5 days later, a Realist view

[Joe Realist]

I took some time since Sunday before I decided to give my opinion. There have been many good posts this week.

Here are my thoughts:

1.) I know I go realist/pessimist much of the time - sometimes it really is just to mess around with you - other times it's just how I feel
2.) I really do hate the Eagles- because I live nearby, they are always top sports topic. Nothing made me happier to keep them out of the playoffs
3.) This loss to Green Bay really hurt. It hurt more than 2007, because the end is near for Romo. This team had something special this year and you CANNOT expect it to be the same in 2015. The Boys were healthy for the most part this year. Murray had a great year, Dez, had a great year, the defense surpassed expectations and if I'm correct, we led the league with 31 TAKEAWAYS. This may not be replicated.
4.) We seemed to catch some breaks this year, had great comebacks, etc.
5.) Glad the core 3 coaches are back - is there a difference when you are playing for the next contract for coaches too?
6.) I do not expect Murray to be back and he will really be missed - we will talk about it a lot next season. He is able to pick up the blitz where others are not. He gives an attitude to the team that might be missing in 2015
7.) There were no expectations in 2014. Many will predict NFC East or more next year. It seems we crash and burn when the expectations are high. Like Parcells said, " Don't eat the cheese "
8.) So many free agents - I think we would miss Bruce Carter. I'd like him to stay
9.) Once the Dez catch went to review, I said to a friend, " Here is the payback from the Lions game " Maybe Green Bay wins anyway, but we will never know
10.) Next year's schedule will be much tougher, they can easily fall back to 8-9 wins.
11.) I am still disappointed from Sunday

 

[mahoneybill]

I took some time since Sunday before I decided to give my opinion. There have been many good posts this week.

Here are my thoughts:

1.) I know I go realist/pessimist much of the time - sometimes it really is just to mess around with you - other times it's just how I feel
2.) I really do hate the Eagles- because I live nearby, they are always top sports topic. Nothing made me happier to keep them out of the playoffs
3.) This loss to Green Bay really hurt. It hurt more than 2007, because the end is near for Romo. This team had something special this year and you CANNOT expect it to be the same in 2015. The Boys were healthy for the most part this year. Murray had a great year, Dez, had a great year, the defense surpassed expectations and if I'm, correct, we lead the league with 31 TAKEAWAYS. This may not be replicated.
4.) We seemed to catch some breaks this year, had great comebacks, etc.
5.) Glad the core 3 coaches are back - is there a difference when you are playing for the next contract for coaches too?
6.) I do not expect Murray to be back and he will really be missed - we will talk about it a lot next season. He is able to pick up the blitz where others are not. He gives an attitude to the team that might be missing in 2015
7.) There were no expectations in 2014. Many will predict NFC East or more last year. It seems we crash and burn when the expectations are high. Like Parcells said, " Don't eat the cheese "
8.) So many free agents - I think we would miss Bruce Carter. I'd like him to stay
9.) Once the Dez catch went to review, I said to a friend, " Here is the payback from the Lions game " Now maybe Green Bay wins anyway, but we will never know
10.) Next year's schedule will be much tougher, they can easily fall back to 8-9 wins.
11.) I am still disappointed from Sunday

Nice list. We vastly exceeded my expectation for this season ( 7-9 preseason guess). That said we have a SB capable O, but our D is not yet at that level.. Still see us in the 10 + win category for next year. Minus the home game , we played a WC schedule anyway, and have proven we can handle the " road"

Watching the game again Sterling Moore had 2 opportunities to break up TD passes and missed on both... Also, listening to Marinelli talk to the D line he says " you have to stop fronting them, I have taught you how to win". I'm assuming he was talking about how they were allowing Rodgers to stay untouched
and deliver, versus getting him on the ground...

 

[Dave_in-NC]

Nice write up.

 

[mldardy]

I took some time since Sunday before I decided to give my opinion. There have been many good posts this week.

Here are my thoughts:

1.) I know I go realist/pessimist much of the time - sometimes it really is just to mess around with you - other times it's just how I feel
2.) I really do hate the Eagles- because I live nearby, they are always top sports topic. Nothing made me happier to keep them out of the playoffs
3.) This loss to Green Bay really hurt. It hurt more than 2007, because the end is near for Romo. This team had something special this year and you CANNOT expect it to be the same in 2015. The Boys were healthy for the most part this year. Murray had a great year, Dez, had a great year, the defense surpassed expectations and if I'm, correct, we lead the league with 31 TAKEAWAYS. This may not be replicated.
4.) We seemed to catch some breaks this year, had great comebacks, etc.
5.) Glad the core 3 coaches are back - is there a difference when you are playing for the next contract for coaches too?
6.) I do not expect Murray to be back and he will really be missed - we will talk about it a lot next season. He is able to pick up the blitz where others are not. He gives an attitude to the team that might be missing in 2015
7.) There were no expectations in 2014. Many will predict NFC East or more next year. It seems we crash and burn when the expectations are high. Like Parcells said, " Don't eat the cheese "
8.) So many free agents - I think we would miss Bruce Carter. I'd like him to stay
9.) Once the Dez catch went to review, I said to a friend, " Here is the payback from the Lions game " Maybe Green Bay wins anyway, but we will never know
10.) Next year's schedule will be much tougher, they can easily fall back to 8-9 wins.
11.) I am still disappointed from Sunday

