Where's your Optimeter needle pointing?

StarBoyz83

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The schedule looking really weak is for sure a factor this season. I'd have to bump it up to 50% hopeful of a good season tbh. Dallas isn't near as bad as last year made it seem. There was just too many Injuries to over come. Still can't put dallas in the top 16-17 but teams surprise every year. Just hoping for a good year.
 

HappyOnions

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It's not very high...

We truly are undeserving of all the media attention. We've made the playoffs 7 times since 2000 and haven't advanced past the divisional round...

Perennial underachievers until proven otherwise.
 

CowboyoWales

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I like the youth we now have on the DL, plus Gregory will finally start the season after having a full TC. The biggest difference IMO will come at LB. The speed and range added with Parsons, Neal and Cox should be noticeable. We won't be forced to watch Smith and/or LVE underperform with no viable replacements. But I agree that it's all talk and paper right now. We'll have to wait and see...

Oh I agree that there's hope, just that before the season starts there's always that positivity about a team that looks good on paper.

A lot of the fate is based on injuries to key player (and in our case DC;)). The Chiefs offensive capitulation without their starting OT's just goes to show how fickle the game and luck can be.

Maybe we used up our share of injury bad luck in 2020. :)
 

CouchCoach

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I'm confident this team can compete for the division title, which is where it all starts. That isn't likely to change until real games begin. I'm not one to read a lot into training camp and preseason, which can often be fools' gold. But belief the division title is a realistic possibility is a good start. If the offense holds together and the defense genuinely improves the needle will start to move up.

I'd love to get excited about the Cowboys postseason chances again. That feeling hasn't happened since 2016 and losing to the Packers hurt. I wasn't in Super Bowl mode yet but I really did think Dallas would win that game and go to the NFCCG. I haven't had that kind of confidence since. Hoping to find it again someday, preferably soon.
Baby steps, I am thinking they take the division but beyond that? Maybe a WC weekend win.

2016 was definitely a wonderful surprise but I wasn't sold the team would advance in the playoffs. One, they were not prepared and too pleased with their 13-3 season and I thought Romo was the better choice for the playoffs. However, Prescott wasn't the reason they lost that game. Lack of preparedness was and the DC didn't wake up until it was 3-21.
 

CouchCoach

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It's not very high...

We truly are undeserving of all the media attention. We've made the playoffs 7 times since 2000 and haven't advanced past the divisional round...

Perennial underachievers until proven otherwise.
I agree about the media attention but I don't take my read from the media.
 

Melonfeud

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*Noise Maker in the Aft Porthol,,,,er,,, PLAYOFFS

**Cuz' my local liquor store clerk,who is a HOMER
( b t w) is such a Shylock Salesman, I'd bought 2 case of 100 proof FANDOM offa' him the other day:thumbup:


:starspin:o_O:starspin:
 

MysteryIceGuro

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I've done this every off season after the draft just to check and see where posters' heads are at with the upcoming season. I did not do it last season because I am not sure what last season was.

Which brings me to this season. I am really feeling good about this season, I think the Cowboys will win the East and possibly a playoff game that first weekend.

But it's not the record this season or the playoffs that have me extra tuned in, it is to see if I can get that feeling I had in 1990-91 when I could see something special coming together. That's when that defense began to emerge and I could see the speed and the train coming.

New DC, 8 D players drafted and more signed in FA and UDFA and some of the missing pieces returning like Diggs and we'll see about Vander Esch. Not to mention the OL coming back an of course, the QB and Jarwin and we'll get a good look at Lamb's soph season and I do think it will be impressive. Ya know, I got the feeling watching him at OU when Hollywood Brown was there that this guy was just meant to be a WR, he's a natural.

If I were a clever illustrator, I would put a graphic up with the needle and different categories but I am neither clever nor an illustrator so I will just list them.

Your choices are: Let's Talk Draft 2022, 2020 in Hindsight (no better), Barely Better than 2020, Wild Card, Division Champs, Noisemaker in the Playoffs, This is Our Year.

I am in that Division Champs section of the Optimeter.

Please state your reasons for where your needle is pointing and could we try and refrain from going after someone or name calling like Homer or Hater because of where their needle is? You feel how you feel and don't have to defend it.
Somewhere between “Let’s talk draft” and “Barley Better”. If we stay healthy, we’ll easily be better than last year. But even that said, our defense is extremely young, safety position is still ignored, and we still have a terrible LB core. Parsons will bot be enough to save it. We don’t know how good Dak will be, and we don’t know if Zeke will ever bounce back. Lots of question marks. Anything can happen, but Dallas seems to have a curse looming over them so I’m not too optimistic.
 

GimmeTheBall!

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I took a shot at a flying pig today Neighbor has a Bugatti that dam windshield aint Gonna be cheap

You are liked David Crockett, great hunter. He once said "Be sure you are right, then go ahead." Then that fool yahoo walked into the Alamo.:laugh:
 

Verdict

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Noisemaker in the playoffs with a chance to win it all, if OL is healthy this year.
 

lukin2006

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We will miss the playoffs and finish 3rd in the division. Mike McCarthy is a fraud. Prescott will have an average year at best…

as far as I’m concerned this offence will continue to be held back by slow, fat Elliot. The D will get held back because this team still think Smith and LVE are starters in this league..Until this franchise operates like professionals..Nothing changes.
 

LittleD

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The schedule looking really weak is for sure a factor this season. I'd have to bump it up to 50% hopeful of a good season tbh. Dallas isn't near as bad as last year made it seem. There was just too many Injuries to over come. Still can't put dallas in the top 16-17 but teams surprise every year. Just hoping for a good year.

