BST: Will December bring another bitter end?

[erod]

Step 1 complete.

Now if Tennessee would like to throw a wrench in my prognostication, I'd be perfectly OK with it.

 

[Risen Star]

It very well could. If you remove the Cowboys/Eagles games, I think Philly has the easier road. Its the Eagles/Colts and Commanders/Cowboys games that are killing us.

I think the Cowboys must sweep the Eagles to get in. Not just win the division but get into the playoffs.

I'm hanging my hat on the OL.

 

[erod]

It very well could. If you remove the Cowboys/Eagles games, I think Philly has the easier road. Its the Eagles/Colts and Commanders/Cowboys games that are killing us.

I think the Cowboys must sweep the Eagles to get in. Not just win the division but get into the playoffs.

I'm hanging my hat on the OL.

New England showed the way to beat the Colts. Run, run, run, run....the Cowboys can do that.

And Sanchez is still Sanchez. Incredibly immobile, and he shrinks in the spotlight.

 

[Risen Star]

New England showed the way to beat the Colts. Run, run, run, run....the Cowboys can do that.

And Sanchez is still Sanchez. Incredibly immobile, and he shrinks in the spotlight.

What the Cowboys do well on offense is what historically wins late in the season. What the Eagles do well does not.

There's my hope, because right now this feels just like any other year in recent memory. We're set up to, sound familiar?, just miss the playoffs.

 

[BoysFan4ever]

It very well could. If you remove the Cowboys/Eagles games, I think Philly has the easier road. Its the Eagles/Colts and Commanders/Cowboys games that are killing us.

I think the Cowboys must sweep the Eagles to get in. Not just win the division but get into the playoffs.

I'm hanging my hat on the OL.

I agree. Need to sweep Philly.

 

[erod]

What the Cowboys do well on offense is what historically wins late in the season. What the Eagles do well does not.

There's my hope, because right now this feels just like any other year in recent memory. We're set up to, sound familiar?, just miss the playoffs.

Yes, but 7-3 is a lot better than the 5-5 we're used to.

 

[erod]

I agree. Need to sweep Philly.

Dallas will hold the tiebreaker if they just split. However, a sweep starts making a play for a first-round bye, so by all means, that would be awesome.

 

[BoysFan4ever]

Dallas will hold the tiebreaker if they just split. However, a sweep starts making a play for a first-round bye, so by all means, that would be awesome.

I think realistically they probably split. But ya know this team does seem different. Maybe these guys can put all that December losing stuff to bed & go out & make a splash.

 

[erod]

I think realistically they probably split. But ya know this team does seem different. Maybe these guys can put all that December losing stuff to bed & go out & make a splash.

The key is the first one. Dallas gets a mini-bye before the second meeting, and Philly could start to unravel within if Dallas beats them here first.

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

According to my calculations......this weekend's Philly-GB game will ultimately determine the NFC East champion.

I think more than that prediction. It's that mark Sanchez is now their QB.

 

[BoysFan4ever]

The key is the first one. Dallas gets a mini-bye before the second meeting, and Philly could start to unravel within if Dallas beats them here first.

They sure unraveled yesterday. It's becoming very obvious there are a lot of really good NFL teams this year & not particularly a dominant one.

The Cowboys have shocked me this year. I had thought they'd be awful. I hope they go out & just play as they have & keep Tony upright.

 

[cowboys1981]

Lets assume we both win Sunday and we both sit at 8-3

We beat Philly on Thanksgiving
Dal 9-3
Phi 8-4

The following games can give us a two loss gap. They play Seattle and we have Chicago. If they lose to Seattle and we win.

Dallas 10-3
Phi 8-5

Even if Philly wins in rematch we could still have the one game advantage.

We were completely depleted in our front seven vs Chicago and paid for it. McCown had all night to throw and they were able to run on us as well.

Having Lawrence-Melton-Crawford-McClain-Brent-Mincey-Hitchens-McClain this year gives us quality players who can protect against the run better than last year. I think this and our run game will be the deciding factor in handing them their loss.

