Shortcomings were clearly on display last night

[Stash]

The entire team can't be diamonds. Give the Vikings defense credit. They attacked the weakest links of the team.

That was done in the original post:

"Maybe it was coincidence? Maybe it was a great defense helping to expose them?"

Maybe you missed it.

 

[Vintage]

I don't think Beasley can make himself grow, tbh...

 

[drawandstrike]

We're 11-1, but....Oops! Exposed again like the pretenders we are or something something! Yeah ok these threads are boring.

 

[Stash]

stashes are gonna stash.

I get that weak links are going to be targets. It's only reasonable to want or hope for upgrades where you're weakest. But, yeah, there's zero need to overstate the case. Doug's been a good, solid player and a good teammate for a long time here. He's an integral part of that OL, and the fact that MIN generates a ton of edge pressure doesn't really change that. There are going to be games and situations where Doug Free needs support because he's up against a better player than he is. They're not all that frequent, but they're going to happen now and then.

Yeah, and "homers are gonna home" too. And even worse.

You feel that's it your duty and obligation as a 'good fan' to take up for 'your Cowboys'. That's clear. And this message board pays the price for that. You make sure to tell everyone how much concern is warranted and when we've gone tooo far. You keep telling everyone just what kind of fans we should be. What's appropriate and what isn't. Because we need to hear that from you. Constantly.

It's an amazing double-standard that you and some other fans have. If Garrett or the coaching staff says or does something about players underperforming, it's 'shrewd', 'keen insight', and 'brilliant self examination'. If a fan does it, they're 'haters' who are far too critical and way off base.

It's amazing to see the ignorance in your lack of awareness of your own hypocrisy.

 

[Idgit]

Yeah, because they don't like you, they're "irrational". You stay there.

It's tiresome to keep pointing it out too. And this place is worse because of it, not better. Enjoy that fact too. And the fact that you're permitted to get away with what you do. Enjoy it. But never forget that this place is worse for it, not better. Lie to yourself about that fact, but you don't get to lie about it to me, or anyone else around here.

By all means, continue to project criticism of Whitehead's performance into somehow meaning Dez as punt returner. It doesn't make me look bad, it makes you look bad. I never said that, and never implied that, but you continue to make any such claims as you see fit. Dig that hole.

You're entitled to your opinions, stash. Whether they're supported by any actual facts, or not.

I brought up Dez as an alternative to Whitehead as a returner because options for upgrading the return game were part of your original post and other posters had mentioned using Dez earlier. I was adding my two cents, not to 'make you look bad.' I was actually trying to get our exchange back on topic for everybody.

 

[Stash]

We're 11-1, but....Oops! Exposed again like the pretenders we are or something something! Yeah ok these threads are boring.

If you don't want to read them, there are plenty of others. But instead, you continue to make comments in the "boring" ones...

 

[Westcoasthabsfan]

its no secret that the lack of a pure pass rush is a weak link of this team......on a happier note they are 11-1

 

[Stash]

You're entitled to your opinions, stash. Whether they're supported by any actual facts, or not.

Do us all a favor and set the media straight while you're at it. Apparently, they're as deluded as I am and could all benefit from your "facts" and wisdom too.

http://sportsday.***BANNED-URL***/d...rees-tough-night-causes-problems-dak-prescott

I brought up Dez as an alternative to Whitehead as a returner because options for upgrading the return game were part of your original post and other posters had mentioned using Dez earlier. I was adding my two cents, not to 'make you look bad.' I was actually trying to get our exchange back on topic for everybody.

Then do everyone a favor and make that clear the first time, rather than implying that it's what I said, as you've repeatedly done. Take stock of your own opinions and make it clear when they're yours and not mine.

I have no issue with you disagreeing with me. What I do have issue with is whan you try to misrepresent what I've said.

 

[Stash]

its no secret that the lack of a pure pass rush is a weak link of this team......on a happier note they are 11-1

And it's no secret that those facts are not mutually exclusive. At least not for most people.

