jday
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As I was driving in to work today, I started to mull over all the things that have me looking forward to the season vs. things that could possibly spell doom. I'll start positive:
1. Despite the diminished competition he has faced, I honestly believe Lance Dunbar might just be for real. And if he is, the tandem of he and a healthy Demarco Murray could be a devastating duo. Lance has sure hands, burst, and seems to have great vision.
2. Travis Frederick just might be the difference the Cowboy's needed to significantly improve their running game. I'm not just pointing to his technique or ability. Actually, I think the difference will be having a very smart guy making the presnap line calls. Add to that emergence of Lance Dunbar, and we might even rank Top 10 by the end of the season in the ground game.
3. The 4-3. This is not intended to second guess Rob Ryan; I think he is a great coach. The issue, aside from injuries, was the fact that the Cowboys simply did not have the DL's necessary to make that particular defensive work. Look at the DL"s of every successful 3-4 team out there and compare to what the Cowboys had, and I think it's fairly obvious why the Cowboys were not successful with it. Transversely, the 4-3 seems to actually be a better fit for what the Cowboys have now in terms of personnel, especially at Linebacker with Sean Lee and Bruce Carter. As a result of this switch, I see Demarcus Ware once again competing for the sack record and the Cowboys being a Top 10 Turnover team.
What could derail the season?
1. Injuries. I don’t need to expound here, considering what we saw last year. But I will point out that an injury at just about any position on this team could doom the team when you consider what is waiting behind many of our starters.
2. Coaching. I flip-flop on Jason. On one hand, I like the things he says, I like is demeanor, and I like his passion for the game (even if he comes across as robotic at times). On the other hand, the results he has garnered have been less than encouraging. Furthermore, while coach Callahan is probably the most qualified guy to call offensive plays, even over Jason, I don’t know what to expect. The mothership-kool-aid peddlers have sighted on several occasions that the Cowboys are being vanilla during preseason, so I'm not sure what to look for during these games that will give me confidence.
3. Tony Romo. He really is like a box of chocolates. Given the experience he has gained in the NFL up to this point, I would like to think he is the 1 guy you don’t have to worry about. But let’s face it, he has made some boneheaded moves at QB. For the most part, I have defended him; but there have been things he has done that I honestly had no idea how to begin to defend. Many apologist point to the abysmal offensive line he has had. That’s a fair point. But not all of his errors have come at times during duress and duress is not always a viable excuse, especially for your veteran QB. What makes Romo great can also sometimes make him look like a rookie. He doesn’t know when to give up on some plays and just simply throw the ball away. Hopefully, this year, we will see Romo play smart, even if it means punting the ball away.
So, what 3 things do you think could put this team in the playoffs this year and what 3 things could lead to another season of mediocrity?
1. Despite the diminished competition he has faced, I honestly believe Lance Dunbar might just be for real. And if he is, the tandem of he and a healthy Demarco Murray could be a devastating duo. Lance has sure hands, burst, and seems to have great vision.
2. Travis Frederick just might be the difference the Cowboy's needed to significantly improve their running game. I'm not just pointing to his technique or ability. Actually, I think the difference will be having a very smart guy making the presnap line calls. Add to that emergence of Lance Dunbar, and we might even rank Top 10 by the end of the season in the ground game.
3. The 4-3. This is not intended to second guess Rob Ryan; I think he is a great coach. The issue, aside from injuries, was the fact that the Cowboys simply did not have the DL's necessary to make that particular defensive work. Look at the DL"s of every successful 3-4 team out there and compare to what the Cowboys had, and I think it's fairly obvious why the Cowboys were not successful with it. Transversely, the 4-3 seems to actually be a better fit for what the Cowboys have now in terms of personnel, especially at Linebacker with Sean Lee and Bruce Carter. As a result of this switch, I see Demarcus Ware once again competing for the sack record and the Cowboys being a Top 10 Turnover team.
What could derail the season?
1. Injuries. I don’t need to expound here, considering what we saw last year. But I will point out that an injury at just about any position on this team could doom the team when you consider what is waiting behind many of our starters.
2. Coaching. I flip-flop on Jason. On one hand, I like the things he says, I like is demeanor, and I like his passion for the game (even if he comes across as robotic at times). On the other hand, the results he has garnered have been less than encouraging. Furthermore, while coach Callahan is probably the most qualified guy to call offensive plays, even over Jason, I don’t know what to expect. The mothership-kool-aid peddlers have sighted on several occasions that the Cowboys are being vanilla during preseason, so I'm not sure what to look for during these games that will give me confidence.
3. Tony Romo. He really is like a box of chocolates. Given the experience he has gained in the NFL up to this point, I would like to think he is the 1 guy you don’t have to worry about. But let’s face it, he has made some boneheaded moves at QB. For the most part, I have defended him; but there have been things he has done that I honestly had no idea how to begin to defend. Many apologist point to the abysmal offensive line he has had. That’s a fair point. But not all of his errors have come at times during duress and duress is not always a viable excuse, especially for your veteran QB. What makes Romo great can also sometimes make him look like a rookie. He doesn’t know when to give up on some plays and just simply throw the ball away. Hopefully, this year, we will see Romo play smart, even if it means punting the ball away.
So, what 3 things do you think could put this team in the playoffs this year and what 3 things could lead to another season of mediocrity?
