MEE-DEE-OH-KURR
by 5Blings on Dec 15, 2009 4:44 PM CST
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PrintIt doesn’t give me any pleasure to say I told you so. But, that fact is, I did tell you so.
http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2009/9/30/1062285/this-team-is-still-mediocre
Now, many of you didn’t agree with me then, which was fine. In fact, you may want to read who commented and what they were thinking. Some of you have changed your minds about it since then. That is fine too.
It gives me no pleasure to see my beloved team continue to be mired in mediocrity, but that, unfortunately is what Jerry has built…a finesse team in a division filled with the toughest, hardest hitting foes in all of football. I’ve seen through his outstanding marketing and watched the game played like a true purist. I like the glitz and the glamour of the stadium and all, but I’d be much happier with a hard-nosed, leave-it-all-on-the-field team playing in a crappy venue than the reverse.
Let me give you a few observations, having just returned home from the game in Dallas (BTW, Uptown on McKinney on Saturday nights is almost as good as I remember Austin and Sixth street before a Longhorns game). This was my second time visiting Cowboys Stadium this year, this time as the lone Cowboys fan amongst 12 other Chargers fans. On this occasion, I sat in a suite in the Ring of Honor level. just so you know, the suites are nice, but they are kind of spare and austere. I think they could have done a lot more to make it feel like a Cowboys' suite, but the suites are without much color and could be a suite in Glendale, Arizona. Maybe that is because of all of the non-football events at the stadium? I dunno.
While I am horse today because of my loud cheering (fans in the suites on both sides of me looked at me like I was a lunatic…screw them), it occurrs to me that the 90,500 in attendance produced the volume of a crowd less than half that size. I was pretty disgusted with the lack of fan volume, even after Keith Brooking’s big screen plea before the game begging the fans in the stadium to cheer loudly because it would be “80,000 of us versus 11 Chargers”. Well, that plea fell on deaf ears (or mute mouths, as the case may be) and the stadium’s loudest roar came when the fans were asked if they liked the 3D experience. The subsequent round of boos made the seats reverberate. The December jinx has even hit the fans. Never had I witnessed a larger, more dispassionate bunch. How sad.
It is abundantly clear to me that neither the offense, defense nor special teams is more guilty of contributing to the mediocrity than another. Dallas has a middle of the road (and sometimes ineffective) defense. The pass rush was unable to keep Rivers from stepping into his throws and its failures were never more evident than when SD completed passes to Vincent Jackson and Antonio Gates in the middle of the field after 5 seconds of protection. Ratliff going against a backup center (with a horde of consonants in his last name) still didn’t get up in the QB’s grill and while Dallas stuffed the run in the first half, our high-motor, low butt-weight NT got pushed around in the 4th quarter when he was needed most. Dallas also struggled on 3rd and long in pass defense, giving up the middle of the field again (the Giants’ Steve Smith nightmares still in my head) and on the edge when Newman committed his trademark breakdown in a key situation.
The fact is that this is Wade’s best iteration of his 3-4 since he got here and it still isn’t one that can take over a game.
On offense, it is the same story we saw at the beginning of the season. Against a highly overmatched Tampa team, the Cowboys showed they don’t have the ability to go over the top with any consistency (although we should send Sabby Piscatelli a Xmas card for helping veil that inadequacy by being completely out of position in the 2nd half) and showed it time and time again against opponents they should have scored in bunches on. The play calling is suspect. Dallas, going against a backup NT for San Diego, should have been able to move the ball consistently on the ground. While they showed life at times, they were still only able to generate 3 points after a half of football against a team without its starting NT or starting safety. That is just plain old offensive ineptitude. Even WITH those guys healthy, SD did not possess an elite defense. Without them, we should have had our way.
The fact is that Dallas’ offense is just not good.
On Specials, you just have to feel sorry for Nick Folk. Something has gone horribly, horribly wrong in this kid’s head. He was rock solid last year and now his foot is just hitting the ball wrong. The lack of end-over-end rotation of the football when it leaves his foot is clearly visible and it looks as if his foot is trying to ‘push’ the ball forward rather than kick it. But aside from the FG unit, Specials looks pretty poor. Felix, despite his longest return of the season, just doesn’t look at all comfortable returning kicks. Another year of poor KO returns…Ho Hum. The worst part was on punt returns. I get it that Pat Watkins got hurt early in the game. I get it that he blocks the gunner. But didn’t the Cowboys KNOW they were going against Kasim Osgood, who is an elite Special Teamer (pro bowler)? Was anyone surprised that he would be trying to down it around the Cowboys’ goal line? The fact that Specials let this ONE GUY pin us back deep on two separate occasions is just foul. I don’t care who you block but make sure you block HIM! I had more faith in what Joe D might be able to accomplish this year. Obviously, even I was overly optimistic. Come on Camillis. Come on.
The fact is that Specials haven’t been special all year.
So, I will save, for another day, what I think needs to change in order for this team to take the next step toward a return to greatness when I can take a clear look at the coaches and the roster. I’ll also keep rooting as hard as I can for my team. Every day and every play. I expect all of you to do the same. Nevertheless, the undeniable reality is that we now near the end of another season that started with the highest of hopes only to be dashed in the realities of mediocrity. Truthfully, the frustration isn’t THAT much different than how I’ve felt when other Jerry-made teams have similarly faltered. The one major difference? The new stadium is much more awe-inspiring than the team it serves as home to.
GO COWBOYS
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In due time, Grasshopper, in due time.
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Just finished reading te article from before and here ismy favorite response you gave!
Terry, they can be imperfect, but I want the blings
…and guess what, I think it must suck for you to have such low expectations. Don’t worry, I blame the Cowboys and not you for that.
I’m obviously a more demanding fan.
Then Terry says
got news for you
blings aren’t won in September. I could understand your critcism if it was currently December, but not now. Season is too young to judge any team.
Believe it or not, I have the same expectations of the team as you do, I just realize they aren’t always going to play great every week, no team or player does.
If you say they can be imperfect, then why do you harshly criticize them when they are, especially this early in the season?
In Romo we Trust
by Terry on Oct 2, 2009 2:00 PM PDT
I wuzn't reel gud at spelung
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Wel...
Yu speld “fuhyee” rong.
So ther.!
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Our crowd.
It must be embarrassing for our defensive players to have to try to get the crowd to quiet down when our offense is getting ready to run a play.
"We'll see." --Bill Parcells
Well, not the way you said it Mr. Snarky
But yes, who doesn’t like to be proven right, especially when they were taking a minority viewpoint and getting derided for it?
Again, that is small consolation. I’d have much preferred to be wrong. Completely and totally wrong.
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
While I certainly think it doesn't look great right now...
The Cowboys still have three games to prove you wrong.
If I had a nickel for every Super Bowl the Eagles have won, I would have zero nickels.
by Cowboyfan729 on Dec 16, 2009 3:48 PM CST up reply actions
Maybe...
But through 13 games, would you say this is NOT a medicore team?
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
I would say that at 8-5, their record as of right now is above mediocre...
If I had a nickel for every Super Bowl the Eagles have won, I would have zero nickels.
by Cowboyfan729 on Dec 16, 2009 11:42 PM CST up reply actions
How about their overall play?
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
if they were medicore
the Chargers would have beaten them very easily, but they didn’t. We were a few plays away from winning the game and know it.
In Romo we Trust
The Redskins were a few plays away from beating New Orleans...
…are they a good team? Their 4-9 record says otherwise.
It’s about the wins and losses not the quality of them.
The 2009 Dallas Cowboys: Talk to me in December.
The NFC East has won 11 Super Bowls; oddly none of those have come courtesy of the Eagles.
they are playing well right now
If the Skins would have been playing like this all year, yes they would have been considered a good team
In Romo we Trust
No Terry
I don’t care what it looked like on TV, but it was clear at the game that the Chargers were “managing the game”.
All 13 of the people I went with agreed that the game wasn’t really in doubt after they went up 17-10.
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
If the Cowboys scored at the one
and Sensi doesn’t commit the PI, we are the ones up 17-10 instead of them and would have been “managing the game”.
The Cowboys and Chargers are very evenly matched teams in terms of talent and ability and a few plays here and there is the difference between winning and losing. The game proved that.
In Romo we Trust
Maybe in terms of physical skills...
..but not in terms of football smarts. This Cowboys teams plays some stupid football; complete with numerous mental errors every game.
The 2009 Dallas Cowboys: Talk to me in December.
The NFC East has won 11 Super Bowls; oddly none of those have come courtesy of the Eagles.
THAT, my friend, is all coaching
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Question...
Was Bill Parcells a good coach while he was here?
by The Immortal Iron Fist AKA AFB on Dec 17, 2009 2:10 PM CST up reply actions
In some ways he was...
he conducted more situational practice sessions than anyone since Jimmy.
In some ways, the game had passed him by.
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
My point being...
That one of his strong traits has been discipline and yet Dallas was just as penalized in his tenure as now.
It’s not all on coaching.
by The Immortal Iron Fist AKA AFB on Dec 17, 2009 2:29 PM CST up reply actions
I disagree
As Parcells once said, I don’t coach penalties and he’s right.
Thats all on the players
In Romo we Trust
In a sense, I agree with him
…but Terry, he was working largely with a team he did not build. In the end, I think his tenure was far too short.
