A Wise Old Cowboy Once Told Me

[Hostile]

It doesn't matter how much mud and dust you kick up in the front stretch. It's how much mud and dust you're kicking up in the back stretch that counts.

See the 2007 New York Giants as an example. Started the season 0-2, got hot right when it mattered, and took care of business.

Yesterday sucked. I mean it really sucked. I get the added pleasure of checking the new accounts for approval. The number of new accounts with obvious Commanders fans is nauseating because any time one of them is registering after the game the chances are higher that is an account created just to be a troll.

I am among the people who think we needed to control the clock by establishing the run. This team excels when Barber is beating the defense to death and Felix is making them winded trying to catch him. That opens up the pass. I can't help but wonder in looking at how many times we looked to get the ball to TO if that wasn't over compensation for the Green Bay game. Whatever the reason was, I don't want to see that again.

I've been saying all off season and I still say Patrick Crayton is not a legit #2 WR and we need to solve that. I like Patrick. I just think he is a #3 guy at best. We don't have a #2 guy. If we did it would be too much for any defense to deal with.

Our Defense doesn't have enough pride or heart. A couple of guys play with fire. For the most part the concept seems to be "react fast to what the Offense does." I would rather see them have to react to what we are doing. We have some good personnel, but they aren't taking enough pride in how good they should be. There's no excuse for it.

For some reason we are playing better on the road than we are at home. That tells me this team believes in themselves too much and don't feel they have to prove themselves. That for some reason teams are going to come to Texas Stadium and roll over and play dead because the mighty Cowboys are at home. We haven't seen the mighty Cowboys at home yet. Instead they've been the drugstore Cowboys at home. That has to change.

I still believe we are the best team in the NFL, when we have our heads in the game and play with some heart. I still believe the Super Bowl goes through Texas Stadium. I also believe this team needs to pull their heads out of a dark, smelly place and play with some fire.

Any given Sunday. There's a mantra I hate today. I don't think the better team won the game. I do think the team that wanted it more did. That is what really pisses me off.

I'll trade the crash yesterday for kicking it into overdrive in the backstretch of this season. First I need to see that there is even going to be a hard drive to finish.

I said it before the game and I will say it again. I don't care if we cover the point spreads or not. That doesn't mean jack to me. I do care that we show up and act like we want to play. Yesterday, I didn't see that desire. I saw a team going through the motions and thinking they could win on press clippings.

The next three games are tune ups the next big test, the Gaints. Luckily the next big test is on the road. I said I don't care about point spreads and I don't. None of the next three teams should get within single digits when the final gun sounds. If they do, I am going to have doubts about that backstretch ever becoming a reality.

We can be the best team int eh NFL this season. Not if we flat line it like yesterday. we need to go for the jugular. Nothing would make me happier the next three weeks than to see the game end in the Victory formation. Brad Johnson taking a knee.

 

[BehindEnemyLinez]

The "Hos" is wise... I cannot find one word in your post that I disagree with!

 

[Aikmaniac]

I believe what you're saying is true, Hostile.

As I was saying in the post-game chat last night, I really hope this team is ticked off at themselves and take it out mercilessly on the Bengals this week. I mean, they should just annihilate them as you said.

This is a team that should be destroying people and taking pride in it. This is a team that faced tons of criticism following the playoff collapse last year. They're not playing like it.

As many have said, they're believing the press clippings, eating the cheese, etc.

Practice should be interesting this week.

 

[gbrittain]

I think the Dallas defensive coaches and the players are mentally weak.

I do not see a kill mentality on this team at all. If any team in the NFL should play all out aggressive defense it is the Cowboys.

If the Dallas D were to get burnt and be forced to survive a shoot out, our offense could bail them out.

Instead we play defense like our offense is incapable of scoring. It should be a huge embarassment to our coaches and players that Dallas has yet to force an interception. Embarassing.

Did you see the Chicago goal line stand against Philly? The chances of Dallas doing that are slim to none.

What I would give to see an agressive attacking defense.

 

[Rack]

It doesn't matter how much mud and dust you kick up in the front stretch. It's how much mud and dust you're kicking up in the back stretch that counts.

Been saying that for years.


Doesn't make it ok that our front 7 played like high schoolers yesterday.


I'd rather we had given up some "fluke" long runs and passes cuz those are easier to fix. Getting your butts kicked up front, that's a bit harder. And I don't know that we have the leadership on the team to get it done (either from the players or coaches).

 

[stealth]

unless you get mud in your eye

 

[MichaelWinicki]

A wise old Cowboy told me beating up "kindergartners" the next three weeks doesn't mean much...

But when you poop your pants facing a real team--that's what separates the championship teams from the pretenders.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

I predict an early demise for this non-pitchfork-and-torch thread.

 

[Stash]

A wise old Cowboy told me beating up "kindergartners" the next three weeks doesn't mean much...

