Why has winning road playoff games become so more difficult today?

Red Dragon · Jun 11, 2019

Whyjerry said:
I will say 3 things. 1. You are right, you have to actually make the playoffs to lose playoff games. 2. 0-2 is 0-2. 3. Boy wonder was the OC under Wade and coached up a turd vs the Vikings in 09.

You keep on loving the coach though.

I'm no fan of Garrett, as I've made abundantly clear on this forum before. I am just pointing out that the road playoff win drought is far longer than Garrett's tenure alone.

TwentyOne · Jun 11, 2019

A more passing oriented league maybe.

Jake · Jun 11, 2019

Red Dragon said:
From the beginning of the franchise through the 1992 season, the Cowboys appeared in seventeen road playoff games and won nine of them. That is a record of 9-8.

Since 1993 began, the Cowboys have appeared in eight road playoff games and lost all eight of them. That is a record of 0-8.

Fewer teams made the playoffs in the 60s and 70s. You had to be really good to get a spot, so the games were more evenly matched.

These days we have teams make the playoffs that wouldn't even have gotten in back then.

Red Dragon · Jun 11, 2019

Jake said:
Fewer teams made the playoffs in the 60s and 70s. You had to be really good to get a spot, so the games were more evenly matched.

These days we have teams make the playoffs that wouldn't even have gotten in back then.

True, but even then, by the laws of averages, when the Cowboys have appeared in eight road playoff games since 1993, you'd think they would have at least won one. It takes something more than just "the playoff system is different today than back then" to account for an 0-8 winless record.

kskboys · Jun 11, 2019

Red Dragon said:
From the beginning of the franchise through the 1992 season, the Cowboys appeared in seventeen road playoff games and won nine of them. That is a record of 9-8.

Since 1993 began, the Cowboys have appeared in eight road playoff games and lost all eight of them. That is a record of 0-8.

It can't be the crowds - road playoff game crowds were no less hostile in the 1970s than they are today. It can't be a specific player - this 26-year road playoff win drought spans a wide variety of quarterbacks and players - Aikman, Romo, Prescott, etc. It spans multiple coaches - Switzer, Gailey, Parcells, Phillips, Garrett, etc. It can't be the owner - the owner has almost no direct impact on what happens on the field (in the sense that, when the Cowboys were at the 2-yard line at Seattle in 2006, there was nothing Jerry could have done to prevent the refs from unfairly overturning Witten's first down, or at Green Bay, Jerry couldn't stop the refs from making the wrong call on Dez's catch.)

So, what gives?

Serious snafus regarding the DL. Losing at the LOS makes any game hard to win, and when you're on the road it's especially tough.

CouchCoach · Jun 11, 2019

What are the records of other teams in the playoffs on the road? It is unusual for a WC team to make it because home really is an advantage in the playoffs but there are some teams that actually travel better than others.

kskboys · Jun 11, 2019

Man, I know it's a broken record, but it's Jerry. To win in the playoffs, especially on the road, you must be strong at the LOS. Jerry's concentration has been on WR's and CB's. Cain't get enough of 'em. That's why we can't win on the road in the playoffs. Most teams that make the playoffs understand this.

Red Dragon · Jun 12, 2019

CouchCoach said:
What are the records of other teams in the playoffs on the road? It is unusual for a WC team to make it because home really is an advantage in the playoffs but there are some teams that actually travel better than others.

I don't have time to do an exhaustive research but for some examples, in recent decades, the Ravens have won 7 road playoff games with Flacco as QB (and if it weren't for Lee Evans dropping that pass that hit him in the hands, he'd have 8.). The Giants, Packers and Steelers have won 5 road playoff games apiece with Eli, Rodgers and Roethlisberger behind center.

IceBowler · Jun 12, 2019

Hadenough said:
It's free agency! Teams are better across the board and other than the Patriots nobody is dominant. That home crowd can be advantage especially when they can get loud. Stadiums are bigger today than they were back in the 60s and 70s.