 

[Doomsday101]

its no secret that the lack of a pure pass rush is a weak link of this team......on a happier note they are 11-1

True which is why Marnielli has this defense playing a bend but don't break and for the most part it has worked as teams have been forced to settle for FG as opposed to putting up a lot of TD. Add to that having some injuries in the secondary. The fact that this defense has held teams to 19 points a game 5th in the league is quite amazing.

 

[Idgit]

The entire team can't be diamonds. Give the Vikings defense credit. They attacked the weakest links of the team.

That's pretty much how I feel. 11-1. We're not going to suddenly upgrade the pass rush, replace the starting RT, upgrade one of the starting CB positions, and replace the returner. It's kind of an overreaction to a close road win against a team were were expecting to beat by a wider margin. And it'd late in the game to be hashing over things like the Carr contract or the lack of a pass rush. We all know the defense needs to add talent.

I do think experimenting with Dez as a returner is at least an interesting idea as far as actual practical solutions go. He seems to be getting more and more on the same page with Dak in the offense, though, and Dez is a bit distractible. I sort of think maybe we just let that dog lie where it is for now unless we really need a lift in a win-or-go-home game.

Honestly, I'm not seeing a lot of places where we might tweak either the roster or what we're doing right now. Getting Damien Wilson more playing time is interesting to me. We might see more of Mayle in a H-back role. Honestly, though. We're playing well right now. It's hard to find a lot to nit-pick.

 

[drawandstrike]

If you don't want to read them, there are plenty of others. But instead, you continue to make comments in the "boring" ones...

Nah I'm here to help you with the ""We're one and done with this defense, maaaan!"mantra you've been chanting in threads similar to this one.

We're 11-1. We finally had a bad, horrible, rotten, no good game offensively...AND STILL WON IT.

I know it hurts, that this team keeps winning despite the flaws you want to endlessly talk about for some strange reason.

 

[Stash]

True which is why Marnielli has this defense playing a bend but don't break and for the most part it has worked as teams have been forced to settle for FG as opposed to putting up a lot of TD. Add to that having some injuries in the secondary. The fact that this defense has held teams to 19 points a game 5th in the league is quite amazing.

It truly is, and it's a testament to a coach that I have often criticized. He truly has made chicken salad out of chicken ****. But I worry that his smoke Andrew mirrors tricks will eventually catch up to us and cost us a chance at a championship.

He said doing his best with what he has, but ultimately, that may not be enough.

 

[GIFTS86]

We got roughed up yesterday. However I think it was a good thing for us. No injuries that I seen and it gives us some tape to look at and learn from. I still feel like we are a legit playoff team this year.

 

[Idgit]

Do us all a favor and set the media straight while you're at it. Apparently, they're as deluded as I am and could all benefit from your "facts" and wisdom too.

http://sportsday.***BANNED-URL***/d...rees-tough-night-causes-problems-dak-prescott

http://sportsday.***BANNED-URL***/d...rees-tough-night-causes-problems-dak-prescott

There's nothing in that article that runs counter to anything I've said here in this thread, so I'm just going to not comment on it further than that. I saw the game last night, and happen to think there's a context for it that most reasonable posters share.

Then do everyone a favor and make that clear the first time, rather than implying that it's what I said, as you've repeatedly done. Take stock of your own opinions and make it clear when they're yours and not mine.

I have no issue with you disagreeing with me. What I do have issue with is whan you try to misrepresent what I've said.

I don't think I implied that you said anything about Dez returning kicks. I think you just misread something into my comment because you're worked up again.

 

[Stash]

Nah I'm here to help you with the ""We're one and done with this defense, maaaan!"mantra you've been chanting in threads similar to this one.

We're 11-1. We finally had a bad, horrible, rotten, no good game offensively...AND STILL WON IT.

I know it hurts, that this team keeps winning despite the flaws you want to endlessly talk about for some strange reason.

It doesnt "hurt" at all. But you keep on projecting if you need to. It feels great to be 11-1.

But having legitimate concerns about the weaknesses shown last night doesn't diminish that. Despite what you might think, it's not either/or. I don't have to like everything despite loving this winning streak.

Unlike you, I can see both the good and the bad. The great things this team does, and it's deficiencies. Maybe that' offends you, but it's the truth of it.

