Cowboys at the Crossroads

… that Stephen Jones is playing a pivotal role in their move towards that direction (to draft/acquire those hard-nosed, athletic, football smart, versatile players that you correctly spoke of).

And it’s great to see that da King takes his son’ s recommendations seriously.

Stephen’s influence gives me hope for the Cowboys’ future — knock on wood, cross my fingas, throw salt over a shoulder…

with the exception of the Eagles game which I believe was an aberration caused by the mental and physical exhaustion of the season finally catching up with them.

If they win that game, they are in the playoffs. To completely crap the bed like they did is completely unacceptable for a group of guys paid to play football, and I don’t care how tired they were. That game worries me more than anything else about this team. They showed no pride, which makes me think a good number of players are showing up for the paycheck

The Cowboys are a young team and are set for the immediate future no matter what happens in 2009. The worst that could happen is a coaching change.

but take a deeper look at the future… If the reports are accurate (and in the world of sensationalist sports journalism it’s a really big “if”) Stephen talked Jerry into jettisoning these high-profile guys against Jerry’s instinct. So two things may emerge from this – Stephen is becoming more of a force in the organization, and in the short and long term, he may represent a culture change for the franchise.

Just a thought.

No way this offseason was a “chemistry versus talent” experiment. The current team IS STILL IMMENSELY TALENTED. Not yelling at you, Bound, but people around these boards seem to be setting up 2008 as “The talented group of individuals that were too selfish to win,” and 2009 as “The gutty, gritty group of overachievers who overcome a lack of talent via effort.”

I get why people are doing that— it’s the easy story to frame up in your head, and it’s the story the general media will be going with (because they are lazy. Never forget this. Sportswriters are SUPREMELY lazy).

However, I just don’t believe that that black and white distinction between ‘08 and ’09 is accurate. In reality, this team is probably just as talented as last year’s.

I understand we let go of some malcontents, but I would argue that every cut we made was made for more than just chemistry reasons. Greg Ellis, Zach Thomas, even Terrell Owens (who had ceased beings able to beat press coverage)— these were all players with diminishing ON FIELD production, not just locker rooms issues. Tank Johnson did not appear to be a fit in the 3-4 and produced in a very limited way, and Pacman Jones freelanced far too much for Dave Campo’s liking. Let’s not make it seem like we cut Demarcus Ware in his prime solely for chemistry reasons. Certainly we parted ways with these players PARTLY for locker room reasons, but their diminished on-field ability made that possible.

On the other side, we’ve got a lot of young players (Martellus, Jenkins, Choice, Scandrick, Felix Jones) who should be markedly better this year than last, simply because they are one year older and more experienced. Gerald Sensabaugh should be an upgrade over Keith Davis, who took the majority of snaps at SS last year. Montrae Holland has a year in the system and should in shape. Our backup QB is significantly better. We’ve got Roy Williams, who was a nonfactor last year, for a full season.

So why do we believe that this year’s team is less talented than last year’s?

The chemistry storyline has gotten old to me. I hope this year’s team has a great locker room vibe and I hope they give 100% on the field. But if last year’s team had suffered a handful fewer injuries, they would’ve made the playoffs, chemically imbalanced or not. And I see no reason to think that this current team is less talented than that version.

…I’d argue that if you go down the roster, this team is just as talented, if not MORE talented, than last year’s squad. I don’t think expectations should be any lower than they were last year.

then we need to get a new owner in here who expects to win.

Had the same old line last year with other injuries on top of it and still went 9-7. So what did we drive off the path of destiny last year?

but, besides that the conditioning topic is not taken up by the commentors it was used as a spring board by Don Banks to get a “Will Tony Romo lead the team to success” round table.

Bucky Brooks knows a lot more about football than Perloff, who’s made some supremely lazy and stupid comments about the Cowboys. Stuff that was assumed and so untrue.

I’ll shut up now and go da link.

Thanks again, Bruh…

I don’t really have any idea if the offseason would have gone the same way, but for my money, I am happy how it turned out. Dallas cut underperforming players (to their contracts that is) and malcontents/drama queens, and has finally started somewhat learning from their mistakes. I mean even Jay Ratliff admitted yesterday that the team was not on the same page last year, and in my opinion that was the root of the problems that showed so obviously in the last game of the season. Will this year be any more successful than last year? Maybe, maybe not. But like I said, I think Jerry has this team headed in the right direction for the future.

then remove vocal playmakers that will pressure Romo to throw them the ball (Owens) and then you mix in a little more Felix, Tashard and Barber…

this is the gameplan for 2009 with Romo….if this doesn’t work – then 2010 will likely have a new coach and all bets are off with Romo at the QB position

if anything – 2009 will answer a lot of questions

If you don’t like him, then that’s cool.

