How To Finish 8-8

big dog cowboy

THE BIG DOG
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Shake_Tiller

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No doubt Garrett deserves blame for this -- maybe most of the blame. But I'm interested in ideas beyond the obvious. Special teams were terrible across the board. The Cowboys roster isn't particularly old. One would think a coach such as Garrett would emphasize special teams. I find it odd the Cowboys were that bad in this area.

I am also encouraged because this is the kind of thing that ought to be easily repairable. This isn't like trying to find a new QB or a top tier pass rusher. This is something that should be helped by churning the bottom of the roster.

I think special teams play has been somewhat underrated in examining what went wrong this past year.
 

Ranched

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Who cares about 2019 predictions. Gosselin isn't the only one to have predicted that outcome.

99.9% of Cowboys Nation predicted that as well. Those numbers are/were Garrett's favorite.
 

jazzcat22

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Who cares about 2019 predictions. Gosselin isn't the only one to have predicted that outcome.

99.9% of Cowboys Nation predicted that as well. Those numbers are/were Garrett's favorite.

I told my friend for 10 years, 8-8 every year until they proved it on the field otherwise. Possibly 9-7.
Oh, I would throw out an 11-5, 10-6 now and then, based on that 12-4 record. But most of the time I stated at 8-8, 9-7 range.
But I never went below that, except midway or so through a season, like 2018, I revised to 6-10 or 7-9. Then they go on a 7-1 run.

It was kind of like Rick Gosselin, predicted 8-8 every year. He was asked why does he do that. He said he was not really into predictions, and fans would whine and moan when he picked them to lose. So on the road he said lose, at home he said win. He hasn't done this fro quite some time though.
 

Shake_Tiller

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Jason Garrett is gone. I don't have an argument against any of these responses, but people on this forum generally are pretty opinionated and certain of their football acumen. The question we might ask ourselves is why, beyond coaching, the special teams units not only were bad but among the worst in the NFL. Measured by yardage, the offense was the league's best (and no I don't think yards gained proved it was the best), the defense was top 10 in the league. What I think we can safely say is neither the offense nor the defense was among the league's worst, regardless of the coaching staff.

Special teams were horrendous and certainly among the league's worst. Why was that, and more importantly, how quickly and effectively can it be fixed? Because one thing can be said for sure -- special teams play a major role in winning and losing football games. Are special teams 1/3 of the game as some coaches (many) will say? I don't know about that. But they are vitally important. It is harder to drive the ball 80-90 yards than it is to drive it 50-60 yards. Missed FGs can and do cause losses. The punting game matters.

Whether the offense or defense improve (and that matters a great deal), it is important that the special teams improve. And based on performance, this is where the Cowboys have the furthest to go. They must move from the bottom rung of the league.

So what do the Cowboys need? A better placekicker, of course (maybe Forbath is the answer or will get quality competition). A better punter, of course (unless Chris Jones can recover in a hurry and prove it in training camp). A better return game. But what about gunners? What about the entire lineups (kicks, punts, kick returns, punt returns). Do they need to use more starting players? Is the bottom of their roster too geared toward offensive and defensive depth and not geared enough to special teams contributions? Is this almost solely a case of the coaching being poor?

Here is something that must be fixed, and I would argue can be fixed without breaking the salary cap or finding lightning in a bottle. Better special teams play and the Cowboys were in the playoffs. No question. A contender? Maybe not. But top half of the league special teams probably would have won a couple or three games. Beyond that, if the team is being coached so that special teams are strong, it's a good sign of an overall well-coached team. It suggests they are being detail-oriented both in-game and in personnel decisions. It suggests that nobody on the roster is getting a free ride.

This team wasn't destroyed by injuries. It was a healthy team, relative to the rest of the league. When we get past the Prescotts and the Elliotts and the Lawrences, etc., the new coaching staff has something major to fix that could make a significant difference. What do they need to do to make that happen?
 

charron

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I'm counting on him being a "booth" coordinator so we can only see him from the chest up.


He was never in the booth before so I doubt it now. And if history serves right he gets that offense using his system, they likely clap their way to atleast 1 win if not beating us twice a year.
 
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