Changing bad habits is a lot different than coaching good ones from the start.
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
I agree and it has been such a culture.........
that guys can go around the coach and talk to Jerry when/if they want to. It goes back all the way when Switzer was here. Even Troy was guilty of it when he didn’t like Chan Gailey. They go around the HC and straight to Jerry.
Do you think that still happens?
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Parcells completely oerhauled the talent level on this team
Wade not so much…
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
and that fact has nothing to do
with either coach’s ability to coach penalties from happening.
Their track record was the same in that regard.
In Romo we Trust
Penalties is really only one aspect and it oversimplifies the issue
I am okay with penalties that come from being overly aggressive, because that is the brand of football I prefer.
But it’s things like people not knowing where to line up (seldom happened under Parcells) or consecutive ‘lining up in the neutral zone’ flags or WR’s running the wrong routes or not executing a stunt or blitz pickup properly.
Those things have become far too common in this version of the Dallas Cowboys for my liking. I don’t hang that on Romo. I hang it on Wade (and by extension, Jerry).
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
not true at all
Those type of penalties happened all too frequent in the Parcell’s tenure as well.
In Romo we Trust
One of us is wrong
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
5Blings
You are absolutely correct.
Terry— Are you still pushing your “coaching doesn’t matter” theory?
I never said coaching doesn't matter
My argument is players win and lose games, not the coaches, but obviously good coaching is needed, never, ever said otherwise.
In Romo we Trust
What about 9-7?
8-8?
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
I told you I would check back with you after this next game...
Let’s see what happens.
I’m still hopeful, if that counts for anything.
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
I think with their backs against the wall
we’ll all find out what kind of team this really is . We are either going to beat the Saints and go on to make the playoffs in which case you’re wrong or we’ll end up at 9-7 out of the playoffs in which case you’re right.
here is hoping you’re wrong.
In Romo we Trust
Amen
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
in my mind
this game is a play-off game. If we lose without a wimper or fight, then it’s over. If we come out swinging and fight to the bitter end, then I have hope.
8-6 with the Skins and Philly isn't a good place to be
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
no, but if you can't beat the Giants,Chargers,Saints........
then why whimper into the play-offs and hope somebody else loses where we can sneak in. Not a good place to be because if you can’t beat any of them now, why go to the play-offs to be one and done? Terry, as I have stated, I still have hope for this team, but this game says everything to me.
I hate the idea of "backing in to the playoffs"
This team has to play better, win and get in on their own merit.
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Yup.
Thank you schedule makers for making the Cowboys earn it!
I saw a dog today. Have you seen a dog? You probably have. How was school? Was it fun? Did you get a lot of homework? Huh? Do you have any friends? Do you have a best friend? Does he have a big coat, too?
by Aaron Novinger on Dec 17, 2009 4:54 PM CST up reply actions
see that's the beauty of the NFL......
who would have thought that when they made out the schedule that you would have NO 13-0 and SD has been up and down the past couple of years (even though they have been good in Dec.‘s). Goes to show that you really don’t know from year to year who really is going to be good, average, and great.
Nevertheless, they purposely had the Cowboys end their season against Philly again.
That’s just crazy that two teams end their season two seasons in a row together.
I saw a dog today. Have you seen a dog? You probably have. How was school? Was it fun? Did you get a lot of homework? Huh? Do you have any friends? Do you have a best friend? Does he have a big coat, too?
by Aaron Novinger on Dec 17, 2009 6:36 PM CST up reply actions
yeah, I was thinking the same thing......
I don’t know why they put them as the last game. If you look at some of the other teams schedules it’s strange too. Like Minn-GB they played both of their games really close. Also, Miami played the Jets twice like in two weeks.
It's all about TV
Even if they both stunk, the game would get great ratings.
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
although the Cards kinda backed into the playoffs last year
because the NFC West sucked so bad and they were two minutes away from being SB Champs.
Playoffs are a new season all together.
In Romo we Trust
Didn't they win their division?
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
yeah even though they lost 4 straight games
to finish the season, if they were in any other division, they don’t smell the playoffs
In Romo we Trust
But they won the division
That’s not backing in.
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Obviously, they were far enough in front to be able to do so and still win their division
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
so what, to me it's all the same
Backing in is making the playoffs despite losing games to finish the season. True, the Cards were in a weak division which allowed them to clinch the division with only 9 wins, but that isn’t any different from backing in.
In Romo we Trust
It is to me...
It means they didn’t have to play their starters in the final games.
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Stop clouding the issue with facts!
:-)
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
so Terry
you think that if the Cowboys limp into the playoffs, they can still win it all? Admitedly, the Cardinals did last year but that is way against the norm.
I don't know what you mean by limp
I’m saying the Cards proved you can finish the season poorly but play well in the playoffs. True, it’s not the norm but they proved it can be done.
In Romo we Trust
by limp......
I mean lose to Giants,Chargers, and Philly and somehow miraculously make the playoffs?
Damn dude did you even watch the game?
We ran the ball quite effectively. The entire drive leading up to the goal line stand was runs. Things just didn’t go our way. Stuffed on the 1, missed kick after a turnover. These are huge moments in a game against a great opponent. Had they gone in our favor we could have won the game.
As far as the defence, there were moments when they could have played better, but they still held the Chargers to 20 points. That’s about all you can ask against an elite offense like the Chargers.
There is absolutely no reason we cannot beat teams like the Saints, Cardinals and Vikings. All of these teams have flaws and injuries that can be exposed just like we do.
Okay, I have to say something here
Are you English or Canadian?
Because nobody in the states spells ‘defense’ like you do except Brits and Canucks.
And if you read my post, I watched the game at the stadium. I was right there. Maybe they looked a lot better to you on TV?
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
yeah, being ranked #3 in the league
our offense really stinks. We obviously can’t move the ball at all. Just have a qb with a 97 qb rating and a WR with 10 TDs and 1,000 yards, thats horrible.
In Romo we Trust
In all fairness...
…they only rank 13th in actual scoring. So all that moving of the ball has not been producing points all season long.
The 2009 Dallas Cowboys: Talk to me in December.
The NFC East has won 11 Super Bowls; oddly none of those have come courtesy of the Eagles.
True...
But point scoring is also a statistic that is heavily influenced by starting field position (Cowboys are terrible), the amount of D/ST points scored (Cowboys have three TDs from them), and the amount of turnovers generated by a team’s defense.
If I had a nickel for every Super Bowl the Eagles have won, I would have zero nickels.
by Cowboyfan729 on Dec 16, 2009 3:54 PM CST up reply actions
Woo hoo!
How much of that statistical garbage has been based on faincg 4th quarter prevent defenses the last two weeks?
Do you really want to take the posituion that we have the league’s 2nd best offense Terry?
I’ve seen you take some ridiculous positions in the past (“we’ll be 5-0” and then “we’ll be 9-2” and then “this December will be different” and a host of others) but this might top them all.
I’m giving you an out here. You may want to take it.
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
just to tell you
every team has garbage time drives. We have 3 by my count. Thats not anything crazy.
I don’t thnk we have the leagues best offense by any stretch of the imagination, but I can think of 10 or so plays that have taken about 50 points off the board for us this year. THats significant. With slightly better OL play I think we are absolutely a top 5 offense.
Soooooo...
#3?
#7?
What?
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
these are the offenses i would absolutely put over ours
in the NFC:
Vikings
Cards
Saints
I thnk we’re on a similar level to Philly, New York, a healthy Atlanta and Green Bay.
AFC:
Pats
Colts
Chargers
So I’d say we’re anywhere from 7th to 12th or so, cause frankly theres a lot of game to game variation for all these teams.
If you split the difference and say we are #10...
Does that make us one of the top defenses in the league?
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2nd best, no, one of the best, yes
and we could be the very best if our OL could run block
In Romo we Trust
Where would you rank us?
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
That's not the same as saying we are #3
…which is what you were touting earlier.
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
no, I wasn't
I was saying we were top 3 in yards per game which means were a lot better than “not good” which is what you were touting
In Romo we Trust
3 points in a half is "not good" to me
I guess I am in the minority.
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
if you look back at a lot of our last few games......
we have been horrible in the first half
And NONE of that is on Romo
Sure…
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
You mean like his record in December?
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
oh Blings here it come.....
Teams win and lose as a team not individuals. I want to see where these numbers that Terry is talking about. I’m not putting it all on Romo, but he has had a hand in not getting more points on the board in the first half hasn’t he? Unless my eyes are deceiving me, #9, as Terry likes to call him, is on the field and I believe he does have a hand in us not putting more points on the board (or as Terry likes to say-LACK of EXECUTION. So what numbers can you come up with Terry to prove that none of the horrible play in the first half is on Romo?
The funny ones
When we lose:
“That is not on Romo! Look at the #’s!!!”
When we win:
“Great game for Romo! Take that haters!!!”
I love it.
;-)
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Romo's qb rating this December is 111
you explain to me bling and texstar how having a qb rating like that is contributing towards our losses.
In Romo we Trust
cant speak for Bling........
but when the offense is not scoring TD’s then they don’t win right? That’s what I mean by contributing towards our losses. I’m not blaming Romo, but last time I checked he is part of the offense.
one out of 11 players
Yes, he probably has the most responsibility for making sure the offense scores, but the OC really has to put the ball in his hands to make that happen.
