A win, I guess. Just not impressed

CouchCoach

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They did two things. They improved from the previous week and kept their season alive. They didn't look like I hoped they would look but that was more hope than reality.

This team is going to need more than that from the QB and receivers and more than 20 points in most games but if this team was 0-2, this season would be over.

It is still early in the season and offenses are not clicking yet as they're going to be and I hope the Cowboys are one of them. The defense looks to be ahead of where I thought they'd be so that's the story so far. A good D can keep a team in more games than a good O.
 

jazzcat22

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So the we won...but...excuses and reasoning now?

You can pick out this type of stuff in every NFL game. It is not just our games. But fans seems to think all teams are perfect and we can never get there.

The D played great, except for a blown coverage late in the game.
The O looked better, but still have some things to work on and improve upon. They did have an 82 yard, over 8 minute drive in the 4th quarter to basically seal the game. But I guess that does not fit into the "we suck on offense" agendas.

We won, and we controlled the game. So what we had 2 quarters of not ram it down your throat type offense. Well, guess what. the NYG are not devoid of a decent to very good defense. But when they had us backed up to the goal line. Dak moved the ball to at least get some yards, and not let them flip field position. So that made a big difference, making them drive the field, and let our D take over.
 

acr731

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Wins are wins and all that, I know. Sitting atop the division is a good place to be.

But where does this thing really go from here? A couple of winnable games coming, and then the gauntlet begins. A bunch of high-octane offenses and/or good defenses await Dallas soon. A 3-1 start could offer fool's gold for a crash and burn.

This offense has to find itself, somehow, someway. I really don't know what to call, but they have to figure out something.

Unfortunately, last night looks to be about the best this offense can do against a reasonable or better defense. That. Whatever that is, which looks painfully frustrating. That game was begging for an easy 20-point cakewalk victory. It was just laying there to be had like a wounded duck.

The simple truth is, if not for a huge play in the first five minutes of the game, that game very well might have been lost. This offense has a very low ceiling, almost as low as the Giants'.

This will be the approach from every opponent until further notice. Just stack the box and play one-on-one against the wideouts. Occasionally, they'll get beat like BW Webb did, but most of the time, they'll be defending Zeke and quick slants. There's no real big-play threat to worry about.

Yes, I understand that will beat some teams. I'd say about half of them. So 8-8, 7-9....that's where this is.

The Giants are putrid. Their offensive line is a train wreck, and Eli is antsy as can be because of it. Barkley has to gain every yard all by himself. He's special, but he's not that special. Beckham is relegated to hitch routes and quick slants because there's no time for anything else. The Giants made a colossal mistake in drafting Barkely because as soon as they get their offensive line together, they'll be looking for a quarterback. That's a dumpster fire.

I can EASILY see the Giants at 0-7, so they may have a second shot at drafting a QB soon.

Meanwhile, this passing game in Dallas is just nauseating to watch. Dink, dink, dink, punt. The Cowboys were last in the NFL in 20-plus-yard plays going in, and that's probably still true.

Yes, the pass to Tavon Austin was beautiful. He shook Webb to the ground, then ran under a great ball. The first couple of drives were nice. But as soon as the script plays dried up, so did the offense. There is nowhere for Zeke to run. Even with Frederick, trying to run through 8-man fronts is tough to do with consistent success.

After that Austin beauty on the second pass of the game, it was 15 for 24 for 94 yards thereafter. Bleh.

Zeke added 78 yards rushing. So much for that run at 2,000 yards.

Looks like it's going to be the Beasley/Thompson/Austin show for the most part. Slot receivers, running backs, and tight ends. Quick, short throws. It's hard to march the field and score touchdowns with that. Not a single pass down the deep middle of the field. Some nice slant throws, and a couple of outs. Some nice high-school RPO runs. A little bit of Zeke flash every now and then.

And yes, that was enough to beat the Giants. Whoopee.