Next year's schedule isn't any tougher than this year's. We also don't know how the teams we play will turn out to be. We thought New Orleans, Chicago would be difficult and neither were.

 

[Doomsday101]

Had a friend come by my office who is a Texans fan and asked me is I was still crying over the Cowboys loss. I told him I was past it now and when I start feeling sad I just think of the game where Dallas beat Houston and it makes me smile. lol

 

[LandryFan]

Next year's schedule isn't any tougher than this year's. We also don't know how the teams we play will turn out to be. We thought New Orleans, Chicago would be difficult and neither were.

Yep. Every year there are games we thought would be tough that turn out not to be and vice versa. But looking at it now, I agree with you that next year's schedule isn't any tougher than this past year was.

 

[roughneck266]

Nice list. We vastly exceeded my expectation for this season ( 7-9 preseason guess). That said we have a SB capable O, but our D is not yet at that level.. Still see us in the 10 + win category for next year. Minus the home game , we played a WC schedule anyway, and have proven we can handle the " road"

Watching the game again Sterling Moore had 2 opportunities to break up TD passes and missed on both... Also, listening to Marinelli talk to the D line he says " you have to stop fronting them, I have taught you how to win". I'm assuming he was talking about how they were allowing Rodgers to stay untouched
and deliver, versus getting him on the ground...

"I have taught you how" only goes as far as the talent will allow. In our case the defense played over their heads. I am tremendously proud of them for what they have accomplished but they ended up beyond their means....
incidentally, I cant see another offense whi cab accomplish what this one has, so barring really stupid circumstances,, I dont see how anyone can compete next year, provided we have a decent defensive draft.

 

[mahoneybill]

"I have taught you how" only goes as far as the talent will allow. In our case the defense played over their heads. I am tremendously proud of them for what they have accomplished but they ended up beyond their means....

Agree. I think Marinelli was hoping for " one big turnover/stop" but recognizes that they were playing above their levels already

 

[Bullflop]

It's easy as pie to focus on our disappointment over losing to Green Bay but rather than continuing to zero in on that, I'd rather focus on the monumental improvement we've undergone in the last year. Just a happier thought.

 

[mahoneybill]

It's easy as pie to focus on our disappointment over losing to Green Bay but rather than continuing to zero in on that, I'd rather focus on the monumental improvement we've undergone in the last year. Just a happier thought.

And one we all share. To me the posts are getting more towards the Garrett " change the story" level as compared to the initial ( for all of us) disappointment.

 

[Cowboys22]

Next years schedule is a cakewalk compared to this years. It's tougher than everybody in the division because we have to play Sea and GB due to being the 1st place teams but other than that it appears much easier than this years schedule did at this same time. Things can certainly change but the schedule won't be the reason they fall back to 8-8. When I looked at the schedule and went through it, I remember thinking if they split with Philly and get one more tough win and don't lose any surprises, which I know is tough to expect, they could easily get back to 12-4 and possibly 13-3.

 

[tyke1doe]

Many Cowboys fans are upset with the Dez play, which is understandable. I'm more upset that we couldn't take advantage of a gimpy Aaron Rodgers. That's really why I'm angry about this game. Think about it. We had the arguably the best quarterback in the game hobbled and on one leg. And we STILL can't get pressure on him. This was absolutely a blown opportunity. And after later listening to analysis of the game, I heard criticism of Rod Marinelli and how he didn't game plan to pressure a wounded Rodgers. Maybe he was scared Rodgers might beat us on the blitz. Whatever, I get more upset our defense couldn't take advantage of the "gift" given to us. But I'll have to get over it.

I predicted we would go 14-2. I'm probably am being more of a homer, but I like the youth on the line. If we can just pick up a pass rusher who can actually get to the quarterback, I like our chances of repeating as NFC East division champions. I think we have the recipe to beat the Eagles. The Skins we always seem to split with. The Giants need to solidify their offensive line, but they have playmakers at the wide receiver position.