IMO, Garrett didn’t do that enough last game. Romo was only asked to hand off during the crucial goal line series.
In Romo we Trust
Are you saying that Garrett playcalling was at fault there?
Lifetime Cowboys Fan from the Swamps of Jersey
no, I'm saying Romo can't be blamed
for not scoring points when the ball is taken out of his hand.
I fault the OL as a unit for not blocking well on that series.
In Romo we Trust
I understand your love for Romo......
but why the love for Garrett? Is it not his responsibility to make sure that the Oline blocks well? Is it not his responsibility to make adjustments to maybe, play to their strengths and not try to force something that they are not capable of doing (like pulling your guards on the one foot line). My point to you Terry, is you can’t say both Romo and Garrett are without faults
no texstar
that actually would be Houck’s responsibility.
And I’m not saying Romo and Garrett are without faults, never said that at all.
In Romo we Trust
uh, Terry......
last time I checked, Houck was calling the plays-Garrett was. You are correct in that I believe that Houck is not doing a very good job with our OLine but, ultimately it’s Garrett’s responsibilty because he’s the one calling the plays. By now it should be pretty obvious to him what this line is capable of doing and what they are not capable of doing. So you don’t think that Garrett is supposed to be in charge of Houck?
IMO, Garrett didn’t do that enough last game.
How is that not blaming Garrett?
Lifetime Cowboys Fan from the Swamps of Jersey
I didn't like the playcalling, but
not because the ball has to be in Romo’s hands constantly; I’m happier when it’s not all on his shoulders all the time. I just don’t get four running plays in a row to Barber.
Sometimes it feels like Garrett falls in love with a certain kind of play, and he’s going to run it into the ground, so to speak. And that’s a feeling with no stats to back it up.
+1
Purely anecdotal, but I feel the same way.
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
And therein lies the problem
QB rating is a measure of things that don’t neccessarily equal wins.
What’s McNabb’s rating in December?
Would you rather Romo had a great rating and an inability to throw a deep ball or score points with a “O-2” record or a lesser rtating and 2 wins?
The QB is the leader of the team. He has to get HIS team over the hump.
It’s the Aikman dilemma all over again. It’s not about the QB rating or the gaudy numbers, it’s about making the plays when they need to be made to keep the team moving forward and winning.
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
agree.......
I have a good example for you Blings. Earlier, in the year, Aaron Rodgers had an unbelievable QB rating but the Packers were losing. Some of it was the OLine but some of it was Rodgers fault because he was trying to make the big play and hanging on to the ball too long. Packers adjust their OLine, Rodgers gets rid of the ball faster. Low and behold they have reeled off 5 straight wins (including one over us.) Haven’t kept up with Rodgers in this past 5 week span to see what his QB rating is, but if you ask me, it’s not all about the QB rating. It’s leading your team to W’s. In the losing streak, some people were saying that Rodgers was just trying to pad his statistics. Kinda interesting huh?
Ya know what? People wanted Romo to be
a game manager, to not take so many risks, to not turn the ball over. He has done that, no? You want charisma and “passion” and a QB who takes big chances for big rewards and scores and (most likely) the accompanying big turnovers? Well, talk to the coaching staff and all the fans who have now gotten what they wanted. Romo is NOT the one who left 10 points on the field last weekend. He is NOT the one who played horrible D the last two weeks. He does not play O line, and all that mumbo jumbo about his snap counts does not account for the fact that four run plays for a yard didn’t get them into the end zone. And so on. I don’t know what the rest of the season holds, and it’s possible that Romo may throw up clunkers the next three weeks. But he sure as hell has not so far in December, and digging for flaws in Romo when there are some major mountains to climb elsewhere on the team just baffles me. Why not just give some credit where credit is due? Oh, that’s right. Blings is nearly as predictable as Terry is on this subject. ’Nuff said.
Or maybe it's just that I hate self-congratulatory,
I-told-you-so, hindsight is 20-20 posts like the one Bling did, however well written they may be. Take yer pick.
Don't let your emotions cloud the facts
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Don't hate the truth
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
I don't lie
…so you’re right. I cannot admit that.
I CAN say they are mediocre, though.
;-)
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Good!
…but the post(s) were not hindsight at all. They were forward-thinking. The original post was written in September, for cryin’ out loud.
Again, Fernie, don’t hate the truth, embrace it.
And just so we’re clear, I don’t write things so you will like them.
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
You don't speak the truth; you speak
your opinions. Your “truths” aren’t mine. As for pleasing me? I would never have accused you of that.
By the way, I do enjoy doing battle
with you, maybe more than anyone else on this board. You’re certainly not boring.
Thanks
I take a lot of pride in my posts and hope they give people reason to pause and think.
Whether it galvanizes their current opinions or changes them altogether, as long as they find them relevant and worthy of their comments, I feel good about them.
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Horrible D?
I thought the D played quite well against SD. Wasn’t 20 their lowest point output of the season?
If the team scores more than 3 in the first 2 quarters of football, maybe the story is different?
Lest you forget, Newman made an impressive INT after the goal line stand to get the ball back and give Romo ANOTHER shot at sticking it in. No such luck.
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Nope. They didn't keep our score
below that of the Chargers’. If it’s all on Romo to have to outscore the opponents all by himself, I think the same pressure should be put on the D always to keep the our opponents’ score below ours. No? I know, I know, Romo’s bad because, unlike the best QBs in the league, he doesn’t throw for touchdowns Every. Single. Time. the offense has the ball.
That said, no, the D wasn’t good. They had the O in a hole a lot by giving up a ton of yardage before finally getting the Chargers off the field, when they did manage to get them off the field. I do believe a couple of those Dallas drives had to go 90+ yards.
that's funny you're saying this.....
because I just got through listening to both John Madden and Jim Miller and both are saying that the Cowboys are falling too much in love with the pass. Madden actually said that the Cowboys start out with the run and then flip over to the pass and forget about the run. Jim Miller said the same thing. I think they know a little bit more than you and me. They said our offense is too off-balanced. They used early games as examples.
Once again...
Did we or did we not hold the Chargers to their lowest point total of the season?
After you answer that with a straight yes or no answer, think about the magnitude of that.
Then, answer this one.
Did the offense play an average defensive team that was also without their starting NT and starting safety and still only score 3 points in the first half?
I completely disregard your Romo comments. He leads the offense and the offense isn’t scoring enough or playing with enough intensity to beat undermanned opponents. He too has culpability here.
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Once again...did we win? Doesn't matter
how few points the D gave up; they didn’t hold the point total low enough to win. That’s your logic with Romo; I’m just returning the favor. He didn’t turn the ball over, so you can’t blame him on that count either. Who forced the O to drive the length of the field to get scores. Romo? Nope. Once again, that would be the D that put them in those holes. Romo led a couple of long drives, one of which did not result in a score because of bad play by the O line and bad play calling. Can’t blame Romo. I don’t care if the Cowboys start the game slow as long as the end result is a win.
Frankly, I completely disregard what you’re saying about Romo because the guy has done EXACTLY what YOU asked of him—take care of the ball, score points (too bad no one else is), don’t make mistakes, manage the game—and you’re still not happy.
You’re always looking for a scapegoat, and Romo would be your man if he had thrown twice as many TD passes in the last two games, and the Cowboys still hadn’t won. Own it.
as I maintained from the beginning
bling expects perfection from Romo. He’ll never admit it, but it’s definitely true.
In Romo we Trust
I will own when I think
Romo deserves blame, but it irritates to see the guy playing the way people begged him to and still get dissed as if he’s the only one out there on the field. Me? I liked swashbuckling Romo. Now he’s game manager Romo, and I have no sympathy for those who got what they demanded and are still whining.
Okay, whatever
You act as though I’ve labeled Romo as the singular reason for the downfall and you would be hard-pressed to show where I did that. You’re welcome to try, though.
Again, he’s as culpable as anyone for the offense’s inability to score points and their slow starts.
As for scapegoats, no. I don’t need any. The problems are empirical and can be traced back to their root causes.
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Funny how the rest of the world keeps talking about Romo's record
…along with Phillip rivers being 16-0 in December.
But of course, you are right and the world is wrong…again.
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
And yet...
15-0 becomes 16-0.
So I guess they aren’t all wrong after all.
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
BTW Bling
Steve Marirucci on NFL Network said that the Cowboys and Saints have the 2 best offenses in the league and the last I checked he’s not a Cowboys homer.
In Romo we Trust
Mariucci is on NFL Network
What network is broadcasting this game?
You bemoan the MSM when they bash Romo and yet you are so naive that you can’t figure out that his statement is all about hyping a game that THEY are showing?
You’ve been suckered.
Come on, you are smarter than that.
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
You mean they don't pay him?
What an altruistic guy he must be.
Ridiculous.
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The need to put the link to a prior post...
is so bush league.
Not only do you say “I told you so”, but you put a link so that everyone can go back and see all of those who were wrong or at least back up the fact that “see I told you so.” even more.
Not cool.
by The Immortal Iron Fist AKA AFB on Dec 15, 2009 10:57 PM CST reply actions
Let me be clear about this...
I TOLD YOU SO
Should I repeat myself? Do you want it phoeneticaly?
