Am I alone? I believe this team will go to the SB if we stay healthy

[KJJ]

All of that is true, KJJ. The fact remains that even last year the Cowboys had 31 sacks. 4 off the pace of the Saints 2009 team and 6 off the pace of the Ravens 2012 team. Neither of those teams had what's considered a "consistent pass rush". They won the Super Bowl. Does the Cowboys pass rush and defense, in general need to be better? You bet. But that's not exactly rocket surgery you're performing there by figuring that out, Einstein. You, now, can run along.

Last years Cowboys had 31 sacks with an elite pass rusher in Greg Hardy for 12 games. Without an elite pass rusher in 2014 the Cowboys only had 28 sacks and their lack of a pass rush caught up with them in the playoffs against Aaron Rodgers. It was the team being in the plus column in turnovers and having a top 7 offense led by TWO offensive players that received MVP votes that kept the defense from being exposed as much which led to a 12-4 season. The 2009 Saints weren't that big of a surprise you could see they were on the right track and were building something. Hurricane Katrina pulled the city together and seemed to inspire the Saints, they appeared to be on a mission. They were 3-13 in 06 and 8-8 in 2007 and 2008 while NO was still trying to recover from Katrina.

Brees was in the prime of his career and was just coming off a 5000 yard season in 2008. The Saints had a 30 year old future Hall of Fame QB in Drew Brees and an excellent head coach in Sean Payton. The 2016 Cowboys don't compare in any way to the 2009 Saints. The 2016 Cowboys are coming off a 4-12 season, have an aging, injury prone Tony Romo, a head coach that has no business being an NFL head coach and a mediocre defense that never seems to improve. The D has taken some real hits during the offseason and we used our top defensive pick on an injured player who isn't likely to play in 2016. What little pass rush we had in 2015 is either gone permanently or suspended the first 4 games. I don't see how we're going to be able to mount any resemblance of a pass rush the first 4 games unless some players step up.

Not only is our pass rush a huge concern, we have issues in the secondary that have been ongoing since the late 90s. We don't have a consistent pass rush and we have average corners. As for the 2012 Ravens they weren't a surprise they were coming off a 12-4 season the year prior and were 12-4 in 2010. You're way off the map from what I was talking about. The 2012 Ravens still had 6 more sacks than the Cowboys did last season and a lot more pressures. They're a much better coached team than the Cowboys and they had much better defensive talent back then than we have now. We could only wish we had a Ray Lewis and a Terrell Suggs.

Flacco had an amazing playoff run in 2012 with an 11-0 TD to INT ratio and a 117.2 passer rating. The Cowboys have struggled for years making critical stops. Last season we blew several win opportunities due to our inability to stop anyone. Our offense never saw the field in two OT games because our D gave up a couple of first possession TD's. You're not going to get past Cam Newton, Aaron Rodgers or a Russell Wilson in the playoffs if you can't apply consistent pressure and make plays in the secondary. Until the Cowboys defense improves dramatically especially in big games the Cowboys aren't going to make it very far.

 

[percyhoward]

The Saints have (or had) a great offense every year, but they were champions in 2009 because their defense ranked 3rd in the league in passer rating that year. While having leads did help force opponents to take more risks, leading to more takeaways for the Saints, it's important to note that they actually had more leads the next year, when they dropped to 15th in DPR and lost in the first round of the playoffs.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Last years Cowboys had 31 sacks with an elite pass rusher in Greg Hardy

Greg Hardy was an elite pass rusher last year?

I better rewatch the games.

 

[KJJ]

Greg Hardy was an elite pass rusher last year?

I better rewatch the games.

You read that into my post? He was billed as an elite pass rusher "entering" last season due to the 26 sacks he put up in 2012 and 2013. It was those sacks that had the Cowboys risk the backlash and PR nightmare to sign him. He didn't produce much with us due to playing only 12 games and not having the players around him or the coaching to be more successful.

 

[KJJ]

The Saints have (or had) a great offense every year, but they were champions in 2009 because their defense ranked 3rd in the league in passer rating that year. While having leads did help force opponents to take more risks, leading to more takeaways for the Saints, it's important to note that they actually had more leads the next year, when they dropped to 15th in DPR and lost in the first round of the playoffs.

Brees being very efficient and putting up the numbers he did in 09 with the Saints #1 offense got opponents behind early forcing them to press to try and keep up which led to turnovers.

 

[big dog cowboy]

You read that into my post?

Well, that is what you said so yes I did.

 

[KJJ]

Well, that is what you said so yes I did.

Hardy was one of the elite pass rushers in the game when we signed him in 2015. Care to argue that? No one said he had an elite season last year. He was an elite pass rusher who didn't live up to expectations.