The defense is really fun to watch. It's exciting to finally see this franchise play some, at times, dominant defense. But that won't hold up against everybody. There are some ferocious offenses down the road that will require Dallas to put up 30 to win. You know, the real teams that will be in the playoffs.

Much needs to change somehow. I don't know what the answer is. I really don't think it's here.


You're so negative.... don't you know you're supposed to be booking your room in Atlanta after that awesome victory last night?
 

gimmesix

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I don't think you can be impressed with the whole game because it wasn't an all-out dominant performance.

It would be like looking at the kicker going 2 for 2 and thinking that it shows we were right to cut Bailey. Neither kick was difficult so it proves nothing.

I think what we have to look for are signs of what this team can be, because we are only going into the third game of the season.

Getting the ball deep to Austin is a sign of what this can be. The play-action passes are a sign of what this offense can be. The read options are a sign of what this offense can be. Connor Williams' block on Zeke's 20-yard run is a sign of what this offense can be. The reverse to Austin. Spreading the ball around.

Now, whether we see more of those things is going to depend a lot on the blocking improving, Dak getting more comfortable with this set of receivers and the pecking order for the group coming into focus and the blockers getting their chemistry down to open up holes for Elliott even against stacked fronts. We've undergone some drastic changes on offense so expecting it to be a finished product in the second game is expecting too much.

Even the defense, which has been awesome against two somewhat average offenses, has areas where it can (and should if it stays healthy) improve. Smith and Vander Esch are still figuring things out at linebacker and should only get better. We're playing shorthanded at safety without Woods. Our defensive line isn't even a finished product, with Charlton, Gregory and Armstrong still developing at end, Collins working himself back to form at tackle and Irving suspended.
 

Batman1980

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They did two things. They improved from the previous week and kept their season alive. They didn't look like I hoped they would look but that was more hope than reality.

This team is going to need more than that from the QB and receivers and more than 20 points in most games but if this team was 0-2, this season would be over.

It is still early in the season and offenses are not clicking yet as they're going to be and I hope the Cowboys are one of them. The defense looks to be ahead of where I thought they'd be so that's the story so far. A good D can keep a team in more games than a good O.

Offense is still missing a #1 WR, a #1 TE and possibly the most important cog in the OL. All of this is definitely effecting Dak and Zeke but they still need to be better.
 

silvrNblue

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Call it what you will, a win, an almost loss to most on here, but the one thing really missed by this team... a solid TE. I believe that one piece could solve a lot of the issues we saw last night. But I'll tell you what's so damn pathetic, it won't matter if Dak goes lights out and has us on a win streak, the whining Lucy's on here will still find ANYTHING to discredit and suck the life out of the party. Just about sick of delusional Debbie downers on here. So we didn't break the 200+ passing mark... big fing deal, but you say the Giants just suck that much more then we do, this from the same crowd who called a blow out BY the giants against us... it's just pure ridiculous by anyone's standards. Good grief, smile, be happy we won a division game and feel at least remotely confidant the team will work out the bugs. Just quit all the your piece of cake is bigger then mine crap. Wouldn't we all love to see this team lighting it up with 1000 yds passing woohoo, but theres not a single one of you knows what all is at fault for not having that game. bum arsed WO's, bad play calling, bum arsed o line a missing piece IE a TE that gives the opposing D something to deal with, you just do NOT know, so stop acting as if you do. I don't see HC tagged anywhere on any of your name tags here, nor the abbreviation for all pro QB... so stop acting as if you are. Let's take the win and try to be supportive, even IF that's a tall order for most. Done for the day here, can't stomach any more of the negative feed back for WINNING a game.
 

THEHEREAFTER

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Of course you're not impressed. Real shocker.

:hammer::lmao2: Some folks are nauseatingly predictable. Win 40-37... We're 8-8 with this defense. Win 20-13. This offense sucks... we'll never be more than 7-9 with this putrid offense. Not impressed.

Do we have flaws? Yes. Is the other team getting paid to win? Yes. Analyze but just savor the moment and understand the "process." The NFL's landscape changes week to week. Progression... steps.. we'll see. It amazes me how bout fans and the media want to DEFINE EVERYTHING after each week.
 

jazzcat22

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This team is 1-1 on pace for 8-8.