I feel confident in the 10 days we'll have to prep for the rematch vs Philly. We know what to expect from them and as long as we control their dump passes to the RB's we will dominate them.

We can run on Indy and keep Luck off the field. I can see Murray having a big day.

The loss to Washington will have these boys anything but lethargic like we saw on MNF. They'll come out hungry for revenge and will set the tone heading into the playoffs.


Yes I said playoffs. I believe this team is primed for it with its new approach on offense and the style of play from the defense where we see players swarming to the ball on almost every snap.

 

[Primetime42]

Today's column in the Blue Star Times:

Dallas enters the stretch run with the NFC East there for the taking. Again. Fourth time’s a charm….?​

It’s all so familiar. Cowboys fans have sat tied and blindfolded in darkness for much of the past decade, not knowing when, or how often, a two-by-four to the knees would strike. Football torture can be a cruel, cruel thing.​

So forgive our Pavlovian flinch each time someone utters “playoffs” or implications involving January football. Such is the result of the constant hope and disappointment that regurgitated 8-8s brings. Season after season of flawed squads in win-or-go-home finales has calloused and conditioned this fan base to expect the worst. It’s just been too long.​

(Good gosh what it must be like to be a Guantanamo Eagles fan.)​

Please read the full column: http://bluestartimes.com/will-december-bring-another-bitter-end-dallas-cowboys/

I know it's terribly cliche but their focus simply needs to be on winning the next one. And I'm sure Garrett's preaching that.

 

[morasp]

I thought it was funny that the Eagles have been winning games with special teams and GB beat them at that too. I think our defense will do well against them but the special teams is where it could be won or lost. We really need to clean some stuff up there.

 

[Red Dragon]

I keep hoping for the mark next to the Cowboys name showing they are ensured of a playoff spot before week 17. lol

Something like this?

x-Eagles (10-5)
x-Cowboys (10-5)
Giants (6-9)
Commanders (5-10)

x-clinched playoff berth
y-clinched division title
z-clinched homefield advantage

 

[Red Dragon]

Dallas will hold the tiebreaker if they just split.

Ah?

Philly is 2-0 in the NFC East, Dallas is 1-1 in the NFC East.

If they split, then Philly would be 3-1 in the NFC East, Dallas would be 2-2 in the NFC East.

 

[DeaconMoss]

I wish I could hope for TEN to beat the Iggles. But I just dont see much there. What does TEN do well? besides lose?

 

[punchnjudy]

If Romo stays healthy and this team is legit, then this final stretch is no big deal. The Eagles are a slightly above average team with a joke QB, the Bears are a below .500 mess led by a petulant loser that no one could follow, the skins have RG3 back, and the Colts are just above average. Dallas could potentially be favored in all of these games. If they can't make the playoffs with that schedule, they don't deserve to.

 

[erod]

Ah?

Philly is 2-0 in the NFC East, Dallas is 1-1 in the NFC East.

If they split, then Philly would be 3-1 in the NFC East, Dallas would be 2-2 in the NFC East.

According to my column. Give it a read.

 

[bayeslife]

It very well could. If you remove the Cowboys/Eagles games, I think Philly has the easier road. Its the Eagles/Colts and Commanders/Cowboys games that are killing us.

I think the Cowboys must sweep the Eagles to get in. Not just win the division but get into the playoffs.

I'm hanging my hat on the OL.

If this team plays up to their abilities, they should sweep the Eagles imo. I'm being called a homer in Eagles land for sharing that opinion, but I just don't see how in the world they are going to be able to stop Murray from killing them.

If you go by yards ranking (not the best measurement obviously), the Cowboys are the #6 offense and #15 defense to the Eagles #5 offense and #28 defense. Not to mention they are a turnover machine at -9 (25 giveaways) right now to the Cowboys -1 (18 giveaways).

As I was looking those stats up, I saw that the Eagles actually have the most giveaways in the NFL. And they are still 7-3. Unreal