What have we learned from the 2020 season?

[Bobhaze]

The end of any year is a good time to reflect on what has happened and more importantly, what we may have learned. This year is certainly a year we are all ready to kiss goodbye of the nearest cliff. The 2020 Cowboys season seemed to reflect what was going on everywhere else. So good riddance 2020!

So here is a list of some reminders and lessons from 2020 from my perspective on the Cowboys 2020 season as well as how we can move forward in no particular order:

• We have have been reminded for the 25th straight year that Jerry doesn’t know what he’s doing in building a championship roster. Will he get more help? Doubtful. Hopefully he will at least listen to someone other than his children. At this point we’re probably just going to have to get lucky to be playoff relevant soon.
• We need a vision of what kind of team we are trying to build. Unless I’m just blind, this team is seemingly put together by this front office like a fantasy football team rather than a real football team with a plan. Just collecting talent like a bunch of spare parts doesn’t work.
• This team is not 1-3 players away. More like 7-10 players away from being competitive. Stop drinking the blue koolaide. This team needs a big infusion of talent that aligns with whatever plan they have or hopefully get.
• We still need to draft a DT or S with premium draft capital. I know Donovan Wilson has flashed with some good play at times this year. But don’t kid yourselves into thinking we’ve solved our safety woes. Or think we can continue to have mediocre DTs and ever be able to stop the run. Talent on defense is no different than drafting offense. Most big difference makers aren’t 5th rounders. If you want a great defense, use some premium draft picks to fix it.
  
• This FO is at a dangerous crossroads with Dak. Either sign him or commit to drafting a top first round QB as a part of a massive rebuild. They cannot keep avoiding the decision by tagging Dak again. If he’s not the guy you want to build around, then he needs to be moved. Personally, I would sign him because even if you get Lawrence or Fields, there is no guarantee they will be better than Dak. It’s a dice roll. Because of Jerry’s age, I don’t think he wants a complete 1989 style rebuild.
• High paid RBs and WRs are not the centerpiece to playoff success. I was against resigning Cooper. He’s a great receiver but he hasn’t made any real difference the last two years in winning. Yes, he has great stats but often it’s when we’re behind and have to pass. Most teams winning SBs aren’t the ones with the highest paid RBs and WRs. We can have a very good running game without the top paid RB in the NFL.
• We need to need to be prepared for life without Tyron Smith. I wouldn’t be surprised if he does a T-Fred and retires soon. He’s not going to ever be what he was. I think we need to prepare now to have a new LT, a top 3 critical position on the field.
• It’s great having post game without having to listen to Jerry’s meaningless drivel. It helps the team when the Jones boys talk less. Period.

What do you think we’ve learned from 2020?

 

[J12B]

The amount of negativity Jerry Jones has received this season seems excessive to me.

A majority of this board liked a lot of the offseason acquisitions that were made. Acquisitions like signing McCoy, Poe, Haha Clinton-Dix and of course Dalton.

Getting players like Lamb (and staying at #17 to get him), Diggs and a couple of other draft picks were seen as great value picks and even "steals."

If McCarthy is getting a pass for injuries this year, then Jerry Jones should as well.

A lot of analysts and news outlets believed Dallas to have a stacked roster heading into the 2020 season.

 

[Jipper]

I’ve learned the cowboys can’t MASK their deficiencies any more.

 

[Bobhaze]

The amount of negativity Jerry Jones has received this season seems excessive to me.

A majority of this board liked a lot of the offseason acquisitions that were made. Acquisitions like signing McCoy, Poe, Haha Clinton-Dix and of course Dalton.

Getting players like Lamb (and staying at #17 to get him), Diggs and a couple of other draft picks were seen as great value picks and even "steals."

If McCarthy is getting a pass for injuries this year, then Jerry Jones should as well.

A lot of analysts and news outlets believed Dallas to have a stacked roster heading into the 2020 season.

Big Mac gets a pass in his first season marred by Covid and injuries. How can we give a pass to the self appointed face of the franchise who for 25 straight years can’t even produce a divisional playoff win? When you choose to be the head honcho despite your repeated poor results on the field you deserve not getting a pass. Right?

 

[J12B]

Big Mac gets a pass in his first season marred by Covid and injuries. How can we give a pass to the self appointed face of the franchise who for 25 straight years can’t even produce a divisional playoff win? When you choose to be the head honcho despite your repeated poor results on the field you deserve not getting a pass. Right?

