Why I Am Looking Forward To Next Season

[17yearsandcounting]

Garretts still going to be around CONSISTENTLY biffing game management in tight situations. 9-7 at best. This guy doesnt know what he is doing and doesnt seem capable of learning.

[btcutter]

Originally Posted by Zordon

i look forward to next regular season as well.

it's when january comes around that the fun will begin again.

seriously, if romo threw for 6k yds and 50 tds in the regular season does it really mean anything anymore?

At least that'll get us in the playoffs. You have to get to the big dance first to even have a chance.

Romo is good enough on a decent team with good headcoach. But he is not good enough to carry a team. Unfortunately, he is too good to just be a bus driver and coaches often forget to control him better.

[btcutter]

Originally Posted by CATCH17

Our defense kept us in it all night.

The basic offense we run just got schooled in a big game.

Our Oline did a heck of a job considering they were getting tee'd off on and Garrett did absolutely nothing to help them out. Same old story though.

I forgot though.. Playcalling doesn't matter.

Playcalling matters but execution matters too. Our OL is bad. We couldn't execute a screen.

Shannonhan without RG III stunk it up in Washington last two years. Sometime having PLAYERS make all the difference in the world.

[btcutter]

Originally Posted by Yakuza Rich

Before I go on, I should first state that this is a long post. I think I have made the points clear, so hopefully it is an easy read. But if you’re not interested, don’t say I didn’t warn you as to the length of the post.

Also, this weekend I spoke to somebody I know is very close to the organization. We discussed a myriad of things, in particular Garrett as the Head Coach. I came away from the conversation with a lot more confidence that Garrett is the right HC for this team. I still want to see him give over the offense to somebody else. But, the conversation hit upon a lot of things I didn’t quite understand and how Garrett is making the entire organization better in the process. Hey, he still has to win games in order to be a good coach. But, this person sold me on the merits of his coaching and why we will eventually win games under him.



YR

YR.....is Garrett a better GM than a coach?? He seems to have issues with clock management and adjustments. We've seen how it has cost us a few games. He's growing on the job but is he better suited to be a GM?

[Yakuza Rich]

Originally Posted by phildominator

So statistical hocus pocus is our basis for a bright 2013. Huh. That's what it's degenerated into.

Just because it doesn't agree with your line of thinking, which you base it off of anecdotal evidence, does not mean it's 'hocus pocus.' Not when you go back to 1999. After a while, it's just the way the NFL is. Those who don't learn from history are not only doomed to repeat it, but end up sitting at the side track wondering why they did notice what was going on in the first place.

Same post could have been at the end of our last two seasons, or for the Browns every year.

No.

I had the Cowboys going 8-8 this year based off the statistical trends.

The Browns never have hope because they have terrible starting QB's. Teams that have losing records and make the playoffs next season usually have a decent QB and usually a veteran who can keep the team in tough games, particularly on the road.

Look at the teams that had losing records in 2011, but went to the playoffs this year.

Minnesota (Ponder)
Washington (RG3)
Seattle (Wilson)
Indianapolis (Luck)

All QB's one would consider at least decent and all went to the playoffs. And before the sason, I think most people would consider all of those teams to be a long shot to making the playoffs. I predicted Seattle and Indianapolis.

It reminds me of last year when I predicted the Eagles to *not* make the playoffs because the numbers didn't work in their favor. Particularly since Vick is an injury prone QB. Those 'hocus pocus' statistics just somehow predicted it even though I was told that the great Andy Reid never fails.






YR

[Yakuza Rich]

Originally Posted by btcutter

YR.....is Garrett a better GM than a coach?? He seems to have issues with clock management and adjustments. We've seen how it has cost us a few games. He's growing on the job but is he better suited to be a GM?

He's a good coach.

But like many good coaches, if you have one thing that holds you back and you can't get over that hurdle, you may never be as successful as you hope.

If you ever get the chance, look at the drafts Tom Coughlin had in Jacksonville and now in NYG. Different GM's, different scouts, different organizations and different conferences. Yet, his drafts were really excellent.

Why?

Coughlin knows how to develop players.

He and his scouts find players they think can fit in with his coaching and then he does a great job of developing them.

I don't think that it's a coincidence so many of the Garrett type of players are doing so well. I don't think Garrett can pick players out of a hat. I think he coaches them and develops them the right way. This is what was conveyed to me this past week by the person close to the organization (that we all know who this person is).

It's why Dez has improved dramatically. It's why guys like Harris have improved dramatically.

I know people don't want to hear this, but the way it was conveyed to me was that a lot of the problems we are having is due to Wade's lackadaisical style of coaching. You can't get rid of all of those players at once. So Garrett has had to try and turn those guys around or slowly phase them out of the organization.






