BTB: One big thing we learned in the Cowboys win over the Giants

[waving monkey]

There were lots of smaller points, but let’s talk big picture.

While it was far from a perfect performance, the season-opening 19-3 win over the New York Giants was full of good things for the Dallas Cowboys. Most importantly, almost all the questions they had coming into the season were answered in a positive way. The revamped secondary was never really burned (although the absence of Odell Beckham Jr. did not hurt). The defensive line got to Eli Manning for three sacks, and should have been credited with a fourth. Dallas won the turnover battle with the only interception of the game, and likewise should have had another takeaway that a premature whistle cost them. Jaylon Smith was more than capable of playing in his current condition, and took over half the defensive snaps. La’el Collins and Chaz Green both had strong showings against the vaunted Giants defensive line. While Dak Prescott was not exactly crisp much of the game, he outplayed Manning and did not turn the ball over, perhaps his best attribute. There certainly was no sign of any kind of slump on his part.

Those are just some of the highlights. There are so many that it is hard to do more than just list them, unless you want a 10,000 word article. But in this case, it may be a good idea to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. It is just one game, as may have been mentioned before, but stacked on top of last season, it helps us see a big thing the game showed.

Dallas may have the formula to win. And that means to win a game, the division, or the whole thing. And what’s more important, most of the rest of the NFL is unable to duplicate or counter it.

What is that formula? It is a bit complicated, but it goes something like this.

1. Pick a side of the ball to be the strength of the team (for the Cowboys, that is obviously the offense).

2. Invest your resources heavily on that side to get it right.

https://cowboyszone.com/threads/btb...ed-in-the-cowboys-win-over-the-giants.385100/

 

[gimmesix]

It bugs me that the officials missed the sack and blew the whistle on the fumble. Fortunately, this wasn't a game where those things proved to be important, but I'm especially getting tired of the fumble thing where officials prematurely blow it dead.

 

[big dog cowboy]

1. Pick a side of the ball to be the strength of the team (for the Cowboys, that is obviously the offense).

2. Invest your resources heavily on that side to get it right.

It's clear the Cowboys have now started to invest on the defensive side of the ball. I suspect we will see another big defensive draft next spring. Also help that the Cowboys seem to have figured out how to be a smart drafting team.

 

[Sydla]

I believe this falls into your typical Week 1 overreaction, moreso how it pertains to analyzing other teams in the league.

 

[Typhus]

A key that is always overlooked, is "knowing how to win", it sounds simplistic but in actuality, from the locker room to the grid iron is a translation.
Just take a look at the Jags from last year, all the talent in the world, insane talent level esp on defense at every position, but it did not translate.
This team, this Dallas Cowboys team this year is not taking a step back, it will be better than it was a year ago at 13-3.
Probably wont beat that record, but that will not make them a lesser team.
This team knows how to win, that's half the battle, it doesn't have to translate into 38 point totals to prove that.
If you win and only put up 19 points, its a win, nothing else matters.

 

[JBS]

It bugs me that the officials missed the sack and blew the whistle on the fumble. Fortunately, this wasn't a game where those things proved to be important, but I'm especially getting tired of the fumble thing where officials prematurely blow it dead.

The refs didn't blow the whistle on the fumble...Garrett confirmed this yesterday

 

[Sydla]

The refs didn't blow the whistle on the fumble...Garrett confirmed this yesterday

What was the claim? That it was recovered by the Giants?

 

[Yakuza Rich]

It's about your head coach and creating an environment conducive to developing talent. That environment includes having quality assistant coaches and holding them responsible if the unit they are coaching doesn't improve. It consists of top of the line training facilities, paying more as an additional incentive for players to work out in the offseason with the coaches and teammates and being on the cutting edge in terms of training, strength and conditioning and learning the game.

From there, it's about adding picks to the draft without giving up too much in trade so you not only get your high draft picks, but you allow yourself that luxury of making a mistake while possibly creating more competition. If you're relying on free agents to fill holes up every year...somebody isn't doing their job.

All of this leads to better development of players and suddenly you are a 'talented' team and suddenly your GM/Owner who people think is a fool now looks like a genius selector of talent and players like Jeff Heath, Cole Beasley, Chaz Green, Doug Free, Orlando Scandrick, etc. turn out to be significant contributors to a good team.

I think the Giants haven't learned that while it may sound nice on paper to build a team meant to stop the best rival in your division, it's better to develop the best and deepest team you can find and adjust according to the talent that comes in from the draft rather than spend big money on FA's to stop your best rival and be very thin in different areas.

This is what the Dolphins, Bills and Jets have failed to understand over the years against the Patriots. So while the Patriots continue to stockpile talent and create the best possible team they can create....their rivals are overloading on defensive talent while trotting out slugs like Ryan Fitzpatrick, Trent Edwards and JP Losman at Quarterback and can't give them enough offensive players to help them out.

It's taken a long time for Jerry to be convinced that this is the best way to build a team, but he has and it's finally working. And for the most part the coaches and players really seem to love it.