Well this season a lot of the roster moves were viewed as positive and would make this team a contender.

Dallas was an 8 to 1 favorite of winning the Superbowl.

Problem was the first 4 to 5 games of the season when the team was healthy for the most part,.they still played bad and undisciplined.

It seemed like Jerry did his job in the offseason, but McCarthy wasn't doing his based on the level of play at the start of the season.

 

[Direwolf63]

The defense up the middle is total trash. Needs a total makeover.

Along with the coaches who teach them

 

[thunderpimp91]

I think you're a little over pessimistic about the future outlook of the team. If you ever think in the NFL that you are 10 players away from being competitive odds are you don't have a talent problem, you have an issue with developing talent. I'm sure we can find 10 positions that we would like to upgrade, but that is pretty unrealistic, especially in one offseason. At some point you have to have a coaching staff capable of getting the most out of players, and putting them in the right position to succeed. You can tell me that Jayon Smith and LVE and severely underachieved this year. What you can't tell me is that they both don't have talent. They were high draft selections, and both have had success in this league. Thats an example of a situation where i look at the coaching staff, and if they cant get it fixed i look at a new DC and/or LB coach.

You hit the nail on the head about DT and S though. Gotta address both positions with significant upgrades. I like what i am seeing out of Gallimore and Wilson, but you need multiple starters and depth at both positions. If Jerry tries to go discount shopping again we will see many of the same issues we have on defense this season. Time to move away from putting high draft picks and FA money towards offensive skill players, and on actually addressing needs.

I've learned that new doesn't always mean better. I pretty much assumed we would see an improved team without Garrett/Marinelli, boy was I wrong. I'd be pretty disappointed if Nolan was back in 2021, at least in his current role.

I've confirmed that the Cowboys know how to identify talent in the draft. Their top 3 picks from this past draft all look like keepers. Even the 2019 draft is starting to show some promise with Wilson, Pollard, and McGovern. Had it not been for the influence of Marinelli again with Taco and Hill it may not even be up for debate about the Cowboys ability to draft.

I've learned that we have some excellent depth on this oline. I'm hoping Collins and Smith can both come back healthy, this is a different team if so, but im not panicking if one of them misses some time next year. Our starting Ts this year are backup talents, but have shown a hell of a lot of growth. I also think we have a real player in Biadasz, we also could do a lot worse in the Connors at G. I've also learned we are under appreciating Zach Martin.

I've learned that this front office has no idea what they want to do with Dak Prescott. It was pretty clear last offseason they had a hard ceiling on what they would pay Dak, and after injury im not so sure they are going to just open up the wallet for him. I wouldnt be surprised if the gets tagged, signed long term, or flipped for a mid round draft pick. Nothing would really shock me at this point. And with the way rookie QBs have been able to come into the league the last couple years and contribute right away has to get the attention of front offices around the league.

I've learned how crucial special teams are. I've always talked about it, but i always seem to fall back into a patter of forgetting just how impactful they can be.

I've learned that the NFL evolves so much faster than fans think.

I have learned that their are actual people out there who think players throw games on purpose for the sake of a better draft pick

I've also learned just how much i loved the game of football. Due to the pandemic i've had a lot more time on my hands this year. I spent a lot of that time going back and breaking down game film, and have to say i can't get enough of it. Wish i had a time machine to go back 15 years and make a living out of that.

 

[jazzcat22]

The amount of negativity Jerry Jones has received this season seems excessive to me.

A majority of this board liked a lot of the offseason acquisitions that were made. Acquisitions like signing McCoy, Poe, Haha Clinton-Dix and of course Dalton.

Getting players like Lamb (and staying at #17 to get him), Diggs and a couple of other draft picks were seen as great value picks and even "steals."

If McCarthy is getting a pass for injuries this year, then Jerry Jones should as well.

A lot of analysts and news outlets believed Dallas to have a stacked roster heading into the 2020 season.

well stated, but the usuals will not understand this. Nor do they want to. All the want to do is the same old stupid posts.

 

[jazzcat22]

The end of any year is a good time to reflect on what has happened and more importantly, what we may have learned. This year is certainly a year we are all ready to kiss goodbye of the nearest cliff. The 2020 Cowboys season seemed to reflect what was going on everywhere else. So good riddance 2020!

