News: BTB: Why last year doesn’t matter in the NFL and why it’s okay to be optimistic

[waving monkey]

Anything can happen in the NFL. Every new NFL season is always a new chance for teams that fell short of the playoffs the season before. The NFL is intrinsically designed to be a parity-driven league; the draft, revenue sharing, the salary cap, compensatory draft picks, even the schedule; everything about the NFL is designed so that every team from every market has a legit opportunity to compete year-in and year-out.

Fact is, the ‘competitive balance’ in the league gives each team hope of finishing at the top of the standings regardless of its record the previous season. Sometimes for no other reason than that other teams in the division are even worse. In the NFL, this is called parity.

Yet you wouldn’t notice that if you were to look at the majority of season outlooks published at this time of the year, as most of them seem to do little more than copy last year’s standings and add a little “surprise” here or there.

Case in point: SI.com’s Prediction for every NFL team’s 2018 season record published last month. It’s a 5,800+ word missive in which author Jonathan Jones boldly declares that “next season’s playoffs will probably look a lot like last season’s,” and has all eight division champions from 2017 repeating in 2018.

https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/201...-and-why-its-okay-to-be-optimistic-about-2018

 

[Direwolf63]

Where are my pom-poms............

 

[acr731]

The Cowboys have about the same odds of winning the super bowl as I have of hooking up with Kate Beckinsale.

 

[Tangle_Foot]

This is all propaganda. We should have fired Garrett, moved up in the draft, traded for Earl Thomas and resigned Dez. We're doomed this franchise will never learn, I'm headed for the ledge

 

[visionary]

Last year didn't matter?
So, the eagles still don't have a SB victory?
Good to know

 

[DandyTom64]

The Cowboys have about the same odds of winning the super bowl as I have of hooking up with Kate Beckinsale.

I didn't see you and her on the board in Vegas. Must have been the lack of sleep.

 

[PUSHfold]

The Cowboys have about the same odds of winning the super bowl as I have of hooking up with Kate Beckinsale.

She was so incredibly sexy in Underworld...

We're gonna be just fine this year and if we're terrible we'll get good draft position. The worst thing that can happen is being completely mediocre, not making playoffs and not getting good draft position. (Like last year)

 

[Falco78]

The Cowboys have about the same odds of winning the super bowl as I have of hooking up with Kate Beckinsale.

Don't start, she's mine!

 

[gimmesix]

Anything can happen in the NFL.

7 1/2 years and no NFL Championship Game for a Garrett-led team certainly doesn't seem to indicate that can happen.

 

[northerncowboynation]

Anything can happen in the NFL. Every new NFL season is always a new chance for teams that fell short of the playoffs the season before. The NFL is intrinsically designed to be a parity-driven league; the draft, revenue sharing, the salary cap, compensatory draft picks, even the schedule; everything about the NFL is designed so that every team from every market has a legit opportunity to compete year-in and year-out.

Fact is, the ‘competitive balance’ in the league gives each team hope of finishing at the top of the standings regardless of its record the previous season. Sometimes for no other reason than that other teams in the division are even worse. In the NFL, this is called parity.

Yet you wouldn’t notice that if you were to look at the majority of season outlooks published at this time of the year, as most of them seem to do little more than copy last year’s standings and add a little “surprise” here or there.

Case in point: SI.com’s Prediction for every NFL team’s 2018 season record published last month. It’s a 5,800+ word missive in which author Jonathan Jones boldly declares that “next season’s playoffs will probably look a lot like last season’s,” and has all eight division champions from 2017 repeating in 2018.

https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/201...-and-why-its-okay-to-be-optimistic-about-2018

Oh baby you know what a like? Last year we went in to the season saying no team has repeated as NFC east champs since the early 2000's. Tell ya what, if it applied to us, it applies to the sporging Eagles

Put that in your pipe and smoke it sporging eagle fans and lil Jonny Jones

 

[tyke1doe]

I'm walking on sunshine oh, oh, oh, and don't it feel good!

 

[PA Cowboy Fan]

Bloggingthe boys. Isn't that that homer site?

 

[StarBoyz83]

The Cowboys have about the same odds of winning the super bowl as I have of hooking up with Kate Beckinsale.

Lol she is beautiful. Dallas has a slighty better shot. 1/15 I'd say lol

 

[CPanther95]

Unfortunately, anything could have happened the last 22 years also.

 

[T-RO]

Cowboys have won more regular season games in past two seasons than Eagles have. Why fans think we can’t win a super bowl is beyond me.

 

[CPanther95]

Cowboys have won more regular season games in past two seasons than Eagles have. Why fans think we can’t win a super bowl is beyond me.

When they start playing the Super Bowl in the regular season, I think more fans will come around.

 

[PA Cowboy Fan]

Cowboys have won more regular season games in past two seasons than Eagles have. Why fans think we can’t win a super bowl is beyond me.

2 playoff wins in over 20 years. Being the #1 seed twice and losing the first game.

 

[JustChip]

Last year didn't matter?
So, the eagles still don't have a SB victory?
Good to know

I think you’re missing the message in the OP’s post. None of the 2016 NFC Division Champs repeated as such in in 2017. Furthermore, only 1, Atlanta, of the 2016 NFC playoff teams were in the playoffs in 2017. And that’s not an outlier in today’s NFL.

All the chicken littles need to take a deep breath and look at history and reality.

 

[ShortRound]

Our division was weak and we didn't strike. It's only gotten tougher and we have the same trio of coaches. That just shows, ownership is happy with zero playoffs wins.

But what the hell, sun shines on a dog's *** sometimes right? That's what we're going with?

 

[DiResta]

Relax, Cowboys fans: Why last year doesn’t matter