Regular season finally here, some thoughts!

[visionary]

You are such a "visionary"!!!!

This year will be determined by health and the jump that Quinn and the defense can make.

yes health and defense will be important but people tend to gloss over a couple of other very important elements

slow starts : this is on Dak and Moore

turnovers : this is on Dak and Zeke

third down conversions : on Dak and Zeke

 

[Ranching]

We're going to the SB! Y que?

 

[Bobhaze]

Like every season, I’m excited to see what my favorite team can do. Real football is finally upon us.
Some thoughts on the season:

• I expect this team to make the playoffs but I also expect a slow start.
• It will take some time for all the new faces to learn to play together on defense.
• The starters we have on offense are really good. But- What concerns me about this team (once again) is not about starters but what kind of depth we have.
• Frankly, this front office is ok at drafting but absolutely terrible at roster building. Roster building is combining draft picks with some decent FAs and waiver wire pick ups. The Cowboys FO just isn’t very good at building a quality 53.
• I expect the NFC least to be not so good again, which means we will compete for the division “crown”.
• I have us at 9-8. Hope I’m wrong and we’re better!

 

[Bullflop]

I'm just looking at this year as a year of challenge to improve to a decent level of respectability.

In the years ahead, this team should be able to cause other teams to see us in a different light.

I think that would be provided that the Cowboys coaching and its FO arrives at that point, also!

 

[Hawkeye0202]

yes health and defense will be important but people trans to gloss over a couple of other very important elements

slow starts : this is on Dak and Moore

turnovers : this is on Dak and Zeke

third down conversions : on Dak and Zeke

I agree with the first two but you lost me on the third one........good lord, there could be 100 different reasons involving 11 players for not converting a 3rd down.

 

[xwalker]

-Team made it through the off-season without major injuries. Except for a few players on short-term ir, they head into the season pretty healthy. Let's hope that continues throughout the season.

-Defense is be all about improving against the run and creating turnovers. If they still struggle stopping the run, we will see similar results. It is difficult for any defense to have to play the run/pass on 3rd and shorts and be able to get off the field. Get teams in obvious passing situations will be a recipe for success. Turnovers will come if they can get teams in these passing situations. It's time for Randy Gregory to arrive!!

-Offense has a lot to fix up, more so then many are talking about. Slow starts have killed this team since Moore became the OC. You cannot be successful if you are always playing from behind. Must improve their ability to finish drives, cannot have self-induced, drive killing penalties nor take sacks taking them out of scoring range. The Cowboy Offense under Dak last yr, lead the league in turnovers, that has to greatly improve to have any chance. OL must stay healthy as their is a huge drop-off, outside of McGovern. Time for CeeDee Lamb to become that alpha on our offense and Zeke to have a huge rebound season.

-I worry about our PK, missing almost the entire off-season. It's time to make our special teams more of a weapon, then one that was afraid to make any mistakes. Teams who are successful find ways to win in all three phases of the game.

I am caution opportunistic about this upcoming season. They have the talent to compete against all the top teams, but do they have the mental toughness to be able to overcome the difficult hurdles throughout a long season. Time will tell. Big season for MM.

I always enjoy your threads.

Quinn is going to do what it takes to stop the run. That seems obvious based on the DLinemen that he has acquired and on the formations he used in the preseason.

With regards to pass defense, Neal & Parsons at LB make the all of the DBs job a little easier. LVE is also very good in coverage.
- Kazee and Hooker should be good in pass defense and Wilson has flashed in pass defense.
- Diggs healthy in his 2nd year should be very good.
- Brown is underrated by fans.
- Quinn appears to make the job of the Nickel CB a little easier as compared to the Nolan defense which seemed to put the NCB in difficult situations.

I don't associate Kellen Moore with slow starts.
- The Cowboys have generally started slow on offense the entire time Garrett was the OC or HC.
- Dak's style is to protect the ball early and then take more chances in the 2nd half.

Health on the OLine might be the #2 key to the season.
- Tyron has needed that surgery for 3 or 4 years but having it after the season would have jeopardized his availability for the new season and he opted not to have it.
- Once he was out early in the season it gave him almost a full year to recover.
- The La'el injury issues still seem a bit mysterious.

CeeDee looked like an Alpha Dog last season, IMO.

The team is stacked with receiving options.
- It was nice to see Jarwin's speed at TE back on the field this preseason.
- RB Tony Pollard could be a full-time WR. His best plays in college were swing passes. Anything in the short area where he could then rack up YAC.

- His ability to catch and run with no time lost in transition from receiving to running is as good as I've seen from any RB/WR.​

Ball security is tied with health as 2A/2B on the priority list.
- Zeke was "pressing" last season (Trying too hard to force the issue instead of letting the game come to him).
- It's a concept that is as old as sports. Players that "press" tense up and bad things happen.

- Basketball player's shooting percentage nosedives, QBs INT percentage spikes and RBs start fumbling...

​

Summary: Nothing matters if Dak has a serious injury.

 

[xwalker]

You are such a "visionary"!!!!

This year will be determined by health and the jump that Quinn and the defense can make.

Enjoy the season the Roy.

