2017 Teams we play - tougher schedule

[dogunwo]

They would win two games. The two he played in before injury.

OK. Funny.

I always figured you were a Romo guy. Not sure why though. I guess you can be both, not necessarily either or.

 

[coult44]

My prediction is 16-0 every year, not going to change now.

I predict 8-8 every year. Just makes it easier to keep expectations close to the center line.

 

[CanadianCowboysFan]

Will the narrative still be "The Cowboys real test is next week"?

only if it is a loss,,,

 

[jrumann59]

Strength of Schedule is one "stat" who's time has come and gone. It is no longer relevant in today's NFL.

It was never relevant this is not CFB circa 2000 when SoS gets a few more first place votes. Dallas schedule only has two games different than the Eagles schedule.

 

[KJJ]

If the Cowboys are going to be a championship team they have to put an end to this troubling up and down pattern they've had the past decade. Every time they have a good season that leads to high expectations the following year they fall flat with a disappointing season. The 07 season led to very high expectations heading into 08 with many picking the Cowboys to reach the SB and the team missed the playoffs. The 2009 season that saw our first playoff win in 13 years led to very high expectations heading into the 2010 season with many again picking the Cowboys to go to the SB and once again the team fell flat missing the playoffs. It seems like the only time the Cowboys have a good season are when expectations are low. The team hasn't made the playoffs in back to back years since the 06-07 seasons. If we're going to get over the hump we have to consistently make the playoffs and gain playoff experience.

 

[sean10mm]

Yeah, you can only judge strength of schedule after the fact. The Patriots schedule looked really hard going into 2016, but turned into a cream puff as the Cardinals (13-3 in 2015), Broncos (12-4), Bengals (12-4), and Jets (10-6) all went to crap in 2016. The main good team left on their schedule was the Steelers, who didn't start Roethlisberger when they played (though he ended up sucking anyway in the playoffs.)

 

[Blackspider214]

It's hard to even judge whom will be tough a month away during the season, much less 9 months away before the draft, training camp and preseason. No one knows how good these teams will be next year. 3 of the conference championship teams from 2015 didn't even make the playoffs in 2016 and 2 of them were pretty bad in Carolina and Arizona.

 

[Blackspider214]

If the Cowboys are going to be a championship team they have to put an end to this troubling up and down pattern they've had the past decade. Every time they have a good season that leads to high expectations the following year they fall flat with a disappointing season. The 07 season led to very high expectations heading into 08 with many picking the Cowboys to reach the SB and the team missed the playoffs. The 2009 season that saw our first playoff win in 13 years led to very high expectations heading into the 2010 season with many again picking the Cowboys to go to the SB and once again the team fell flat missing the playoffs. It seems like the only time the Cowboys have a good season are when expectations are low. The team hasn't made the playoffs in back to back years since the 06-07 seasons. If we're going to get over the hump we have to consistently make the playoffs and gain playoff experience.

Injuries were apart of every one of them.

2008- Romo got hurt for a month and stopped our momentum.
2010- Romo was hurt for much of that season. Although our record wasn't too great when he got hurt, though.
2015- Romo only plays a few games.

Common denominator? Romo's ability to stay healthy. Didn't play a full season his final 4 seasons. If we finally have a QB who can stay healthy more consistent than Romo, I think we can start to see consistency.

Then again, as long as Garrett and this staff are on the sidelines, it's a big possibility we will never have any consistency at all. I have zero faith in them.

 

[rynochop]

I don't know what's more useless, strength of schedule stats in February or day after the draft grades

 

[KJJ]

Injuries were apart of every one of them.

2008- Romo got hurt for a month and stopped our momentum.
2010- Romo was hurt for much of that season. Although our record wasn't too great when he got hurt, though.
2015- Romo only plays a few games.

Common denominator? Romo's ability to stay healthy. Didn't play a full season his final 4 seasons. If we finally have a QB who can stay healthy more consistent than Romo, I think we can start to see consistency.