But when you poop your pants facing a real team--that's what separates the championship teams from the pretenders.

I think that's the toughest part for me.

The next three weeks mean very little, unless the team stubs its' toe again and manages to lose one of those games. Then it will just make things worse.

But even if the team rolls and does what they're supposed to, I think there's very little pride to be taken in those victories.

It's almost as if the team (and us) have to wait a month for the chance to have a 'real win'.

And some will take beating bottom-feeder teams as a sign that things are getting back on track.

 

[reddyuta]

the giants defense got better each week-we seem to be regressing.JJ should be pulling out his hair by now.this defense should be dominating with all the talent but when your 2nd best player on defense (newman)looks so bad and cost's us the game then we have a right to be worried.

our offense will not win us every game and they will not put up gaudy numbers in dec/jan.After the talent infusion in our secondary I would expect results .

 

[TNCowboy]

the giants defense got better each week-we seem to be regressing.JJ should be pulling out his hair by now.this defense should be dominating with all the talent but when your 2nd best player on defense (newman)looks so bad and cost's us the game then we have a right to be worried.

our offense will not win us every game and they will not put up gaudy numbers in dec/jan.After the talent infusion in our secondary I would expect results .

I don't think it's fair to say Newman cost us the game.

Except for the one long pass, he really only gave up 2 short TDs. Other players - like Henry - gave up several plays that got them inside the 5 yd line to begin with. And you can't really lay the inability to stop the run on Newman either.

Newman was bad yesterday, and so were most of his teammates.

 

[Rack]

the giants defense got better each week-we seem to be regressing.JJ should be pulling out his hair by now.this defense should be dominating with all the talent but when your 2nd best player on defense (newman)looks so bad and cost's us the game then we have a right to be worried.

our offense will not win us every game and they will not put up gaudy numbers in dec/jan.After the talent infusion in our secondary I would expect results .

Not to mention the fact that the giants were runnign a brand new defensive system and it was obviously going to take them time to get it down.


We're in our 2nd year in Wade's system and we look like we're getting worse and worse.


Yesterday's run D wasn't a "Fluke". We weren't good against the run all year. Don't let the "Total Rushing yards allowed" fool you. Teams had to abandon the run against us cuz we were getting big lead and/or teams are just passing on us more cuz our CBs are playing 10 yards off the WR.


We were around 16th in the NFL in yards allowed per rush before yesterday's games. That is NOT good.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

I think that's the toughest part for me.

The next three weeks mean very little, unless the team stubs its' toe again and manages to lose one of those games. Then it will just make things worse.

But even if the team rolls and does what they're supposed to, I think there's very little pride to be taken in those victories.

It's almost as if the team (and us) have to wait a month for the chance to have a 'real win'.

And some will take beating bottom-feeder teams as a sign that things are getting back on track.

Exactly right.

After the game, one of the first things I thought was, "OK, say we beat the next three teams on the schedule-- what does that really prove?"

It was a pretty painful loss, no matter how you look at it.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

A wise old cowboy once told me...suck it up, rub some dirty on it and get back in the saddle.

 

[chinch]

Coughlin is 10x the coach that Cupcake is.

Sorry but that is where the analogy ends. Good post if not for this significant problem.

We might have the "best team" on paper with no leaders and no heart. We have among the worst coaching staff in football mishandling them and a young OC who seems to flake & glitch out in big games. 2/3rds of our head staff (HC & DC) would be unemployed in the NFL at that level, if not for Jerruh.

So beating 3 bad teams over the next month means zilch.

It doesn't matter how much mud and dust you kick up in the front stretch. It's how much mud and dust you're kicking up in the back stretch that counts.

See the 2007 New York Giants as an example. Started the season 0-2, got hot right when it mattered, and took care of business.

Yesterday sucked. I mean it really sucked. I get the added pleasure of checking the new accounts for approval. The number of new accounts with obvious Commanders fans is nauseating because any time one of them is registering after the game the chances are higher that is an account created just to be a troll.

I am among the people who think we needed to control the clock by establishing the run. This team excels when Barber is beating the defense to death and Felix is making them winded trying to catch him. That opens up the pass. I can't help but wonder in looking at how many times we looked to get the ball to TO if that wasn't over compensation for the Green Bay game. Whatever the reason was, I don't want to see that again.

I've been saying all off season and I still say Patrick Crayton is not a legit #2 WR and we need to solve that. I like Patrick. I just think he is a #3 guy at best. We don't have a #2 guy. If we did it would be too much for any defense to deal with.

Our Defense doesn't have enough pride or heart. A couple of guys play with fire. For the most part the concept seems to be "react fast to what the Offense does." I would rather see them have to react to what we are doing. We have some good personnel, but they aren't taking enough pride in how good they should be. There's no excuse for it.