 

[Bullflop]

Let me take you down
'Cause I'm going to Strawberry Fields
Nothing is real
And nothing to get hung about
Strawberry Fields forever

Beatles fan, eh? (I gave you a "like," 'cause I do like strawberries) . . .

As a kid, I used to eat 'em like crazy and I used to break out in acid sores!!

Now, I've gotten over it and can eat 'em to my heart's content . . . Y-u-m-m!

 

[xwalker]

Specifically speaking vs TB next week, our secondary faces an incredible test to open the season. You have the greatest QB to ever play the game and a plethora of pass catching weapons at his disposal. Obviously, we are going to have to find a way to negate that talent deficiency at DB to give us a chance to win. Dan Quinn is going to be put to the test early, let’s see if he can have this defense perform better than the individual talent it has, especially at DB.

Luckily winning in the NFL is not about 1 game. In college football 1 loss can take a team out of contention but not in Pro Sports.

One of the most important jobs of coaches is to keep the players focused regardless of wins or losses.
- Jimmy was a master of mind games with players in that regard.
- He was often more cantankerous after a win than after a loss.
- He would highlight faults after wins to keep the players from getting too full of themselves.
- He would back off (a little bit) after some losses to keep players from coming into the next game "too tight".
- The players under Jimmy had an odd combination of being relaxed but extremely intense.

The talent with regards to pass defense in the back 7 seems better overall than than any season in a long time.
- Kazee/Hooker/Wilson at Safety.
- Neal, Parsons, LVE at LB all have great range in pass defense.
- Lewis is a veteran NCB that has flashed excellent ability.
- The Mike Nolan scheme put the NCB in impossible situations. Quinn's scheme appears to be the best fit for Lewis of any since he has been with the Cowboys.
- Diggs should be very good if healthy. He was one of the stars of training camp; although, it was not highly publicized.
- Brown is underrated by fans.
- Joseph, Canady & Wright appear to be better than the 4th, 5th, 6th CBs any other season the past 2 decades.

The pass rush is the key to pass defense.
- They must have some success and set the tone without abandoning run defense.
- Parsons and Gregory are the most physically talented players on defense.
- Quinn appears to have a plan to feature both of them.

 

[big dog cowboy]

We could, um, use a punter....

For what?

 

[Cowboyny]

I always enjoy your threads.

Quinn is going to do what it takes to stop the run. That seems obvious based on the DLinemen that he has acquired and on the formations he used in the preseason.

With regards to pass defense, Neal & Parsons at LB make the all of the DBs job a little easier. LVE is also very good in coverage.
- Kazee and Hooker should be good in pass defense and Wilson has flashed in pass defense.
- Diggs healthy in his 2nd year should be very good.
- Brown is underrated by fans.
- Quinn appears to make the job of the Nickel CB a little easier as compared to the Nolan defense which seemed to put the NCB in difficult situations.

I don't associate Kellen Moore with slow starts.
- The Cowboys have generally started slow on offense the entire time Garrett was the OC or HC.
- Dak's style is to protect the ball early and then take more chances in the 2nd half.

Health on the OLine might be the #2 key to the season.
- Tyron has needed that surgery for 3 or 4 years but having it after the season would have jeopardized his availability for the new season and he opted not to have it.
- Once he was out early in the season it gave him almost a full year to recover.
- The La'el injury issues still seem a bit mysterious.

CeeDee looked like an Alpha Dog last season, IMO.

The team is stacked with receiving options.
- It was nice to see Jarwin's speed at TE back on the field this preseason.
- RB Tony Pollard could be a full-time WR. His best plays in college were swing passes. Anything in the short area where he could then rack up YAC.

- His ability to catch and run with no time lost in transition from receiving to running is as good as I've seen from any RB/WR.​

Ball security is tied with health as 2A/2B on the priority list.
- Zeke was "pressing" last season (Trying too hard to force the issue instead of letting the game come to him).
- It's a concept that is as old as sports. Players that "press" tense up and bad things happen.

- Basketball player's shooting percentage nosedives, QBs INT percentage spikes and RBs start fumbling...

​

Summary: Nothing matters if Dak has a serious injury.

-You can definitely see a plan this off-season try to get better personnel to stop the run. The key will lie within our interior of the DL.
-In my opinion, it's addition by subtraction with Jaylon playing less snaps, especially against the pass.
-Hooker/Kazee if healthy, should be big upgrades at the position. Both seem to always be around the ball, which is what you want for the position.
-Really like to see Canady find a role within the sub-packages, he is coming off a terrific camp where he lead the team in interceptions.
-Offense has to be throwing the first punch, rather then respond to get hit early on. It takes away an balanced attack as well as finishing the games.
-I'm worried about our starting Tackle's durability as the backups appear to be a major drop-off.
-CeeDee reportedly was wowing like Dez in practice, time for him to take that next step. I believe if he proves he can become that #1 WR, Cooper might be gone next season. When you see the team not restructure his deal, he might not be apart of their future plans.
-Would like to see Zeke/Pollard together more, both could create mismatches.
-Big year for Zeke Elliot. He knows he had a very poor season and did the work to reshape his body to play better in this pass first scheme.