Unless the offense takes another step forward from last night that's probably the ceiling, even with an improved defense. We'll see.

So are half the teams in the NFL.
Like the Patriots and Eagles.
 

kskboys

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The D was great, O was mediocre. Which describes our super bowl winning teams from the 90's!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Anthonyscottua7

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Although I'm not happy about the lack of production the offense put up after its first few drives That game was never is doubt... And as far as the second half I'm sure they were playing to protect the lead, do I agree? Hell no, allow Dak more RPO's and play action pass's allow him to use his ability to run. The Eagles used the RPO all year last year and won a ring with. If you allow a team to solely focus on Zeke and the passing game and not the ability of the QB to run then yes its going to be a long season. Dak doesn't need to be Brady or Breeze, not with this defense we have showing up.
 

bsbellomy

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Good post.

Honestly man. This season in particular we just gotta be fans one week at a time.

Looking forward to the “gauntlet” and all that. I have no interest in.

I just want to enjoy each game for what it is.

And as concerning as the offense is. And the QB position is. Which believe me I am concerned.

But our defense is YOUNG and talented. I am excited about their future.

I'm tired of hearing about the future. This team was supposed to be gearing up for a title run after giving Green Bay everything they could handle two years ago. There's no reason we should have had to wait.
 

Roadtrip635

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I can't say That I'm impressed, per say, but feel better about the performance than last week. This team just wasn't prepared at all to play last week. I am encouraged that Dak looked better and more in control of the offense. I liked that we came out aggressive and got people involved. I didn't like that the creativity and aggressive play calling dried up after the 1st qtr. We went into that stagnant offense mode, more of the same old same old. We got away from the RPOs, wasn't getting our 2nd best playmaker, Tavon, targets or touches. This team doesn't have an abundance of playmakers so we have to stay creative with the playcalls.
 

HungryLion

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I'm tired of hearing about the future. This team was supposed to be gearing up for a title run after giving Green Bay everything they could handle two years ago. There's no reason we should have had to wait.

Did you skip over the entire first half of my post that talked about taking it one game at a time and not looking ahead to future games?
 

droopdog7

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So the offense is still a question mark, but I have no doubt that Zeke is the real deal and will pick up steam as the year wears on. The defense also looks like it might be the real deal.

So big picture: being a running team with a good defense is not bad at all frankly. Looking forward to the rest of the year.
 

Lutonio

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Don't ruin my Giants Victory Monday. Courtesy is to wait until Tuesday for common sense to set in.

 

bsbellomy

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Did you skip over the entire first half of my post that talked about taking it one game at a time and not looking ahead to future games?

Well you don't really have a point with that statement so yes I was trying to ignore it.
 

glimmerman

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Wins are wins and all that, I know. Sitting atop the division is a good place to be.

But where does this thing really go from here? A couple of winnable games coming, and then the gauntlet begins. A bunch of high-octane offenses and/or good defenses await Dallas soon. A 3-1 start could offer fool's gold for a crash and burn.

This offense has to find itself, somehow, someway. I really don't know what to call, but they have to figure out something.

Unfortunately, last night looks to be about the best this offense can do against a reasonable or better defense. That. Whatever that is, which looks painfully frustrating. That game was begging for an easy 20-point cakewalk victory. It was just laying there to be had like a wounded duck.

The simple truth is, if not for a huge play in the first five minutes of the game, that game very well might have been lost. This offense has a very low ceiling, almost as low as the Giants'.

This will be the approach from every opponent until further notice. Just stack the box and play one-on-one against the wideouts. Occasionally, they'll get beat like BW Webb did, but most of the time, they'll be defending Zeke and quick slants. There's no real big-play threat to worry about.

Yes, I understand that will beat some teams. I'd say about half of them. So 8-8, 7-9....that's where this is.

