A History Lesson

Outstanding, Cowboy Bert. Outstanding. We can only hope that the next 10 years mirror what that 70’s Cowboy team accomplished.

Thanks for that historical perspective.

Nice job, Cowboy Bert.

Excellent and well articulated perspective to apply not to just a team, but life as well.

But doesn’t free agency decrease the possibility of sustained ‘good times’?

I said it before the Redskins game and I will say it again. This team needs an emotional leader. Kevin Burnett? .. Maybe. … Sometimes these things take time. … I thought Dallas won the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball on Monday night. Was suprised at how average Julius Jones looked. Ankle tackles? Come on now. .. Jason Witten was a non-factor. .. Bledsoe had happy feet even with very good protection, but did throw a pass away nicely.. This team still can’t get the “tough yards” when they need it. Maybe a fullback will help. … The defense is a lot better when thay play agressively. A LOT better!! … Our O-line played great. Bring back the “Moose” to lead the way and Jones will be 1500+ yards and 12+ TDs. If they can run the ball inside the tackles, everything else will open up. This is were it all starts. If the Boys can run straight ahead and start developing an attitude to get the “tough yards”, the rest will fall into place. I’d love to see us get a blocking FB, and then see how JJ does.

Bert thats what I needed. I feel much better now. Great history with a great coach.

EricR I wondered the same thing, in regards to a fullback. This is such a young team with the additions on the lines but so exciting with Canty, Ware and Petite. The Witten thing has me thinking what they are doing with Campbell who I prefer. But if we can dominate other teams on either side of the line like we did with the skins (except say 3 plays) it’d be great. 2 years ago with Quincy we won 7/8 in our division (6or 7) and that was the key.

Jones is on pace for 1392 yards……….the problem was not jones…….it was THOMAS……..why is he even out there if Jones finishes with only 22 touches. Give the guy the ball 26 times………if he had touched 4 times down near the goal line instead of A Train we would have 6 points instead of 3 and won the game. Julius Jones has done the work and proved he can handle 26+ touches in a ballgame. I ain’t against the guy getting a breather but not in the redzone. Let ATrain or Thompson or Barber get out their when it is 1 and 20 on the 20 after we made the other team punt. Let him take a minute or two, but that kid wants to play and wants the ball.

Emotional Leader…….Dexter Coakley and more specifically Darren Woodson on Defense. I think Dat is the guy now, I just don’t know how vocal he is and if he has the handle on the 3-4 under Parcells…….I figure he does he played it in College and he is looking like himself.

The guy on offense needs to be Drew Bledsoe. The QB calls the play and sets the tone. Again I don’t know what he is like in the huddle, but I get the impression that he must be good with Price and Glenn both glad to play with him again. Back in the Day our Offensive line was our Emotional Leader sometimes. They just beat the other guys so bad, that you just saw the swagger grow down after down. I mean I remember one year where Erik Williams probably had a case for League MVP shutting down the likes of Reggie White, Bruce Smith, Lawrence Taylor, and everybody else that faced him. Nate, Tui, Step, were not too bad either. I like our Offensive line, and I like a rookie out there that is looking good, I just want these guys to have a little more attitude and take over the line of scrimmage not just win the battle………go for the KOs like we used to get at the line of scrimmage!

We scored against a good defense. I think we should have handed the ball to JJ more. A few more opportunities and he would have broken out for one. He is not the grind em down Emmit Smith back, Julius has that 5th Gear that Emmit did not have, he can break it and take it to the house…….but not with only 22 carries. GIVE JULIUS 26 TOUCHES A GAME PAYTON PARCELLS>…………Make the other team stop this guy 25+ times and we are going to win a lot of football games with Witten, our WR and the statue that is Drew Bledsoe.

Bledsoe completed a pass for a first down when it mattered………Adams Holding call killed it! I don’t have much to complain about with Drew Bledsoe he is the only QB in the NFC without an INT yet this year? Don’t turn the ball over, make smart decisions. QB is fine, we just did not score enough points with the opportunities……..Cortez, Adams Penalty, and a few other missed opportunities and we let a team STEAL a WIN from us and the NFC East LEAD!!!! Unfortunately those are games that great and even really good teams manage to still win…….I hope this was just a fluke! We were statistically overdue for a loss to those guys, but it sure looked good at 55 minutes into the game.

