A story about the 2020 season and a story about Mike McCarthy

75boyz

Well-Known Member
Messages
7,963
Reaction score
9,599
That may be. But this coach has been in a situation where he had a bad start, finished strong, and the team the year after went to the NFCC. The confidence that this team is experiencing is important.

Fair enough. AsthmaField and I had a similar discussion on draft spot/tank vs winning and the similar feeling he had as to the confidence and/or chemistry being built by "this year's" team. Emphasis on this year.
My rebuttal was such that not only do I feel there will be a turnover at DC but also extreme defensive personnel changes and even possible worst case scenarios involving Tyron or Collins or both.

The point being the team's roster makeup and coaching staff change will differ so greatly from this year to next so as to negate the long term impact of all this temporary feel good momentum and have no bearing on next year and beyond's future team success because I feel more than a standard amount of roster attrition will take place to include coaches.

I know team chemistry is important.

I feel this year's temporary example of that chemistry does not apply to the future success of the team for the reasons I've given.

Difference of opinion. No worries.
 
Last edited:

RustyBourneHorse

Well-Known Member
Messages
36,527
Reaction score
42,320
Fair enough. AsthmaField and I had a similar discussion on draft spot/tank vs winning and the similar feeling he had as to the confidence and/or chemistry being built by "this year's" team. Emphasis on this year.
My rebuttal was such that not only do I feel there will be a turnover at DC but also extreme defensive personnel changes and even possible worst case scenarios involving Tyron or Collins or both.

The point being the team's roster makeup and coaching staff change will differ so greatly from this year to next so as to negate the full benefit of all this temporary feel good momentum and have no bearing on next year and beyond's future team success because I feel more than a standard amount of roster attrition will take place to include coaches.

I know team chemistry is important.

I feel this year's temporary example of that chemistry does not apply to the future success of the team for the reasons I've given.

Difference of opinion. No worries.

Understood, but the players that do stay will be able to use this experience for their benefit.
 

75boyz

Well-Known Member
Messages
7,963
Reaction score
9,599
And I think we have a lot of reason to be excited going into next season.

Unfortunately I'm the other guy, lol. The gloom and doom type so I dont share your positive energy towards overall team direction.

But regardless, I totally appreciate the respectful exchange of opinion here without ever getting personal or childish immaturity.

For that alone,
I'm grateful.
 

SlammedZero

Well-Known Member
Messages
16,664
Reaction score
40,545
Nice post. The arrow is definitely trending up for this team. The negative nancies will come in here and tell us all that our win streak is against teams with bad records, and while that may be true, a win is a win is a win in the NFL. Winning cures all. So if MM can get this team to believe and buy in, which is looking to be the case, then I think that's a tremendous sign. You could have the 1st pick in the draft, but if you don't have a team that is willing to rally around their coaching staff, it doesn't really matter. I would rather go into the offseason with the team having higher spirits about who they are. This is why I was never on the fire MM bandwagon. He deserves a chance to build this team.

Nolan, on the other hand, I'm in this gray area with. While I'm not overly impressed, I do have to remind myself to try to look at this objectively. He really hasn't had a lot to work with on this defense. While this team does have some nice players sprinkled throughout the defense, there is not a really strong core there. The D needs a lot of talent injected into it. If we can do that this offseason, then yes, he has the defense playing better now and may deserve at least one more shot.

Either way, will be an interesting offseason to watch with how the different pieces start moving (Dak's contract, Dalton and others being FAs, the draft).
 

Bullflop

Cowboys Diehard
Messages
24,533
Reaction score
29,885
This has been a strange and exceptional year in so many ways. The number of injuries to crucial players on both sides of the ball were terrible. If Mike McCarthy was able to turn such a hot mess around, he certainly deserves all due credit for having done so. The offense, MM's specialty, has come a long way toward being far more capable than anything we saw earlier in this season. Unfortunately, the defense was considerably more of a devastating factor in our losses than anything else. If that can be significantly improved in 2021, this team will have progressed very impressively, to say the least.

The upcoming draft should be attended to in such a manner as to improve the defense as much as possible. Hopefully, that goal might conceivably be realized, if good sense prevails. Let's enjoy how far we've come and hope for better things in the year yet to come. Whatever occurs in 2021 will be yet another story unto itself. Hope for good things in the days ahead and not get too downhearted if things don't go our way. Better times await. ;)
 
Last edited:

RustyBourneHorse

Well-Known Member
Messages
36,527
Reaction score
42,320
Unfortunately I'm the other guy, lol. The gloom and doom type so I dont share your positive energy towards overall team direction.

But regardless, I totally appreciate the respectful exchange of opinion here without ever getting personal or childish immaturity.

For that alone,
I'm grateful.

I appreciate that as well. I think a reasonable exchange of ideas is good.
 

