An interesting test for Garrett looming

[erod]

Play along for a second. Let's say:

• The Cowboys beat the Vikings and Giants
• The Steelers beat the Giants this week
• The Seahawks, Lions, and Falcons all lose a game in the next two weeks.

That could all happen. In fact, I think it will. That creates a very precarious position for Dallas the remainder of the way.

Essentially, that wraps up everything, leaving a full month before Dallas plays another game of significance. It also means the Cowboys would only travel once in six weeks the rest of the way until the Super Bowl, should they make it.

Games against Tampa, Detroit, and Philadelphia, followed by a bye in the playoffs. That's four weeks of nothing but a few full-contact scrimmages essentially. Time to heal is awesome, but a month is too long. Don't want to forget your football.

How should Garrett handle this?

 

[Cowboy4ever]

With a young team, I think you have to keep playing as if they do matter.

 

[xvendettax914]

Rest the injured. Play the healthy.

 

[CATCH17]

Play along for a second. Let's say:

• The Cowboys beat the Vikings and Giants
• The Steelers beat the Giants this week
• The Seahawks, Lions, and Falcons all lose a game in the next two weeks.

That could all happen. In fact, I think it will. That creates a very precarious position for Dallas the remainder of the way.

Essentially, that wraps up everything, leaving a full month before Dallas plays another game of significance. It also means the Cowboys would only travel once in six weeks the rest of the way until the Super Bowl, should they make it.

Games against Tampa, Detroit, and Philadelphia, followed by a bye in the playoffs. That's four weeks of nothing but a few full-contact scrimmages essentially. Time to heal is awesome, but a month is too long. Don't want to forget your football.

How should Garrett handle this?

IMO, you push it all the way until week 17 and then you still play your starters but maybe a guy like Zeke only gets 10 touches instead of 20.


Also, I would sit Scandrick and get him healed up and get Leon McFadden some game experience.

Maybe you let D. Lawrence rest up as well.


We play the Eagles week 17 I believe and they will be out of the wildcard picture.. Letting the Eagles win is actually a good thing because it hurts their draft position.

 

[JackOfNoTrades]

With a young team, I think you have to keep playing as if they do matter.

agreed, you want keep your team in its stride. Also though, you need to try your best to avoid injury. I would say start rotating out starters during the second half of meaningless games.

 

[BoysfanfromCanada]

This is why a part of me hopes the Giants do stay within striking range for a few more games, as it'll keep our guys on edge. I don't think Garrett would start resting players at all during games, he didn't in 2014. But you want them all as sharp as possible.

But many of the teams we're playing will still be in the playoff hunt, so we won't have many meaningless games (other than maybe Philly)

 

[ActualCowboysFan]

They're going to approach every week like it's a regular game. That's how they've done it before. They have to stay on that edge.

 

[SDCowboy]

Even if we lock everything up, I still want Dak and Zeke out there playing.

 

[Deep_Freeze]

Well we see more of Morris. And we also let the best backup QB in football take some snaps to get sharp just in case.

No reason to do something stupid for the sake of 'staying sharp'.

Just watch snaps, thats it, especially at the end.

 

[John813]

Invite the whole team to Cabo for the bye week.


You still play to win. However, if a player has a playable injury that requires rest for it to fully heal, sit him.
Other than that, play one game at a time wanting a win. Don't deviate from what works.

 

[Fla Cowpoke]

Put Romo in to build up his trade value. Show he can still take a hit and can move this offense. Sit Dak and Zeke and save them for the stretch.

 

[JohnsKey19]

You play starters all the way thru the 2nd quarter of Week 17. Then you start pulling guys for backups.

 

[Idgit]

That's the good thing about what Garrett preaches. Everything is play to play and not game to game, and not dependent on the situation. The only thing that might change is who gets the snaps and how many, and even that can just be metered out to keep backups sharp and give the starters a few series of reps.

Apart from what he does at the QB position, the rest is straightforward. I am curious to see if Tony gets snaps in the event of a blowout to keep him sharp in case we need him on short notice. Even if we're looking to trade him, some quality reps help his value, but it's dicey opening up that box for all the obvious reasons.

 

[SDCowboy]

Put Romo in to build up his trade value. Show he can still take a hit and can move this offense. Sit Dak and Zeke and save them for the stretch.

That could just as easily erase any trade value Tony has.

 

[Zimmy Lives]

With a young team, I think you have to keep playing as if they do matter.

Let them play if they're healthy; there is no rest for the ambitious.

 

[phildadon86]

Play em until week 17. Keep them focused. Hopefully we have some padded practices left for the BYE week we should get.

 

[Fla Cowpoke]

That could just as easily erase any trade value Tony has.

I posted that somewhat sarcastically, but to be honest it makes a lot of sense to get Romo some live action at some point once we clinch home field. If something were to happen to Dak, I wouldn't want Romo coming in without having faced live action in 4 months.

Many are saying Romo only has mid round value in trade anyway....if so, we wouldn't be losing much in trotting him out there. I think the only chance of failure he has would be injury, and if that is the case it solves that problem. Do you honestly think when he comes back on the field, absent injury, that he isn't going to be able to perform?

 

[Risen Star]

With a young team, I think you have to keep playing as if they do matter.

Agreed. Play them all like they count. Don't go in to a protective sissy safe space. At the most maybe I sit Zeke during the kneel downs in the finale.

Man sport.

 

[remdak]

Just look at 2014 as an indication what Garrett would do. In week 17, with a meaningless game vs Washington, he played the starters well into the 2nd half, even using an onside kick to try to run up the score.

 

[Temo]

That could just as easily erase any trade value Tony has.

Disagree, because right now he's a guy who can't take a hit and no one's going to pay for that. If he can show that he can get hit and stay in a game, that'll go a long way. If he breaks again, well, that's what everyone thinks will happen anyway.