How do you know that at this point in time. We haven't had OTA's or TC yet. How many injuries are we going to suffer in TC or pre-season games. Dak going down early will totally sink the season and with our OL history, he might not last long. My guess is that this team will languish again this year and for several more years just like the last 25 years.
 

kevinhickey

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I've done this every off season after the draft just to check and see where posters' heads are at with the upcoming season. I did not do it last season because I am not sure what last season was.

Which brings me to this season. I am really feeling good about this season, I think the Cowboys will win the East and possibly a playoff game that first weekend.

But it's not the record this season or the playoffs that have me extra tuned in, it is to see if I can get that feeling I had in 1990-91 when I could see something special coming together. That's when that defense began to emerge and I could see the speed and the train coming.

New DC, 8 D players drafted and more signed in FA and UDFA and some of the missing pieces returning like Diggs and we'll see about Vander Esch. Not to mention the OL coming back an of course, the QB and Jarwin and we'll get a good look at Lamb's soph season and I do think it will be impressive. Ya know, I got the feeling watching him at OU when Hollywood Brown was there that this guy was just meant to be a WR, he's a natural.

If I were a clever illustrator, I would put a graphic up with the needle and different categories but I am neither clever nor an illustrator so I will just list them.

Your choices are: Let's Talk Draft 2022, 2020 in Hindsight (no better), Barely Better than 2020, Wild Card, Division Champs, Noisemaker in the Playoffs, This is Our Year.

I am in that Division Champs section of the Optimeter.

Please state your reasons for where your needle is pointing and could we try and refrain from going after someone or name calling like Homer or Hater because of where their needle is? You feel how you feel and don't have to defend it.
The Jones have fooled me before with the teams sale pitch. I will give you a wait and see approach to the season. I still see holes in the teams lineup.
 

MountaineerCowboy

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I think us perfectly healthy still goes 7-10 or 8-9.

We are not a good team. I don't see how anyone can look at 2019 and 2020 and think we are any kind of contender.

Zeke is not getting any younger.
We have no idea how Dak will play after the injury. We have no idea how it will affect him mentally even if he is 100% physically.
The O-Line is not getting any younger.
The defense is still the defense. A bunch of rookies and injured FA are not an immediate answer to the problem. Even if it is improved it is still not a good defense.
McCarthy is just not got me optimistic. I'm not a fan at all of him so far.
Dak has got to show up against good teams. His numbers against good competition compared to bad competition is very concerning.
If the offense does not help the defense in the first 2 1/2 quarters then nothing matters. The offense has got to sustain some drives BEFORE our opponents go up 3 TDs on us and starts playing soft defense. All those empty stats mean nothing.
 

MountaineerCowboy

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This time last year I was told the following things:

1. Zeke is gonna bounce back and have a monster year. Guess what he was worse than ever.
2. I was told Dak was gonna break all the Cowboy passing records. Guess what he broke his ankle instead.
3. I was told the defense was going to improve. It was impossible for them to get worse. Guess what they got even worse. Worst ever in fact.
4. I was told the O line was gonna stay healthy and be a force again. Guess what they were even more frail.
5. I was told Jaylon was gonna bounce back and dominate. Guess what he was beyond pathetic.
6. I was told LVE would regain his pro bowl form. Guess what he was as frail as ever.

If these things all sound familiar to you well they should because they are all the same things that I am being told this year. IMHO there is no reason to believe any of these things are going to be better this year. If a player or a unit played well last year then you can say things like I think so and so will be good again this year and it would sound reasonable. When I hear people say the things I listed above it sounds to me like an alcoholic who is "really gonna quit this time" or a degenerate gambler who has a "sure thing this time". Honestly the optimism is bordering on pathetic.
1. Yeah, and he's not getting any younger.
2. Yeah, and he got 40 million a year for it.
3. Improve? The defense was top 12 in 2019 and we still went 8-8.
4. Like Zeke, the O-Line is not getting any younger.
5. Jaylon is an issue within a bigger issue.
6. LVE is not built to play professional football.
 

reddyuta

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The Defense can be a disaster again,let that sink in.we are relying on rookies(many of them havent played in more than a year) to bring the D back from historic ineptitude. The lack of critical FA spending will doom this D again.
 

BigDPlayer

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I've done this every off season after the draft just to check and see where posters' heads are at with the upcoming season. I did not do it last season because I am not sure what last season was.

Which brings me to this season. I am really feeling good about this season, I think the Cowboys will win the East and possibly a playoff game that first weekend.

But it's not the record this season or the playoffs that have me extra tuned in, it is to see if I can get that feeling I had in 1990-91 when I could see something special coming together. That's when that defense began to emerge and I could see the speed and the train coming.

New DC, 8 D players drafted and more signed in FA and UDFA and some of the missing pieces returning like Diggs and we'll see about Vander Esch. Not to mention the OL coming back an of course, the QB and Jarwin and we'll get a good look at Lamb's soph season and I do think it will be impressive. Ya know, I got the feeling watching him at OU when Hollywood Brown was there that this guy was just meant to be a WR, he's a natural.

If I were a clever illustrator, I would put a graphic up with the needle and different categories but I am neither clever nor an illustrator so I will just list them.

Your choices are: Let's Talk Draft 2022, 2020 in Hindsight (no better), Barely Better than 2020, Wild Card, Division Champs, Noisemaker in the Playoffs, This is Our Year.

I am in that Division Champs section of the Optimeter.

Please state your reasons for where your needle is pointing and could we try and refrain from going after someone or name calling like Homer or Hater because of where their needle is? You feel how you feel and don't have to defend it.
Noisemaker in Playoffs! Or to quote the great Paula Abdul "Straight Up"!! 13-4
 
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