Aikman: Romo going down gave a lot of people excuses

[Stash]

And a lot of our fans used the same excuses. I just got into a dust up on here not long ago about it. Troy agrees with me. Any educated rational fan agrees with me. No team goes from a Super Bowl contender to 4 wins off of a few injuries. Even including their QB. That team has bigger issues than that.

And it also tries to ignore the fact that they didn't look good even when the quarterback was playing. Early in the season, or upon his return. At no point in 2015 did this offense look like the unit from 2014.

 

[Stash]

The injury excuses have been around longer than justifying 12-4 to 4-12.

They happened when the same 8-8 nonsense kept repeating itself. It was always some key injury here or there that was the reason why this great organization was not enjoying prosperity.

It won't stop. And the main reason why is that the team is not constructed to win.

Not from the enabled players to the neutered head coach.

Or from a consumer fanbase only too eager to make excuses for underwhelming performance, all in the name of fandom. When the people who pay the bills excuse your performance and keep handing you money, you can't lose.

 

[Stash]

Well the alternative would be for the owner to look at himself.

Not going to happen. Get Romo healthy. Draft Dak Prescott. Okay. We're good.

Oh he looks at himself. He criticizes himself. He blames himself. And then does nothing else about it.

 

[bkeavs]

Are the Cowboys a 12-4 team with a 4-12 hiccup? Is Dallas a 4-12 team with a shocking 12-4 season? Is a wildly unpredictable 8-8 team what the Cowboys are?

That's what Jerry Jones, Jason Garrett and the rest of the management team of the Dallas Cowboys have to evaluate after sporting each of those records over the past three seasons. And that's what Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback and Fox analyst Troy Aikman discussed with The Musers in his weekly visit on Thursday on The Ticket, SportsRadio 1310 AM and 96.7 FM in Dallas.

"I think when Tony [Romo] went down, he gave a lot of people an excuse." Aikman said. "It sounds to me like some people have used that excuse as to why this team wasn't able to do more. It's gotta go much deeper than that."

Aikman used one of the Cowboys' midseason moves as an example of why Dallas can't just say a healthy Romo would have produced a repeat performance by the 2014 NFC East champions.

"You take Matt Cassel for instance," Aikman said. "Matt had not played in a collegiate football game at quarterback while he was in college at [USC]. The last time he started a game was in high school. He takes over for Tom Brady years ago and he wins 10 games. Then he goes to Kansas City and he's a Pro Bowl quarterback. You can't tell me that he's not capable of winning games in this league and they [the Cowboys] won one with him at quarterback.

"Dez [Bryant] goes down. There was a lot of things there. I think it's never as easy as saying that it's just one thing."

He must be part of the Burn Barrel crowd

 

[Stash]

He must be part of the Burn Barrel crowd

 

[PA Cowboy Fan]

And it also tries to ignore the fact that they didn't look good even when the quarterback was playing. Early in the season, or upon his return. At no point in 2015 did this offense look like the unit from 2014.

We were lucky to win the first 2 games last year.

 

[TrailBlazer]

Troy is right. It was so much more than just Tony getting hurt. Coaching was poor. Complete lack of leadership and bad locker room chemistry. Hardy distraction, Dez blow up with reporters. From the top down just garden variety incompetence.

 

[superonyx]

How much pressure is it really? He has 30m GUARANTEED win or lose. How much pressure has Jerry Jones been under? Win or lose he continues to have the most valuable franchise in the NFL Of course they want to win....but how BAD to they want to win? There are no monetary repercussions for losing. If there were...all this stuff we keep hearing about process, and the right kind of guy and the right way would morph into Jason doing what Hardy had to do on the sideline to get the special teams attention. The front office and coaching staff for this franchise is WAY to comfortable. Because they money is pouring in. How can Wade Wilson...have the job he has...for as long as he has had it...when they have been unable to draft, develop or coach up a competent QB outside of Romo? Who was not even DRAFTED! And would not be on the team if Quincy Carter had been suspended for marijuana. So it is hard to even give them credit for Romo, because he was probably on his way out after camp that summer!

Too many of the same names have been around here since Jimmy left the building. And when you get the results we have gotten...things would have changed if the bottom line was being adversely impacted!

These guys are not like you and me...these are not guys that are driven by just a paycheck or the bottom line on a balance sheet. Someone like Jerry Jones has been a billionaire for longer than many fans have been alive. His motivation isn't about making a few extra dollars at this point in his life. It's meaningless when you are as old as he is...the only thing he strives for at this point is recognition and success in building a winning team.

It's easy to just build anger towards Jerry and Jason and accuse them of being greedy money driven pigs who only care about watching the bank account grow...it's harder to put yourself in the mind of a very high profile public figure and try to understand the pressure and public image and potential humiliation failure brings. These guys are driven to win for many reasons... Money is just a small part....with Jerry probably very small...at this point in his life.

 

[Dwight]

I'm glad to read Troy saying this. This is not being a hater. Any rational fan knows this. Aikman is clearly blaming Jerry, Stephan and Jason.

