2007 vs. 2008

[THUMPER]

I'd feel much better about 2008 had we won at least one playoff game last year (just to get it behind us and get the millstone off Wade's neck). He/we didn't, so the issue remains.

I don't believe not having won a playoff game is an issue. We have an experienced and talented team now and they are in their 2nd year with the new coaches and systems.

Previous playoff wins are nice but I do not believe they are a necessary step in winning now.

 

[bbgun]

I don't believe not having won a playoff game is an issue. We have an experienced and talented team now and they are in their 2nd year with the new coaches and systems.

Previous playoff wins are nice but I do not believe they are a necessary step in winning now.

Maybe not, but you're rolling the dice and hoping that something exceedingly rare transpires this year (i.e. winless coach and QB getting to the mountaintop). Winning one game last January would have removed some seeds of doubt.

 

[THUMPER]

Maybe not, but you're rolling the dice and hoping that something exceedingly rare transpires this year (i.e. winless coach and QB getting to the mountaintop). Winning one game last January would have removed some seeds of doubt.

So the option is to not get our hopes up this year because we didn't win a playoff game last year?

I have nothing to lose by being optimistic and expecting a SB win this year.

 

[bbgun]

So the option is to not get our hopes up this year because we didn't win a playoff game last year?

I have nothing to lose by being optimistic and expecting a SB win this year.

History says it's not going to happen. How you react to that is up to you.

 

[BoysFanInAustin]

So would I. I compared 2007 to 1991, and want to compare 2008 to 1992.

In 1991 we won a wildcard game to get us primed.

We won one in 2007 as well. Just ask Wade. The win was the bye week. 13-3!

 

[JonJon]

If Dallas can't suceed without a bye then they dont deserve a championship. I dont agree with the logic you are using one bit. What would make them any different than the Giants? Id prefer to be great the whole way through like the old Cowboys. If this current team is scared of expectations and cant perform accordingly step aside and let the Pats win because i guarantee you they are gonna be rushing towards the trophy with ferocity while you want us to "struggle". Wasn't losing to an inferior team and watching them win a Super Bowl enough struggle?

Locking up a first round bye and homefield advantage was part of the Cowboys losing focus IMO. Romo and Witten would never have taken a vacation to Mexico if we didn't have the bye week. I'm not saying that is the reason why we lost at all, but you can argue that their in-season vacation time could have been spent preparing for the game, not living it up Jessica Simpson.

The team as a whole just didn't have that hunger in the playoffs like the Giants had. We did not have that "need" mentality and didn't play up to our potential.

But this goes beyond the playoffs. Every time the Cowboys "emerge" with a statement victory, we start to fade. Last year was after the Packers game; the season pretty much went down the toilet after that and the same can be said about the previous year after we beat the Colts.

If we never get the big head and stay focused, I think we have a better chance of succeeding in the playoffs.

 

[sonnyboy]

In 2007 we finished 13-3. In the 2008 off season we have improved the personnel of the team and the team will be more familiar with the Offensive and Defensive schemes.

I want to caution fans that this does NOT mean we will be 13-3 or better in 2008. Let me explain why.

In 2006 we finished 2nd in the NFC East. That meant we played a 2nd place schedule in 2007. In 2008 we're going to be playing a 1st place schedule.

6 games will be within the NFC East. Never easy games.

We will also play the Packers and the Steelers on the road. We have never won at Lambeau Field BTW. We will also play the Seahawks and Buccaneers at home. That is four 2007 Division winners.

In 2007 we also played 4 Division winners, but 2 of them were the Eagles, so we really only played two, the Bears and the Patriots.

In 2007 the schedule strength of our opponents was .496. In 2008 our schedule strength is .523, and the NFC East is looking much stronger coming off of 2007 than it was coming off of 2006.

In both 2007 and 2008 we will be facing 7 teams that made the playoffs from the previous year. Both years 4 of the 7 games are from the NFC East. In 2007 we did not face the Defending Super Bowl Champ. In 2008 we will face them twice.

So we could be a better team in 2008 and not finish with a record better than 13-3. I think it will be crucial for the fans and media to remember that.

The big goal of course is going to be to finish strong, a job we have not done since 1996, ironically the last time we won a post season game.

In his career, Tony Romo has started 30 games, including two playoff games. The Cowboys are 20-10 in those 30 games. 7 of the Cowboys 10 losses in those games have occurred in December and January.

Go hard or go home. That's the theme for me.

So what's your prediction?

I know conventional wisdom would suggest we could improve and end up with less than 13 wins.

But conventional wisdom doesn't always fit and doesn't allow for thinking outside the box.

You make some good points HOS, but you focus too much on the numbers and the schedule.

I'm going with 13-15 wins for this team assuming we don't have significantly more injuries to deal with or real killer injuries.

Here why:

1)Our defense is in its 2nd year under Wade. In all of Wade's previous stints, his defenses improved in both the 1st and 2nd year. Since we had such an improvement in year 1 it stands to reason will see it in year 2.