For some reason we are playing better on the road than we are at home. That tells me this team believes in themselves too much and don't feel they have to prove themselves. That for some reason teams are going to come to Texas Stadium and roll over and play dead because the mighty Cowboys are at home. We haven't seen the mighty Cowboys at home yet. Instead they've been the drugstore Cowboys at home. That has to change.

I still believe we are the best team in the NFL, when we have our heads in the game and play with some heart. I still believe the Super Bowl goes through Texas Stadium. I also believe this team needs to pull their heads out of a dark, smelly place and play with some fire.

Any given Sunday. There's a mantra I hate today. I don't think the better team won the game. I do think the team that wanted it more did. That is what really pisses me off.

I'll trade the crash yesterday for kicking it into overdrive in the backstretch of this season. First I need to see that there is even going to be a hard drive to finish.

I said it before the game and I will say it again. I don't care if we cover the point spreads or not. That doesn't mean jack to me. I do care that we show up and act like we want to play. Yesterday, I didn't see that desire. I saw a team going through the motions and thinking they could win on press clippings.

The next three games are tune ups the next big test, the Gaints. Luckily the next big test is on the road. I said I don't care about point spreads and I don't. None of the next three teams should get within single digits when the final gun sounds. If they do, I am going to have doubts about that backstretch ever becoming a reality.

We can be the best team int eh NFL this season. Not if we flat line it like yesterday. we need to go for the jugular. Nothing would make me happier the next three weeks than to see the game end in the Victory formation. Brad Johnson taking a knee.

 

[halcyon]

I cannot agree more with you. Specially about the part of the defense having no heart and pride.

Case in point, for example the Chicago bears. You can argue that man for man (except in the d line) both teams have comparable talent or we may even edge them. Yet it seems that those guys, having a joke of an offense and qb, refuse to loose and in fact stay in games irrespective of the offense.

This has been an ongoing problem for two years. Maybe too many good guys like Ellis, and Carpenter. I am having a bad day today...

 

[Hostile]

A wise old Cowboy told me beating up "kindergartners" the next three weeks doesn't mean much...

But when you poop your pants facing a real team--that's what separates the championship teams from the pretenders.

I simply don't care if the next three opponents are the Sisters of the weak and lowly. That isn't our fault, it's theirs.

What will be our fault is if any of these three teams give us even a hint of a game.

I don't give two hoots in hell for moral victories and you know this. I want to win. The next three weeks, winning isn't enough. The next three weeks this is about rubbing noses in it and creating some attitude. Right now, we have none. Instead of a the intensity of a Michael Irvin we have the toe in the sand of Wade Phillips.

I like Wade, but I need to see him pissed off right now. I need to see the team scared. I need to see some pride.

Yesterday, I saw deer in the headlights. It should have been the Commanders, instead it was us. There is no excuse for losing that game. They wanted it, we didn't.

 

[Hostile]

A wise old cowboy once told me...suck it up, rub some dirty on it and get back in the saddle.

In this case back in the saddle means we hog tie three straight teams and build some pride in our team. Either that or we grab their necks and bulldog them to the ground until all four feet are sticking straight up in the air.

 

[chinch]

I don't give two hoots in hell for moral victories and you know this. I want to win. The next three weeks, winning isn't enough. The next three weeks this is about rubbing noses in it and creating some attitude. Right now, we have none. Instead of a the intensity of a Michael Irvin we have the toe in the sand of Wade Phillips.

I like Wade, but I need to see him pissed off right now. I need to see the team scared. I need to see some pride.

Yesterday, I saw deer in the headlights. It should have been the Commanders, instead it was us. There is no excuse for losing that game. They wanted it, we didn't.

That all is very improbable and nothing i the past indicates is as a remote possibility.

What you'll see is probably 24 points left on the board over the 3 games (if not more) due to mistakes & such & sloppy play. A D that bends, breaks a little but not enough to lose to scrubs. Just like what you saw games 1-3 as you know... we'll win all 3.

After the games Romo will have some pressers talking like he's a great and buddying up to our players and those on the other teams. That seems to be a priority in Valley Ranch these days. TO will be happy again, until the next test.

 

[khiladi]

I simply don't care if the next three opponents are the Sisters of the weak and lowly. That isn't our fault, it's theirs.

What will be our fault is if any of these three teams give us even a hint of a game.

I don't give two hoots in hell for moral victories and you know this. I want to win. The next three weeks, winning isn't enough. The next three weeks this is about rubbing noses in it and creating some attitude. Right now, we have none. Instead of a the intensity of a Michael Irvin we have the toe in the sand of Wade Phillips.

I like Wade, but I need to see him pissed off right now. I need to see the team scared. I need to see some pride.

Yesterday, I saw deer in the headlights. It should have been the Commanders, instead it was us. There is no excuse for losing that game. They wanted it, we didn't.

But how you going to do that with soft-zone, playing 15 yards off the receiver and not trying to pummel the QB...