YR

[phildominator]

Originally Posted by Yakuza Rich

I had the Cowboys going 8-8 this year based off the statistical trends.


YR

So based off your statistics, you knew 2012 season would be a set up for 2013.



2013 isn't the Year of the Snake, it Year of the Cowboys.

[DoomsDayD]

It is so damn incredible that people are still making excuses for this team. It absolutely befuddles me as to how people can sit there today and offer any excuse for this team and how they performed this year. Then have the gaul to say they are excited for next year. I think these boards should separate the delusional posters from the reality ones. It is embarrassing any more.

[phildominator]

YR, what is different in the statistics that led you to predict an 8-8 2012 season versus a bright 2013?

Because you're predicting a brighter 2013 season now, before the draft, free agency and training camp.

All you've revealed for reasons to believe in a brighter 2013 is that we missed the playoffs and we have a good QB.

How's that different from 2012? We missed the playoffs in 2011 and its the same Romo as qb...yet somehow you came up with 8-8 prediction.

[Yakuza Rich]

Originally Posted by phildominator

So based off your statistics, you knew 2012 season would be a set up for 2013.



2013 isn't the Year of the Snake, it Year of the Cowboys.

No.

Only because things could happen in 2012. We win 1 more game, we could be in the playoffs. Perhaps win the division and that changes everything. Or let's say Romo got hit with a career ending injury in week 16. Or some disaster strikes in 2013.

I'm just saying that from a historical trends and figures standpoint, we are looking pretty good and that I would be much more worried about the G-Men in 2013 than the Redskins.





YR

[dirt]

Always love reading your posts YR...trying to filter the white noise today from frustrated fans, closet GM s and wanna be pro personnel directors and grab onto your posts like a piece of drift wood in a stormy sea...man that was poetic even
What intersts me is the weeding out process you spoke about. Who do you think is left from the Wade era? Felix, Austin, Sensabaugh??
What encourages me is the observation of improvement in young players over the course of the past two years....Sean Lee, carter...in the space of several games, Harris, parnell,albright, Hannah in recent games,Brent before his accident.....even Hatcher who was a tease had an excellent season
Too often as fans we clamor for the backup or the draft choice not knowing the pace of development that the individual player is on like the coaching staff does
This alone gives me some hope for Garrett

[Yakuza Rich]

Originally Posted by phildominator

YR, what is different in the statistics that led you to predict an 8-8 2012 season versus a bright 2013?

Because you're predicting a brighter 2013 season now, before the draft, free agency and training camp.

All you've revealed for reasons to believe in a brighter 2013 is that we missed the playoffs and we have a good QB.

How's that different from 2012? We missed the playoffs in 2011 and its the same Romo as qb...yet somehow you came up with 8-8 prediction.

Only 12 teams had losing records in 2011. 16 teams have losing records in 2012. It completely shakes up the entire schematics of the NFL for 2013 and presents something completely different than what we had this year.

Going into this year, I predicted 3 of the 12 teams with losing records in 2011 would make the playoffs. I took Carolina, Seattle and Buffalo as my picks. Obviously, Carolina and Seattle were disappointments. Looking back, I should not have ignored the historical trends that 2nd year QB’s usually have rough seasons. Even Andy Dalton had a difficult year. That knocked out Cam and the Panthers, but they did go 7-9 on the year.

Anyway, with me picking Carolina and Seattle…that’s 2 of the 6 NFC teams right there. I thought the Packers were a mortal lock to return and they did.

That’s 3 teams.

Super Bowl winners almost always return to the playoffs the next year. Bad news for Dallas (or so I thought) as the G-Men were the SB winners.

That’s 4 NFC East teams.

I had the Saints missing the playoffs, particularly with BountyGate. But, I simply liked the Falcons position…a wildcard team.

That’s 5 NFC East teams

Out of the other teams to fill that last playoff spot, I thought realistically it would be either:

Dallas
Philadelphia (8-8, missed the playoffs)
Chicago (8-8, missed the playoffs)

I liked Chicago’s chances. They were on their way to the playoffs in 2011 before Cutler got injured on a freak injury. Their numbers were excellent and Cutler was coming back. They still went 10-6 on the season.

I still liked what Dallas had to offer, so I couldn’t pick them to have a losing record. But with the G-Men, Philly and what I thought would be an improved Washington team, I saw them going 8-8.

Next year there are some obstacles. I think there will be 5 teams with losing records in 2012 that will make the playoffs in 2013.

Right now, I like:

St. Louis
Detroit
New Orleans
San Diego
(can’t think of a 5th team right now)

So, that puts 3 teams in the NFC already.

