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

[bh32]

Coming from a guy who's team jumps up to take a breath from the cellar once every few years only to sink right back to the bottom. You do realize you're on a Cowboys board, right, Foreskin?

Now here come the insults..lol Where has your team been the past few years?

 

[skinsscalper]

Now here come the insults..lol Where has your team been the past few years?

Sans last season, vying for the division title. But you hold on to that playoff win you boys had after the 2005 season. Who was it, Tampa Bay? Your team has been on the upswing ever since, champ. Hang in there, sport, I'm sure your team will walk away with the division with ease.

 

[Rockport]

Even if the offense is as good as it was in 2014 (7th ranked) I don't see us having the defense especially the pass rush to go deep in the playoffs. An offense can only cover up for their defense for so long before it catches up with you.

I'm shocked.

 

[bh32]

Sans last season, vying for the division title. But you hold on to that playoff win you boys had after the 2005 season. Who was it, Tampa Bay? Your team has been on the upswing ever since, champ. Hang in there, sport, I'm sure your team will walk away with the division with ease.

Just like your team has been on the upswing for the last 20 years...Both franchises have been crap for so long,but you act like Dallas has been the cream of the crop of the NFL..

 

[bh32]

Sans last season, vying for the division title. But you hold on to that playoff win you boys had after the 2005 season. Who was it, Tampa Bay? Your team has been on the upswing ever since, champ. Hang in there, sport, I'm sure your team will walk away with the division with ease.[/quot
Just like your team should of been of lost to the lions in 2014?

 

[Jstopper]

It is a way with coping with a fragile, aging QB who is a legend here albeit with 2 career playoff wins as a QB

Well figure something else out. You're a grown man posting like you have mental problems.

 

[KJJ]

I'm shocked.

You said weeks ago you were done with this board because of all the negativity. You can't even say you're leaving and get that right. lol

 

[KJJ]

You're jumping all over the place with your argument. We are not comparing this defense to last year's we are comparing it to 2014 so why are you bringing up hardy? He wasn't here then so nothing changes there. Ware has no effect on anything either because he was already with the Broncos. Lawrence missed the whole first half of the season with a broken foot in 14 and even when he came back he wasn't a starter. George freaking selvie and Jeremy Mincey were our DE tandem so yes you can say that our DE now are already better on paper. The fact that you're trying to say our defense isn't better with a pro bowl linebacker inserted is asinine as well. DT is much better than the 14 edition and so is the secondary. On paper we look way better than what we walked into the season with in 14 and its not even close.

I'm covering all the bases. I got news for you the 2014 defense wasn't very good it was the turnovers we forced that made it somewhat better and appear like it was something special to a few of you. It was getting opponents behind that helped us force some turnovers. In 2014 the Cowboys ranked 19th in total defense compared to 17th last season. The 2014 defense had 6 fewer sacks and several fewer pressures than the 2013 defense that was one of the worst in league history. Even last season we had 3 more sacks than in 2014 and that's because Hardy and DLaw combined for 14 sacks. Hardy is gone and DLaw will miss the first 4 games so who's going to make up for some of those sacks we're losing? It was our 7th ranked offense in 2014 led by the leagues leading rusher that helped keep the defense from being exposed as much.

In the games our offense wasn't very good in 2014 the defense was no better than what we've seen. In the loss to Washington Colt McCoy a journeymen took us apart completing over 80% of his passes and throwing for almost 300 yards. We couldn't stop him on 3rd down the entire night and we made him look like Joe Montana in OT as he continued dicing us up leading the Commanders to a win. On Thanksgiving a Mark Sanchez led Eagles offense destroyed our defense. Sanchez went 20-29 and McCoy ran all over us for 159 yards. Our offense had an off day and our defense got exposed. In the 2014 playoffs it was our defense that cost us that game by not being able to pressure a one legged Aaron Rodgers.

We couldn't make critical stops that's been the problem for YEARS with our defense. As for DLaw he missed most of camp and half his rookie season so that can be looked at as a viable excuse for why he didn't register a sack during the regular season that year but in 2015 he didn't miss any training camp and started the season and did very little until Hardy showed up after the NO game. DLaw was such a no show a thread was started with some wanting him benched. I mentioned Hardy because without him to account for the focus will be put squarely on DLaw which will likely reduce his effectiveness if some players don't step up to provide a pass rush.

With him only having 12 games provided he stays healthy he may have a difficult time registering 3-4 sacks if he keeps getting off to a slow start and some players don't step up around him. We don't have anyone on defense that scares anyone. Lee is our best defensive player but he's good for at least a couple of missed games. We're weak on the DL and in the secondary so if we can't mount a consistent pass rush our corners will be left hanging out to dry.

Unless some players surprise we're going to continue having issues defensively and the only way to mask the problems is with a ball control offense that can put some points up. Our offense may end up having to be our best defense by reducing the exposure of the D like we did in 2014. A fresher defense can make for a better more alert defense which is why we got some turnovers in 2014. Had it not been for the turnovers we forced there wouldn't have been anything good about that defense.

 

[CyberB0b]

It's the NFL. Injuries happen. Real teams deal with it.

Defense is better then 2014.....don't get the hate. I hear people say last year. ..blah, blah, blah. Nothing in the team was good last year, that's not how offense out defense will play


We will have top 15 and more likely top 10 defense. Offense will be top 5

How is that? We lost Hardy. No Gregory or Lawrence for a quarter of the year. I don't see a whole lot that we have added. A few scrubs like Benson Mayowa. Not seeing it.

 

[big dog cowboy]

How is that? We lost Hardy. No Gregory or Lawrence for a quarter of the year. I don't see a whole lot that we have added. A few scrubs like Benson Mayowa. Not seeing it.