This organization is still using Bill Parcells QB and TE and haven't produce a solid back up plan to prepare to replace them. Dak Prescott? Give me a break. I'm not a Jason Garret fan but to be fair to him look at what he has as a GM.

Once Romo retires and our GM continues to perform like he does this team will see the same putrid results for another 20 years.

 

[jazzcat22]

I'm sorry to say that I can't listen to Aikman anymore.

I haven't heard anything from him in several years that would indicate any pride for the 'Boys.
On the contrary, he routinely bashes them on national broadcasts; he's become the anti-homer.

Maybe he holds a deep dislike for JJ or the direction the team has gone, but I think he should remember the organization that was responsible for his fame and fortune, and at least try to be neutral in the media.

Constructive criticism (like that on this forum ) can be a vehicle for positive improvement, but he often just sounds like an ordinary armchair QB, looking to highlight any negative he sees, without giving those involved any benefit of the doubt -- which is something I think his team deserves.

I think you are reading far too much into what Troy says. Ive never felt he was an anti-homer.

He can be and has been both.
On his national broadcasts and statements, he does go out of his way to not sound like a homer. He does it often and so much, that he sounds like a hater. at times. not all the times, but quite often can. I don't think he does it on purpose, just my opinion he sounds like it. But most of the time, he will not give them any praise of doing anything any good.

Kind of like on here, with all the "realist" comments, they claim they are trying to see it as unbiased opinions but they only bring up the negatives and never the positives.

However, on the Musers weekly show, which I usally listen to all the time for years when he is on. But I missed it this time, as usually it's during the regular season. But in the past, he starts out with a negative tone. But during the season he turns more positive. almost opposite of his negative comments. He will say much more positive things during the season, as to what they can do to win, that the ability is there.

Overall on this weekly show he does a pretty good job, and he is different and more open, and I think more himself, than when he is on broadcast with the idiot Joe.

 

[Stash]

We were lucky to win the first 2 games last year.

Exactly. But people don't want to acknowledge that fact. Or the fact that the 'win one for the Gipper!' against the Commanders did nothing but worsen their draft position.

 

[jazzcat22]

Exactly. But people don't want to acknowledge that fact. Or the fact that the 'win one for the Gipper!' against the Commanders did nothing but worsen their draft position.

Right, then we could have had Bosa over Zeke...or the anti Zeke crowd would have been more livid we took him at #3......
Man I am glad we won that worthless game against the Commanders...well, that and just beating them, always fun the beat them.

 

[Idgit]

Nice to hear you say that.

It was pretty obvious, wasn't it? At the time we were talking about a ton of contributing factors. That hasn't changed.

 

[CCBoy]

He must be part of the Burn Barrel crowd

Now, what is being described by Troy Aikman, is what has been going on at the former Valley Ranch for a very long time. That is called an after action report, which analysis every facet, scheme, fit, and player evaluation to arrive at new and directionally pointed standards.

In service, we did one following every exercise, firing episode, or group action...it went hand in hand with personnel evaluations and directions.

Nothing new here, unless someone is looking for a cheap thrill and insult...THEN, the term burn barrel creeps out.

You looking for an invitation to join that illustrious group too?

 

[Stash]

Right, then we could have had Bosa over Zeke...or the anti Zeke crowd would have been more livid we took him at #3......
Man I am glad we won that worthless game against the Commanders...well, that and just beating them, always fun the beat them.

What were the tiebreakers for the strength of schedule? Tennessee and Cleveland both had 3-13 records as well.

 

[Stash]

It was pretty obvious, wasn't it? At the time we were talking about a ton of contributing factors. That hasn't changed.

I thought so. But all too often, fans wanted to give everyone a free pass based solely on injury.

 

[jazzcat22]

What were the tiebreakers for the strength of schedule? Tennessee and Cleveland both had 3-13 records as well.

I think we would have been 3rd pick still. Will need to look it up, but since it is a mute point, won't do it. LOL.
I don't think we will get the RUE threads of Bosa vs. Zeke like we usually get a few years after the draft.

 

[CCBoy]

I'm glad to read Troy saying this. This is not being a hater. Any rational fan knows this. Aikman is clearly blaming Jerry, Stephan and Jason.

This organization is still using Bill Parcells QB and TE and haven't produce a solid back up plan to prepare to replace them. Dak Prescott? Give me a break. I'm not a Jason Garret fan but to be fair to him look at what he has as a GM.

Once Romo retires and our GM continues to perform like he does this team will see the same putrid results for another 20 years.

Get another team...and this view belongs in another part of this site. The rant section or coaching sections...keep farts out of this part.

 

[Dwight]

Get another team...and this view belongs in another part of this site. The rant section or coaching sections...keep farts out of this part.

Tell Troy to get another team too. Matter of fact how about you join another team since you can't understand what's going on with this team. Because a true fan is not blinded by its team's continuous errors.

 

[jazzcat22]

Tell Troy to get another team too. Matter of fact how about you join another team since you can't understand what's going on with this team. Because a true fan is not blinded by its team's continuous errors.

So one is not a true fan that has a different opinion, regardless of what that opinion is?