2)We have made a significant upgrade with our defensive personel. I believe the 2007-2008 upgrade will rival our 1991-1992 upgrade when we added DE Haley, CB Smith, LB Jones and SS Woodson.
I see CB Jones(starter), NT Johnson(new starter), LB Thomas(starter) and CB Jenkins(DimeCB) CHANGING THE FACE OF THIS DEFENSE.
Our 2007 defense was ok. If I take the numbers, the level of competition, and what I actually saw, I'd rank it about 10th best for 2007.
I'm expecting a top 3 ranking for 2008.

3)Tony Romo. As good as he's been, the arrow is still up. Not only is he under 30, but he's only started 30 games. That's less than two full seasons. Historically speaking, QB's peak at age 30. The real sweet spot or prime years are 28/29 to 32/33.
Another thing to consider with Romo is that he spent 2003-2006 in basically the same offense. 2007 was only his first year under Garrett. He all but admitted that their was a transition period and this off-season he's more comfortable and focused more on improving fundamentals and less on learning the new offense.

 

[Hostile]

So what's your prediction?

I know conventional wisdom would suggest we could improve and end up with less than 13 wins.

But conventional wisdom doesn't always fit and doesn't allow for thinking outside the box.

You make some good points HOS, but you focus too much on the numbers and the schedule.

I'm going with 13-15 wins for this team assuming we don't have significantly more injuries to deal with or real killer injuries.

Here why:

1)Our defense is in its 2nd year under Wade. In all of Wade's previous stints, his defenses improved in both the 1st and 2nd year. Since we had such an improvement in year 1 it stands to reason will see it in year 2.

2)We have made a significant upgrade with our defensive personel. I believe the 2007-2008 upgrade will rival our 1991-1992 upgrade when we added DE Haley, CB Smith, LB Jones and SS Woodson.
I see CB Jones(starter), NT Johnson(new starter), LB Thomas(starter) and CB Jenkins(DimeCB) CHANGING THE FACE OF THIS DEFENSE.
Our 2007 defense was ok. If I take the numbers, the level of competition, and what I actually saw, I'd rank it about 10th best for 2007.
I'm expecting a top 3 ranking for 2008.

3)Tony Romo. As good as he's been, the arrow is still up. Not only is he under 30, but he's only started 30 games. That's less than two full seasons. Historically speaking, QB's peak at age 30. The real sweet spot or prime years are 28/29 to 32/33.
Another thing to consider with Romo is that he spent 2003-2006 in basically the same offense. 2007 was only his first year under Garrett. He all but admitted that their was a transition period and this off-season he's more comfortable and focused more on improving fundamentals and less on learning the new offense.

12-4 unless we get a WR opposite TO. If we do that I think this team will be amazing.

 

[theogt]

Seriously, we were a cut off route from winning a playoff game. Yet somehow that's supposed to be evidence that we can't win a playoff game ever?

What the hell?

 

[Hostile]

Seriously, we were a cut off route from winning a playoff game. Yet somehow that's supposed to be evidence that we can't win a playoff game ever?

What the hell?

When things compound it tends to lead to more and more pessimism. It is natural. Look at Tony Dungy and Peyton Manning as examples.

Wade is 0-4 in the post season for his career.

Romo is 0-2.

Dallas has not won a post season game since 1996.

It begins to taint expectations.

 

[theogt]

When things compound it tends to lead to more and more pessimism. It is natural. Look at Tony Dungy and Peyton Manning as examples.

Wade is 0-4 in the post season for his career.

Romo is 0-2.

Dallas has not won a post season game since 1996.

It begins to taint expectations.

Tainting expectations and actually affecting the real probability of it happening or not happening are totally different things, of course.

 

[Hostile]

Tainting expectations and actually affecting the real probability of it happening or not happening are totally different things, of course.

In some minds, of course they are. But not in all minds. We are not robotic. We don't all think exactly the same.

 

[sonnyboy]

I'd feel much better about 2008 had we won at least one playoff game last year (just to get it behind us and get the millstone off Wade's neck). He/we didn't, so the issue remains.

I know that you believe what you're saying here. I also know that since it "makes sense" others also believe it.

Doesn't necessarily mean it's true.

Here's the truth.
In all likelihood we will play in a post-season game this Jan 2008. A lot of things will go into determining the winner of that game.

1) How good a team we are at that time.
2) How healthy are we.
3) Who we're playing and how good and healthy are they.
4) Are we home, coming off a bye or are we on the road playing a team that just had a bye.

5 mins before the start of our next play-off game, the last thing on my mind will be that we didn't win even one 2007 play-off game or that Wade has never won one.

During our next play-off game, will you really be thinking....if only the refs had called a forward lateral in the Music City Miracle game giving Wade one play-off win in 2002, I'd feel so much better about our 2008 divisional round play-off game against Seattle at Texas Stadium.

