CFZ An Attempt at Perspective, or Whatever

[TexasBacon]

Since Dak's return, the team has gone 6-2 with both losses coming in overtime. There have been no 2021 Broncos losses where the offense couldn't score a point. For the most part the team has adjusted well and played better in the second half than the first half. They have played well enough to secure a playoff spot with 3 games still remaining. If we throw out our PTSD from what the Cowboys have done in the playoffs after every promising season since 1995 and look at where we are compared to where, say, The Bengals were last year at this time, it seems they could be one of the teams that are good enough to get hot at the right time and make a run.

What needs to happen:

Overall: The team must maintain the 5th seed. They need to play the NFC South champion in the wildcard round. Mike must get better at game management, Kellen must find a way to scheme his best players into getting the ball, and Quinn must find a way to get his pass rush home with stunts, etc. Oh, Turpin needs to be OK with touchbacks a bit more and/or we need better kick-return blocking. That's been an issue no one is talking about lately. They are starting at the 10 or 15 way too often.

Offense: The offense needs to continue to gel. Tyron looked good at RT yesterday and they need to really solidify that over the next two weeks and figure out the best starting 5. Ideally the Washington game is a rest your starters game. TY Hilton needs to come in and we need to figure out if he needs to spell Gallup or Brown. Everyone thinks him replacing Brown is a given but Gallup has been a ghost on the field. Kellen has to find a way to get his receivers open and they need Fergueson back so they can dial in more 12 personnel looks. Dak needs to limit his turnovers but if he plays like he did yesterday then that's all you can really ask of him. Other than the first pick he looked great and his throws were on target.

Defense: Never thought we'd be here just a few weeks ago but this team is unbalanced again and the defense looks weak. They should win every game the offense scores 30-plus. They have to figure out the CB position, whether it's moving one of the safeties like Mukuamu or hoping one of the FA signings can get up to speed. It's times like this you wish the trade-deadline didn't exist. The pass rush MUST regain their ferocity and we have to hope Armstrong isn't out long term (I can't remember if he came back yesterday). Need to get Tak some looks over these last 3 games. Hell, maybe sit Micah the last two weeks if the 5th seed is a sure thing. LVE going down is maybe the worst injury they've had. He's been playing great. Barr looks rough and Clark is a rookie. It's baffling to me and to pretty much every media analyst who was at training camp as to why Cox can't even be active on game day. If LVE is out for the season we have to just pray Cox can come in and help the run defense because Barr is slow. I have faith Quinn will figure this out but it's going to get very difficult if he's that shallow at LB and CB. Thank God Bland came out of nowhere and is playing as well as he is. (Edit: Just saw the good LVE news; that's HUGE)

We have to remember that every Super Bowl winning team has ugly losses in the regular season. The Jags are much better than their record and Lawrence is currently playing as good as any QB we'll play in the NFC playoffs. We have to keep that perspective despite our overwhelming sense of dread that this is when the Cowboys start Cowboysing things up after a promising regular season. I'm in "show me" mode like the rest of you, but it's also important to look at the way they've lost instead of just the fact that they lost. Yesterday's reasons are easily, easily fixable. And whether you like it or not, other than the one or two bad throws per game that get intercepted, our QB is playing pretty damn well right now and has been far from the reason we've lost the two games since his return. Let's come together, root for the team to turn it around, be happy if they do, and wait until they don't to start pointing fingers and demanding heads to roll. Because that's totally going to happen and my word salad will immediately change the hardened hearts less than 24 hours after a loss, lol.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

Since Dak's return, the team has gone 6-2 with both losses coming in overtime. There have been no 2021 Broncos losses where the offense couldn't score a point. For the most part the team has adjusted well and played better in the second half than the first half. They have played well enough to secure a playoff spot with 3 games still remaining. If we throw out our PTSD from what the Cowboys have done in the playoffs after every promising season since 1995 and look at where we are compared to where, say, The Bengals were last year at this time, it seems they could be one of the teams that are good enough to get hot at the right time and make a run.

What needs to happen:

Overall: The team must maintain the 5th seed. They need to play the NFC South champion in the wildcard round. Mike must get better at game management, Kellen must find a way to scheme his best players into getting the ball, and Quinn must find a way to get his pass rush home with stunts, etc. Oh, Turpin needs to be OK with touchbacks a bit more and/or we need better kick-return blocking. That's been an issue no one is talking about lately. They are starting at the 10 or 15 way too often.