I mean Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Wow
You’re the toughest blogger I know.
by The Immortal Iron Fist AKA AFB on Dec 16, 2009 2:28 PM CST up reply actions
Gotta be #1 in something
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Leave it to Blings
to stir the pot! lol
"Coaches who can outline plays on a black board are a dime a dozen. The ones who win get inside their player and motivate." Vince Lombardi
You also
heavily criticized our run D this offseason. You were wrong.
You said in that post that Romo is the same Romo. You were wrong. Dead wrong.
You said we have no legitimate threat at wr. You were wrong.
You criticize our defensive play against san diego, but we held them to a season low in points. We did far far better than the other east teams in this regard.
Not saying we are a great team – i think we’ll finish with 10 wins. But everyone was wrong about this team in some area. Few people here picked us to win a superbowl aside from guys like Terry who are eternally optimistic. I didn’t think the oline would look this bad – I wasn’t expecting 2007 all over again, but we’ve been subpar in all areas this year as opposed to just run blocking.
You seem to take way too much enjoyment in saying I told you so after a loss. I hate to tell you, but MANY predicted 10 wins for this team. That could very well happen.
Well, that's not entirely correct
I criticized the fact that our Run Defense revolved around an undersized NT and since before the draft, advocated the signing or drafting of a widebody to spell Rat in the 4th quarter of late season games like this one.
Dallas needed stout run defense in the 4th quarter when LT was gashing the defense and taking more than 7 minutes off of the clock. So no, I wasn’t wrong at all, my friend. You just misread me.
As for legitimate threats at WR, I know you love you some Austin. But let’s be real for a minute. The offense does not have an over-the-top threat, as evidenced by Romo’s shorter, more controlled passes. I said this would be the case many times before the season (again, with much disagreement). Miles has made most of his plays breaking tackles and with YAC. Dallas doesn’t possess a downfield threat, as evidenced by the amount of single safety over-the-top coverage that teams have played us with.
My criticism of the defense against SD is more about making plays in the 4th quarter when they had to. They didn’t. They didn’t against the Giants, either. They didn’t last December against other foes. This defense is average, not great, not terrible. What makes it harder to deal with is that this is the best it is going to get for Wade from a personnel and scheme standpoint. He had the players he wanted and he made the defensive calls.
As for Romo, I think I wrote a post on Romo that was pretty clear about what he had to do this year (specifically win in December and beyond) and in that regard, he is…sadly…kinda the same Romo. Anyway, here it is.
http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2009/8/12/986563/romo-de-constructed
And in that thread, you said this about Romo:
I just don’t see Romo signifcantly cutting down on his turnovers. INTs are gonna happen.
Looks to me like he HAS cut down on his turnovers, wouldn’t you say?
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
As I said in my post
we were all wrong about something with this team. In that same thread you said Romo is the same old Romo and won’t change. We were both wrong.
You heavily criticized our run game. I distinctly remember you saying in thread after thread that ratliff won’t last the whole year. You were wrong about that. You were wrong about our run D. And now you’re backing that up by using the ONE game since week 1 that our run defense performed poorly? You are every bit as bad as the frontrunner fans who come out of the woodwork after we win a big game. You just do the opposite.
The offense hasn’t even called many over the top plays the last few weeks because of very poor ol play. Thats not a problem with our wrs. We didn’t have over the top plays the last 8 weeks last season with TO. I think you’ll see that change in the future, maybe as soon as this week.
Okay, let's be clear...
I advocated the signing of a NT so the stuff that happened on Sunday wouldn’t happen over and over like they did when Pitt and Balt hurt us late last year. I stand by that. With 3 games left, it will be interesting to see if this trend continues.
As for Romo, I pointed out 6 areas of concern under a heading of Bad: decision making on the field (I thinkhe has improved here), ball security (improved here too) and finishing ( and while he hasn’t suffered the statistical letdown of previous Decembers, he is still not winning games). Under ugly, I listed slow starts (he has not shown any improvement here, in fact, you could argue it has been worse), decision making off the field (an issue that still is unresolved in my eyes) and leadership (which should translate into post season wins).
So, while I agree he has developed, how different is this year’s Romo really? What was our record this time last year? It’s kinda like the argument that Winnie is now more tyrannical in how he gets results from his players.
as for the over the top thing, you’re dead wrong there, Foyes. Nobody is open deep. It’s not about the O-line, even though their play has been spotty.
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
you wrote some pretty ridculous things in the past
but blaming Romo for our two December losses tops them all…absolutely ludicrous.
In Romo we Trust
He's as much to blame as anyone
He is the leader.
This is supposed to be his team.
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Definitely. I expect him to step up and play safety, place kicker (while
holding, too), put on a pass rush, and block for himself. Otherwise, he’s a useless wimp, damnit!
being the leader doesn't mean he is responsible for every loss
What you’re saying makes absolutely no sense at all. What does Romo have to do with the defense or ST??
He can only control the passing game, I suppose you wanted him to block for MB3 on the goal line series too??
In Romo we Trust
I wanted him to score more than 3 points in a half
And if it had to come from the passing game, fine.
I don’t care.
This is Romo’s team. If they aren’t playing empassioned football, then he must lack the leadership required to rally his troops to the cause.
It makes perfect sense. As usual, you just don’t like hearing it.
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Blings I have a question.......
Do you think it’s the QB’s responsibility when the OLine has mental lapses? Just wondering
Actually, it can be...
Dallas has a history with this iteration of the O-line of not being able to stay in the three point stance for long periods of time prior to the snap. Romo sometimes takes too long to scan and read the defense and make his calls identifying potential blitzers. It’s a bad combo.
In addition, I think Romo has to do a better job at “feeling” pressure and delivering the ball to the checkdown more often. I hate to say it, but McInjury is a role model in this area. Instead, Romo often tries to make something out of a broken protection and then delivers a hurried incompletion. In my opinion he could get 4 or 5 yards by swinging the ball into the flat and letting his RB try to make a play. It’s not a game changing play, but it shortens down and distance and allows for shorter 3rd down conversion opportunities.
Then again, if you’ve read my posts, you know that I’ve been highly critical of Andre Gurode and his inability to get the line calls (and thus the protections) right. His role is to see how the DT’s/NT are shading the middle of the line and then broadcast that so Kosier and Bigg understand their protections.
So the answer is simply, ‘it depends’.
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
you make some good points Blings........
I agree that Romo needs to do a better job of getting the snap off faster. Even though Free jumped in the Red Zone, Romo sometimes takes to long to get the play off and it sometimes confuses the line. It frustrates me when they come to the line and he wastes all the time when the line is already down in their stance. Sometimes, I’m screaming, just run the play. Like you and I have discussed, I still think that Romo would be better served if they ran the no-huddle early in the game to get him in a rhythm and maybe not try to be “so cute” with the plays.
Anything to get them all playing more and thinking less would be goods
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
it doesn't make sense bling
because Romo doesn’t call the plays, Garrett does. If Garrett calls all runs from the one, thats not Romo’s fault.
BTW, I thought they did play with passion, they just didn’t make enough plays to win.
In Romo we Trust
And this team…
…can’t seem to make enough plays to win at least 38% of time, that’s just slightly above average in my book.
The 2009 Dallas Cowboys: Talk to me in December.
The NFC East has won 11 Super Bowls; oddly none of those have come courtesy of the Eagles.
...and declining
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
so Terry, if Garrett is calling all the plays like you claim.....
then how come it takes so long to get a play off sometimes. I don’t want to get into another Romo debate, but you can’t believe that Romo is not audibling when he is doing all his hand motiions etc.? By no means am I an expert, but I don’t think Romo is just moving everybody around because Garrett is telling him to.
Audible's
are selected from the play to meet the coverage.
Not all plays that are audibled are the right one or going to be effective because the defense makes audibles and adjusts coverage alot of times during the audible.
This all comes down to execution. Not just on Romo but the entire offensive line.
I’m not “Romo lover”, but I’m realistic that it seems like there is digging to hate him.
When plays are executed properly, when offensive lines block well, when Romo is accurate, when the run is effective it makes things look better.
Not all on the “play calling”, it’s execution from the entire team.
Execution, doing what your supposed to do leads to results and if you can’t do that on a semi consistent manner than your team will suffer.
by The Immortal Iron Fist AKA AFB on Dec 17, 2009 2:00 PM CST up reply actions
I agree
…and you have to do it in practice.
You have to practice with a passion for excellence.
Dallas hasn’t conducted a training camp under Winnie that has demanded the kind of flawless execution that you are describing.
I have no idea how weekly practices go, but this is where kinks like the ones you point out are supposed to get ironed out.
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
I'm not putting the blame on Romo either........
all I’m saying is if your line seems to have trouble when you are audibling, it seems like maybe (1) you need to be quicker with your adjustments where they don’t commit stupid false starts (2)or quit trying to be so cute and just call the play that is called. I honestly don’t know much and I don’t want to “pile on Romo” but to blame it all on Garrett is just assinine.
I agree
I don’t put it all on Garrett or Romo, like I said alot of it is the execution of the line.
Manning takes for freaking ever at the line, and yet they don’t commit billions of penalties.
by The Immortal Iron Fist AKA AFB on Dec 17, 2009 5:03 PM CST up reply actions
exactly......
so since our line apparently can’t do it, why not dumb it down a little and not be so cute.
Eh...
In high school, you dumb it down.
In college you dumb it down.