RustyBourneHorse

Well-Known Member
Messages
36,527
Reaction score
42,320
Nice post. The arrow is definitely trending up for this team. The negative nancies will come in here and tell us all that our win streak is against teams with bad records, and while that may be true, a win is a win is a win in the NFL. Winning cures all. So if MM can get this team to believe and buy in, which is looking to be the case, then I think that's a tremendous sign. You could have the 1st pick in the draft, but if you don't have a team that is willing to rally around their coaching staff, it doesn't really matter. I would rather go into the offseason with the team having higher spirits about who they are. This is why I was never on the fire MM bandwagon. He deserves a chance to build this team.

Nolan, on the other hand, I'm in this gray area with. While I'm not overly impressed, I do have to remind myself to try to look at this objectively. He really hasn't had a lot to work with on this defense. While this team does have some nice players sprinkled throughout the defense, there is not a really strong core there. The D needs a lot of talent injected into it. If we can do that this offseason, then yes, he has the defense playing better now and may deserve at least one more shot.

Either way, will be an interesting offseason to watch with how the different pieces start moving (Dak's contract, Dalton and others being FAs, the draft).

Exactly about McCarthy. I think this team has bought in. Just a shame we didn't have a real offseason to get that to happen earlier. Better late than never though. The team will likely be going into the offseason with high spirits excited about what will happen next season if we can improve our weaknesses. I think Nolan is going to be fine. I was on the fire Nolan train originally. However, seeing the defence turn around and get takeaways, I think he's earned another year. If we can keep making the takeaways happen more next season, we will be an excellent defence. Just need to stop the run.
 

RustyBourneHorse

Well-Known Member
Messages
36,527
Reaction score
42,320
This has been a strange and exceptional year in so many ways. The number of injuries to crucial players on both sides of the ball were terrible. If Mike McCarthy was able to turn such a hot mess around, he certainly deserves all due credit for having done so. The offense, MM's specialty, has come a long way toward being far more capable than anything we saw earlier in this season. Unfortunately, the defense was considerably more of a devastating factor in our losses than anything else. If that can be significantly improved in 2021, this team will have progressed very impressively, to say the least.

The upcoming draft should be attended to in such a manner as to improve the defense as much as possible. Hopefully, that goal might conceivably be realized, if anything resembling good sense prevails. Let's enjoy how far we've come and hope for better things in the year yet to come. Whatever occurs in 2021 will be yet another story unto itself. Let's hope for good things in the days ahead and not get too downhearted if things don't go our way.

Agreed about the defence in the draft. We must see use this draft as a way to finally address the areas on defence that we are weak and areas that we haven't addressed in a long time.
 

CowboyRoy

Well-Known Member
Messages
57,924
Reaction score
38,930
You are still really thinking this year is like "all the rest"? LOL..the fact that there is even what is going on is going on should give you "pause". LOL I agree it's ridiculous as hell..but if this sorry raggedy assed team goes to the playoffs... the record is 0-0...

Best part about this season is all the experience that the young guys are getting, and we are really getting a chance to see what REAL coaching looks like when things go completely down the tubes.

But we would have seen all that regardless of winning or losing. Nice to see some of these young guys can play.

But none of that overshadows what this team really needs and that is some big time play makers on defense on rookie deals.
 

cern

Well-Known Member
Messages
14,900
Reaction score
21,050
I like what Aikman said about adversity revealing character and not creating it.

When the rat in the root cellar reared his ugly head, this could have really gone south as we've seen in the past but it only got legs as long as the team would allow that and they came to McC's side and I believe that has helped them make progress and that's what this has been, it's not great and seldom good but it is progress.

This was beginning to look like a wasted year and had they even considered tanking it would have been. They fought through some tough challenges and they have something to build on, not rebuild.
at the risk of appearing to patronize you and your new moderator status, i gave you a like for this post. the team seems to have rallied around the flag. in this case mac.
 

Dallasfann

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,386
Reaction score
7,395
McCarthy & Nolan had such a hard task at hand. They were trying to teach there brand new schemes through zoom meetings. Anyone ever have to sit through one of those? Horrible. The fact that this team has put up a fight for the last month is very telling. I can't wait till they get real OTA's, real training camp and all the stuff they didn't get going into this season. With all that said, please baby Jesus...get these Cowboys at least 1 playoff game this season. That would just be so awesome.
 

RustyBourneHorse

Well-Known Member
Messages
36,527
Reaction score
42,320
McCarthy & Nolan had such a hard task at hand. They were trying to teach there brand new schemes through zoom meetings. Anyone ever have to sit through one of those? Horrible. The fact that this team has put up a fight for the last month is very telling. I can't wait till they get real OTA's, real training camp and all the stuff they didn't get going into this season. With all that said, please baby Jesus...get these Cowboys at least 1 playoff game this season. That would just be so awesome.

Yes, I have, and they do suck. This team is finally gelling. I'd like to see us in the playoffs, but, even if we don't make it, this has been a surprisingly successful season in my book.
 
Top