A good indicator of whether the Cowboys are a playoff team

[Bobhaze]

On defense...but the Cowboys offense is far and away more talented.

If that’s true it certainly reinforces the notion that having a great defense is more conducive to winning a championship than a great offense. Super Bowl winning teams usually bear that out. In the last 12 years, only two teams have won SBs without really good defenses- the 2006 colts (w/ future HOF QB Peyton Manning) and 2009 saints (w/future HOF QB Drew Brees).

Our defense is getting more talented, but it desperately needed to. Our offense certainly has talent, but so far, it hasn’t translated into playoff success.

 

[BourbonBalz]

By having no clue as to how to build a D!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's not at all what he was saying.

 

[SoupcanSam]

I don't read too much into indicators. I wonder what the eagles indicators were after that terrible season before the SB.

I thought those bums wouldn't even make the playoffs and I still thought their coaching was crap. And so did you guys.

Dallas will just go out and play ball. Simple.

 

[Bobhaze]

One aspect of mental toughness this organization needs to gain is to stop making excuses for failure. If you don’t think this org makes excuses, how do you explain keeping the same GM year after unsuccessful year and the same HC who has made the playoffs 2 of 7 seasons?

Answer: Excuses made and accepted.
How to rectify: Hold people accountable for losing.

 

[Pantone282C]

This is a very young team.

It needs a great leader at the top to lead them to victory.

Thank goodness we have that.

 

[Melonfeud]

You're right and this can't be emphasized enough. Luckily, one of Garrett's strengths seems to be his ability to get players to play hard for him.

I feel like we have a talented enough roster, just a matter of better handling of game day situations and play calling (especially halftime/late game adjustments) and I think we can go far.

Hey,Man! Would you happen to recall what second half of the season game last year where JJ himself deemed it nessesary to
" coach up" Garrett's players?,,, I'm want to think it was the first philly engagement( for obvious reasons, as we'd spackled them boys butt cracks damn near air tight in the first half) but it was probably in that SAN DIEGO game,huh?
* my point is,,,when you got spines from Philly twiting out on the twittersphere, post game ,on how easy it was to win after our boys kinda' just rolled-over& let them steam roll level all over us,,,kinda make one wonder out loud sometimes just what in the HELL goes down in that half time locker room

 

[Pantone282C]

Mental toughness. The ability to overcome the adversity that WILL HAPPEN every season is what separates the contenders from the pretenders. Overcoming injuries, bad calls and sometimes even bad luck are all part of what makes a team successful in the playoffs. You can have talent at every position but if you collectively as a team can’t be tough mentally, it won’t matter.

Mental toughness is what most champions exhibit in droves. Hate to say it, but last year, that beagles team showed some grit losing all those key starters including their star QB, LT, star defender and several others, and still overcoming all that to beat the defending champs in the SB. Filly is talented sure, but I refuse to believe that they’re infinitely more talented than Dallas. What separates us from them last year was mental toughness and better coaching.

If this talented young Cowboys team can fight through whatever adversity lies ahead, they can be a team to be reckoned with. I like the talent we have. I’m not thrilled with he coaching but that too can be overcome.

The mental toughness checklist- Stick together. Accept no excuses. Hold each other accountable. Fight through every injury. Believe in your teammates. Fight to the end.

If our 2018 Cowboys are going to be what we all want them to be, let’s all hope they are tough as boot leather between the ears. Because it takes a lot more than talent to win a championship.

From Landry and Johnson to your keyboard.

 

[Diehardblues]

One aspect of mental toughness this organization needs to gain is to stop making excuses for failure. If you don’t think this org makes excuses, how do you explain keeping the same GM year after unsuccessful year and the same HC who has made the playoffs 2 of 7 seasons?

Answer: Excuses made and accepted.
How to rectify: Hold people accountable for losing.

True, but the obstacles which remain in place is why we must evaluate our situation differently and adjust our expectations.

 

[CouchCoach]

The best indicator to me is talent and I'd be stretching it if I said I think this is a team laden with playoff caliber talent because the 1A part of that is health. This team must stay healthy if they are to have a shot at the playoffs.

I agree that this is not a playoff caliber coaching staff as that has shown up every time a key player goes down, every single time. What the Eagles did last season is very impressive and the Cowboys can't get it together losing any one of those positions and they did it with QB, LT and LB missing.

This is a playoff team is nothing goes wrong. Isn't that it? Injuries to Lee and Big Smitty and Elliott's absence derail them and as long as their pregame strategy is working, they're good but when adjustments and tactical decisions are required, they've been weighed and measured and come up lacking.

If everything goes right, they can make the playoffs.

 

[Whyjerry]

This is a very young team.

It needs a great leader at the top to lead them to victory.

Thank goodness we have that.

Please Lord tell me you are being sarcastic.