Offense: The offense needs to continue to gel. Tyron looked good at RT yesterday and they need to really solidify that over the next two weeks and figure out the best starting 5. Ideally the Washington game is a rest your starters game. TY Hilton needs to come in and we need to figure out if he needs to spell Gallup or Brown. Everyone thinks him replacing Brown is a given but Gallup has been a ghost on the field. Kellen has to find a way to get his receivers open and they need Fergueson back so they can dial in more 12 personnel looks. Dak needs to limit his turnovers but if he plays like he did yesterday then that's all you can really ask of him. Other than the first pick he looked great and his throws were on target.

Defense: Never thought we'd be here just a few weeks ago but this team is unbalanced again and the defense looks weak. They should win every game the offense scores 30-plus. They have to figure out the CB position, whether it's moving one of the safeties like Mukuamu or hoping one of the FA signings can get up to speed. It's times like this you wish the trade-deadline didn't exist. The pass rush MUST regain their ferocity and we have to hope Armstrong isn't out long term (I can't remember if he came back yesterday). Need to get Tak some looks over these last 3 games. Hell, maybe sit Micah the last two weeks if the 5th seed is a sure thing. LVE going down is maybe the worst injury they've had. He's been playing great. Barr looks rough and Clark is a rookie. It's baffling to me and to pretty much every media analyst who was at training camp as to why Cox can't even be active on game day. If LVE is out for the season we have to just pray Cox can come in and help the run defense because Barr is slow.

We have to remember that every Super Bowl winning team has ugly losses in the regular season. The Jags are much better than their record and Lawrence is currently playing as good as any QB we'll play in the NFC playoffs. We have to keep that perspective despite our overwhelming sense of dread that this is when the Cowboys start Cowboysing things up after a promising regular season. I'm in "show me" mode like the rest of you, but it's also important to look at the way they've lost instead of just the fact that they lost. Yesterday's reasons are easily, easily fixable. And whether you like it or not, other than the one or two bad throws per game that get intercepted, our QB is playing pretty damn well right now and has been far from the reason we've lost the two games since his return. Let's come together, root for the team to turn it around, be happy if they do, and wait until they don't to start pointing fingers and demanding heads to roll. Because that's totally going to happen and my word salad will immediately change the hardened hearts less than 24 hours after a loss, lol.

last year the complaint was we start slow and pick up steam late. this year, its the opposite, we seem to do better early and fizzle in the end with small miscues, bad play calls and small little things that make the difference between good teams and average ones....

like the 3rd and 4 inside the 6.... you have them pinned. up to that point there was nothing that showed their offense was going to do much because they hadn't. at that point, as a head coach you make the decision to go for it and you have two downs to convert 4 yards. so then run it, quick pitch. quick throw to the backs, something to get two yards each play. instead we kicked a field goal and they got the ball on the 25.

freaking moore. 3rd and short, with less than one and half minutes and he calls a deep ball? what in the heck. this ain't highschool son, you are not going to surprise anyone. you are in the middle of the field, make a simple play. you have two back that can churn yards. make them run and keep the clock moving or force them to use a timeout. you played right into their hand with your "surprise" call.

Dak, just can't throw that interception in our own end. that ball floated and was wobbly. that's on him.

and Brown, you freaking idiot. that ball was in perfect place. you had the field in front of you. you could have gotten so much more and put us in field goal range and game over...instead, you played volley ball...

 

[817Gill]

Since Dak's return, the team has gone 6-2 with both losses coming in overtime. There have been no 2021 Broncos losses where the offense couldn't score a point. For the most part the team has adjusted well and played better in the second half than the first half. They have played well enough to secure a playoff spot with 3 games still remaining. If we throw out our PTSD from what the Cowboys have done in the playoffs after every promising season since 1995 and look at where we are compared to where, say, The Bengals were last year at this time, it seems they could be one of the teams that are good enough to get hot at the right time and make a run.

What needs to happen:

Overall: The team must maintain the 5th seed. They need to play the NFC South champion in the wildcard round. Mike must get better at game management, Kellen must find a way to scheme his best players into getting the ball, and Quinn must find a way to get his pass rush home with stunts, etc. Oh, Turpin needs to be OK with touchbacks a bit more and/or we need better kick-return blocking. That's been an issue no one is talking about lately. They are starting at the 10 or 15 way too often.