DO YOU SEE JUST HOW SILLY THAT SOUNDS?

 

[bbgun]

I know that you believe what you're saying here. I also know that since it "makes sense" others also believe it.

Doesn't necessarily mean it's true.

Here's the truth.
In all likelihood we will play in a post-season game this Jan 2008. A lot of things will go into determining the winner of that game.

1) How good a team we are at that time.
2) How healthy are we.
3) Who we're playing and how good and healthy are they.
4) Are we home, coming off a bye or are we on the road playing a team that just had a bye.

5 mins before the start of our next play-off game, the last thing on my mind will be that we didn't win even one 2007 play-off game or that Wade has never won one.

During our next play-off game, will you really be thinking....if only the refs had called a forward lateral in the Music City Miracle game giving Wade one play-off win in 2002, I'd feel so much better about our 2008 divisional round play-off game against Seattle at Texas Stadium.

DO YOU SEE JUST HOW SILLY THAT SOUNDS?

This year isn't about winning one playoff game; it's about winning several, possibly culminating in a championship. Based on past failures, is there an air of futility or pointlessness to this season? Maybe. But that doesn't mean lightning can't strike. Just look at the Giants. Of course, Coughlin did have post-season success elsewhere, so it's not a perfect comparison. I just think it's silly to think that a career "loser" like Wilson and his playoff-haunted QB are going to simultaneously put it all together. My heart may want that to happen, but my head says otherwise. They desperately needed to take a baby step last year but didn't.

 

[DallasEast]

Playoff seeding isn't as necessary as it once was a couple of decades ago. A Super Bowl contender simply needs a relatively healthy roster, momentum, hunger and great execution of the gameplan for three or four games. Nowadays, even the most talented team can get knocked out of the playoffs if it doesn't exhibit those basics.

Before salary cap parity set in prior to '93, a good-to-great playoff team could get away with having a bad game during the playoffs and still manage to pull out the win in the end. IMO, it doesn't matter which seed the Cowboys land this upcoming postseason. A #1 or #6 seed can win it all IF that team pulls it together when it matters the most.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Seriously, we were a cut off route from winning a playoff game. Yet somehow that's supposed to be evidence that we can't win a playoff game ever?

What the hell?

Thank you.

We were probably also a different team from winning a playoff game. Nobody wants to give the Giants any credit, but we did lose to the team that won it all. If we play the Skins or Seattle or Tampa, we have that win.

I don't get the whole obsession with winning a playoff game in X years anyway. The Raiders have won a playoff game since we have... Would you rather be them? Or the Cardinals? Or the Skins?

And to bb's question: Had Eli won a playoff game before last season? I didn't think he had. And he managed to run the table last year.

 

[bbgun]

Thank you.

We were probably also a different team from winning a playoff game. Nobody wants to give the Giants any credit, but we did lose to the team that won it all. If we play the Skins or Seattle or Tampa, we have that win.

I don't get the whole obsession with winning a playoff game in X years anyway. The Raiders have won a playoff game since we have... Would you rather be them? Or the Cardinals? Or the Skins?

And to bb's question: Had Eli won a playoff game before this year? I didn't think he had. And he managed to run the table last year.

But he wasn't saddled with a coach known for postseason futility. Romo is. That's the point. We're really counting on something to happen this year that's more or less unprecedented.

 

[percyhoward]

We will also play the Packers and the Steelers on the road. We have never won at Lambeau Field BTW.

I said it in another thread, but outside the division the last two years we've played ZERO road games against teams that finished above .500...

With 5 road games at GB, Pit, NYG, Philly, and Wash, I'd be happy to go 2-3. So unless we go 8-0 at home, and win all the other road games, there is no way we equal last year's record.

But the (presumably) tougher regular season test will help us get ready for the playoffs.

 

[Hostile]

I said it in another thread, but outside the division the last two years we've played ZERO road games against teams that finished above .500...

With 5 road games at GB, Pit, NYG, Philly, and Wash, I'd be happy to go 2-3. So unless we go 8-0 at home, and win all the other road games, there is no way we equal last year's record.

But the (presumably) tougher regular season test will help us get ready for the playoffs.

We're only gone 8-0 at home twice in our history.

1980 & 1981. When you add Roger's last 2 wins in Dallas from 1979 that is 18 straight home wins.

We have only gone undefeated on the road one time. We were 7-0 in 1968, then lost on the road in the Playoffs.

The task ahead is daunting.

 

[The Panch]

I think you're overlooking that the division winners we're playing arent really ahead of their division. Bret isnt going back to GB and Aaron Rogers is not taking that team to a 13-3 record. Tampa isnt that much better than N.O. or Carolina. The good teams they played last year: Seattle, Indy, Jacksonville and NYG in the Wild Card. They lost to all those teams and Jacksonville(a home game) was the only team that didnt blow em out. Neither they or Seattle can win on the road.