Losing Hardy might be a good thing for our team with the bad influence he had over some. DLaw is still TBD. Hayden isn't starting or even on the roster, Wilcox isn't starting, Mayowa (and others) aren't scrubs, OScan returning...some good things happening on that side of the ball.

 

[KJJ]

George freaking selvie and Jeremy Mincey were our DE tandem so yes you can say that our DE now are already better on paper. The fact that you're trying to say our defense isn't better with a pro bowl linebacker inserted is asinine as well. DT is much better than the 14 edition and so is the secondary. On paper we look way better than what we walked into the season with in 14 and its not even close.

The fact is as good a player as Lee has been he hasn't made our defense better because one excellent player doesn't make a great unit, we found that out with Ware. With Hardy gone and DLaw out the first 4 games along with Gregory we have nothing at DE. Jack Crawford only provided 4 sacks last season and Tyrone Crawford had 5 sacks. Opponents not having to contend with Hardy at all or DLaw for the first 4 games who combined for 14 sacks last season only have to worry about Jack and Tyrone Crawford who will become our two top sackers to start the season.

We better hope several players step up big if we want to get near a QB. A lot of players are going to have to step their game up including DLaw and Gregory when they get back. As for our secondary Carr and Claiborne are still in the mix who didn't combine for a single INT and although Scandrick is back he's 29 and coming of an ACL. It remains to be seen where his game is. As for Byron Jones he has potential but still has a long way to go. This defense and the pass rushers we have aren't going to scare anyone we're just going to have to hope we play better than we look on paper.

 

[Irvin88_4life]

Losing Hardy might be a good thing for our team with the bad influence he had over some. DLaw is still TBD. Hayden isn't starting or even on the roster, Wilcox isn't starting, Mayowa (and others) aren't scrubs, OScan returning...some good things happening on that side of the ball.

Ya they are young and will improve. I think the addition of Thornton is huge and guys just aren't seeing it. Pushing the pocket will upgrade a defense like no other. Carolina got Short and Star and turned into a monster on defense

 

[SkinsHokieFan]

Sans last season, vying for the division title. But you hold on to that playoff win you boys had after the 2005 season. Who was it, Tampa Bay? Your team has been on the upswing ever since, champ. Hang in there, sport, I'm sure your team will walk away with the division with ease.

lol

Its more like "sans '14 finishing 8-8 and losing to a better team the last game of the season"

Somehow this Commanders franchise has more division titles than the Cowboys this decade.

You know its June when the national media and Cowboy fans are talking Superbowl. A fun annual tradition

 

[stilltheguru88]

lol

Its more like "sans '14 finishing 8-8 and losing to a better team the last game of the season"

Somehow this Commanders franchise has more division titles than the Cowboys this decade.

You know its June when the national media and Cowboy fans are talking Superbowl. A fun annual tradition

It's cute that you use (this decade) as the cutoff. Real cute. Let's talk about the skins not having a playoff WIN in the last decade aka 10 years. 10 longgggggg years. I think every team except Washington and Detroit has won a playoff game in that span. And skins fans predict super bowl as often as Dallas and are routinely never even close to being an average team minus two fluke seasons. 1 with a gimmick qb and again with a pathetic division. Shhhhhhhhhhhhh

 

[tyke1doe]

If we stay healthy (particularly our stars) and if Ezekiel Elliott is all that, I expect us to take the division easily.

However, in the playoffs, you MUST have a strong defense. I think Zeke will help the defense, but I have my doubts about this being a playoff caliber team with so many young (and suspended) players and no pass rush.

I'm hoping my early assessment is just that - early.

 

[PA Cowboy Fan]

lol

Its more like "sans '14 finishing 8-8 and losing to a better team the last game of the season"

Somehow this Commanders franchise has more division titles than the Cowboys this decade.

You know its June when the national media and Cowboy fans are talking Superbowl. A fun annual tradition

Commander fans do the same thing every year.

 

[Rockport]

You said weeks ago you were done with this board because of all the negativity. You can't even say you're leaving and get that right. lol

The master of changing the narrative strikes.

 

[casmith07]

i believe this team will go to the SB is we stay healthy. Zeke may put up Murray type numbers, but I expect Romo to have his best season ever this year.

It all depends on Dez, Witten and whomever plays the 2 WR spot. 4500 yards passing is not unreasonable if we force 7 in the box at all times. No one can stop the passing game with only 4 in coverage. They can't stop the run with 7. Pick your poison.

I agree with you. As long as our key offensive players remain healthy - Romo, Dez, O-Line, Zeke - we can go pretty far, I think.

I also will upgrade your thoughts - I don't think teams will be able to stop the run with 8 this year. They couldn't with Murray, and I think Zeke is way better than Murray, FWIW.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

It's the NFL. Injuries happen. Real teams deal with it.



How is that? We lost Hardy. No Gregory or Lawrence for a quarter of the year. I don't see a whole lot that we have added. A few scrubs like Benson Mayowa. Not seeing it.

Staying healthy means to me that we have less injuries than league average. Every team will obviously experience injuries.

How many snaps of Mayowa have you seen to make an evaluation one way or another?

2014 we started Selvie and Mincey with Anthony Spencer as the rotation for 3/4 of the season. Even without our two 2nd round picks we still have Mayowa, Crawford, Irving, Russell, and Tapper.

 

[CowboyRoy]

i believe this team will go to the SB is we stay healthy. Zeke may put up Murray type numbers, but I expect Romo to have his best season ever this year.

It all depends on Dez, Witten and whomever plays the 2 WR spot. 4500 yards passing is not unreasonable if we force 7 in the box at all times. No one can stop the passing game with only 4 in coverage. They can't stop the run with 7. Pick your poison.

We are more liklyy to go 4-12 again than winning the SB. This thread is ridiculous.