 

[Cowboyny]

Specifically speaking vs TB next week, our secondary faces an incredible test to open the season. You have the greatest QB to ever play the game and a plethora of pass catching weapons at his disposal. Obviously, we are going to have to find a way to negate that talent deficiency at DB to give us a chance to win. Dan Quinn is going to be put to the test early, let’s see if he can have this defense perform better than the individual talent it has, especially at DB.

Interior pressure is the key, don't let Brady pick us apart.

 

[dcstar]

Go Cowboys is all I got.

Go Cowboys!

 

[xwalker]

-You can definitely see a plan this off-season try to get better personnel to stop the run. The key will lie within our interior of the DL.
-In my opinion, it's addition by subtraction with Jaylon playing less snaps, especially against the pass.
-Hooker/Kazee if healthy, should be big upgrades at the position. Both seem to always be around the ball, which is what you want for the position.
-Really like to see Canady find a role within the sub-packages, he is coming off a terrific camp where he lead the team in interceptions.
-Offense has to be throwing the first punch, rather then respond to get hit early on. It takes away an balanced attack as well as finishing the games.
-I'm worried about our starting Tackle's durability as the backups appear to be a major drop-off.
-CeeDee reportedly was wowing like Dez in practice, time for him to take that next step. I believe if he proves he can become that #1 WR, Cooper might be gone next season. When you see the team not restructure his deal, he might not be apart of their future plans.
-Would like to see Zeke/Pollard together more, both could create mismatches.
-Big year for Zeke Elliot. He knows he had a very poor season and did the work to reshape his body to play better in this pass first scheme.

It's still hard to believe that they were leading the league in passing yards by 300 yards over the 2nd place team in that category at the point Dak was injured.
- They did that with the majority of OT snaps being played by a rookie UDFA and 2nd year UDFA.
- This season they can overcome 1 injury to a starter but last season they lost both starting OTs for the season and Zack Martin plus the starting OC had injuries.

The biggest improvement that I noticed when reviewing the preseason games but the obviously impact of the new coaches on defense.
- Players, even rookies appeared to know their assignments better than at any time last season.
- Even in some good/great seasons, the preseasons often had a field full of players that looked lost.

 

[Praxit]

well, another year of HOPE. We are due for championship.

 

[JBS]

Luckily winning in the NFL is not about 1 game. In college football 1 loss can take a team out of contention but not in Pro Sports.

One of the most important jobs of coaches is to keep the players focused regardless of wins or losses.
- Jimmy was a master of mind games with players in that regard.
- He was often more cantankerous after a win than after a loss.
- He would highlight faults after wins to keep the players from getting too full of themselves.
- He would back off (a little bit) after some losses to keep players from coming into the next game "too tight".
- The players under Jimmy had an odd combination of being relaxed but extremely intense.

The talent with regards to pass defense in the back 7 seems better overall than than any season in a long time.
- Kazee/Hooker/Wilson at Safety.
- Neal, Parsons, LVE at LB all have great range in pass defense.
- Lewis is a veteran NCB that has flashed excellent ability.
- The Mike Nolan scheme put the NCB in impossible situations. Quinn's scheme appears to be the best fit for Lewis of any since he has been with the Cowboys.
- Diggs should be very good if healthy. He was one of the stars of training camp; although, it was not highly publicized.
- Brown is underrated by fans.
- Joseph, Canady & Wright appear to be better than the 4th, 5th, 6th CBs any other season the past 2 decades.

The pass rush is the key to pass defense.
- They must have some success and set the tone without abandoning run defense.
- Parsons and Gregory are the most physically talented players on defense.
- Quinn appears to have a plan to feature both of them.

I’m only focusing on one game bc it’s the next game we play

 

[JBS]

Interior pressure is the key, don't let Brady pick us apart.

good thing we have great defensive tackles

 

[Risen Star]

The Cowboys do not have the talent to compete against all the top teams. That's fan talk. This DL will get run over by any decent front they face.

 

[Cowpolk]

Let me take you down
'Cause I'm going to Strawberry Fields
Nothing is real
And nothing to get hung about
Strawberry Fields forever

Do yellow submarines have built in strawberry fields?

 

[xwalker]

good thing we have great defensive tackles

Quinn's blitzes in the preseason looks better than at anytime in the Marinelli era or the Nolan season.

Marinelli didn't like blitzing and never focused on coaching it.
- They just called the play and the players blitzed but there never seemed to be a strategy.

Quinn appears to put some effort into deception.

For instance, the DEs often stand up in his defense, even in the 4-2-5 Nickel.
- One play that comes to mind is when Anae lined up hand-down but then dropped into coverage while they blitzed LBs/DBs.
- i.e. The deception was not just that they ran a zone blitz but the extra little wrinkle to drop the DE into coverage from a hand-down position despite the DEs often standing up.

It reminds me of when Garrett was the OC and/or HC and they would occasionally use a lineman as a FB.
- It always appeared that they might have practiced that play either zero or one times ever.
- On the flip side, in college football Nick Saban some years would use a lineman as FB.
- When Saban did it, the lineman looked as if FB was his full time position because he knew how to adjust instead of just blinding ramming into defenders.