But, the more teams with losing records, the WORSE it is for divisional winners. And considering RG3 will be a 2nd year QB (and seems susceptible to injuries), I think Washington is going to have a tough go at it in 2013. I don’t think Foles or the Eagles are ready. That leaves it down to use and the G-Men. And there’s also no reason why both the Cowboys and G-Men can’t make the playoffs in 2013.






YR

[Yakuza Rich]

Originally Posted by dirt

Always love reading your posts YR...trying to filter the white noise today from frustrated fans, closet GM s and wanna be pro personnel directors and grab onto your posts like a piece of drift wood in a stormy sea...man that was poetic even
What intersts me is the weeding out process you spoke about. Who do you think is left from the Wade era? Felix, Austin, Sensabaugh??
What encourages me is the observation of improvement in young players over the course of the past two years....Sean Lee, carter...in the space of several games, Harris, parnell,albright, Hannah in recent games,Brent before his accident.....even Hatcher who was a tease had an excellent season
Too often as fans we clamor for the backup or the draft choice not knowing the pace of development that the individual player is on like the coaching staff does
This alone gives me some hope for Garrett

There are a couple of reasons why I won't reveal who it is.

1) This person is a customer of the company I work for, so I do worry about some basic privacy issues.

2) I sort of look at it like any celebrity telling me this in confidence that they do it under anonymity. One thing I despise is seeing people taking pictures of celebrities who are at a party, minding their own business. To me, it's just as bad.

I don't really care whether people believe it or not. The point of mentioning it was to give my perspective of what I was thinking going into the game and why I'm fairly optimistic for next year.

Some people want to hear it. Some people don't.

Anyway, I was told that Wade's practice style was often more about watching film and they didn't care so much about technique and particularly focus and intensity in practice. In particularly after wins because figuring they won, what they were doing was working. That's why we would see a lot of sloppy wins, players who struggled with success and general consistency issues.

One of the things I asked was about how Witten's penalties dropped once Garrett became Head Coach and this person told me that the TE position requires repetitions given your assignments and having to think more on your feet and how Wade's practices were sloppy and ill prepared and since Witten is a great player, Wade could 'live' with the penalties.

We discussed things like the New England game from last year and that my general observation was correct according to him...Garrett had to break a cycle of the team losing the end of the game on a Romo turnover. Even if it wasn't Romo's fault, any turnover would have been viewed as Romo's fault and it would have decimated the team's spirit to lose on another interception.

That's part of why he believes Garrett is a bit conservative in his playcalling. He wants the players to nail the basics and fundamentals first. Get them down every single day, every practice, every time. Then, we'll move onto more intricate stuff.

Like I said, I think a person can be a good coach but fail to overcome that one blind spot. Bill Cowher had to figure out to not rely so heavily on the run game. Coughlin had to figure out how to pick and choose his battles with simple team rules. Schottenheimer never figured out how to win in the postseason.

I just think all of the things that I have felt that have killed this organization. Those struggles with having a coach that will 'stay on' players. Players that can handle success. That play with intensity and focus each week. That don't think they can just show up and win because they are the Cowboys. Those players that are hungry and want to get better. All of those things are what I was told that Garrett has made his priority and does a great job with it and that's why so many people are high on him.

And while people don't like to hear it, it is a process and he needs the time to weed out the players that just don't quite get it or have too many bad habits to break and get his players in there.

I am disappointed how much that sentiment offends some people.




YR

[phildominator]

Thanks for the detailed reply, YR.

It seems like that you start your basis from statistics, but it's finalized from your subjective opinions.

Not statistics, but by your opinion, you eliminated the Nick Foles and the Eagles for 2013. Also, You subjectively eliminated the redskins as a threat this year.

Other than an NFC East team winning the Super Bowl in 2010, Statistically, there's nothing that suggests the cowboys have a better shot next year than this year.

What if the Redskins (god forbid) won the Super Bowl this year? You said that Super Bowl winners almost always return to the playoffs the next year. Does that improve, worsen or neither in 2013's chances?

For myself, I read Football Outsiders and other trends as well, but at the end...if we don't improve our OL, increase turnovers and decrease penalties, we have the same shot at making/missing the playoffs next year regardless if we won/lost last night.

[dirt]

I hear what you are saying....we focus on the cowboys and cast an envious eye toward the Patriots and other successful organizations not having lived thru their growth and development. Read anything on Belichick and u will see the process he went thru learning and developing a philosophy and a scouting system to identify his type of player, learning from mistakes made in cleveland to reach the level the Patriots now operate on
Not equating Garrett to Belichick but the fact that he has a certain type of player and a process...there is that word again...to reach that goal makes me optimistic
What irritated me most about Wade was the sloppiness. Football is a sport that requires discipline, accountability, self motivation like no other