But the dude had injured ribs and collapsed, he didn’t faint. Why would you make fun of someone that’s hurt?

That’s as bad as the Eagle fans cheering when Irvin was hurt to me.

he collapsed because of the cracked ribs he sustained during the Eagles debacle and if you watched the game, you’d realize the entire team didn’t show up for that game, not only Romo.

Romo will lead us to the SB because he is simply one of the best qbs in the game and there isn’t a qb in the league I’d rather have leading the Cowboys to a championship.

I can’t believe you are seriously bringing up the shower situation. The fact is that he was so badly bruised from the beating he took that he had broken ribs and would not have been able to play the next week even if the Cowboys had somehow won. To sit him and criticize him for that of all reasons is not only low, but an absolute crappy criticism.

And as for Romo winning a playoff game this year, I have no idea if he will or not, but it would sure help if the defense and offensive line decided to show up along with him (one thing Troy could usually count on).

You mean the same way Tom Brady “quit on his team” with that sissy-a$$ knee excuse? The guy was injuried. You really have no clue, breath, and apparently very little humanity.

Tony passing out in the shower after getting the stuffing knocked out of him in that game doesn’t bother me.

Okay, he really sucked playing with broken ribs, behind a broken line, with broken RBs, and (at least for this game) a broken defense.

That’s like saying Aikman didn’t care in Detroit because he doesn’t remember the game.

If this statement is true, then we are going to see a radically changed offense this season. The team I have been watching the past three seasons goes as Romo goes.

First you assume he has fallen apart in December and second that changing him out would solve the December problems. You are wrong on both counts. How long has Dallas failed to win a play-off game, and for how many of those years was Romo under center?

It’s not by accident they call it a “football team” (or “club” if you’re Steve Superior).

I think the coaches may be on the ropes, because coaches are easier to find than franchise QBs.

1) If you think Romo was non-chalant, I suggest you rewatch that interview and consider what I would call “coping method.”

2) If you think it was only Romo that fell apart, I suggest you get your hands on the game broadcasts and grade the other units of the team (needless to say it will be ugly). Until I see proof that it is Romo that is holding us back, I will not begin to doubt him (not to say I don’t think he could improve) as it pertains to his potential to win in the playoffs.

then you are correct. But as true as that may be, I doubt the franchise act based on what ESPN says as long as they are satisfied with their own evaluation of the position.

Romo sucks when he’s injured.

Hiding weaknesses only lasts so long (see Proctor, Keith Davis, Zach Thomas, Anthony Henry, and even Choice).

The team quit after the 3rd Quarter follies. The turnovers and mistakes rolled as did the Eagles. The team obviously gave up in the 3rd Qtr. They looked spent and Romo (clearly performing like he was injured) could muster nothing…so they gave up.

Well, here I’ll grant the negative nellies a point. Quitting is always a bad sign. But teams do it. Look at Philthy when they benched McNabb? They quit, and every mediot was calling them dead. So it’s not as if it is defining (as in character, chemistry, etc) nor predictive. Arizona had a mid-season swoon as well that was questioning of their “character”.

BTW, who played in the NFC Championship game?

You’re looking at a franchise that hasn’t won a "win and you move on" game since the ’96 season. A coach that is now 0-5 in, "win or go home" games (if you count this 44-6 debacle).

Now I agree with you that it is folly to use just one game as example of how the team played all season but they came wholly unprepared for the biggest game of the year (which I blame the coaching staff for); so I’m willing to look at some other games as well.

They had a chance to lock up a playoff spot one week earlier against the Ravens, at home, and couldn’t get it done there either. They certainly had no business getting rocked 34-14 by a Rams team that finished the season 3-13 (even w/ out Romo). There were just too many games were the team just did not appear to show up and put up any kind of fight; how about that 35-14 thumping by the Giants at the meadowlands for example? This team didn’t just lose some games last season; they got their asses kicked in quite a few of them. Even some of the wins were ugly, i.e. that Cincinnati game had no business being as close as it was after they jumped out to a 24-0 lead.

I have been dead set against the hiring of Wade Phillips since day 1 but have some hope that things may be different in 2009 as the team really does seem to be taking a different approach. I particularly like how he will be serving as the team’s soul D-coordinator this year and that they seem to be bringing in some new players that fit his agressive schemes better.

When a players skills go they go fast. I dont think TO skills have abandoned him yet but when they do it will be a lost season for that team. It wont be his fault.

Seriously man. Even Tex throws out something now and then that he’s pleased with.

You’re like eeyore or something, you can find the negative in every situation.