 

[skinsscalper]

Last years Cowboys had 31 sacks with an elite pass rusher in Greg Hardy for 12 games. Without an elite pass rusher in 2014 the Cowboys only had 28 sacks and their lack of a pass rush caught up with them in the playoffs against Aaron Rodgers. It was the team being in the plus column in turnovers and having a top 7 offense led by TWO offensive players that received MVP votes that kept the defense from being exposed as much which led to a 12-4 season. The 2009 Saints weren't that big of a surprise you could see they were on the right track and were building something. Hurricane Katrina pulled the city together and seemed to inspire the Saints, they appeared to be on a mission. They were 3-13 in 06 and 8-8 in 2007 and 2008 while NO was still trying to recover from Katrina.

Brees was in the prime of his career and was just coming off a 5000 yard season in 2008. The Saints had a 30 year old future Hall of Fame QB in Drew Brees and an excellent head coach in Sean Payton. The 2016 Cowboys don't compare in any way to the 2009 Saints. The 2016 Cowboys are coming off a 4-12 season, have an aging, injury prone Tony Romo, a head coach that has no business being an NFL head coach and a mediocre defense that never seems to improve. The D has taken some real hits during the offseason and we used our top defensive pick on an injured player who isn't likely to play in 2016. What little pass rush we had in 2015 is either gone permanently or suspended the first 4 games. I don't see how we're going to be able to mount any resemblance of a pass rush the first 4 games unless some players step up.

Not only is our pass rush a huge concern, we have issues in the secondary that have been ongoing since the late 90s. We don't have a consistent pass rush and we have average corners. As for the 2012 Ravens they weren't a surprise they were coming off a 12-4 season the year prior and were 12-4 in 2010. You're way off the map from what I was talking about. The 2012 Ravens still had 6 more sacks than the Cowboys did last season and a lot more pressures. They're a much better coached team than the Cowboys and they had much better defensive talent back then than we have now. We could only wish we had a Ray Lewis and a Terrell Suggs.

Flacco had an amazing playoff run in 2012 with an 11-0 TD to INT ratio and a 117.2 passer rating. The Cowboys have struggled for years making critical stops. Last season we blew several win opportunities due to our inability to stop anyone. Our offense never saw the field in two OT games because our D gave up a couple of first possession TD's. You're not going to get past Cam Newton, Aaron Rodgers or a Russell Wilson in the playoffs if you can't apply consistent pressure and make plays in the secondary. Until the Cowboys defense improves dramatically especially in big games the Cowboys aren't going to make it very far.

Again, I won't argue with any of that, KJJ. The fact remains that you don't NEED a consistent pass rush to get to and win the Super Bowl. Does it help? Oh, hell yes. No doubt about it.

Last year we DID blow a ton of opportunities because we couldn't stop anyone. We also didn't force teams to play anything but conservative, either. Considering the fact that we could barely muster anything that even resembles an offense, the job our defense did was actually commendable. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not here to sing the praises of the 2015 Dallas Cowboys defense. Not even close. But, with an offense that can actually put pressure on the opposing team, I like their chances a lot more than even our 2014 team. Does that mean that I'm right? Not by a long shot. I just think that they have a puncher's chance against, literally, any team in the NFL. When the playoffs roll around, that's all you can ask for. For whatever that's worth.

Again, my point was you don't NEED a consistent pass rush but, you're right, it sure as hell helps.

 

[percyhoward]

Brees being very efficient and putting up the numbers he did in 09 with the Saints #1 offense got opponents behind early forcing them to press to try and keep up which led to turnovers.

While having leads did help force opponents to take more risks, leading to more takeaways for the Saints, it's important to note that they actually had more leads the next year, when they dropped to 15th in DPR and lost in the first round of the playoffs.

 

[KJJ]

The Saints have (or had) a great offense every year, but they were champions in 2009 because their defense ranked 3rd in the league in passer rating that year. While having leads did help force opponents to take more risks, leading to more takeaways for the Saints, it's important to note that they actually had more leads the next year, when they dropped to 15th in DPR and lost in the first round of the playoffs.

One of the main problems for the Saints in 2010 is Drew Brees tossed twice as many picks (22) than he had during their SB year the previous season. He wasn't nearly as efficient his passer rating took a big dip that season from 109.6 in 2009 to 90.9 in 2010.

 

[KJJ]

Again, I won't argue with any of that, KJJ. The fact remains that you don't NEED a consistent pass rush to get to and win the Super Bowl. Does it help? Oh, hell yes. No doubt about it.

