A Touch of Hostility... Week4

[Maikeru-sama]

The most painful part is that our "Top 5" QB was outplayed in every way by Orton. That's just painfully sad.

Wrong.

Kyle Orton played just as bad as Tony Romo did.

He was horribly inaccurate throughout most of the game.

 

[Maikeru-sama]

The more I think about the loss, the more I can't get over it.

I can't get over the fact that BOTH Denver TDs came on passes that should have been intercepted. That absolutely kills me.

Wade gets ripped for his D after every loss, but this was 100% on the players. He is expected to put this D in position to make plays, and he did that. Spencer and Newman HAVE to make those plays when they're available. They let Wade down today.

Sensabaugh dropped a pick earlier in the game as well.

Meanwhile, the ONE errant throw that a Denver DB had any sort of decent shot at picking off, is picked off by Champ Bailey on a ridiculous catch. (Understand that I'm not saying Tony only threw one errant pass, but that he only threw one that a Denver DB was in position to make an INT)

And I can't get over the fact that a dazzling play by Romo (the 4th and 3 completion to Hurd) was all for naught, as we got all the way down to the 3 and can't freakin' punch it in.

Two slants to Hurd with Champ Bailey on him? Either bad play calls (if they were the 1st option) or bad decisions by Tony.

I disagree.

Terence Newman was in great position but Brandon Marshall is bigger and the ball was thrown high enough that Newman couldn't get it.

 

[TD-33]

I believe the NFL regular season is a tale of 2 halves.

The first 8 games is one thing and the 2nd 8 games is often times something entirely different.

I could see the Broncos going 8-8 with Orton.

Looking at the Cowboys, if this team isn't straightened out by week 9 and on a win streak it's pretty much over. Those are going to be brutal, division games and they would have to look like a different team, at least offensively.

I don't have much faith in a turn around based on the way the season closed out but anything is possible. Worse teams have pulled it off. I'm from Dallas and it's my team and always has been so I hope for the best and prepare for the worst. :

 

[alancdc]

Frustrating thing is no player on the Cowboys steps up to make a play.

Denver had that yesterday, Champ made three spectacular plays that won the game for them. So did Orton on some great passes. Brandon Marshall.

Who stepped up and made a great play? Just Spencer messing up time after time, instead of making a play (I'm calling him doughnut from now on). So many poor tackling examples. WR's running the wrong routes and being out of position time after time.

So is Bennett just the most talented decoy ever?

8 runs in the second half!!!! Good thing Felix wasn't here, he would have been on the bench anyway, a forgotten player.

And it didn't help that once again, play calling was atrocious.

I thought Brooking absolutely stepped up.

 

[Drederick Tatum]

I dont see how anyone who saw the Broncos offense play can say they are a "very good" football team. I am willing to them credit for taking advantage of Dallas' ineptness but I refuse to believe that Dallas played any where need as well as they are capable of playing. That is the part that needs to be figured out because Wade and Garrett arent getting it out of them.

Garrett's great game plan was to attack Champ Bailey 16 times? At the first sign of trouble Garrett completely abandons the run. Its week 4 and WRs are still running the wrong routes, ala Miles Austin on the int. This isnt a new WR he has been in Dallas for a while now, no excuse for the mental mistakes. Witten is used as a blocker when he is Romo's security blanket and the key to the passing game. The strategy and adjustments in this game were mind blowing, Garrett is not putting this offense in position to be successful.

I would go with this opinion more-so than the original post.

 

[skinsscalper]

Wrong.

Kyle Orton played just as bad as Tony Romo did.

He was horribly inaccurate throughout most of the game.

Other than the tiny little fact that he actually threw two TD passes and no interceptions, of course.

 

[Drederick Tatum]

I disagree.

Terence Newman was in great position but Brandon Marshall is bigger and the ball was thrown high enough that Newman couldn't get it.

