Where are our "hole's"???

by airtyme on Aug 13, 2007 2:08 PM CDT

Seriously, where do we have any holes, and I am talking both side's of the ball. The nearest thing I can think of is a BACK-UP NT. BUt I am talking about Starters. Is their another team in the NFL that can say that they have all their hole's filled?

Even the championship Colt's have a few major holes.

This Cowboy's team is primed and ready for a serious SB run. We have a team that is stacked with talent, and several, that I feel, are going to have monster breakout seasons (Canty, Spears, Ware (yes, I say Ware because he will crush his own numbers from last year), Jones, Fasano, and ofcourse Romo). You stack that up with a young offensive play caller who learned from the best, and will be aggressive as they come. A head coach who has a strong defensive background with an aggressive mind set who has a history of creating dominant defenses....WHERE ARE OUR HOLES!!!!

Damn, it gives me chills just thinking about how this whole team/organization stacks up this year!!!

Let me hear your thoughts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Comments

I agree

and have been saying this for months now, on paper the Cowboys are as good as any team in the league.

If the talent on paper translates to production on the field, which I think will happen under Phillips schemes, only injuries will prevent us from being a serious player in post season play.

In Romo we Trust

by Terry on Aug 13, 2007 2:28 PM CDT reply actions

Not to mention

Garrett. I know he's a media "question mark" but he seems to have the makings of an outstanding O-coord - smart, experienced, poised, excellent communications skills, a life-long student of the game. Essentially the same qualifications Sean Payton had before becoming a coordinator, but with more pro playing experience.

by dunkman on Aug 13, 2007 2:36 PM CDT up reply actions

Garrett will be a great HC

This guy is simply brilliant and will be very successful in this league for a long time.

I think he's definitely the successor to Phillips as HC and I see him and Romo accomplishing great things for years to come.

In Romo we Trust

by Terry on Aug 13, 2007 2:52 PM CDT up reply actions

the intangibles could be the answer

what we cannot see clearly yet is the heart and chemistry of this team. they are talented but many talented teams have failed because they never found the heart of the team and they never developed chemistry or mutual accountability the "i wont let you down" mindset. I think this is where guys like romo and TO on offense, and Hamlin and ?? could have their biggest impact. someone needs to provide that thing for the team that comes from the Montana's Staubach's Favre's on offense and Haley's Lewis' White's (Reggie or Randy) on the defense.

If that is there then this team can reach its talent potential. if it is not then we could be a more successful version of the teams Washington bought at the first part of this decade that were potentially loaded with mercenary talent but were short on heart and chemistry...

just my humble opinion

by fansince71 on Aug 13, 2007 2:32 PM CDT reply actions

Heh heh

I almost answered "Philly" before I got past the title...

by dunkman on Aug 13, 2007 2:37 PM CDT reply actions

well

Special Teams

kick off coveage looked weak and we lost ST stopper in fowler.
we may have a rookie kicker and if that happens its a huge question mark

Defensively we are a huge question amrk... despite all the talk about the defense, the team was more Silver Sieve than Doomsday last year. Despite all the talk about pressure, we didnt get much pressure on the QB Thursday. Peter King watched the team scrimmage last year and predicted 8 sacks vs Jacksonville and I think we were 1/3rd the way through the season before we hit that number. I think its pretty irresponsible to credit a defense that hasn't put any pressure on the passer with the ability to generate pressure.

Offensively we have yet to see the starting line take a single snap.

We have a completely unproven coaching staff. I happen to like them, but if the team struggles the dynamic of having young coordinators new to the team and older assistants who did reasonably well last year could sour very quickly.

I think the team has tons of potential, but whats the saying? those the gods torment they first give potential?

by 325424 on Aug 13, 2007 3:38 PM CDT reply actions

I have to say

that's all possible. We are all euphoric about the potential.

I think the defense is likely to be better than last year. All reports say that Hamlin is an upgrade, period. Ellis is definitely a question mark. Spencer might eventually be an upgrade over the back-ups they tried to use after Ellis went down, but at this point it's a wash. I count coaching as an upgrade on defense. I truly believe that Zim is high-quality 4-3 coordinator, but didn't have the full grasp he needed to find and correct problems, make game day adjustments, and teach players. NT depth may be a question, but it was a strength last year and barring injury, should be again this year.