Agreed - It's certainly free agency but - it's not that teams are better ... they are all worse in the watered down game today. Back in the day, you could build a team and not worry about it being torn apart in a matter of 3 years. None of the teams I watch today are on par with the dynasty clubs of the "Olden Days" ... not to mention the fact that the violence level has been reduced to a fraction of what it was then.

What we have is mediocrity. But, if it's all you've ever known ...

Go back and watch the 1992 DAL-SF conference Championship game and count the penalties that'd be called today. It's astounding.

ABQCOWBOY · Jun 12, 2019

Landry teams were more talented, deeper, better coached. I mean, to me it's really that simple.

xwalker · Jun 12, 2019

Red Dragon said:
From the beginning of the franchise through the 1992 season, the Cowboys appeared in seventeen road playoff games and won nine of them. That is a record of 9-8.

Since 1993 began, the Cowboys have appeared in eight road playoff games and lost all eight of them. That is a record of 0-8.

It can't be the crowds - road playoff game crowds were no less hostile in the 1970s than they are today. It can't be a specific player - this 26-year road playoff win drought spans a wide variety of quarterbacks and players - Aikman, Romo, Prescott, etc. It spans multiple coaches - Switzer, Gailey, Parcells, Phillips, Garrett, etc. It can't be the owner - the owner has almost no direct impact on what happens on the field (in the sense that, when the Cowboys were at the 2-yard line at Seattle in 2006, there was nothing Jerry could have done to prevent the refs from unfairly overturning Witten's first down, or at Green Bay, Jerry couldn't stop the refs from making the wrong call on Dez's catch.)

So, what gives?

1993 to 2018
They were a WildCard team 8 of 13 times.
Of the 8 road losses, 7 were in years that they were a WildCard team.

1992 and earlier
They were a WildCard team 4 of 20 times.

TNCowboy · Jun 12, 2019

Red Dragon said:
From the beginning of the franchise through the 1992 season, the Cowboys appeared in seventeen road playoff games and won nine of them. That is a record of 9-8.

Since 1993 began, the Cowboys have appeared in eight road playoff games and lost all eight of them. That is a record of 0-8.

It can't be the crowds - road playoff game crowds were no less hostile in the 1970s than they are today. It can't be a specific player - this 26-year road playoff win drought spans a wide variety of quarterbacks and players - Aikman, Romo, Prescott, etc. It spans multiple coaches - Switzer, Gailey, Parcells, Phillips, Garrett, etc. It can't be the owner - the owner has almost no direct impact on what happens on the field (in the sense that, when the Cowboys were at the 2-yard line at Seattle in 2006, there was nothing Jerry could have done to prevent the refs from unfairly overturning Witten's first down, or at Green Bay, Jerry couldn't stop the refs from making the wrong call on Dez's catch.)

So, what gives?

You can't be serious....there is one common denominator with every Cowboys team since '94, even with your pitiful attempt to dismiss it.

DandyDon1722 · Jun 12, 2019

cowboyblue22 said:
coaching and qb play have been a lot of the problem ever since jimmy Johnson left

In the games we did have on the road I would say—

Coaching? Yes a problem.

QB? Not really.

Romo was more than good enough but didn’t have enough surrounding him in 2009. Minnesota’s Defensive line was an absolute jailbreak. Roger and Troy would’ve got killed behind our offensive line that game. Ray Edwards had 2 sacks, 4 hurries, 4 tackles and a forced fumble IN THE 1ST HALF.

In Green Bay in ‘14 in what could’ve been an MVP season, he played an almost perfect game with a 143 QB rating but we all know what happened. I’m not sure the defense would’ve stopped them even if they give Dez the TD.

Some may disagree but I thought Dak was also good enough to win against the Rams but they gashed us in the running game the second half and the defense couldn’t get off the field.

It’s hard to win playoff games and even harder on the road. The key is to be home for those games but experience helps and I think we are right on the verge of finally breaking through.