The Giants are putrid. Their offensive line is a train wreck, and Eli is antsy as can be because of it. Barkley has to gain every yard all by himself. He's special, but he's not that special. Beckham is relegated to hitch routes and quick slants because there's no time for anything else. The Giants made a colossal mistake in drafting Barkely because as soon as they get their offensive line together, they'll be looking for a quarterback. That's a dumpster fire.

I can EASILY see the Giants at 0-7, so they may have a second shot at drafting a QB soon.

Meanwhile, this passing game in Dallas is just nauseating to watch. Dink, dink, dink, punt. The Cowboys were last in the NFL in 20-plus-yard plays going in, and that's probably still true.

Yes, the pass to Tavon Austin was beautiful. He shook Webb to the ground, then ran under a great ball. The first couple of drives were nice. But as soon as the script plays dried up, so did the offense. There is nowhere for Zeke to run. Even with Frederick, trying to run through 8-man fronts is tough to do with consistent success.

After that Austin beauty on the second pass of the game, it was 15 for 24 for 94 yards thereafter. Bleh.

Zeke added 78 yards rushing. So much for that run at 2,000 yards.

Looks like it's going to be the Beasley/Thompson/Austin show for the most part. Slot receivers, running backs, and tight ends. Quick, short throws. It's hard to march the field and score touchdowns with that. Not a single pass down the deep middle of the field. Some nice slant throws, and a couple of outs. Some nice high-school RPO runs. A little bit of Zeke flash every now and then.

And yes, that was enough to beat the Giants. Whoopee.

The defense is really fun to watch. It's exciting to finally see this franchise play some, at times, dominant defense. But that won't hold up against everybody. There are some ferocious offenses down the road that will require Dallas to put up 30 to win. You know, the real teams that will be in the playoffs.

Much needs to change somehow. I don't know what the answer is. I really don't think it's here.
Relax and enjoy. Last night looked like the rookie year Offense. Only difference is the running game wasn’t as explosive yet. If Dak can continue to find those 1 on 1s and get some deep passes it will eventually change the way teams down the road play us. Opening the run game up.

Dak looked poised and decisive. Got rid of the ball pretty accurately also. Missed Rico on a corner end zone play. Rico stumbled a little or may gotten it. We had a few drops from receivers. Dak is not going to have 400 yard passing games. Not our style but I was shocked he had that little of passing yards. But he had some good RPO runs. Had me fooled on a few and it was giving that DE fits. Go up to the line looking at him and fools him and runs right past him. Teams are so selling out to stop Elliot.

Now our Defense is real and will get better in a few weeks. They need to work on tackling. Should have had quite a few tackles for loss they missed. This Defense will keep us in a lot of games and maybe win a few for us.

Our new kicker did ok.

Our Offense will get better each week.
 

irishline

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You aren’t going to mention the penalties that cancelled out mutipke 15+ yard plays

There were 6 penalties on us (Penalties (Number-Yards) 6 - 47).
1 on special teams, 2 on defense, and 3 against the offense:


1-10-DAL 9(6:27) PENALTY on DAL-77-T.Smith, False Start, 4 yards, enforced at DAL 9 - No Play.

3-1-DAL 34(3:19) 21-E.Elliott right end to DAL 39 for 5 yards (93-B.Goodson). PENALTY on DAL-71-L.Collins, Offensive Holding, 9 yards, enforced at DAL 34 - No Play.

3-10-DAL 25(2:47) (Shotgun) 4-D.Prescott pass short right to 15-D.Thompson to DAL 40 for 15 yards (23-B.Webb). PENALTY on DAL-87-G.Swaim, Offensive Holding, 10 yards, enforced at DAL 25 - No Play.


Where are these multiple 15+ yard plays you are talking about?

Here is the play-by-play:

http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/2018091613/2018/REG2/giants@cowboys#menu=gameinfo|contentId:0ap3000000963258&tab=analyze&analyze=playbyplay

I thought the offense played a better game but still has a long way to go. Can we not start making things up to make them look better (or worse) then they actually were.
 
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