I think Seattle is going to take a step back if they win a Super Bowl. It's very difficult to threepeat, and their coaching staff will get attacked more than ours will if they win two in a row. The Cardinals will be tough, but they're the Cardinals. And the Rams still have quarterback issues.

I think the Saints are on a decline. The Falcons need a defense and a consistent rushing attack. Carolina may be a contender, but Cam needs to make better decisions and get more weapons. And the Panthers running backs are old.

Green Bay will be Green Bay with Aaron Rodgers, and Detroit will be better under Caldwell. He's a quiet leader, and I think his demeanor will rub off on that team. But Stafford needs to rely more on a running game.

The only concern I have for the Cowboys is Romo. Will his back hold up? Can we protect him so he doesn't take necessary hits? Will the ref call a penalty on the unnecessary hits?

Anyway, a lot of questions to answer between now and next season.

 

[LandryFan]

I took some time since Sunday before I decided to give my opinion. There have been many good posts this week.

Here are my thoughts:

1.) I know I go realist/pessimist much of the time - sometimes it really is just to mess around with you - other times it's just how I feel
2.) I really do hate the Eagles- because I live nearby, they are always top sports topic. Nothing made me happier to keep them out of the playoffs
3.) This loss to Green Bay really hurt. It hurt more than 2007, because the end is near for Romo. This team had something special this year and you CANNOT expect it to be the same in 2015. The Boys were healthy for the most part this year. Murray had a great year, Dez, had a great year, the defense surpassed expectations and if I'm, correct, we lead the league with 31 TAKEAWAYS. This may not be replicated.
4.) We seemed to catch some breaks this year, had great comebacks, etc.
5.) Glad the core 3 coaches are back - is there a difference when you are playing for the next contract for coaches too?
6.) I do not expect Murray to be back and he will really be missed - we will talk about it a lot next season. He is able to pick up the blitz where others are not. He gives an attitude to the team that might be missing in 2015
7.) There were no expectations in 2014. Many will predict NFC East or more next year. It seems we crash and burn when the expectations are high. Like Parcells said, " Don't eat the cheese "
8.) So many free agents - I think we would miss Bruce Carter. I'd like him to stay
9.) Once the Dez catch went to review, I said to a friend, " Here is the payback from the Lions game " Maybe Green Bay wins anyway, but we will never know
10.) Next year's schedule will be much tougher, they can easily fall back to 8-9 wins.
11.) I am still disappointed from Sunday

Thoughtful write up, Joe. I agree with your thoughts that a lot went right for the team this year that may not repeat next year, but there are also things that didn't go well that could go well next year to counterbalance. Hopefully, Sean Lee comes back and stays healthy. That is not far fetched and would be huge for this defense. Surely we will get some defensive help in the draft and through FA...I just expect our defense to be better next year. They must get more pressure on opposing QB's and get better in the defensive backfield (the first helps the second). I don't see how the offense can improve over this year, we just need to avoid a significant drop off. There's so much not known right now...who's coming back (lots of our own UFA's). Who will we pick up in FA and the draft? Really, this team could look quite different next year, especially on the defensive side of the ball. One thing I'm sure won't change, and that is the fighting attitude of this team, and that starts with our young O-Line. Bottom line: I'm excited about the future for a change.

 

[RS12]

2015 hinges on two things IMO. 1) Romo's health 2) Improved pass rush and safety play

 

[perrykemp]

Many Cowboys fans are upset with the Dez play, which is understandable. I'm more upset that we couldn't take advantage of a gimpy Aaron Rodgers. That's really why I'm angry about this game. Think about it. We had the arguably the best quarterback in the game hobbled and on one leg. And we STILL can't get pressure on him. This was absolutely a blown opportunity. And after later listening to analysis of the game, I heard criticism of Rod Marinelli and how he didn't game plan to pressure a wounded Rodgers. Maybe he was scared Rodgers might beat us on the blitz. Whatever, I get more upset our defense couldn't take advantage of the "gift" given to us. But I'll have to get over it.

I'm just not sure there was anything left Marinelli could do the generate a pass rush. The talent just wasn't there.

A few thoughts on the topic:

• A much better pass rushing Detroit team sacked a gimpy Rodgers 0 times the week before
• Per Sturm's article, Green Bay went 4WR/1TE or 5WR the entire second half with Cobb lining up (at least initially) in the backfield. Bltizing wasn't really a realistic possibility -- Rodgers will find the open guy every time
• The Packers OL might have been the best pass blocking OL in the NFC this season. Rodgers, who typically is near the league leaders in being sacked, was sacked a grand total of 8 eight times in the last 8 games per season. The Cowboys's DL is possibly the weakest unit on the whole team -- to think the Cowboys DL was going to generate a pass rush vs the Packers OL is just unrealistic

In summary, all the strategizing in the world wasn't going to help the D stop Rodgers in the 2nd half. The talent on defense simply isn't where it needs to be to get to a QB like Rodgers playing behind a OL like GB had this year.