Then again, as long as Garrett and this staff are on the sidelines, it's a big possibility we will never have any consistency at all. I have zero faith in them.

All 4 of our playoff losses under Romo were primarily due to our defense. In the 06 playoffs with the Cowboys leading with around 7 minutes to play, our defense gave up a 30+ yard TD to Jeremy Stevens. Had we held Seattle to a FG the game likely wouldn't have come down to the bobbled hold by Romo on the FG attempt. We had arguably the most explosive offensive in franchise history in 2007 but our defense couldn't make a number of critical stops against the Giants in the playoffs. We gave them an easy TD on a pass to Toomer early in the first quarter. We had him boxed in and allowed him to get away and run off for a TD. After taking a 14-7 lead near the end of the first half, we allowed the Giants to drive the length of the field in under 2 minutes to tie the game giving them the momentum at halftime.

They consistently moved the chains on 3rd down throughout the second half, we had virtually no pass rush the entire game. Our D gave up 44 points in a season finale elimination game against Philly in 08. In 09 Favre shredded us for 4 TD's in the playoffs leading to a debacle. Our D gave up 31 points and 3 TD's to Eli in a season finale elimination game in 2011. Aaron Rodgers toasted our defense in the playoffs in 2014 and this past season. The common denominator in all of our playoff/elimination game losses the past decade under Romo has been our lack of a pass rush and not being able to make critical stops. What wins championships is defense. It's been our inability to make stops that has killed us in the playoffs.

 

[DandyDon52]

It was never relevant this is not CFB circa 2000 when SoS gets a few more first place votes. Dallas schedule only has two games different than the Eagles schedule.

exactly, div wise it is just those 2 games, which does make a difference though, our 2 is Atl and GB.
Then there is just luck in which outside divisions we play, and how good the teams are in those Divisions.

 

[DandyDon52]

All 4 of our playoff losses under Romo were primarily due to our defense. In the 06 playoffs with the Cowboys leading with around 7 minutes to play, our defense gave up a 30+ yard TD to Jeremy Stevens. Had we held Seattle to a FG the game likely wouldn't have come down to the bobbled hold by Romo on the FG attempt. We had arguably the most explosive offensive in franchise history in 2007 but our defense couldn't make a number of critical stops against the Giants in the playoffs. We gave them an easy TD on a pass to Toomer early in the first quarter. We had him boxed in and allowed him to get away and run off for a TD. After taking a 14-7 lead near the end of the first half, we allowed the Giants to drive the length of the field in under 2 minutes to tie the game giving them the momentum at halftime.

They consistently moved the chains on 3rd down throughout the second half, we had virtually no pass rush the entire game. Our D gave up 44 points in a season finale elimination game against Philly in 08. In 09 Favre shredded us for 4 TD's in the playoffs leading to a debacle. Our D gave up 31 points and 3 TD's to Eli in a season finale elimination game in 2011. Aaron Rodgers toasted our defense in the playoffs in 2014 and this past season. The common denominator in all of our playoff/elimination game losses the past decade under Romo has been our lack of a pass rush and not being able to make critical stops. What wins championships is defense. It's been our inability to make stops that has killed us in the playoffs.

so it is just defense(the players) , they were never out coached, and never faced a really good offense that was hot ???????
The giants played great on both offense and defense in both SB runs. they beat all the good teams, and GB in GB, they were well coached too.

Sure we need some good DL, pass rushers, but that wont solve the problem or get us to SB.

 

[KJJ]

so it is just defense(the players) , they were never out coached, and never faced a really good offense that was hot ???????
The giants played great on both offense and defense in both SB runs. they beat all the good teams, and GB in GB, they were well coached too.

Sure we need some good DL, pass rushers, but that wont solve the problem or get us to SB.