Granted the O-line hasn't had the benefit of practicing together much, but this was a top-flight offense last year with obvious problems at RG and LT that time should have fixed. Again, short of injury, should be better. My question marks are at WR - can two relatively old WRs stay healthy? As good as the younger guys may be, TNT are two of the best in the league, so losing either one is a big deal.

by dunkman on Aug 13, 2007 4:25 PM CDT up reply actions

Thin spots

Backup center/guard
Backup NT (unless Ratliff takes the spot)
CB depth past 3rd spot (although J. Thomas looks good)

This team does appear loaded along the starting bunch, not all superstars, but definitely solid. Guys who could start for any team in the league.

by APerfectStar on Aug 13, 2007 5:02 PM CDT reply actions

lets not jinx ourselves

1 injury can make the diff in 7-9 and 11-5... if newman, ware or romo goes down this is a bad team. if we are healthy we should win a playoff game.

by 325424 on Aug 13, 2007 6:43 PM CDT up reply actions

only losing Romo

would make a huge difference.

Granted, losing Newman or Ware would really hurt, but I still think we could make the playoffs as a WC, but without Romo we would be lucky to win 5 or 6 games.

In Romo we Trust

by Terry on Aug 13, 2007 8:04 PM CDT up reply actions

losing your best cb

would be crushing.

especially for a defense based on pressuring the QB (that has yet to show it can pessure the QB).

losing the only proven pass rusher could render the defense useless as well.

losing your qb is high profile, but usually its not as big a loss as expected (jason garrett's career stas prove that, as does philly's success everytime mcnabb goes down)

losing the silent links on the team is the real killer (note the step down the team took in BP's second season after Flo went down).

this season will rise and fall on injuries. let's all knock on wood.

by 325424 on Aug 14, 2007 6:07 AM CDT up reply actions

totally agree 325424, being superstitious as I am

i remember when Danny Boy first bought the Skins and they spent all that money in free agency.

the MSM was dead-set on handing the Lombardi trophy to Washington before they even played one regular season game that season.

SB titles are won on the field -- not on paper.

however, barring no serious injuries, we've got just as good a chance to win the dang thing as any other NFL team.

"I'm trying to be a role model for once." -- Terrell Owens (during an NFL Network interview with Deion Sanders & Fran Charles at 2007 Training Camp)

by kcbrett5 on Aug 13, 2007 8:42 PM CDT up reply actions

Not jinxing the team

Just my opinion on weak spots.

Also agree with Terry, the only injury that would make us into a .500 team is one involving Romo. And just for you superstious people, I'm crossing my fingers, toes, legs, and eyes.

by APerfectStar on Aug 13, 2007 10:13 PM CDT up reply actions

LOL!

"I'm trying to be a role model for once." -- Terrell Owens (during an NFL Network interview with Deion Sanders & Fran Charles at 2007 Training Camp)

by kcbrett5 on Aug 14, 2007 6:59 AM CDT up reply actions

well let count

no serious pass rush
unproven O line
unproven QB has he played 16 games ? no
will TO and Glenn make 16 games

by Arkcowboys on Aug 14, 2007 1:57 AM CDT reply actions

yeah there's a real big difference

between 11 and 16 games, give me a break.

In Romo we Trust

by Terry on Aug 14, 2007 7:14 AM CDT up reply actions

As Romo goes, so goes Dallas

Barring injury, this team will go as far as Tony Romo takes them. Will we get the Tony Romo who was outstanding the first five games he started or the Tony Romo that was very average the last five? Everyone has opinions - really guesses - but the simple fact is that nobody knows. My guess is that he will be consistently very good, one of the best QB's in the league. But again, without a substantial history of consistent excellence to back that up it doesn't carry much weight.

The rest of the roster is very, very solid. And deep - I don't think our depth has been this good since 1992. In my humble opinion, the rest of the team is so solid that Romo truly is the difference between a super bowl season and a wild card.

by Cowboy Louie on Aug 14, 2007 7:32 AM CDT reply actions

I agree

that this looks like a very solid team. The O-line last year was serviceable, if unimpressive. All signs point to it being better, with greater depth behind the starters. If the running game improves (a product of the O-line's improvement and effective passing game) and Romo is pressured less often (combination of better running and better protection) the ball control and execution we saw in the preseason game should be what we see during the season.

Add to that at least a solid defense, and if the schemes do produce results, an improved defense, you have an offense that doesn't need to score 26 points a game to win.

All this together, and the maturation and learning of another year, and Romo should be decidedly more efficent. Obviously it can all go horribly wrong (knock on wood) but I like the team's chances.

by dunkman on Aug 14, 2007 8:05 AM CDT up reply actions