Last year we DID blow a ton of opportunities because we couldn't stop anyone. We also didn't force teams to play anything but conservative, either. Considering the fact that we could barely muster anything that even resembles an offense, the job our defense did was actually commendable. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not here to sing the praises of the 2015 Dallas Cowboys defense. Not even close. But, with an offense that can actually put pressure on the opposing team, I like their chances a lot more than even our 2014 team. Does that mean that I'm right? Not by a long shot. I just think that they have a puncher's chance against, literally, any team in the NFL. When the playoffs roll around, that's all you can ask for. For whatever that's worth.

Again, my point was you don't NEED a consistent pass rush but, you're right, it sure as hell helps.

You're showing why gimme didn't want any part of this argument and why no one else has jumped in. There's so many ways to breakdown what you're saying I don't know where to begin. First off you're way off the points I made to gimme and have taken this far from what the original argument was. One glaring mistake you keep making is you're focusing totally on sacks and ignoring pressures which lead to INT's. All the teams you mentioned had more sacks during their SB seasons than the Cowboys the past several years and they most likely had more pressures. The Cowboys not only have a weak pass rush but they're poor in coverage and have been for a number of years.

Despite 34 sacks in 2013 and Scandrick our best cover corner on the field the Cowboys got TOASTED that season. There were several QBs who passed for over 400 yards against our defense which ended up being the 3rd worst statistically in NFL history. The poorer you are in coverage the more dependent you are on a consistent pass rush. Last season neither of our starting corners had an INT. To give you an idea of how mediocre our corners have been, despite all the games that Sean Lee has missed he's had more career INT's than Carr and Claiborne combined during their 4 seasons with the team.

You mentioned the 2009 Saints but it was noted that their defense ranked 3rd in the league in passer rating that year. See how far you have to go back to find a Cowboys defense that ranked 3rd or better in the league in passer rating. The Saints sealed their SB win with a pick-six of Peyton Manning. Their defense stepped up! The Cowboys only had 8 INT's last season but the 2009 Saints had 26 INT's and 5 were returned for TD's. You don't need a consistent pass rush when you have coverage like that. Darren Sharper had 9 INT's in 09 for almost 400 return yards and returned 3 for TD's.

I told you earlier there's NO COMPARISON with this current Cowboys team and the 2009 Saints...NONE! The 2012 Ravens defense had 6 more sacks than the Cowboys D had last season and they had 5 more INT's and 2 were returned for TD's. They also forced 10 fumbles compared to 6 fumbles for the Cowboys last season. All those teams you mentioned STEPPED UP in the playoffs with their defenses playing better than their regular season ranking. You're failing to recognize any of this. For the Cowboys to contend for the "playoffs" Romo is going to have to stay healthy and we're going to have to rank at least top 10 offensively to mask all the issues we may have defensively.

Our offense is going to have to be our best defense unless our D surprises with players stepping up BIG.. Regardless how good our offense is our defense is not going to be able to get past QBs like Aaron Rodgers, Cam Newton and Russell Wilson in the playoffs unless we dramatically improve defensively. You're just wasting your time attempting to argue anything I'm saying because most of it is supported by facts.

 

[Rockport]

You're showing why gimme didn't want any part of this argument and why no one else has jumped in. There's so many ways to breakdown what you're saying I don't know where to begin. First off you're way off the points I made to gimme and have taken this far from what the original argument was. One glaring mistake you keep making is you're focusing totally on sacks and ignoring pressures which lead to INT's. All the teams you mentioned had more sacks during their SB seasons than the Cowboys the past several years and they most likely had more pressures. The Cowboys not only have a weak pass rush but they're poor in coverage and have been for a number of years.

Despite 34 sacks in 2013 and Scandrick our best cover corner on the field the Cowboys got TOASTED that season. There were several QBs who passed for over 400 yards against our defense which ended up being the 3rd worst statistically in NFL history. The poorer you are in coverage the more dependent you are on a consistent pass rush. Last season neither of our starting corners had an INT. To give you an idea of how mediocre our corners have been, despite all the games that Sean Lee has missed he's had more career INT's than Carr and Claiborne combined during their 4 seasons with the team.

You mentioned the 2009 Saints but it was noted that their defense ranked 3rd in the league in passer rating that year. See how far you have to go back to find a Cowboys defense that ranked 3rd or better in the league in passer rating. The Saints sealed their SB win with a pick-six of Peyton Manning. Their defense stepped up! The Cowboys only had 8 INT's last season but the 2009 Saints had 26 INT's and 5 were returned for TD's. You don't need a consistent pass rush when you have coverage like that. Darren Sharper had 9 INT's in 09 for almost 400 return yards and returned 3 for TD's.