So here is a list of some reminders and lessons from 2020 from my perspective on the Cowboys 2020 season as well as how we can move forward in no particular order:

• We have have been reminded for the 25th straight year that Jerry doesn’t know what he’s doing in building a championship roster. Will he get more help? Doubtful. Hopefully he will at least listen to someone other than his children. At this point we’re probably just going to have to get lucky to be playoff relevant soon.
• We need a vision of what kind of team we are trying to build. Unless I’m just blind, this team is seemingly put together by this front office like a fantasy football team rather than a real football team with a plan. Just collecting talent like a bunch of spare parts doesn’t work.
• This team is not 1-3 players away. More like 7-10 players away from being competitive. Stop drinking the blue koolaide. This team needs a big infusion of talent that aligns with whatever plan they have or hopefully get.
• We still need to draft a DT or S with premium draft capital. I know Donovan Wilson has flashed with some good play at times this year. But don’t kid yourselves into thinking we’ve solved our safety woes. Or think we can continue to have mediocre DTs and ever be able to stop the run. Talent on defense is no different than drafting offense. Most big difference makers aren’t 5th rounders. If you want a great defense, use some premium draft picks to fix it.
  
• This FO is at a dangerous crossroads with Dak. Either sign him or commit to drafting a top first round QB as a part of a massive rebuild. They cannot keep avoiding the decision by tagging Dak again. If he’s not the guy you want to build around, then he needs to be moved. Personally, I would sign him because even if you get Lawrence or Fields, there is no guarantee they will be better than Dak. It’s a dice roll. Because of Jerry’s age, I don’t think he wants a complete 1989 style rebuild.
• High paid RBs and WRs are not the centerpiece to playoff success. I was against resigning Cooper. He’s a great receiver but he hasn’t made any real difference the last two years in winning. Yes, he has great stats but often it’s when we’re behind and have to pass. Most teams winning SBs aren’t the ones with the highest paid RBs and WRs. We can have a very good running game without the top paid RB in the NFL.
• We need to need to be prepared for life without Tyron Smith. I wouldn’t be surprised if he does a T-Fred and retires soon. He’s not going to ever be what he was. I think we need to prepare now to have a new LT, a top 3 critical position on the field.
• It’s great having post game without having to listen to Jerry’s meaningless drivel. It helps the team when the Jones boys talk less. Period.

What do you think we’ve learned from 2020?

Bob, you usually create great well thought out posts.
But you lost me as soon as you went into the first statement about Jerry.
Look at any team, say, SF for instance and look at their injuries and ours and no team can overcome that. Not when over half your starters as well as key backups are out, or have missed time.
Sorry, but this time I stopped reading right here.

 

[Future]

I've learned that many fans have no comprehension of what injuries do to a roster - mostly out of laziness - and would rather whine about Jerry than understand that what he built for this year was never executed specifically because of injuries.

Yes, injuries are an excuse. No, no other team is competitive with the injuries Dallas has had.

 

[conner01]

Other than I’ve learned Dak is the idea QB for this team I haven’t learned much
Couldn’t have learn much about most of the roster since they’ve played so little
Schultz is a decent TE
Lamb is what we thought he was

 

[thunderpimp91]

Other than I’ve learned Dak is the idea QB for this team I haven’t learned much
Couldn’t have learn much about most of the roster since they’ve played so little
Schultz is a decent TE
Lamb is what we thought he was

are you serious? Despite injuries you still have 22 players on the field. Plenty of players to evaluate, including some key young guys in diggs, gallimore, biadsz, etc.

 

[Fla Cowpoke]

Bob, you usually create great well thought out posts.
But you lost me as soon as you went into the first statement about Jerry.
Look at any team, say, SF for instance and look at their injuries and ours and no team can overcome that. Not when over half your starters as well as key backups are out, or have missed time.
Sorry, but this time I stopped reading right here.

Kinda silly to stop after one point out of many, especially when you say he normally has well thought out posts. One thing you disagree with is enough to send you packing?

 

[Bobhaze]

Bob, you usually create great well thought out posts.
But you lost me as soon as you went into the first statement about Jerry.
Look at any team, say, SF for instance and look at their injuries and ours and no team can overcome that. Not when over half your starters as well as key backups are out, or have missed time.
Sorry, but this time I stopped reading right here.

I understand what you’re saying Jazzy. But give it a read anyway, then pan it. Lol. I never said in the OP that injuries didn’t play a role in our season. But there’s more at play this year than injuries. This thread was about what we learned this year.

 

[JonesBoys]

The end of any year is a good time to reflect on what has happened and more importantly, what we may have learned. This year is certainly a year we are all ready to kiss goodbye of the nearest cliff. The 2020 Cowboys season seemed to reflect what was going on everywhere else. So good riddance 2020!

