Cowboys are a work-in-progress, but here’s why they are making strides

[ghst187]

Dallas has been a work in progress since Garrett took over as coach, which means we've been going nowhere because by the time we build up one area, we've gotten weaker in another. This league just isn't built for long-term plans. Few teams can sustain success because players come and go.

This is spot on and exactly why JJ and JG just don’t get today’s game.

 

[Verdict]

What do you think the Eagles thought of their process of zero Super Bowls? They were not a super bowl favorite at the start of the season, and quite honestly they were probably not the best team last year.

I'm not sure why some of you guys drink your own urine? Perhaps it's because it is sterile and you like the taste!

We ALWAYS have a chance every year, all the way up to the time that we are eliminated. If you guys choose to focus only on the negative when this team has so much positive traction you are seriously missing out on a good team.

The offense is a bit anemic, but it could improve as the season goes on. We just need to get in the playoffs and be playing our best ball of the year during the playoffs.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

I knew just from the title this was a BTB piece.

 

[Doomsay]

snore

 

[buybuydandavis]

We're making strides because the drafts have been pretty good lately.

And our past rolls of the dice with Gregory and Jaylon have got them both on the field.

But one thing about the offensive problems - look at how little we're spending on the current roster of skill players. Besides Zeke, we've spent diddley on them.

And for the future, we're eating 25mil of dead cap this year. Scheduled for less than 3mil next year.

 

[Seven]

Dallas has been a work in progress since Garrett took over as coach, which means we've been going nowhere because by the time we build up one area, we've gotten weaker in another. This league just isn't built for long-term plans. Few teams can sustain success because players come and go.

I'm so sick of this excuse.

It's jerry freakin jones.......period.

A druken billionaire who knows squat about athletes. Especially football players.

This football thing is a hobby......money and personal fame come first. He rolles the dice and hoped player "A" would confirm he knows what he's doing.

NEVER HAPPENED.

 

[Jake]

I'll know the Cowboys are "making strides" when they reach the NFC title game for the first time this century.

 

[gimmesix]

I'm so sick of this excuse.

It's jerry freakin jones.......period.

A druken billionaire who knows squat about athletes. Especially football players.

This football thing is a hobby......money and personal fame come first. He rolles the dice and hoped player "A" would confirm he knows what he's doing.

NEVER HAPPENED.

Yet he won three Super Bowls with Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer as head coach. Why is that? Because the right people can overcome his shortcomings (although Switzer was only a temporary fix in place of Johnson).

Garrett's work in progress style doesn't work because he's not good enough as a coach no matter how bad Jerry is as an GM. Parcells got this team's direction turned around because of his vision for how to do it. He ultimately decided that he couldn't take the lows of the game anymore, but like with Jimmy, he showed what a good strong-minded coach could do for this team.

Jerry rides in the direction his coach goes, and Garrett's process is not a good direction in today's NFL.

 

[percyhoward]

The big thing that stood out to me in this article was..."Every time Dak averages over seven yards per attempt, the Cowboys win. Every time. They are a perfect 19-0 in those games."

And his yards per attempt is directly related to the amount of QB pressures in the game. When Prescott is pressured on less than 40% of his dropbacks, we're 21-3. (Dallas averaged 27 ppg in the 3 losses)

bold = 7.0+ ypa
bold = 8.0+ ypa

Games under consistent pressure (4-8)
(40% or more of dropbacks)
2016: Phi, at Min, at NYG
2017: at Den, LAR, at Was, at Atl, LAC, at Oak, Sea
2018: at Car, at Sea

Games with a normal amount of pressure (13-2)
2016: NYG, at Was, Chi, at SF, at Pit, Bal, Was, TB, GB (playoffs)
2017: at Ari, KC, Was, at Phi
2018: NYG

Games with a consistently clean pocket (8-1)
(28% or less of dropbacks)
2016: Cin, at GB, at Cle, Det
2017: NYG, GB, at SF, at NYG
2018: Det

 

[Seven]

Yet he won three Super Bowls with Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer as head coach. Why is that? Because the right people can overcome his shortcomings (although Switzer was only a temporary fix in place of Johnson).