CowboysExchange · Jun 13, 2019

Red Dragon said:
From the beginning of the franchise through the 1992 season, the Cowboys appeared in seventeen road playoff games and won nine of them. That is a record of 9-8.

Since 1993 began, the Cowboys have appeared in eight road playoff games and lost all eight of them. That is a record of 0-8.

It can't be the crowds - road playoff game crowds were no less hostile in the 1970s than they are today. It can't be a specific player - this 26-year road playoff win drought spans a wide variety of quarterbacks and players - Aikman, Romo, Prescott, etc. It spans multiple coaches - Switzer, Gailey, Parcells, Phillips, Garrett, etc. It can't be the owner - the owner has almost no direct impact on what happens on the field (in the sense that, when the Cowboys were at the 2-yard line at Seattle in 2006, there was nothing Jerry could have done to prevent the refs from unfairly overturning Witten's first down, or at Green Bay, Jerry couldn't stop the refs from making the wrong call on Dez's catch.)

So, what gives?

I betcha alot of it is we are just not as good on the grass as we are the turf. Have you ran those #'s.

You would think some of these grass teams would be complaining that the combine be swapped from grass to turf every year. Players move differently from surface to surface. The detroit lions and houston oilers had problems on grass. Lol.

Id draft players moving from grass to turf in most situations before i would turf to grass

CowboysExchange · Jun 13, 2019

.Usually a guy moving from grass to turf or turf to grass is either gonna have a slight elevation or regression in his play. Look at Cooper. Hes not a physical wr. Hes a footwork and speed guy and makes sharp cuts like a small wr. He plays way faster on the turf. Put him on grass and he doesnt have that sharpness. I think his game is slightly elevated on the turf. Hes never gonna be a beast with ball in hand but the Cowboys are gonna have to keep practicing his go up and get a ball skills because he still looks weak at it for a 5th year #1 wr. Sometime ya just gotta throw them a thousand go up and get a balls so they will get better.

Id do triple practice duty on the red zone go up and get a ball skills tests. Either you can score or go sit your a.. down on that bench said Jason Garretts predecessor I hope tf.

CowboysExchange · Jun 13, 2019

Id give these guys some homework everynight. Catch 100 passes over 9-10 ft in the air UNTIL YOU GET BETTER. LOL. BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE GOT NOTHING BUT A BUNCH OF CHECKDOWNERS IN THE RED ZONE. JUST CALL DEZ AND ASK HIM IF HE WANTS TO ONLY PLAY RED ZONE SNAPS. HE CAN SCORE 7 TDS A YEAR AS A PART TIME PLAYER. BECAUSE HES AN ALPHA DOG WHO WONT BE DENIED. LIKE GRONK AND GRAHAM AND GATES, GONZALEZ, AND HERNANDEZ. WE NEED A KILLER WHO ISNT GONNA BE DENIED. NICE GUYS CANT SCORE. GO GET A LOUDMOUTH ALPHA DOG NARCISSIST IF YA WANNA SCORE POINTS.

DCreppinBoysfan · Jun 13, 2019

We should’ve won in Green Bay and Seattle

NumOneQB · Jun 13, 2019

Coaching has an even bigger impact in today's NFL with free agency and a “watering down” of talent. When you’re on the road, you’re usually the inferior team and need a helluva coach to get you over that hump. Dallas has been lacking there, obviously.

Why has winning road playoff games become so more difficult today?

Red Dragon

Well-Known Member

TwentyOne

Well-Known Member

Jake

Beyond tired of Jerry

Red Dragon

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kskboys

Well-Known Member

CouchCoach

kskboys

Well-Known Member

Red Dragon

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IceBowler

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ABQCOWBOY

Regular Joe....

xwalker

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TNCowboy

Double Trouble

DandyDon1722

It's been a good 'un, ain't it?

CowboysExchange

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CowboysExchange

Well-Known Member

CowboysExchange

Well-Known Member

DCreppinBoysfan

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NumOneQB

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