I wrote a post last week that Dallas needed to do this same thing using Martellus Bennetts height advantage when close to the endzone. Why they went to Sam Hurd so many times on Champ Bailey I'll never understand. Throw the jump ball to the basketball player, I am disappointed in Jason Garrett.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Watch Romo throw the ball. Everything sails on him. I don't know if he's physically hurt or if his mechanics are just poor because of injuries that he's sustained but he can't throw the football downfield without the ball sailing on him. He had open guys all over the place and he missed them badly. We could have won the game yesterday if we had simply been able to throw accurately. Something is wrong with him. I'm convinced of it.

 

[The30YardSlant]

I'm doing my best to distance myself from this team emotionally until Wade is gone, because I know he will never provide anything other than heartbreak and frustration

 

[TheCount]

I'm doing my best to distance myself from this team emotionally until Wade is gone, because I know he will never provide anything other than heartbreak and frustration

Well you'd think that would do it right? Except they had the same losses under Parcells.

 

[YosemiteSam]

I'm doing my best to distance myself from this team emotionally until Wade is gone, because I know he will never provide anything other than heartbreak and frustration

I know exactly what you're talking about. I have to do that with the Texas Rangers every year.

year after year after year after year... :

It appears that is what has to be done with the Cowboys too. I mean, if the team is getting beat straight up it's one thing, but when a team is beating itself at times. It's 10x more painful to watch.

This team is better than Denver. They are better than New York. They just aren't better than themselves.

 

[YosemiteSam]

Well you'd think that would do it right? Except they had the same losses under Parcells.

I agree. I think Parcells time has past. He failed to change with the times. He is an old guy and it's common the older people get, the less they like to change.

He still knows talent, but talent alone doesn't win football games. Case in point. Look at the Cowboys.

 

[Jarv]

Watch Romo throw the ball. Everything sails on him. I don't know if he's physically hurt or if his mechanics are just poor because of injuries that he's sustained but he can't throw the football downfield without the ball sailing on him. He had open guys all over the place and he missed them badly. We could have won the game yesterday if we had simply been able to throw accurately. Something is wrong with him. I'm convinced of it.

I agree...

 

[The30YardSlant]

Well you'd think that would do it right? Except they had the same losses under Parcells.

This team normally lost under Parcells due to lack of talent. Only in Parcells last year did we anything even remotely resembling the amount of talent we have now.

 

[wileedog]

We had the same problems under Bill and there is no way someone will say he is soft as Wade in practice or preparation..

I don't think so at all.

We never had a Parcells team get the ball run down their throat by a bad team because they didn't understand their run blitzes.

We never had at LEAST 1 WR per game run the wrong route, so much so that that QB barely knows where they are going to be.

We never had a secondary get creamed because they hadn't practiced enough man-to-man coverage schemes. They never missed tackles with such alarming consistency and with such utter crap technique.

We never had the offense spend 20+ seconds every single play coming out of the huddle just trying to get lined up right - no wonder they keep running the wrong routes, they're not even sure where they are supposed to be.

Parcells had some bad game plans in his time here, but I can't imagine him coming up with two fade patterns from the 1 yard line or putting the game on the line challenging Champ Bailey with Sam friggin Hurd.

Parcells team's could shoot themselves in the foot with the best of them, but usually with a bad penalty or simply poorly executed play. They were (and still are) a dumb team.

This team is a poorly coached, poorly prepared and fundamentally unsound football team. That and some talent makes you a .500 team that goes nowhere in January.

 

[TheCount]

This team normally lost under Parcells due to lack of talent. Only in Parcells last year did we anything even remotely resembling the amount of talent we have now.

I hope you're right and we get a new coaching staff in here next year. Problem is the only coach I see worth keeping right now is Decamillas.

 

[Maikeru-sama]

Other than the tiny little fact that he actually threw two TD passes and no interceptions, of course.

That's why I said through "most of the game".


Orton was pretty inaccurate most of the game and it was pointed out several times.

Probably had alot to do with his injured thumb or whatever.

