason, and Zeke likely will get the same benefit of the doubt. They showed they are ready for prime time, and I dont see many collectors who want to jump off a bridge after watching them, let alone jumping off the bandwagon.

The good news is that prices havent plunged overnight:

Dak Prescott Autographs

Ezekiel Elliott Autographs

For me, its all about watching this as a long term dive into value for these two, with Dak having the edge a bit as a QB over Zeke as a RB. The career life can be longer if good play is sustained, but lately, QBs move around a lot more now that the guaranteed money is so low. Lets hope Dak has a long career in Big D, and we wont need to revisit this.

The Bad

Even with a good performance, the Cowboys didnt make the Super Bowl. I have been hanging on to a few cards on the sheer off chance that they went all the way, but now that isnt going to happen. To be fair, Russell Wilson lost his first time in the playoffs too, and we all know what happened in year two. Collectors are not known for being patient, so there will be a dip in value regardless of what the smart play is. If you are a good investor, if prices drop more than a little, buying a good amount in the offseason is far from a bad idea. The chances that Dallas can replicate performance next year isnt that big of a stretch, and though the rest of the national buying public might move on, its not because they dont have potential long term to be champions.

The Indifferent

Right now, the NFL has re-opened the investigation into Ezekiel Elliot’s domestic assault case. Although I doubt it will go anywhere, I cant help but feel there is some bad stuff looming for him. It might not lead to a suspension, but he hasnt exactly shown he is squeaky clean since being drafted. Hopefully it turns out to be nothing, and the league will move on, but the fact that SOMETHING is out there, doesnt add to Zeke’s appeal. At least now, it doesnt detract either.

Bottom line, the dream is over for 2016, and we are now going to have to play the waiting game to see what investments the Cowboys make in the offseason. Its been a great year for buying wax thanks to these two, even though the actual products have been garbage for the most part. Hopefully it pays off more next year.