THE Question the Cowboys must answer to kill the monkey

Bobhaze said:

Are the Cowboys TOUGH ENOUGH to kill the 25 yr old monkey on their backs?

The playoffs are completely different than regular season games. Teams that advance have to be made of a toughness that transcends talent. The most talented teams don’t always win. The toughest teams do.

The Cowboys are 12-5. One of the 6 best teams in the NFL. They have enough talent and coaching to win Sunday and beyond. Since game 1 against Tampa, they have proved in the regular season if they bring their best game, they can play with anyone.

The question for the Cowboys is simple- will they be able to be mentally and physically tough enough to grind out some playoff wins? This team has the chance.

A quarter century of playoff underachievement is the monkey on this team’s back. Talk is cheap. Respect is earned in the playoffs. Winning playoff games (plural) will kill the monkey. It’s going to take a toughness this team hasn’t shown in the playoffs in a quarter century.

The toughest teams win in the playoffs. Just do it!

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Reverend Conehead said:

I would hope that beating the 49ers in the playoffs would be enough to rid us of that monkey, but I'm not evne certain of that. People will say that the 9ers barely squeaked into the playoffs. But I see things differently. I think the 49ers made the playoffs by being an excellent team. This game isn't a gimme for either side. To my mind, a victory here would be a huge achievement, and I hope our team is able to do that. I think in some people's mind, nothing less than getting to the NFC Championship gets the monkey off the team's back, but I see that as nonsense. This Cowboys team had a historically bad defense just last year and wasn't even in the neighborhood of the playoffs. This turnaround is already a big achievement, and then beating an excellent Niners team should bring nothing but respect. It should, though some will still gripe.

I also think whichever team wins this matchup does have a shot at the Super Bowl.

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• The ability to overcome whatever adversity strikes. The other team’s good plays must be matched and exceeded. The ability to overcome bad calls. The ability to make a play, a stop or a turnover when your team must have it. That’s playoff tough.

Reverend Conehead said:

nothing less than getting to the NFC Championship gets the monkey off the team's back, but I see that as nonsense

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Bobhaze said:

Are the Cowboys TOUGH ENOUGH to kill the 25 yr old monkey on their backs?

The playoffs are completely different than regular season games. Teams that advance have to be made of a toughness that transcends talent. The most talented teams don’t always win. The toughest teams do.

The Cowboys are 12-5. One of the 6 best teams in the NFL. They have enough talent and coaching to win Sunday and beyond. Since game 1 against Tampa, they have proved in the regular season if they bring their best game, they can play with anyone.

The question for the Cowboys is simple- will they be able to be mentally and physically tough enough to grind out some playoff wins? This team has the chance.

A quarter century of playoff underachievement is the monkey on this team’s back. Talk is cheap. Respect is earned in the playoffs. Winning playoff games (plural) will kill the monkey. It’s going to take a toughness this team hasn’t shown in the playoffs in a quarter century.

The toughest teams win in the playoffs. Just do it!

Click to expand...

Bobhaze said:

Here’s a good definition of playoff toughness:

• The ability to overcome whatever adversity strikes. The other team’s good plays must be matched and exceeded. The ability to overcome bad calls. The ability to make a play, a stop or a turnover when your team must have it. That’s playoff tough.

Click to expand...

McKDaddy said:

beating one team doesn't prove anything. any given day. when the monkey is this big & old, you need to go deep into the playoffs to forge a new confidence from the fan base.

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Bobhaze said:

Here’s a good definition of playoff toughness:

• The ability to overcome whatever adversity strikes. The other team’s good plays must be matched and exceeded. The ability to overcome bad calls. The ability to make a play, a stop or a turnover when your team must have it. That’s playoff tough.

Click to expand...

Reverend Conehead said:

I understand that, but I think this 49ers team is anything but a pushover. They're a very good team, and thus beating them in the playoffs is a big achievement in my book. Don't get me wrong. I huger for the Super Bowl after all this time. It's just that if we beat the 9ers (and that's a big "if"), that's nothing to sneeze at. They got into the playoffs by being an excellent team.

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