While I agree that sometimes I’d like the play to be called faster, and I’ve been a huge believer that going to a no huddle would help establish a rythem.
This is the NFL.
They should be able to deal with audibles, period.
This to me is very much like the Roy Williams (safety) arguments, when he was making excuses all the time for himself.
You adjust blocking schemes to the strengths of your line, you adjust routes for your receivers strengths, but I draw the line on a damn offensive lineman not being able to hold his stance before the ball snaps.
by The Immortal Iron Fist AKA AFB on Dec 18, 2009 8:30 AM CST up reply actions
Maybe the best thing I've ever seen you write
This is exactly the problem with this team.
Too many excuses for too many deficiencies.
We need an organization that is less tolerant of such stupidity.
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Texstar, I think this is a very good point you're making.
Bob Sturm keeps a running tally of all the different formations we’re running. There’s so many I can’t keep track of them all, much less explain what they all mean.
I would give Garrett the benefit of the doubt and say that he is calling what he thinks is the best play on every down. But with all these personell and formation changes, I am not surprised that there is often a lot of confusion going on as the offense lines up, and why it takes so long – heck I distinctly remember Romo pointing out to Bennett repeatedly where he should line up. I can’t shake the feeling that sometimes Garret is just too smart for this team.
by One.Cool.Customer on Dec 17, 2009 3:04 PM CST up reply actions
Funny how these things work...
Sean Payton got the boot from Tom Coughlin for the same reason. He believed the offense was too difficult to execute.
Tuna hired Payton some time later as the OC for Dallas.
The Gnats won the Super Bowl.
Payton went to go coach the Saints.
Garrett was hired (before the HC) in Dallas as the OC.
The New Orleans Saints experience a resurgence the likes of which has never been seen in that city. Much of that is due to the record-setting performance of their multiple-set, highly complex offense run by none other than Sean Payton.
Garrett gets criticized for running too complex an offense.
Priceless.
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Ok, maybe I phrased that slightly wrong
a complex offense needs smart players to execute properly and consistently. Perhaps some players on our team are just overwhelmed by this complexity and thus fail to execute properly and consistently.
by One.Cool.Customer on Dec 17, 2009 4:02 PM CST up reply actions
I wasn't poking at you
I was saying that, even in the NFL, there is circular logic and lots of irony.
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Do you think Houck's X's and O's are much more complex than Sparano's?
Or is it all about the METHOD in which they communicate?
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
I don't know......
but I will say this: when Sparano was here he got a lot more out of these guys. I realize they were younger, but this doesn’t even look like the same group of guys. Also, look what Sparano has done with the offense that he has down in Miami. I was listening to Sirius today and they were talking about how the Dolphins had to adjust their offense once Brown went down since he was the main Wildcat guy. That’s what you don’t see with our offense. We go straight ahead with things even when they aren’t working. We don’t adapt/adjust things. We just keep on doing the same old things repeatedly. That’s all I was trying to say earlier about our line. If our schemes aren’t working, why not adjust and do something different.
Garrett calls 3 running plays with an O-line that averages 326 pounds per player
…and they get stuffed by a makeshift D-line.
I know SOMEONE played with passion, but I’m not sure it is who you think it is.
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
You'd rather chew your own arm off than own up that Romo
is one of the few players not to blame for the last two games. As usual.
Nom nom nom
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
we'll just have to see
I don’t believe that one poor game from our run D signifies major problems.
2 of your 6 points about Romo are entirely totally subjective btw.
This is sports blogging...what about this ISN'T subjective????
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Oh, c'mon...
he is…sadly…kinda the same Romo. Anyway, here it is.
Check your own criteria again, and tell me he hasn’t done a lot/most of what you demanded. Are you seriously going to hang the last two losses on him? You don’t want a QB; you want an automaton. Here’s hoping he continues in the next three games what he started in the first two this December and that the rest of the team mans up and matches his efforts.
If automaton = winner in December...that works for me
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
I saw a dog today. Have you seen a dog? You probably have. How was school? Was it fun? Did you get a lot of homework? Huh? Do you have any friends? Do you have a best friend? Does he have a big coat, too?
by Aaron Novinger on Dec 17, 2009 4:57 PM CST up reply actions
One of the great Sci-fi movies of all time
Nice.
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Pat yourself on the back when the season's over
We’re currently in decent position to make the playoffs. Yes, the schedule is brutal. Yes we’ve dumped a couple of games. That doesn’t mean it’s all over. For all you know, we could beat the Saints and go into the next two games with a great deal of momentum. There’s still time to turn it around.
Epic Fail since 1985
First, this isn't about patting myself on the back
It’s about me wanting my team (and its fans) to see through the BS that gets fed to us through Jerry’s magnificent marketing machine.
The flaws on this team and its infrastructure were there for everyone to see. Now, the team is headed for a another major offseason overhaul.
I want this to be one where the team makes a quantum leap because the rest of the NFL is not as stout as in prior periods and it is ripe for the picking.
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
I understand we've underachieved at points
But losing two games in a brutal December(nobody really looks at our schedules over the last couple of years when they start talking about our “December decline”) doesn’t mean it’s over, or that we’re mediocre. I think Jerry’s made an honest effort at doing things the right way this year. Should Wade be our H.C.? No, probably not, Jerry should have moved on last year. He has certainly made steps at correcting his errors over the off season, though. It was a very un-Jerry year for him.
I do think you bring up a few valid points. The crowd has been disappointing, the special teams have really started to decline, etc. I do think you’re being a little to harsh to justify your position from earlier this year, though.
Epic Fail since 1985
by the red scare on Dec 16, 2009 4:57 PM CST up reply actions
Hmmm
I do think you’re being a little to harsh to justify your position from earlier this year, though.
Will you say that if we go 8-8?
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Doubt it happens.
But yes, I’d continue to argue that you were being harsh. We have a good football team. They might be an underachieving bunch, and they certainly struggle in some areas, but they’re far from mediocre.
Epic Fail since 1985
by the red scare on Dec 16, 2009 10:15 PM CST up reply actions
9-7 year after year is indeed mediocre...
A good team finishes at least 10-6 on a regular basis, (the Cardinals of last year were a once every 30 years apparition).
A good team actually beats other good teams more consistently.
This team is on its way to its 4th 9-7 finish in the past 5 years (quite possibly 8-8); that’s mediocre or "average" if you prefer.
A good team actually plays SMART football and this team does not. Year after year this team plays middle of the road football, for example this year…
The average winning percentage of the teams they’ve beaten is .356, while the average of the teams they’ve lost to is .654. This is what middle of the road, "mediocre" teams do. They beat the more lowly teams and lose to the good ones.
Good football teams don’t “underachieve,” every season like a broken record.
The 2009 Dallas Cowboys: Talk to me in December.
The NFC East has won 11 Super Bowls; oddly none of those have come courtesy of the Eagles.
Mediocre is sort of a subjective term in the NFL.
9-7 by the numbers would slightly be over mediocre, but I don’t care about that.
There can be 1000 fanposts entitled “this team is mediocre” and everyone of them can be debated.
This is the word that can’t be debated, or at least well.
INCONSISTENT
99 yard TD drive that looked like everything was executed perfectly,
And then the next drive your running back fumbles and loses 5 yards.
Dallas can never get both sides to play well at the same time. One unit thrives and the other tanks.
You have a defense that plays great against everyone and totally shuts down Eli Manning and the Giants for a quarter and 3/4 only to be slashed in the next remaining minutes.
The problem gee-roj, is that at times they do play better than middle of the road football.
That’s what frustrates me, is that they have shown that they can do things, but never consistently follow through with it.
It really wouldn’t suprise me if Dallas somehow beat the Saints and looked GREAT, and then turn around and get crushed by the Redskins.
Why? Because that’s the rollercoaster that is the 2009 Dallas Cowboys.
They give you just enough hope that they’re going to break through, only to crash back to earth.
And to think, I’m called an optimist.
by The Immortal Iron Fist AKA AFB on Dec 17, 2009 10:51 AM CST up reply actions
It's not just 2009 either...
That’s what frustrates me, is that they have shown that they can do things, but never consistently follow through with it.
It really wouldn’t suprise me if Dallas somehow beat the Saints and looked GREAT, and then turn around and get crushed by the Redskins.
Why? Because that’s the rollercoaster that is the 2009 Dallas Cowboys.
This same statement could describe the 2008, 2006, & 2005 teams as well. Even the ’07 team was up and down late in the season. The 2009 story is nothing new.
This team has been too consistently up and down these past 5 years for me to believe they will be anything but that without some solid changes; starting with the head coach and O-line if I had my way.
The 2009 Dallas Cowboys: Talk to me in December.
The NFC East has won 11 Super Bowls; oddly none of those have come courtesy of the Eagles.
100% Agreed
and I’d add a better playmaking safety.
I don’t think that this is a culture thing anymore. I don’t see these guys as a bad locker room or guys who don’t care.
They seem frustrated too.
by The Immortal Iron Fist AKA AFB on Dec 17, 2009 12:01 PM CST up reply actions
If the standard of achievement is lowered, then you're not really underachiving
…and somewhere in that truth, lies the crux of the argument around the Dallas Cowboys.
There’s a clear difference between an average team with fans who’ve had to lower their expectations because of previous poor performance and an average team who has played at the same level but had low expectations to begin with.