I told you earlier there's NO COMPARISON with this current Cowboys team and the 2009 Saints...NONE! The 2012 Ravens defense had 6 more sacks than the Cowboys D had last season and they had 5 more INT's and 2 were returned for TD's. They also forced 10 fumbles compared to 6 fumbles for the Cowboys last season. All those teams you mentioned STEPPED UP in the playoffs with their defenses playing better than their regular season ranking. You're failing to recognize any of this. For the Cowboys to contend for the "playoffs" Romo is going to have to stay healthy and we're going to have to rank at least top 10 offensively to mask all the issues we may have defensively.

Our offense is going to have to be our best defense unless our D surprises with players stepping up BIG.. Regardless how good our offense is our defense is not going to be able to get past QBs like Aaron Rodgers, Cam Newton and Russell Wilson in the playoffs unless we dramatically improve defensively. You're just wasting your time attempting to argue anything I'm saying because most of it is supported by facts.

Taking the negative slant as usual I see. I'm so shocked.

 

[KJJ]

Taking the negative slant as usual I see. I'm so shocked.

Complaining as usual. You take every candid, honest assessment as something negative. What's the matter can't find a FAN board with everyone pumping sunshine 24/7? No one here hates hearing the truth anymore than you do. I've pointed out everything that has to happen for the Cowboys to compete in 2016 and I won't be wrong.

 

[skinsscalper]

For the Cowboys to contend for the "playoffs" Romo is going to have to stay healthy and we're going to have to rank at least top 10 offensively to mask all the issues we may have defensively.

Our offense is going to have to be our best defense unless our D surprises with players stepping up BIG.. Regardless how good our offense is our defense is not going to be able to get past QBs like Aaron Rodgers, Cam Newton and Russell Wilson in the playoffs unless we dramatically improve defensively.

To contend for the playoffs it has always been the plan for Romo to stay healthy. Russell Wilson doesn't scare me a bit and we've wiped the floor with his *** already. Hell, they barely beat us last year WITHOUT Romo. Rodgers and Newton are formidable opponents but neither of them scare me either. Green Bay was two blown calls away from losing their *** in their own house to us the last time Romo played a majority of the season. I already said it once and I'll say it again: This team has a puncher's chance against anyone in the league so long as Romo stays healthy. But by all means, continue to clutch your pearls in fear.

 

[AsthmaField]

One of the main problems for the Saints in 2010 is Drew Brees tossed twice as many picks (22) than he had during their SB year the previous season. He wasn't nearly as efficient his passer rating took a big dip that season from 109.6 in 2009 to 90.9 in 2010.

AdamJT13 gives you two thumbs up on this post.

 

[KJJ]

To contend for the playoffs it has always been the plan for Romo to stay healthy. Russell Wilson doesn't scare me a bit and we've wiped the floor with his *** already. Hell, they barely beat us last year WITHOUT Romo. Rodgers and Newton are formidable opponents but neither of them scare me either. Green Bay was two blown calls away from losing their *** in their own house to us the last time Romo played a majority of the season. I already said it once and I'll say it again: This team has a puncher's chance against anyone in the league so long as Romo stays healthy. But by all means, continue to clutch your pearls in fear.

You're sounding more like a typical armchair FAN with every post. Claiming Russell Wilson, Cam Newton and Aaron Rodgers don't scare you makes you sound like a cheerleading FAN. I got news for you those QBs have combined for an 8-3 record against the Cowboys. Stop blowing smoke and keep it real, our defense has had very little luck against those QBs, what games have you been watching? We're 1-1 vs Cam and he's a much better QB than he was during his second season when we beat him. We're 1-5 against Rodgers including the playoffs and he TOASTED us in 2 of those games.

We're 1-2 against Wilson since 2012 and he beat the Cowboys as a rookie. Wilson is one of the better young QBs in the league and the only season we beat him the Seahawks still made it to the SB while the Cowboys were sitting home. Last season with the game on the line with just under 7 minutes to play and the Seahawks down by 2 points Wilson led Seattle from their own 15 yard line to the Cowboys 6 yard line where they took the lead with a FG.

Wilson masterfully ate up the clock with a 17 play drive that left the Cowboys with just over a minute to answer. Our defense ONE AGAIN failed us with an important game on the line. Don't know what you've seen to have so must confidence in our defense but it has to be the FAN in you coming out. Claiming 3 of the best QBs in the game don't scare you is making it very difficult to take you seriously. We've reached the point where some of your comments are becoming laughable.

 

[KJJ]

AdamJT13 gives you two thumbs up on this post.

As does Percyhoward. Anytime I include passer ratings that usually brings a smile to his face.

 

[AsthmaField]

As does Percyhoward. Anytime I include passer ratings that usually brings a smile to his face.

Yeppers.

 

[Bleu Star]

Greg Hardy was an elite pass rusher last year?

I better rewatch the games.

IKR. Lol

 

[Bleu Star]

"If we stay healthy".

I'm pretty sure this statement is made every year. Perhaps this year it won't jinx us.