 

[Melonfeud]

If we can win or even play for a championship without an elite defense or QB then props goes out to someone . Prob our coaching staff for overcoming the weaknesses in talent.

I suppose some mental toughness awards could go out as well. I might credit Jerry for keeping our “toes to the line”. Lol

Boy Howdy,yer' running full tilt boogie afterburners right off the flight line this morning DIEHARD

* uncle Sam is gonna garnish yer pay check fer all that SONIC BOOM cracked windows yer responsible for

 

[Whyjerry]

Ooooohhh, can't agree w/ you there. Jax shut NE down, refs bailed them out more than once. You know that I'm not a conspiracy nut, Bob. Check out the Jags D penalties during the year, and then compare them to that game. That was disgusting.

Jags in the SB after the season the NFL had. Goodell contract in the balance. Ratings disaster. Something had to be done so they NFL refs got their NBA on.

 

[kskboys]

That's not at all what he was saying.

Absolutely, and I didn't say it was!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[kskboys]

Jags in the SB after the season the NFL had. Goodell contract in the balance. Ratings disaster. Something had to be done so they NFL refs got their NBA on.

I have a buddy who always makes fun of me any time I try to discuss my theory of calls being made in the NFL to keep games close. There is much evidence to support this, BTW.

This guy always yanks my chain about the theory. Let me tell you, I was shocked when he called me after the NE/JAX game in extreme wonderment. We're talking a died in the wool ANTI conspiracy theory nut. He was literally at a loss for words at how obvious it was. JAX would make a play.....TWEEEEETTTTT, penalty. JAX would stop NE on D....>TWEEEETTTTT, penalty.

In all my days, I've never seen such an overt display of crooked reffing. And it's really sad that the public turns a blind eye and denies it. I mean, it was pro wrestling bad.

 

[Direwolf63]

Mental weakness is the hallmark of this team.

You see it against the Packers time and time again.
You see it against the Seahawks.
You see it against the Falcons.
You see it when Sean Lee goes down.
You see it when Tyron Smith goes down.

When something goes against them, instead of manning up (like the Eagles did last year) they fold like a 30 year old, overly used lawn chair.

That's on everybody. The executive. The coaches. The players. Until this changes, the team goes nowhere.

 

[Risen Star]

Sorry— that is an absurd stretch.

The 2016 team was young, and they came out tight— and Rodgers owns Marinelli in his career. By the way— that young team and QB bounced back and it took a miracle throw and 2 +50 yard FGs for Rodgers to pull the rabbit out of his hat.

You can’t lay the playoff loss in 2016 all on Garrett’s “space mentality” lol... but in typical Zone fashion, Garrett gets 100% of the blame and 0% credit.

The problem is I said this before it happened. There's no hindsight here. No picking on the poor coach.

When you go the coward route and shut your team down at the end of the season heading into your bye and your team then isn't ready to play your division game and fall behind big before a rally falls short, congrats you just eliminated your own team.

If you didn't see it coming or you still don't realize what happened that's your problem.

Your head coach has no spine. Hence the day off after one day of camp. He's a sissy. Not a man.

 

[Baileyneverfailey]

The problem is I said this before it happened. There's no hindsight here. No picking on the poor coach.

When you go the coward route and shut your team down at the end of the season heading into your bye and your team then isn't ready to play your division game and fall behind big before a rally falls short, congrats you just eliminated your own team.

If you didn't see it coming or you still don't realize what happened that's your problem.

Your head coach has no spine. Hence the day off after one day of camp. He's a sissy. Not a man.

So you should never shut your team down in week 17 if you already have the playoff bye locked up? The Eagles did that last year and went and won the super bowl.

I agree that Garrett isn't getting the job done, but not that that is an example of a mistake.

 

[Johnny23]

We really couldn't block. 4 sacks on Dak. Would have been more if he weren't such a good running QB.

Dak had the one horrible INT to Zeke, but that one INT to Dez was on Dez, and then there was Dez's fumble.

3 turnovers to none. That's how we lost. The Seahawks didn't do anything on offense. We doubled their total yardage. But Dak gave them a defensive TD. That put the game out of reach.

Your franchise QB can't make that throw to Zeke and you can't excuse it. Sorry but I am not paying a guy 20. Mill a yr for that in big games.

 

[PAPPYDOG]

The Potential is there and i believe our Team is at least 2 years away from the Playoffs.....need a Quality QB and our Young Defense to mature add to that a Stud FA pick up for the def-line and sign Earl Thomas I'd Say Superbowl here we come....

 

[PAPPYDOG]

Dallas lost by 3 points to the top player in the NFL...Rodgers.

Notice a push for defense?

Man get off the Packers game will you.....your claim to fame game about Dak against one of the WORST defenses in the league....!!!!
The big picture please .....We do not have a Franchise QB at the helm and it has cost us and will continue to cost us.....