Offense: The offense needs to continue to gel. Tyron looked good at RT yesterday and they need to really solidify that over the next two weeks and figure out the best starting 5. Ideally the Washington game is a rest your starters game. TY Hilton needs to come in and we need to figure out if he needs to spell Gallup or Brown. Everyone thinks him replacing Brown is a given but Gallup has been a ghost on the field. Kellen has to find a way to get his receivers open and they need Fergueson back so they can dial in more 12 personnel looks. Dak needs to limit his turnovers but if he plays like he did yesterday then that's all you can really ask of him. Other than the first pick he looked great and his throws were on target.

Defense: Never thought we'd be here just a few weeks ago but this team is unbalanced again and the defense looks weak. They should win every game the offense scores 30-plus. They have to figure out the CB position, whether it's moving one of the safeties like Mukuamu or hoping one of the FA signings can get up to speed. It's times like this you wish the trade-deadline didn't exist. The pass rush MUST regain their ferocity and we have to hope Armstrong isn't out long term (I can't remember if he came back yesterday). Need to get Tak some looks over these last 3 games. Hell, maybe sit Micah the last two weeks if the 5th seed is a sure thing. LVE going down is maybe the worst injury they've had. He's been playing great. Barr looks rough and Clark is a rookie. It's baffling to me and to pretty much every media analyst who was at training camp as to why Cox can't even be active on game day. If LVE is out for the season we have to just pray Cox can come in and help the run defense because Barr is slow. I have faith Quinn will figure this out but it's going to get very difficult if he's that shallow at LB and CB. Thank God Bland came out of nowhere and is playing as well as he is. (Edit: Just saw the good LVE news; that's HUGE)

We have to remember that every Super Bowl winning team has ugly losses in the regular season. The Jags are much better than their record and Lawrence is currently playing as good as any QB we'll play in the NFC playoffs. We have to keep that perspective despite our overwhelming sense of dread that this is when the Cowboys start Cowboysing things up after a promising regular season. I'm in "show me" mode like the rest of you, but it's also important to look at the way they've lost instead of just the fact that they lost. Yesterday's reasons are easily, easily fixable. And whether you like it or not, other than the one or two bad throws per game that get intercepted, our QB is playing pretty damn well right now and has been far from the reason we've lost the two games since his return. Let's come together, root for the team to turn it around, be happy if they do, and wait until they don't to start pointing fingers and demanding heads to roll. Because that's totally going to happen and my word salad will immediately change the hardened hearts less than 24 hours after a loss, lol.

Great post

 

[Praxit]

..here's the enigma in all this. If Dallas wins the game, much of these posts dont happen.

Yesterdays game, contained all the little things that went wrong.

OL blew some assignments, Dak hurried or sacked.
Brown's catch Gaff
McCarthy clock mismanagement
No pressure from DL
Bossman not 1st team material
DQ called bad game

......and so forth.

Silver lining in all this. These are situations haven't occurred on consistent basis. They can be amended.

Minus the CB situation. DQ has to put more work into it

 

[Creeper]

I didn't think Tyron looked that great at RT. He cannot run block like Terence Steele. On a few plays he was slow after the ball was snapped. I think his pass protection will improve as he gets comfortable on the right side, but I am concerned we lost a lot in the run game with Steele out. The Cowboys RBs both averaged under 4 yards per carry for the first time I can remember. I think that is what lead to the decision to throw on 3rd down with a minute left in regulation.

I agree with you on Cox. He played a bit last year and didn't look terrible. One thing he showed is he can get to the perimeter to take down a running back like he did to Daniel Jones. Barr can't cut off the speedier RBs. Maybe he should move into the middle and Cox and Clark man the outside LB spots. Clark has been inconsistent but he ha shown the ability to get through traffic to make a stop on running plays. Clark can cover TEs. I wonder if he would have brought down Engram in bounds? Not knocking Kearse there but Cox is bigger and presumably strong, yet still fast. I think Barr just needs to come off the field. The defense was fine when he was out with a hamstring.

 

[Flamma]

Here's the thing, the Cowboys trend downward towards the end of the season. Teams that go to the SB usually don't get lucky to beat a 1 win team in week 14, and lose to a team like the Jaguars in week 15 after taking a 17 point lead. They show signs of dominating.

 

[Aven8]

Last season we were blasting cream puffs at the end of the year. 50 burgers to Wash and Philly. Everyone was relatively healthy and than get to the playoffs and can’t move the ball whatsoever.

This year we are struggling late in the season, injuries, D is a mash unit etc. We will find out in a month if these players and coaches have what it takes to rise about all of this. Injuries are apart of the game. Deebo is out for SF currently, and SF is on there 3rd QB of the season starting the last pick in the draft.

It’s time to suck it up.