Garrett's work in progress style doesn't work because he's not good enough as a coach no matter how bad Jerry is as an GM. Parcells got this team's direction turned around because of his vision for how to do it. He ultimately decided that he couldn't take the lows of the game anymore, but like with Jimmy, he showed what a good strong-minded coach could do for this team.

Jerry rides in the direction his coach goes, and Garrett's process is not a good direction in today's NFL.

Who. Hired. Garrett.

 

[Sarge]

More like a work in process.

 

[gimmesix]

Who. Hired. Garrett.

I'm not trying to come off as if I'm in support as Jerry as GM, or even Stephen, because a real GM would set the philosophy of his team instead of the team essentially it changing to the whim of whoever is coach.

If Jimmy had not been hired by Jerry as his first coach, there's no doubt in my mind that we would have sucked those first few years unless Jerry had lucked upon a similar-type coach, i.e. one with a good, strong philosophy.

When Jimmy left, Barry wasn't a bad temporary bandage because he just wanted to ride Jimmy's coattails instead of making major changes. However, the lack of a good, strong philosophy helped the team deteriorate because we couldn't keep living on what Jimmy built.

Chan Gailey knew what he wanted but was undermined by the old vets not buying into it. A good GM would have given his coach the support he needed, so instead Gailey's philosophy never had a chance of working.

Dave Campo didn't seem to have any philosophy, and we were trying to figure how to fix the cap, so that was doomed to failure.

Bill Parcells knew exactly what he wanted all around and set out to get it. There may have been a few moves that he wasn't totally on board with, but overall Jerry gave him what he wanted. If he had been able to develop Romo faster, fans might have a different view of his time here.

Wade Phillips was brought in because the thought was that he could elevate the defense even more. However, Phillips was a weak-willed head coach and we didn't have a real GM to give him guidance.

IMO, our current philosophy is the product of what Garrett wants. He played on those stocked 1990s teams that were built by Jimmy and showed right after he was named coach that he wanted to try to replicate that in dismantling the offensive line and setting about rebuilding it. It became all about the process. However, Garrett doesn't seem to understand that you can't slow-build teams in this era, so he doesn't have a good, strong philosophy for the Joneses to adopt. And they think it's right because they don't have the football acumen to know better.

The Joneses need a Jimmy Johnson or Bill Parcells to give them a philosophy to follow.

 

[camelboy]

Was on board with work in process 2-3 years ago .. not anymore .. How many teams made it to the conference championship, disappeared and then reloaded during the past 20+ years?
Rams reach SB twice, disappeared for sometime then came back up again challenging for SB
Giants won the SB, fell off, then reloaded and cam back and won the SB
Eagles, reached the SB, NFCC, disappeared, then reloaded and won the SB and look a contender for some time now
Saints also seem to be reloaded again after they won the SB
49ers made it to at least the NFCC 3 years in a row
Seahawks, reached the SB, disappeared, reloaded and came back to reach the SB twice
Even Jags, after their early AFCC and long obscurity, reloaded and reached the AFCC again

I am sure there are other examples.

The Cowboys are now in the group of Browns, Lions, Dolphins, Skins, Bills, Chargers

The organization that was once considered measuring stick, the bar, the machine, the innovators, the envy of the league, the automatic contender, now has a mental block and confidence issue that left the owner, coaches, fans consider making the playoff our trophy .. how sad .. how sad

Thanks Jerry, at least you have the money, the fans?

 

[kskboys]

EZ is getting his game legs under him.

He's quite simply the type of RB who needs a lot of touches. He's like Emmit, the more he gets, the better and stronger he gets.

 

[Mobinvans]

Dude Dak sucks

 

[kskboys]

Dude Dak sucks

Limited thought processes, hey?

 

[cowboy_ron]

There's not a single game on our schedule where I'm confident in saying "oh, we got this one".