We've never had the players on defense because regardless the schemes and DC changes we've had the same issues year after year. We had one of the top defensive players in the league in Ware but one great player doesn't make a great unit. Our defensive talent level hasn't come close to matching the talent we've had offensively through the years due to a number of our defensive draft picks not panning out. We've had many offensive players make the Pro Bowl but few defensive players. We need to take the same approach building our DL that we had building our OL.

We need a consistent pass rush and some playmakers in the secondary or our defense will continue to be our undoing every season. As for the Giants they only scored a combined 37 points beating the high octane Patriots in 2 SB's because of their defense. There wasn't anything great about their offense either year but their defense/pass rush stepped up which is how they were able contain Brady both times. You have to be able to make some plays on offense but championships usually come down to defense and a great pass rush.

 

[haleyrules]

I don't know what's more useless, strength of schedule stats in February or day after the draft grades

Absolutely. So much changes from season to season. The Cowboys are the best example. 4-12 to 13-3.

 

[DandyDon52]

Absolutely. So much changes from season to season. The Cowboys are the best example. 4-12 to 13-3.

not really most knew cowboys were not a 4-12 team with romo, and he was coming back.
And by time he got hurt, I knew dak could take the team to 10-6 or better.

Now cleveland is another story, I assume they will not be winners this year, possible but unlikely cause they were a true bad team.

 

[haleyrules]

In 10 games the team we play will have had a winning record in 2016
6 teams were playoff teams in 2016 and we play giants twice so 7 games.
I think it is tougher than last year.

Its certainly tougher. Clubs change from year to year. I am curious to see how Prescott and Elliott second seasons progress. A lot depends, offensively, on that.

 

[haleyrules]

not really most knew cowboys were not a 4-12 team with romo, and he was coming back.
And by time he got hurt, I knew dak could take the team to 10-6 or better.

Now cleveland is another story, I assume they will not be winners this year, possible but unlikely cause they were a true bad team.

Of course the Cowboys were not a 4-12 club..no argument there! My point was..you never know what will happen year to year!!

 

[DandyDon52]

We've never had the players on defense because regardless the schemes and DC changes we've had the same issues year after year. We had one of the top defensive players in the league in Ware but one great player doesn't make a great unit. Our defensive talent level hasn't come close to matching the talent we've had offensively through the years due to a number of our defensive draft picks not panning out. We've had many offensive players make the Pro Bowl but few defensive players. We need to take the same approach building our DL that we had building our OL.

We need a consistent pass rush and some playmakers in the secondary or our defense will continue to be our undoing every season. As for the Giants they only scored a combined 37 points beating the high octane Patriots in 2 SB's because of their defense. There wasn't anything great about their offense either year but their defense/pass rush stepped up which is how they were able contain Brady both times. You have to be able to make some plays on offense but championships usually come down to defense and a great pass rush.

well it is true, we havent had many good pass rushers, but some of that is the DC too.

They got the OL after a 6-10 year, and then 3 8-8 years, so do you see that happening again?
As long as we are picking from the bottom of rounds, it is hard to get the choice Def players in the draft, and Cowboys dont want to spend
big in FA, and if they do it might not turn out good. like with hardy.
So I dont see it happening anytime soon.
Jerry is saying he wants a wardaddy lol , but jerry is always saying something.

They would have to trade up for a good 1st round pick, and buy a good FA, then maybe they might have something.
I still say it is partly marinelli and his calls and schemes.

 

[DandyDon52]

Of course the Cowboys were not a 4-12 club..no argument there! My point was..you never know what will happen year to year!!

That is true, I thought Carolina would for sure make playoffs.
I thought Oakland might as WC but not div champ.

 

[DandyDon52]

Its certainly tougher. Clubs change from year to year. I am curious to see how Prescott and Elliott second seasons progress. A lot depends, offensively, on that.

Well I didnt like the way they used elliot this last season, it was like they are afraid they will break him, meanwhile he keeps saying
feed me , and they never do lol.
To me Dak is a ? mark, not sure he can do as good as he did this year, still good, but not as good.