YR

 

[gimmesix]

The refs didn't blow the whistle on the fumble...Garrett confirmed this yesterday

Then we just failed to challenge it?

 

[plasticman]

Has this been mentioned?

Every Cowboy drive had a first down.

Every drive ended in Giant territorry.

 

[ConstantReboot]

The refs didn't blow the whistle on the fumble...Garrett confirmed this yesterday

He's right. The refs was wrong. He could have challenged it.

 

[jwooten15]

Then we just failed to challenge it?

Supposedly the ref told him that it was pretty clear that the Giants had recovered the ball - so there was no real reason to challenge it at that point

 

[BotchedLobotomy]

The refs didn't blow the whistle on the fumble...Garrett confirmed this yesterday

I thought they ruled forward progress. I think they can rule forward progress before the whistle.

 

[gimmesix]

Supposedly the ref told him that it was pretty clear that the Giants had recovered the ball - so there was no real reason to challenge it at that point

Hmmm ... I thought it was pretty clear that Lee had it, but I haven't had a chance to go back and watch it closely.

 

[JBS]

Hmmm ... I thought it was pretty clear that Lee had it, but I haven't had a chance to go back and watch it closely.

Correct..as did I. We should have challenged..mistake by JG..

 

[TheHerd]

What was the claim? That it was recovered by the Giants?

If so that's bogus. Wonder why Red didn't challenge it then.

 

[Afigueroa22]

It bugs me that the officials missed the sack and blew the whistle on the fumble. Fortunately, this wasn't a game where those things proved to be important, but I'm especially getting tired of the fumble thing where officials prematurely blow it dead.

Do you remember years ago in Chicago where Roy Williams' forward progress had stopped for like 10 seconds but they never blew the whistle and someone came and punched the ball out. I do.

 

[gimmesix]

Do you remember years ago in Chicago where Roy Williams' forward progress had stopped for like 10 seconds but they never blew the whistle and someone came and punched the ball out. I do.

That's why we have instant replay. If the ball comes out, there's absolutely no reason to blow the whistle because turnovers are automatically reviewed. The only real risk is injury.

 

[Longboysfan]

Has this been mentioned?

Every Cowboy drive had a first down.

Every drive ended in Giant territorry.

No. And Thank you for posting this.

 

[Idgit]

It's about your head coach and creating an environment conducive to developing talent. That environment includes having quality assistant coaches and holding them responsible if the unit they are coaching doesn't improve. It consists of top of the line training facilities, paying more as an additional incentive for players to work out in the offseason with the coaches and teammates and being on the cutting edge in terms of training, strength and conditioning and learning the game.

From there, it's about adding picks to the draft without giving up too much in trade so you not only get your high draft picks, but you allow yourself that luxury of making a mistake while possibly creating more competition. If you're relying on free agents to fill holes up every year...somebody isn't doing their job.

All of this leads to better development of players and suddenly you are a 'talented' team and suddenly your GM/Owner who people think is a fool now looks like a genius selector of talent and players like Jeff Heath, Cole Beasley, Chaz Green, Doug Free, Orlando Scandrick, etc. turn out to be significant contributors to a good team.

I think the Giants haven't learned that while it may sound nice on paper to build a team meant to stop the best rival in your division, it's better to develop the best and deepest team you can find and adjust according to the talent that comes in from the draft rather than spend big money on FA's to stop your best rival and be very thin in different areas.

This is what the Dolphins, Bills and Jets have failed to understand over the years against the Patriots. So while the Patriots continue to stockpile talent and create the best possible team they can create....their rivals are overloading on defensive talent while trotting out slugs like Ryan Fitzpatrick, Trent Edwards and JP Losman at Quarterback and can't give them enough offensive players to help them out.

It's taken a long time for Jerry to be convinced that this is the best way to build a team, but he has and it's finally working. And for the most part the coaches and players really seem to love it.

YR

This is exactly right. All that, and the stability that comes with having the same system and mostly the same players in place year after year. It lets you spend time on technique that otherwise has to go into learning the system. And the coaching stability means the same guy is working on the same things with every player for years at a time. It's not the case that you have one DL coach coming in to say one thing and another a year later telling you something different or opposite.

It requires you to get the staff right, which sometimes takes a bit of time. But once you have it down you get the benefits. It trickles down to player selection in the draft, as well, because your scouts get on the same page with the coaching staff re: what they're looking for and why.

Which, of course, is why I've always said that if you have a smart guy who can put up with Jerry and who the players and staff all like like we've had in Garrett the last 7 years, you keep that guy around unless there's a significant upgrade on the market. Even then, that upgrade has to be somebody able to work with Jerry Jones, which isn't for everybody. We're seeing the benefits of that consistency finally. A lot of fans don't want to admit it, as evidenced by their reluctance to recognize the quality of the team we've got after 2014's 12-4 and last year's 13-3, but it's obvious if you look at it without any agenda. Stability is good as long as you use the stable environment to improve rather than getting complacent. Just look at teams like NE and GB and PIT to see what it looks like.