Oh well………..in the past…….my lost bet is paid……..ready to beat the 49ers and shut up Julian Peterson.

Mike Nolan is yet another coach in the league with a link to Parcells. After Parcells retired, and LIL BILL went MIA to New England…..Al Groh Hired Mike Nolan…….big Bill was some head title in the big office. Not sure how much he had to do with him, but they were running the 3-4. He knows the strategies and system. He proved that in Baltimore. Which is struggling with their implementation of a new defense the Buddy Ryan 46.

I wonder if this whole “emotional leader” stuff is getting a little out of hand. I’ve been involved in sports and have been in College Locker Rooms and Pro Locker rooms as a participant and as an observer and I can tell you that the pros are very much about getting it done, and then going home.

The Rah Rah stuff really doesn’t do much.

If there is some speech that will make a player sell out more on any given play then you have a problem. Pro’s play for their next contract, and sure they use emotion to get up for the game, but if a speech makes you play harder…… you’re probably getting cut soon.

They need to cut A-train or trade him to Minn. JJ needs about 25 carries and the rookies should share 10-15 carries. JJ needs a break out game against a good team.

AW:
Yeah, it’s rare for me to be on your side, but I haven’t seen A-Train on short yardage sits as what was expected of him, I don’t know if Parcells and Sparano doesn’t trust him on those, but we haven’t.

But I do think that Thompson might not be able of picking the pressure in the pocket, I mean, Jones can mess up as we’ve been hearing from Parcells (On Flozell’s holding Parcells mentioned that a 2 year player was involved in the pickup, and guess what? There was no TE named Pierce on that side and Julius was there on the backfield), so what can we expect from Thompson who’s an undrafted rookie?

But I would definitely like to see A-Train as the backup on another team.

About Adams’ holding call,

As Chandus has stated, Parcells said that wasn’t Adams’ fault. Parcells claimed that Adams was expecting something that didn’t happen from ‘a second-year man’.

So, I reviewed the play, and here’s what I saw.

We were in shotgun, with Jones to Bledsoe’s left, and Witten to Bledsoe’s right. At the snap, Witten doubled to the outside on Petitti’s man, before releasing into the flat. Jones hesitated a count, then went forward (to Adams’ right) into his pass pattern.

If the play called was for Jones to double Adams’ man to the outside (as Witten did for Petitti), Adams’ responsibility would have been to prevent any inside move. That would explain why Adams’ man got around him to the outside. It would also explain Parcells’ comments to the press about that play.

Bert,

I remember that game well. The Cowboys were putrid! They were so bad, that Don Meredith, in his first year as MNF announcer (and maybe his first game), felt compelled to apologize on-air for the Cowboys poor play.

As Parcells says, though, you really have to wait until Thanksgiving to get a good read on an NFL team. Too many early games are just not indicative of the way teams will ultimately play. Teams make adjustments. All of these teams are composed of professionals, who can make corrections to their own systems, and who can review film to spot fatal flaws in a seemingly good opponent. Also, some teams just seem to gel over time, while others suffer injuries and other setbacks from which they never recover.

It will be a while before the Cowboys are revealed as contenders or pretenders.

I dont think there has’nt been a season where at least one game where we got either beat real bad or we take a crazy loss like this one….I feel better knowing that we will bounce back with no problems….I know one thing for sure and that is Tyson Thompson needs a chance to touch the rock more…….The A-TRAIN needs an derailment…He seems like another Eddie George..

BOYS
        we will be back on top trust me…I admit I hit a low after the last game but I know we will come together…..

Bert,
Excellent writing. As soon as I saw that 38-0 score, I knew exactly which team you were talking about. Very good point you are making. Not only is it too early to panic and wring our hands, but WE don’t do that anyway. We are Cowboy fans who support a 5 time world champion. We are not losers like foreskin fans that celebrate an early season game as if it were the SB (which is the mark of a loser). We are definitely not scumbag malcontented losers like the jerkoffs from section 700 at Veterans Stadium in Filthydelphia!

KEEP THE FAITH! GO COWBOYS!

Thanks, Bert. Great perspective.