It’s like the student who is continually struggling, on the verge of flunking and then finally comes up with a report card with a C average. The parents go crazy and take the kid out for ice cream. The kid who was averaging a B- and has a bad semester with a C average gets his XBOX 360 privileges revoked.
So, maybe our expectations were/are too high? Maybe this team was and is not as good as many people thought they were?
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
+1
In its current make up, with Wade at the top you’re right. This team has to make some personnel changes to get to that next level, (starting with the O-Line).
The 2009 Dallas Cowboys: Talk to me in December.
The NFC East has won 11 Super Bowls; oddly none of those have come courtesy of the Eagles.
Actually, I think Jerry has to make some concessions
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TRS...
In your book, what teams are mediocre and why?
What separates them from Dallas in that regard?
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
I simply think we're more talented than a "middle of the road" team
As I said before, I believe we have an extremely talented roster in several areas, capable of doing something special. Not Super Bowl special, but more along the lines of “win a play off game, go into the off season and fix some of the flaws on your otherwise talented roster” special.
I understand our record doesn’t look so great right now. There are mediocre teams close to the same position as us, I understand. But I feel our roster is more talented than most of those teams. This team has promise that elevates us above that “middle of the pack” label, imho.
The O-line sucks, I agree 100%. It prevents us from staying in games we could otherwise win. Wade isn’t the coach to get the optimum performance out of the team. I think we can both agree there. Where I’m assuming I differ from you is the evaluation of our roster. We have guys capable of doing great things, it’s just a matter of getting coaches that can get that kind of performance out of those players and possibly replacing the handful of mediocre players hindering them.
I’m well aware that response was redundant. I apologize, I’m having a difficult time expressing exactly what I want to.
Epic Fail since 1985
by the red scare on Dec 18, 2009 12:01 AM CST up reply actions
No worries
I think we are all frustrated.
Hell, Fighter15 won’t even come on here to comment.
On the O-line, do you think the talent level of those starting 5 is sub-par?
What areas of the team do you think have solid talent (relative to the rest of the NFL) versus areas that need big upgrades?
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Solid Talent
QB – yes I said it and still believe it. Romo is top 5 in the NFL.
Corner – Jenkins is a future all-pro and Newman is still good. Completed passes are resulting from lack of pass rush.
WR – I think Austin and RW could be a really solid tandem.
RB – I like all three. I really do.
LB (sorta): Ware is great. I would like to see some of these rooks more. Brooking is one of my new fav players.
Tight End: I like both our guys alot.
WEAK areas:
O-line and D-line: The most important phase of the game. Damn.
I agree but I would like toadd an opinionn
I dont think the lack of production from the O-line and the has to do with ability. I believe it has more to do with motivation. I am not talking about the Rah Rah shake your pompoms, I am talking about foresight vs hindsight.
They are so used to being told they stink that they are letting it make them STINK! So they are giving in and getting run over..IMHO
I hope you are wrong
Houck isn’t that kind of coach.
Wade isn’t that kind of coach.
I think they have faltered because they didn’t work hard enough in training camp and during the season to overcome their age and previous flaws.
But I could say that about lots of parts of this team.
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
I am not sure how good our DB's are
I think we will find out today!
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Gotta give 5Blings his dues
I think this is a well written post, I like your stadium observations, and you argue your points well. This could easily have been one of those the sky is falling, everybody sucks, fire them all posts, but it isn’t.
As usual though, I agree with hardly anything you’ve written, but this time it may be just a matter of semantics. I don’t think we’re a mediocre team, it’s not even debatable.
At this point of the season, we are an average team with the occasional flash of greatness. At 8-5, there are 7 teams with better records in the league. We’re still in the hunt for the playoffs.
What’s maddening is that with this team, most of us thought or hoped that we were on the cusp something special, but so far we’ve lacked consitency, execution and sometimes just plain dumb luck to get over the hump.
But we still have three games. If we win at least two, I am soooo looking forward to 5Blings’ next posts …
by One.Cool.Customer on Dec 16, 2009 7:36 AM CST reply actions
Well written...
and the fact that some of the points are valid can’t get me over the fact that it starts off as just another I told you so post.
by The Immortal Iron Fist AKA AFB on Dec 16, 2009 9:34 AM CST up reply actions
Yes, we know validity and truth sometimes take a back seat to how you "feel"
My take?
Redirect your personal disatisfaction at Jerry, the coaches and the players instead of me.
I’m just calling balls and strikes.
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
If we win two of the three, so am I, OCC
Does that mean you’re not looking forward to them if we don’t win?
:-(
BTW, do you think we’ll win 2 of the next 3?
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
No
Most of the time I do enjoy your posts, even if I don’t agree, but I would take a malicious delight in reading a post of yours titled “The delicious taste of humble pie with some crow for dessert”.
Two wins? There is no doubt in my mind that we will win the Redskins and Eagles games. None whatsoever. Zip. Nada. Zilch. The Saints, I’m not so sure. They can be beat. And why not by Dallas? All it would take would be for the Cowboys to play largely error free and consistently execute. But that may be a tall order.
by One.Cool.Customer on Dec 16, 2009 3:01 PM CST up reply actions
why are you so sure
about the eagles and redskins? the redskins absolutely should have won that last game. they missed TWO potential game winning field goals. Do you have any reason to that statement or are you just being optimistic?
Eagles.
by #1EaglesFan on Dec 16, 2009 3:49 PM CST up reply actions
Simple really
‘Just Because’ by Jane’s Addiction:
“If I were you
I’d better watch out
When was the last time
You did anything, not for me, or anyone else
Just because, just because
You! oh, you really should have known
Hey you, you really should have known
Just because, just because "
by One.Cool.Customer on Dec 16, 2009 4:14 PM CST up reply actions
When was the last time we swept the Eagles?
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
whens the last time the giants swept us?
its irrelevant.
I didn't ask because I was making a point, I just didn't know the answer
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Hahaha
point taken. well argued.
Eagles.
by #1EaglesFan on Dec 18, 2009 2:17 AM CST up reply actions
Let's make a deal...
I’ll write one with that title if we win 2 out of 3.
If we lose 2 out of 3 (or all of them), yours has to be titled “The sour taste of mediocrity with some reality for dessert”
Fair?
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
hmmm....
I think the board would be swamped with those types of posts, if this week is anything to go by.
by One.Cool.Customer on Dec 17, 2009 3:45 AM CST up reply actions
Okay, then you have to call it...
“The sky is falling, everybody sucks, fire them all”
Deal?
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
I have thought long and hard about this, 5B
and every time I try to imagine writing a post with the titles you suggested, it makes my skin crawl.
Ain’t happening.
I concede defeat in this little throwdown.
by One.Cool.Customer on Dec 17, 2009 1:31 PM CST up reply actions
BOOYAH!!!
Just cuz I value your input so much OCC (and because I want to be dead wrong), I will still write the post I said I would write if we win 2 of 3.
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
One more offensive observation
Rivera’s plan was obviously to rub Witten hard off of the line and make it tough to get into his routes and then double him with a safety.
Witten caught 4 for 49 yards but one of them came on a 26 yard play where SD blew the coverage.
Other than that, he had 3 catches for 23 yards. Hardly a factor in the final outcome.
Dallas needs to find ways to get him more involved.
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
I wish I could find my link
but I wrote a little thing a while back about these fans. You make the claim that we aren’t any good and will fail only because it is a win-win situation for you. If we fail, then you’re right and get to make a post like this, if we don’t fail and win games then it’s all good because you are fan and really just wanted to win like anyone else.
Congratulations for being right, now you get to be right (yaaaaaaa!!!!!) and if we still make the playoffs and win some games, then you get to be double excited, you were right then we overcame it and won!!!!!
It’s the easy way out.
Fiction
I didn’t say we aren’t any good. I said we are mediocre, and we are.
And lest you be unclear about my intentions, I want the team to play tougher, meaner, more physical football. I only want more Blings.
Regular season statistical bla bla means nothing to me…as does being right about pointing out what is clearly evident.
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
I was pretty disgusted with the lack of fan volume, even after Keith Brooking’s big screen plea before the game begging the fans in the stadium to cheer loudly because it would be "80,000 of us versus 11 Chargers". Well, that plea fell on deaf ears (or mute mouths, as the case may be) and the stadium’s loudest roar came when the fans were asked if they liked the 3D experience.
People can say what they will about the boorish Eagles fans, but you’ll never see the above scene in Philly :)
But didn’t the Cowboys KNOW they were going against Kasim Osgood, who is an elite Special Teamer (pro bowler)? Was anyone surprised that he would be trying to down it around the Cowboys’ goal line? The fact that Specials let this ONE GUY pin us back deep on two separate occasions is just foul. I don’t care who you block but make sure you block HIM!
You know, that’s something that I haven’t seen anyone write about over here, and one could make the argument that Scifres and Osgood could have shared MVP honors for that game. They made those 2 downed punts inside the 2 look extraordinarily easy. Well done, Blings.
They are not nearly as hot as the cheerleaders
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Is this a "MUST WIN" game?
Do you think that being 8-6 with two divisional games against teams, that are playing better (and wanting payback from previous games) than we are, has us coming out of that with a playoff berth?