 

[Maikeru-sama]

I wrote a post last week that Dallas needed to do this same thing using Martellus Bennetts height advantage when close to the endzone. Why they went to Sam Hurd so many times on Champ Bailey I'll never understand. Throw the jump ball to the basketball player, I am disappointed in Jason Garrett.

Yeah, it is a shame that Bennett hasn't been integrated in this offense with a quarter of the season to go.

Instead, we are throwing to Sam Hurd.

 

[Zimmy Lives]

I don't know what was worse, my turtle slow Internet connection for 3 quarters, the Internet crashing with 12 minutes left in the game, the loss, or the weekly fan meltdown. Well, actually I was fortunate to be without Internet for several hours so the last one I didn't have to deal with.

14-2, 2-14, or any record in between those two, I have decided to refuse to get all strung out and upset about this team, because there is nothing I can do about it. I don't believe in the billboard ideas and never will. I also don't believe chirping about it does myself any good or anyone else either. Some will say that means I am just being optimistic. That would entail missing the fact that I wrote 2-14 in the first line of the paragraph. I'm used to that kind of thinking any more.

That said, I'll begin the most painful critique of the season.

Tony, Tony, Tony. You nearly got Roy Williams killed. Man that was a great hit. If it had not been on one of our players I would have really loved it. As it is I only begrudgingly love it. Give credit to Denver, their Defense is better than I expected. After a lousy 1st quarter they turned it on for the next 3 quarters. I tip my hat to them on a great game. I owe someone 5 bucks this morning when I get to the job site. That's gonna suck.

How in the world after Brooking makes a stop like that on 4th down can the Offense be on cruise control and play flat? I know the QB was rushed and throwing high, but how does the O-line forget to block well? I don't understand that. I big play is supposed to fire a team up, not calm them down. There was no fire yesterday. Maybe it was the altitude, maybe it's the fact our 2 losses are to undefeated teams who are simply better. I hate to admit that last line because I think this team has promise.

Unfulfilled promise is almost a proverb. We're still averaging 6.0 yards per carry and still the #3 ranked rushing Offense, but yesterday was a letdown by the O-line and the running attack with one exception. Barber's TD was all heart and effort. Where was that the entire game?

It took too long to get Witten involved and I think this team is better when Defenses have to account for him early. Dawkins had a blanket on him all day. Man oh man, did we ever go after Champ Bailey. The problem is we never got it over on him. He made a great INT on the play where Austin and Tony weren't on the same page. We attacked him. I think I heard them say 16 times. Unreal.

The best play I saw from Dallas other than Barber's TD was Jenkins TD saving bat down of a pass to Marshall. Then Marshall comes back at the end of the game and makes up for it big time. I thought Newman was going to get that pass. Not sure if he time it wrong or lost footing or what, but Marshall made one hell of a play.

I guess what it boils down to is I give more credit to Denver than I felt I would ever have to. I won't lie, I had them as a 4-12 to 6-10 team after their off season meltdown. It's only right and fair that I give them the credit they do deserve. They flat out outplayed us. There is nothing else that can be said about it. It was nothing like the Giants game where they needed 4 turnovers to win by a mere 2 points after a dogfight. Not this time. Denver simply never gave up and we never got going because they didn't give up. No excuses necessary.

Crow doesn't taste like chicken.

What impressed me most about Denver is that they did not quit and, when faced with adversity, turned it up. Granted, they were at home and playing for home pride but they were inspired for 60 minutes as opposed to Dallas which seemed in a fog for most of the game.

I envy all those teams with leaders like Ray Lewis and Polamalu (sp), and Dawkins. Maybe Brookings can become the inspirational leader that will push the ENTIRE team to strive for greater achievement.

 

[NextGenBoys]

I think, point blank, this was one of those games that opened all of our eyes.

We're simply not as good of a team as we thought we were.

It hurts to say, but maybe the 8-8 and 9-7 predictions were more accurate than the 11-5 or 10-6.

It's a long season, but man. 2-2? We're a .500 ballclub plain and simple.