EyeamKurgan:

Or even tolerate three 5-11s and a 6-10 within five years, and excuse it IF the team improves and gets better over time because of it. This team reminds me a lot of Emmitt’s first year, or even the year Randy, Hollywood, et al. were rookies. They may not make the big show this year, but the talent is there to start challenging.

BTW: While everybody is jumping/defending A Glenn & Roy, did anybody else notice that Brunell’s 25 yard run came by heading left (again!), where an unnamed D end/LB once again blew containment? He may be all-world before it’s all over, but with few tackles, no sacks, and lots of big plays against already due to misplays and lack of discipline, he has been a liability thus far. I don’t expect perfection, and it’s only been two games, but this guy, if he can’t even pressure, still has a chance to become a tremendous draft bust, especially given need and draft position at which he was taken. Spears and Canty (even with the eye) were surer picks, and have measured up so far.

Bert,

Was that Ware again? Dang, I didn’t even notice that was him again. He better have a breakout game with at least one sack and some pressures against lowly SF….

cowboy bert,

 you are incorrect when you said that Ware blew containment on the Brunell run, Spears and Glover were on the left side and Ferguson and Ellis were the others in the four man front, not Ware, if anything, spears and Glover blew the containment and Dat missed the tackle after ten yards down the field.

cowboy bert
Ware had a good game for stopping the run.

Jon,

Is this team tough? … I’ll let you answer that question.

Dexter Coakley isn’t the type of leader I am asking for. I think that Haley led the D for a while, and then handed the reins to Lett. After Lett allowed marijauna stand in the way of an incredible career, the Cowboys just seemed to have a bunch of young guys, and no one has really stood out. Woody was quite a leader, but he played for mostly bad teams, and he isn’t there now. Haley and Lett made huge plays on the field, and Haley was great at making players around him better. In Lett’s and Woody’s cases it took some time for these guys to establish their leadership rolls. There are some prime candidates on this defense, but until that person(s) establish themselves this team will have difficulty stopping teams in crunch time. They need an emotional tone setter. I think once Spears feels as if this is his league, then he is going to step up, and it will take Ware a bit longer to take that type of roll. Burnett, I think he has an idea already, and if he is challenged to be the guy, then he will be a vocal leader almost immediately. His play, and his emotion and confidence can really mean a lot to the players around him.

As hard as the loss Monday night was, once the Cowboys can get Burnett onto the field and the rest of these guys start building off of his confidence, the defense will get better and “tougher”. I like the make up of this offense, all except no lead blocker and Bledsoe’s pocket presence. When I look at Rothlisberger and Brady, their slight movents to get them into better position to deliver a pass makes them much better QBs .. If Bledsoe can improve his presence in the pocket, then he will become a more efficient passer.

I want to see a guy on the sidelines challenging his teammates to be better. When this person speaks and motivates, you can see a difference in the entire team. Michael did it and Ray Lewis does it in Baltimore … this defense needs a player like this if they want to be great!

i think cortez can evolve into the leader you’re describing…he’s already a good tackler

Cortez is definitely a player man. He will light you up.

Cortez, Cortez, Cortez…everywhere I read in the paper and online, it’s about Cortez. He’s good, but you guys need to focus on his kicking, not his tackling. Seriously, I like hispanics too, I’m just saying he can’t really kick.

For Sundays game, I say Cowboys 38-7. Two defensive TD’s, a INT for a TD by Glenn and a Fumble brought back for a TD by Ware. Julius runs for 2 and Bledsoe connects with Price on a deep bomb. We get back on track with a big game.

Lou, I dont think price is going to be activated for the game

Judging by the article on DC.com I think A-Train may be on the outs…

If he’s not, I’m going to be real mad that 2 million dollars buys us a guy that sits on the bench in street clothes. We haven’t given the guy a chance in a live game (he only played 3 plays). We need this guy out there.

sharkz,

When we picked the A-train up in the offseason, I thought it was a really great pickup, but he seems to have lost a step and hesitant when he gets his chance and I think you’re right, he might be on his way out, I guess that will depend if Barber steps up, it looks like hes going to get that chance this weekend to do exactly that.

lou,
its really only around a million with alot of incentives, bit I’d like to get him in there too but who are you going to take out, all three of the starters are playing really well and we really dont run to many four wide reciever sets, if we do, you’re not going to take witten off the field thats for sure. He’s more of an insurance policy incase Glenn or KJ is injured.