To me, this might be the game that defines the Dallas Cowboys’ season because if they can’t turn it around on Saturday, they’ll be 0-3 in December, the “Wade is gone” furrnace will be ablaze with ample fuel and the locker room could quit like last year.
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
I was at the game, too...
And you are not lying. The crowd in Dallas sucks.
I was literally screaming at the top of my lungs at people in the crowd. I was like “IT’S THIRD DOWN AND SHORT, YOU BETTER GET LOUD PEOPLE!”
Pathetic. Most people were just sitting down and sighing after each play.
I never lie
…and yes, the lack of fan support at the games was disturbing.
Do you think it’s because the ticket prices are too high and attracts too many of the corporate ticket holders rather than the rabid hometown fans?
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
I dunno...
It almost seemed like the fans don’t know when to cheer or how to be loud. I was around a lot of younger people and a few teenagers accompanied by their dad. I was clearly the loudest one there, but some of the women around me were actually cheering more when the offense was on the field and quieting when the defense got out there.
I tried to tell them that you cheer AFTER the offensive plays and BEFORE/DURING the defensive plays, but they remained quiet during defense.
They'll beat you up in New York and Boston for not knowing that!
LOL
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
no, Cowboys fans that attend games have always been like this
I’ve attended games since 2000 at Texas Stadium and the crowds were among the worst I’ve seen. No passion from most fans, you would think you were at a tennis match.
The guy I sat next to at the Oakland game never said a word the entire game, truly is pathetic.
Cowboys most passionate fans are truly outside Dallas for sure.
In Romo we Trust
what's weird is
that on the road, like in RFK or FedEx Field, the Cowboys fans can drown out the home team.
At home, they’re rich, effete gawkers there to see and be seen and tipple their Chablis.
Even Lakers fans are rabid.
Yes!
I went to a Cowboys-Cardinals game in Sun Devil stadium and our fans blew the doors off.
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Cowboy fans are reactive not proactive live fans.
They react to plays but as far as being loud when it’s needed, very seldom.
Apparently I’m different to the rule, because I always leave there with a sore throat.
by The Immortal Iron Fist AKA AFB on Dec 17, 2009 2:20 PM CST reply actions
I'm still raspy from screaming from the ROH level!
But then again, I’ve only been to two games this year and that is probably all I will be able to get to.
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
I haven't been to a game this year......
but it was really strange when I went to the Ravens game last year. Half of the people sitting around me (I was right in the middle of season ticket holders-50 yd. line) kept leaving for long periods and then coming back-it was more like a social hour than a football game. When the Ravens ran back the first TD about half of them got up and left. When they ran back the second one you could pretty much have your choice of seats. Admittedly, it was cold, but these are season ticket holders that spent big bucks to get in the game.
I wonder what the dmoegraphics are for our home fan base?
Do you think many are 50+ years old?
Are Mavs or Stars fans different?
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
I wouldn't say that Terry.......
in fact a lot of the people sitting around me had owned the same seats for many years. They all had become friends over the years. In fact, it was kinda sad because a lot of them were saying there goodbyes to each other because of the closing of the stadium. From what I could tell, the average age was probably 30s-50s. Now, we are talking about prime seats so they paid out some pretty good change for those tickets.
we just have different definitions of what a real football fan is
To me, a real fan screams, yells and cheers while at a game, makes noise when noise is needed, they don’t sit on their hands and just watch with no emotion.
In Romo we Trust
oh I am a screamer,yeller etc. like you.......
all I’m,trying to say is these people have paid big bucks for their season tickets for years so I don’t think you can’t call them fans (unless they’re needing a tax write-off-haha. It’s been pretty well documented that even when we wre really good (with Aikman etc.) that the Dallas crowd was boring. Don’t know why. They used to say it’s because alcohol wasn’t allowed in the stadium (long time ago.) but they can’t say that anymore can they
Does Scott Fujita get on the Jumbotron and plead with fans in New Orleans to get noisy?
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
season ticket holder doesn't necessarily equal a true fan
A lot of rich people go to games for just something to do.
In Romo we Trust
I wonder if that is it...
Ticket prices have soared. Does that mean the 18-29 demographic (usually the drunkest and loudest) isn’t going to the games and is being replaced with the 55-year old corporate suit who sits on their hands?
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
actually, the ones around me weren't old..........
when I was there, it was more like a social hour. They were more interested in getting beer than watching the game like me.
like I said, not true football fans
No real fan would be interested in getting food or beer in the middle of the game if it meant missing some of it
In Romo we Trust
this is why
i don’t like going to football games. It’s all-in-all a shi&&y experience.
It’s expensive – gas, tickets, food, beer, parking
It’s a hassle to find parking
You have to share confined space with others and thus edit yourself somewhat while involved in somthing you’re likely more passionate about
Seats are uncomfortable (I’m 6’5")
Sitelines may suck.
No replays, no color commentary
Cheerleaders always grab my attention as do random milfs, cougars, babes, etc..
Potential for being surrounded by dummies, drunks, rednecks, I’ll-Fight-You Guy, opposing fans
Cold weather/Rain/Snow
Group peeing
Walk back to the car and the worst of all, traffic jams on the way home.
Give me my own TV all the time, because the Cowboys are on national TV 13 or 14x out of 16 opportunities… or I’ll take a bar/restaurant.
One more thing of note about the stadium...
The Pro Shop?
OH…MY…GOD!!!!
I dropped $600 (my contribution to Jerry’s upcoming offseason Free Agent haul…hint hint) and it took me 90 minutes of SRO elbow bumping with crazy people from parts unknown.
If the stands were half as loud and uproarious as the Pro shop, it would have been deafening.
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
We were proactive in Kansas City.
I was at that game. I think there were more Cowboy fans than Chiefs fans .
Do you think we travel better than we handle our home games????
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Have you been to a Bears game in Soldier Field?
One of the loudest stadiums I ever saw a game at was RFK, and the Skins weren’t even a good team.
The loudest, by far was the Swamp. Floridians are just plain crazed lunatics.
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
try Heniz Field sometime for a Steelers game
That place goes nuts and you can’t hear the person right next to you speak.
In Romo we Trust
RFK and Heinz were the loudest stadiums I have been to; The old Mile High was loud also
I have not been to the new palace yet, but Texas Stadium was way down the list
Lifetime Cowboys Fan from the Swamps of Jersey
Autzen Stadium.
Go Ducks!
I saw a dog today. Have you seen a dog? You probably have. How was school? Was it fun? Did you get a lot of homework? Huh? Do you have any friends? Do you have a best friend? Does he have a big coat, too?
by Aaron Novinger on Dec 17, 2009 4:58 PM CST up reply actions
wait till you here the saints' fans......
we are the loudest dome in the league.
Same response I had when you posted in September (Since you're repeating!) I'll highlight a few parts though:
Excellent Post and I agree w/all points after rewatching the Caroilina game.
Our running is piling up stats running draws from the shotgun. Our offense is built on deception rather than power. All the formations, end-arounds, shotgun, Wildcat, etc. Raf says it works, and that’s all our OLine can do-but it won’t work over 16 games, and certainly not in cold weather or in the playoffs.
I had a terrible thought watching-this O reminds me of the Buff. Bills we used to eat up in the early 90’s! Remember the stupid shovel passes, the no-huddle, etc. Dallas can’t beat good teams like this.
It looks good now, but Garrett is not building a team for a playoff run. This kind of cutesy (as others have also called it-and I’ll even excuse the goalline calls as an abberation) playcalling will falter in the cold winter months against superior opponents.
{Oh-Did Garrett have a goalline issue back then too? Hmmmm……}
It’s been a while now, and I think I’m over and done with Garrett as a coach. Maybe a QB coach-he’d be great as one. But Teams reflect the personalities of their coaches, and something is missing on the Off. side of our team, a mental toughness and willingness to just line up and play.
As for the D, I have no idea if they’ll pull it together or not. It wouldn’t surprise me if they gave up 450 yards and 30 points again, or if they shut down a team from one week to the next. But I do know that it’s a Thin Silver Line for our D and 1 or 2 injuries would be a disaster.
Mental Toughness
I’ve said for some time now that the hiring of Wade (and his style) was a mistake because Dallas was taking on a tougher, more physical style, especially under Tony Sparano’s coaching of the O-line.
Since that time, Dallas has really lost a great deal of that edge the prior staff was building.
The next coach, who I believe will have a resume leaning toward offense, will need to rebuild that kind of steely resolve in the organization if we’re ever going to compete well in December and beyond.
Nice catch.
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Do you think it should be Garrett?
I don’t think it will be Shanahan btw. cause if you follow the trail it leads to the Skins.
Too early to make that call...
I want to see what happens over the final 3 games.
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Young and some fire would be my preference.
Doesn’t have to be a Gruden, but this team needs a vocal guy who connects on some levels, and who is into the game.
Garrett is a blank slate to me as a motivating head coach. Too young and too offensive-minded for me though.
by Realist Larry on Dec 18, 2009 6:46 PM CST up reply actions
The Cowboys are a good team with a lousy coaching staff
Thus, the potential for a mediocre record at season’s end.
ME! BANE!
I'm not sure they are as good as people make them out to be
But even so, no one should argue the point about the coaching.
They may be one of the worst staffs in the NFL.
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Then you must agree that there isn't a ton of talent....
9-7, 9-7, and now maybe 8-8.