So here is a list of some reminders and lessons from 2020 from my perspective on the Cowboys 2020 season as well as how we can move forward in no particular order:

• We have have been reminded for the 25th straight year that Jerry doesn’t know what he’s doing in building a championship roster. Will he get more help? Doubtful. Hopefully he will at least listen to someone other than his children. At this point we’re probably just going to have to get lucky to be playoff relevant soon.
• We need a vision of what kind of team we are trying to build. Unless I’m just blind, this team is seemingly put together by this front office like a fantasy football team rather than a real football team with a plan. Just collecting talent like a bunch of spare parts doesn’t work.
• This team is not 1-3 players away. More like 7-10 players away from being competitive. Stop drinking the blue koolaide. This team needs a big infusion of talent that aligns with whatever plan they have or hopefully get.
• We still need to draft a DT or S with premium draft capital. I know Donovan Wilson has flashed with some good play at times this year. But don’t kid yourselves into thinking we’ve solved our safety woes. Or think we can continue to have mediocre DTs and ever be able to stop the run. Talent on defense is no different than drafting offense. Most big difference makers aren’t 5th rounders. If you want a great defense, use some premium draft picks to fix it.
  
• This FO is at a dangerous crossroads with Dak. Either sign him or commit to drafting a top first round QB as a part of a massive rebuild. They cannot keep avoiding the decision by tagging Dak again. If he’s not the guy you want to build around, then he needs to be moved. Personally, I would sign him because even if you get Lawrence or Fields, there is no guarantee they will be better than Dak. It’s a dice roll. Because of Jerry’s age, I don’t think he wants a complete 1989 style rebuild.
• High paid RBs and WRs are not the centerpiece to playoff success. I was against resigning Cooper. He’s a great receiver but he hasn’t made any real difference the last two years in winning. Yes, he has great stats but often it’s when we’re behind and have to pass. Most teams winning SBs aren’t the ones with the highest paid RBs and WRs. We can have a very good running game without the top paid RB in the NFL.
• We need to need to be prepared for life without Tyron Smith. I wouldn’t be surprised if he does a T-Fred and retires soon. He’s not going to ever be what he was. I think we need to prepare now to have a new LT, a top 3 critical position on the field.
• It’s great having post game without having to listen to Jerry’s meaningless drivel. It helps the team when the Jones boys talk less. Period.

What do you think we’ve learned from 2020?

What have I learned? I finally realized we are reliving Groundhog Day every year with Jerry. Maybe Jerry will learn it’s not about him and we can move on? Highly doubt it. See you the same time next year.

 

[SkywalkerSteele]

That Donovan Wilson can be a dawg for this defense lol. Seriously he is showing so much improvement as a safety. More improving to do but he brings an attitude and play making ability to the position we havent seen in a while.

 

[JoeKing]

We've learned that a global pandemic sucks. It's better to be with Dak than without. Zeke isn't worth his paycheck.

 

[CouchCoach]

I don't know that I learned anything as I didn't get to see enough of the real team and when all of this started going down, I immediately adjusted my thinking for any team that went through a coaching change and I don't know what the team really looks like.

This has been like watching a favorite TV show and the cast changes each week.

However, I didn't start this season with hopes much higher than an 8-8 without all of the peripheral stuff going on around the game. I do not judge the talent of the team like some do, obviously, as I didn't see this team as a contender.

I do not look at a team's talent the way the talking head spinners do. And I ignore them because of the required Cowboys talk and scripts they must follow. That's all for show.

I looked at the talent from 2019, beginning with the worst, and compare that to 20 and saw very little, if any, improvement on the D side. Over the hill and reclamation projects to replace the 2 players that played the best in 2019.

Different day, same problems and until they seriously address the middle and back of that defense, this will continue to be an 8-8 team when healthy.

I didn't think there would be a pro bowl player on the D but I didn't think there wouldn't be any on the team so that was new. What won't be new is that excuses will be made. You will hear more injury excuses from the Joneses in a week after this season than from the Niners all off season.

 

[G2]

We need a Free Safety. One with range, speed and ball skills. A safety that is particularly good at coverage. We have a very good Strong Safety and that's all that's in the early rounds of the draft.

 

[aria]

Jerry still sucks and this season is a great example why you don’t waste high picks on RB’s or give them absurd contracts, especially on their terms.