Huge Reason we Won

[Diehardblues]

TOP is huge.

However, if we want to win the super bowl, we need to score early with the large TOP.

Our lack of scoring allows teams to stick around for far too long

Yep, this team needs more killer instinct.

We dominated early with only a 10-6 lead. Then didn’t get a 1st down in 3rd quarter.

But bottom line is putrid offensive scoring as you stated is keeping teams alive despite TOP and stout defense.

 

[Rogerthat12]

It really is. Unless you have a 00 Ravens D, everything you do on O is meaningless if you don't score at all.

Not talking about not scoring at all, TOP is meaningless if you are not scoring consistently.

There are teams that win the TOP by a large margin and still lose the game because they failed to score enough points, as in scoring field goals and not TD’s.

I have seen this TOP argument on this very site without the fine distinction of TOP with scoring consistently, so I disagree, it is not obvious to some.

 

[kskboys]

Yep, this team needs more killer instinct.

We dominated early with only a 10-6 lead. Then didn’t get a 1st down in 3rd quarter.

But bottom line is putrid offensive scoring as you stated is keeping teams alive despite TOP and stout defense.

Absolutely true.

Killer instinct? Meh. We need to be able to score, bottom line. What we do on O can work against the SEA's of the world, but if we want to get where we can beat the KC's/NO's/LARams/NE type teams, we need to be able to get the ball in the end zone.

 

[Bob-Lillys-War]

Kris Richard was a huge reason why we won .

The defense got 6 '3&outs' from seahawks . Huge .

 

[kskboys]

Not talking about not scoring at all, TOP is meaningless if you are not scoring consistently.

There are teams that win the TOP by a large margin and still lose the game because they failed to score enough points, as in scoring field goals and not TD’s.

I have seen this TOP argument on this very site without the fine distinction of TOP with scoring consistently, so I disagree, it is not obvious to some.

We did not score consistently yesterday. TOP and D bailed us out.

Yes, we need to score more consistently.

 

[willia451]

I prefer 3rd Down efficiency as the leading indicator stat over TOP. And in that respect, both teams sucked balls. Seattle was an eye popping 15% on 3rd down. Dallas only a little better with 36%.

That needs to improve moving forward. Or it's going to be a very hard row to hoe for the 'Boys.

But still. A playoff win is a playoff win no matter how you slice it. Next.

 

[Haimerej]

Time of possession depends on the offense staying on the field and the defense getting off the field. It is therefore, imo of course, merely a reflection of the effectiveness of the team more so than an actual stat that drives the outcome of games. This is why the winning team more often than not wins the TOP battle. It's correlation, not causation.

 

[Rogerthat12]

We did not score consistently yesterday. TOP and D bailed us out.

Yes, we need to score more consistently.

The point is that you can lose the TOP battle and still win the game by scoring consistently.

We did score more consistently than our opponent.

Yes, we won the TOP yesterday but we also scored more points than our opponent, and kept them from scoring consistently because of our defense.

TOP is helpful to this team based upon how it is constructed but some teams with better passing attacks can lose the TOP and still score more points to win the game, TOP alone is not the magical unicorn.

 

[cowboyschmps3]

TOP.

Not sure why no one is talking about it, but it was a huge reason we won yesterday as well as several other times this year.

Our first drive was like 6 min. SEA 3 n out. Then more TOP.

At the end, the SEA O had a horrific time getting traction and our D was kept fresh.

& that’s the way we have a chance in this playoffs!

 

[Blake]

Yep, this team needs more killer instinct.

We dominated early with only a 10-6 lead. Then didn’t get a 1st down in 3rd quarter.

But bottom line is putrid offensive scoring as you stated is keeping teams alive despite TOP and stout defense.

I see 'killer instinct" slowly being revived once again in Dallas. Despite the dirty tacticts of Seattle we gave those guys a pounding. Watching Zeke savagely truck db's is a thrill.

 

[Rogerthat12]

Time of possession depends on the offense staying on the field and the defense getting off the field. It is therefore, imo of course, merely a reflection of the effectiveness of the team more so than an actual stat that drives the outcome of games. This is why the winning team more often than not wins the TOP battle. It's correlation, not causation.

You nailed it!

 

[windjc]

If we just could have eliminated the big plays Wilson was able to get with Baldwin and Lockett... it would have been another New Orleans type of performance for the D

Wilson was the best long ball thrower in the league. Except for Jones' one brain fart, we were beat deep by ridiculously good throws.

 

[windjc]

Time of possession depends on the offense staying on the field and the defense getting off the field. It is therefore, imo of course, merely a reflection of the effectiveness of the team more so than an actual stat that drives the outcome of games. This is why the winning team more often than not wins the TOP battle. It's correlation, not causation.

Well, Seattle's defense was TIRED at the end, allowing us to march down the field for the win. So that is MORE than correlation.

 

[JohnnyTheFox]

The hubris written on Carrol's face was pretty disgusting. Glad we wiped that smirk off his face.

Amen to that, I wanted to knock the gum right out of his mouth several times.

 

[Runwildboys]

The rushing yards yesterday led to minimal points. It was enough, however, because rushing helps control TOP which limits the opposing O's chances as well as helping to keep them from establishing a rhythm.

Controlling TOP has a mountain of good stuff attached to it.

As I said earlier, with a QB like Wilson, who gets better the longer he's on the field, ToP is very important.

 

[Haimerej]

Well, Seattle's defense was TIRED at the end, allowing us to march down the field for the win. So that is MORE than correlation.

They were tired because they couldn't get off the field earlier in the game. They couldn't get off the field because they couldn't stop the offense. They couldn't stop the offense and their own offense was ineffective, getting multiple 3 and outs, so DAL racked up ToP. Correlation to the effectiveness of the offense and defense.

 

[Bob-Lillys-War]

Well, Seattle's defense was TIRED at the end, allowing us to march down the field for the win. So that is MORE than correlation.

Agreed, playing in the field causes the defense to be tired . Its not rocket science .

Actually, its elementary .

 

[cern]

Following the giants 20-19 victory over buffalo during superbowl xxv, the great bill parcells said "i don't know what the time of possession was but the plan was to try to shorten the game for them".

 

[LatinMind]

TOP.

Not sure why no one is talking about it, but it was a huge reason we won yesterday as well as several other times this year.

Our first drive was like 6 min. SEA 3 n out. Then more TOP.

At the end, the SEA O had a horrific time getting traction and our D was kept fresh.

Dallas destroyed SEA. The game wasnt even as close as the score ended. Bad calls by the refs gave SEA literally every point they got.

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

Dak and a couple of late penalties in our favor that haven’t favored us in the past.



Honorable mentions:

Zeke was a big run away from 200 yards from great, new Seattle defense.

Amari on the field changes this team in obvious ways and not so obvious ways.