They have to invest heavily in pass rushers in order to improve their chances of winning games like the GB one.

 

[tyke1doe]

I'm just not sure there was anything left Marinelli could do the generate a pass rush. The talent just wasn't there.

A few thoughts on the topic:

• A much better pass rushing Detroit team sacked a gimpy Rodgers 0 times the week before
• Per Sturm's article, Green Bay went 4WR/1TE or 5WR the entire second half with Cobb lining up (at least initially) in the backfield. Bltizing wasn't really a realistic possibility -- Rodgers will find the open guy every time
• The Packers OL might have been the best pass blocking OL in the NFC this season. Rodgers, who typically is near the league leaders in being sacked, was sacked a grand total of 8 eight times in the last 8 games per season. The Cowboys's DL is possibly the weakest unit on the whole team -- to think the Cowboys DL was going to generate a pass rush vs the Packers OL is just unrealistic

In summary, all the strategizing in the world wasn't going to help the D stop Rodgers in the 2nd half. The talent on defense simply isn't where it needs to be to get to a QB like Rodgers playing behind a OL like GB had this year.

They have to invest heavily in pass rushers in order to improve their chances of winning games like the GB one.

Thanks for the response. I did note that the Detroit line couldn't get pressure on Rodgers either. But Rodgers did most of his damage against the Lions before he pulled up gimpy. We played with Rodgers a full game with him being gimpy.

I do agree, though, that we need to find pass rushers. This has been this defense's Achilles heel. If we can luck up and find just one impact pass rusher, I think the Super Bowl comes calling us.

But, again, thank you for the perspective you brought to this issue. It helps assuage my anger some, but doesn't erase it. I guess only time will do that.

 

[StarBoyz83]

I agree with most of it but next years schedule is easier than this years. If dallas doesnt make the playoffs next year its a huge fail. Defense will get better next year. No reason this team shouldnt see 11 to 13 wins next year. If they dont get in done in the next 2 years it wont be for like 5 or so years until they can contend again imo

 

[big dog cowboy]

2.) I really do hate the Eagles

 

[Clove]

I like that list, since we're in the realist thread, I'll post mine.

1) I was infuriated with that game. I knew there was a chance we were going to lose when the end of the 1st half happened, and they turned around and made it 14-10. Right then, I felt like we would not be able to fight off the demons from years past.
2) I really wish this coaching staff has learned something about situation football. You can have all the cute plays and the most talent, but sometimes, you actually have to use your brain when the game is close, and you can't just bully the other team.
3) There is a time to be aggressive, and there is a time to play the odds.
4) Not sure who we will sign, etc... But once Murray is gone, it will be interesting to see if we can find someone who can actually break tackles, and keep Romo from getting his back ripped in half. Anyone can fly through an open hole, but there are few open holes when you're going against great defenses, so you need to grind it out. We shall see if we miss Murray or not.
5) I won't comment on the QB situation, but I will say that I hope that the 2015 season starts without Weeden as our 2nd QB.
6) Rome was not built in one day, but we don't have time in Romo's career to have a 3 year defensive building plan. If you plan on winning now, you need to take some drastic measures. If you have other plans of slowly building the defense, then you may as well find the Romo replacement who will actually be around once the building process is complete. Draft picks take time to develop. Martin is a once in a decade thing.
7) As the OP mentioned, we had some sorry performances this year, bailed out by come back wins. When are we just going to have a smooth moving offense? I can't wait for that day to come.
8) If you bring in journeymen or just good pass rushers, we will be going home early again next year. We need difference makers on this defensive line. The only one I see now is maybe Crawford.
9) I hope that Bailey was just in a funk. He choked in the playoffs.
10) We need a new punter, punt/kick off return guy, and use the same returner in some 4 wide packages. What are we going to do with Escobar? guy has talent. We need to target Cole Beasley around 5 to 6 times a game from different formations.

That is all for now.

 

[DogFace]

Nice list. We vastly exceeded my expectation for this season ( 7-9 preseason guess). That said we have a SB capable O, but our D is not yet at that level.. Still see us in the 10 + win category for next year. Minus the home game , we played a WC schedule anyway, and have proven we can handle the " road"

Watching the game again Sterling Moore had 2 opportunities to break up TD passes and missed on both... Also, listening to Marinelli talk to the D line he says " you have to stop fronting them, I have taught you how to win". I'm assuming he was talking about how they were allowing Rodgers to stay untouched
and deliver, versus getting him on the ground...

Yeah. Can't believe Sterling stopped running on that td. He'd played very well for us this season imo. But that play was bad.