 

[Doomsday101]

It truly is, and it's a testament to a coach that I have often criticized. He truly has made chicken salad out of chicken ****. But I worry that his smoke Andrew mirrors tricks will eventually catch up to us and cost us a chance at a championship.

He said doing his best with what he has, but ultimately, that may not be enough.

I can't promise it won't then again all teams have some weakness and right now the Cowboys have out played them all. They have faced the top defenses in the league, they have gone on the road in tough places and won. People want to say Minn was a bad team and while their offense has problems they do have a top notch defense and a record of 4-1 at home before the Cowboys came to town. Fact is I'm more impressed that the Cowboys played such a sloppy game and yet won, that is what championship teams can do it win games even when they do not play up to their best.

 

[Idgit]

My bad, it was directed at you.

How you include Romo and Dak in the same sentence is beyond me. Romo developed under another coaching staff and they knew Tony had to be handled a certain way for him to succeed. If anything, this staff has been unable to take advantage of one franchise QB and we have yet to see where they go with Dak. It's almost comical the lengths some folks will go to attribute so much to this HC when even Wade Phillips knew he needed he needed help and wanted to bring in Dan Reeves.

Wilson came along very early in Romo's development. And it's unreasonable to think he didn't learn from Garrett, too, given the years they've worked together and how much Tony's game changes form year to year. It's not like he walked in, met David Lee, blossomed, and then stopped improving his game.

This isn't really a Jason Garrett thread, but from where I'm sitting, it's comical people still are fighting the idea that he really did know what he as doing in terms of adding talent and developing a team in Dallas. That argument's officially put to bed as far as I"m concerned, though I know there're a lot of posters out there who wouldn't agree. Yet.

 

[KJJ]

I'm in agreement on pretty much everything. We've had some nice defensive plays to close games though. First Wash game is first that comes to mind.

The first Washington game was back in Sept in week 2. What's concerning is what we've seen the past two games. Forget what happened in Sept and Oct, it's where is the defense now and it's been slipping. We stopped Washington early on Thanksgiving holding them to FG's but when the game was on the line in the 4th quarter we couldn't stop them for scoring TD's. They scored TD's on their last 3 possessions when we had several opportunities to put the game away. Our defense kept them in the game and had they recovered the onside kick it's very likely they would have ended up scoring the winning TD in the end. Last night we stopped Minn practically the entire game, bending but not giving up a TD until the game was on the line in the final seconds. With 2:09 left in the game we couldn't stop Minn from driving from their own 35 to score their only TD.

Our offense wasn't able to close out the game with 2:58 left and it almost cost us by leaving the game on the shoulders of our defense. There's been a troubling pattern with our D the past decade of not being able to come up with a big sack or turnover to seal a win in the closing minutes of an important game. We were able to do that in the wildcard round in 2014 with DLaw coming up with the big sack and fumble recovery that saved us against Detroit in the closing seconds but we weren't able to stop Aaron Rodgers the following week in the 4th quarter with the game on the line and that was our undoing.

The one thing I do like about our defense is they've been playing hard but this inability to come up with a sack or turnover when the opposition is in desperation come back mode is troubling and it will come back on us in the playoffs unless we find a 4th quarter pass rush. Our only real hope is that DLaw might start coming on late in the season which has been his pattern his first two seasons. Someone is going to have to step up and to improve our pass rush. One play that really saved us last night was the turnover we got deep in the Vikings end of the field that led to a TD.

 

[Stash]

There's nothing in that article that runs counter to anything I've said here in this thread, so I'm just going to not comment on it further than that. I saw the game last night, and happen to think there's a context for it that most reasonable posters share.

"Reasonable posters". As if that's something that you get to decide or not. Newsflash! It's not your call and never has been. And that's the part you continue to fail to understand.

And you shouldn't look into it further, but I encourage everyone reading this thread to look into it and then revisit this conversation and make up their own mind.

I don't think I implied that you said anything about Dez returning kicks. I think you just misread something into my comment because you're worked up again.

Of course you don't. You fail to acknowledge any of your wrongs. But at least you're consistent.

But you go ahead and keep projecting your own issues onto anyone and everyone else. Again, consistent.