Which is it, the players or coaching?
Seems you never want to criticize either.
Pessimists say the cup is half-empty, while optimists say it's half-full. Well, isn't it both? Realist Larry, 2009
by Realist Larry on Dec 19, 2009 6:33 PM CST up reply actions
Personally, I think ya'll have Raideritis.
If ya know what I mean.
The only thing worse than losing is not winning.
by Tigernut on Dec 19, 2009 6:34 PM CST up reply actions
You know....
It doesn’t give me any pleasure to say I told you so.
Yes it does.
I still believe in Romo.
Okay, maybe jussssssssssssst a little
;-)
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Did he actually say 'austere'?
Hell, yeah! A steer from Austin!
The only thing worse than losing is not winning.
by Tigernut on Dec 19, 2009 6:32 PM CST reply actions
hey Bling
Mediocre teams don’t beat undefeated teams on the road…..wanna eat some crow now??
In Romo we Trust
You're so predictable
Remember that I wrote the first post AFTER they played Carolina.
Dallas had a great sense of accomplishment (as did you) after the win against the Eagles.
As Tom Jackson said on ESPN this morning, “they have to show me they can string together more performances like this one, because in the past, they haven’t.” Truer words were never spoken.
So let this be a word of caution to you Terry, who said we would be 5-0, and then 9-2 and then, well, you get the picture.
This team hasn’t proven anything yet.
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
yes they have
they’ve proven they are a lot better than mediocre, so let me know how that crow tastes.
In Romo we Trust
They are 1-2 in December
Just keep reality in the rear view mirror as you speed by, okay?
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
I am looking forward to you next post....
If I had a nickel for every Super Bowl the Eagles have won, I would have zero nickels.
he won't have one because we won
he’ll wait to we lose and then call us average again
In Romo we Trust
hahahaha... I guess we will have to see...
If I had a nickel for every Super Bowl the Eagles have won, I would have zero nickels.
by Cowboyfan729 on Dec 20, 2009 2:15 AM CST up reply actions
Does he usually participate in the open game threads?
I was looking for him and Deke, I am sure they will surface at some point this week.
Ignore the Mainstream Media, EMBRACE THE HATE!!!!
As one who's had doubts, If this team wins out, and takes the division, then I will eat crow
And gladly!
But can you really blame those of us who are wait and see after last year?
This team has some good talent. They’ve been close the last few years, just a little separating them from the winners of the NFL.
My opinion has been that it’s been more mental, although there are physical limits to this team.
But mental toughness can be developed-see the losing Cowboys of ’67 – ’71.
Also, Romo has been elevating his play the second half of this season, and it sure is easier to win without dumb interceptions/fumbles coming in bunches.
Pessimists say the cup is half-empty, while optimists say it's half-full. Well, isn't it both? Realist Larry, 2009
by Realist Larry on Dec 20, 2009 11:32 AM CST up reply actions
I'll check back after the next 2 games!
Pessimists say the cup is half-empty, while optimists say it's half-full. Well, isn't it both? Realist Larry, 2009
by Realist Larry on Dec 20, 2009 11:32 AM CST up reply actions
Let's just see if they can duplicate this kind of game a few times...
Unlike the bandwagoners, I don’t ride the roller coaster. I watch the play of the team as a body of work and Dallas has been nothing if not CONSISTENTLY INCONSISTENT.
I think the Washington game will be telling.
If we win, I owe OCC a post where I eat some sort of black bird.
Just so you know where I am…
I am not convinced.
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Is that what you are predicting?
I hope not, because you’ve missed badly on the other ones so far…
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
You won't eat crow
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
I was at a friend's house (who doesn't have DTV and so I actually had to record the game and watch it until 2 this morning)
So, I avoided anything of the sort.
See my reply to Terry above.
I’m omnipresent, my friend.
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
We won and I am enjoying the aftermath ( I wish they played this kind of game a week earlier)
…and I think we’re still mediocre.
Oakland beat Philly. Nobody is annointing them a good team.
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
That's because the rest of Oakland's body of work doesn't leave them at 9-5...
Plus, by your logic, beating the Eagles isn’t anything special since they too are an inconsistent team much like the Cowboys.
If I had a nickel for every Super Bowl the Eagles have won, I would have zero nickels.
by Cowboyfan729 on Dec 20, 2009 9:04 PM CST up reply actions
Actually, I was pointing out that Oakland has more wins against teams with winning records than Dallas does
How’s that for a “body of work”?
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
I am glad you think Oakland’s body of work is pretty strong since the Cowboys beat them handily at a game I was lucky enough to attend. I guess I can chalk that up as another quality win for the Cowboys since you find their “body of work” pretty good. This team’s performance is seemingly looking better every day.
If I had a nickel for every Super Bowl the Eagles have won, I would have zero nickels.
by Cowboyfan729 on Dec 21, 2009 6:09 PM CST up reply actions
Well, I didn't say that at all
So, I’m not sure why you wasted the keystrokes.
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
I was being sarcastic
as a retort to your lauding of Oakland’s record against winning teams.
If I had a nickel for every Super Bowl the Eagles have won, I would have zero nickels.
by Cowboyfan729 on Dec 23, 2009 1:29 AM CST up reply actions
there is no way a medicore team could beat the Saints
in the Superdome, absolutely no way, just ask the Pats
In Romo we Trust
They've escaped losses the last 2 weeks
The Skins had them beaten if not for Suisham’s shank.
I’m just saying, don’t you need a little more than just 2 wins against winning teams to put them in the upper echelon as you are?
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Not really
since the team that is leading our division has only beaten one team with a winning record.
If I had a nickel for every Super Bowl the Eagles have won, I would have zero nickels.
by Cowboyfan729 on Dec 21, 2009 6:11 PM CST up reply actions
Then we've found a line of demarcation between us
…and as we’ve said before, we need to see how this all plays out.
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Were we mediocre last year?
Better? Worse?
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
We were slightly above mediocre last year in my opinion...
But I hardly see how that applies to this team and the fact that we just went on the road and played well enough in all three phases of the game to beat the undefeated Saints.
If I had a nickel for every Super Bowl the Eagles have won, I would have zero nickels.
by Cowboyfan729 on Dec 20, 2009 8:59 PM CST up reply actions
What was our record this time last year?
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Ahhh...
It was indeed 9-5, and if you asked me a year ago, I thought our team was pretty good. Of course, we had two terrible games to finish the year and we didn’t meet our goals.
However, keep in mind, I never proclaimed anything about what this team will turn out to be in the long run. All I said was that as of now, this team cannot be considered mediocre. They have beaten the Saints and the Eagles on the road, and have only lost to teams that are quality teams in this league. Is that a pedigree up there with the Colts? No it isn’t. But just because this team isn’t necessarily elite as of now does not make them a mediocre team. Could this team end up only being a little above mediocre? Sure, if Dallas loses its last two then this team will be only a little above mediocrity. However, AS OF NOW, i don’t think this team is mediocre and I think the New Orleans Saints would agree with me.
If I had a nickel for every Super Bowl the Eagles have won, I would have zero nickels.
by Cowboyfan729 on Dec 21, 2009 6:19 PM CST up reply actions
So...
maybe my definition of mediocrity extends out a bit further than yours, mainly because I don’t really know how to respond to “slightly above mediocre”.
Let’s try it this way;
32 teams divided into the top 10, the next 11 and the bottom 11.
Which group are we in?
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
To be clear...
I have always thought of ‘mediocre’ as representing average or what you would call the middle. So when I say slightly above mediocre, I mean that I think Dallas last year was barely in the top half of the league (around #13 or 14 if you were doing a power ranking).
As an answer to you question, I would have to say that as of now we seem to be in the top 10. I realize we have lost to 5 teams, but in the same way you have evaluated the list of teams we have beaten, you must evaluate who we have lost to. We have lost to the Giants, the Broncos, the Packers, and the Chargers. Now, certainly no loss is okay, but as losses go those are decent teams to lose to. Plus, as the NO game showed, this team can absolutely play with anyone in the league. For those reasons, I would definitely say that this is a top ten team for now.
If I had a nickel for every Super Bowl the Eagles have won, I would have zero nickels.
by Cowboyfan729 on Dec 23, 2009 1:42 AM CST up reply actions
I would be careful
…that you not fall into the trap of assigning too much to our game versus the Saints.
They were due for a loss and Dallas generated outstanding defensive pass rush against a guy named Jermon Bushrod.
Where do you predict we’ll be when the season is over?
Top 10? Middle 11?
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Staying with the optimistic viewpoint
I think this team is good enough to at least find its way to the divisional round of the playoffs. Therefore, I would have to say top 10. Will that happen for sure? I wish it would, but the other teams get paid too and Dallas is going to have to earn it. If, and this is a big ‘if’, Dallas can take the level of play they had on Saturday night and transfer it into their remaining games, I think this team will definitely finish in that top ten.
If I had a nickel for every Super Bowl the Eagles have won, I would have zero nickels.
by Cowboyfan729 on Dec 25, 2009 3:17 PM CST up reply actions
+1 on the cancer
So if you have to label this team, is this one you think can win the Super Bowl, Terry?
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Not MEE-DEE-OH-KURR
The Eagles lost to the Saints (who we beat), they lost to the Raiders (who we beat) and they lost to us (who we are).
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