CFZ Cowboys at a crossroads for playoff momentum

[Flamma]

We're not making the playoffs 3 years in a row, and I think Dak regresses even more. I hope I'm wrong, but I don't think I will be. It's sad, because I think our defense will be top 10, if not top 5.

I would agree that we're probably not winning 12 games again, but not make the playoffs? Our defense would also have to regress for that to happen. Remember, just about half the conference makes the playoffs. Bad teams make the playoffs now too.

 

[DCreppinBoysfan]

I think the key to consistant success in the salary cap era is recognizing you can't re-sign all of your "stars". You have to be willing to trade some great players at the height of their value even though it hurts.

Diggs, Lamb, Parsons, Dak extension. You can't keep them all. Now is the time to figure it out.

Diggs… is the odd man out of that group.

 

[Cowboys5217]

We could still end up winning 12 games. I don't think Dak will get us to a title game, but the NFC is at the lowest level across the board as far as QB talent goes that I have ever seen. Even a bus driver could win 12 games in the NFC in 2023 with a good defense and running game.

 

[gtb1943]

We could still end up winning 12 games. I don't think Dak will get us to a title game, but the NFC is at the lowest level across the board as far as QB talent goes that I have ever seen. Even a bus driver could win 12 games in the NFC in 2023 with a good defense and running game.

The NFC QB lineup is pretty sad. Should Dak regain form and cut his pics in half and keep up the good stats, stranger things have happened.

Sadly though we would be a speed bump in the SB. Sacrificial lamb. Forlorn hope. Road Kill. Target practice. Dead meat. Etc to whoever makes it in the AFC Champ Game.

 

[visionary]

I think the key to consistant success in the salary cap era is recognizing you can't re-sign all of your "stars". You have to be willing to trade some great players at the height of their value even though it hurts.

Diggs, Lamb, Parsons, Dak extension. You can't keep them all. Now is the time to figure it out.

I already did
Trade Diggs now

 

[rnr_honeybadger]

Please. Enough with this gif. I am scarred enough remembering this guy managed to keep his job for a decade.

Garrett is going to become a fond memory once they extend Dak Prescott and keep the mediocrity going.

 

[LACowboysFan1]

Totally agree and truly appreciate the Cowboys recent playoff streak accomplishment, BP! Too bad a majority could care less but instead bicker, berate and condemn for failing to reach a Super Bowl.

So, you aren't bothered by the lack of SB appearances/wins for the last 27 years? The NFL isn't a participation trophy league, it's a professional sport where the goal is to win the Super Bowl, not just play for the fun of it.

Which I'm sure you know. If you can just watch the games and not care if Dallas ever wins another SB, well bless your heart, you're easily satisfied.

But most of us want bigger things. I started watching the Cowboys in 1968, I've seen EIGHT SB appearances. To not get to one for 27 years is galling, to say the least.

As far as the "recent playoff streak accomplishment" goes, how about a little perspective?

When the Cowboys won their first SB, there were 26 teams in the league. Only 8 made the playoffs, the division winners. NO wild card teams. So you had to be darn good to make the playoffs. Now? 14 of the 32 teams make the playoffs. Excuse me if I'm not that impressed.

 

[CowboyRoy]

In today’s salary cap era of the NFL, it is truly challenging for any team to win 10+ regular season games and make the playoffs in 3 consecutive years. So far on paper, the Cowboys look poised to do that in 2023. The last time the Cowboys made the playoffs in 3 or more consecutive seasons was from 1991-96 when they made it in 6 straight.

In the pre-cap era, The Cowboys (1975-83) hold the NFL record with 9 straight postseason appearances. In the post cap era, two teams- the Colts, who made the playoffs in 11 consecutive seasons, (2000-2010), and the Patriots (2009-2019) hold the post cap era record for consecutive playoff seasons. Obviously Peyton Manning and Tom Brady were the centerpieces of those post cap era teams’ streaks.

But obviously it’s hard in this current era of pro football for teams to run up long strings of consecutive playoff appearances.
Here are the current NFL team playoff appearance streaks:

• Chiefs- 8 consecutive seasons- 2015-22. (3 AFC championships, 2 Lombardis)
• Bills- 4 consecutive seasons- 2018-22. (No conf championships or SBs)
• Bucs- 3 consecutive seasons- 2020-22 (1 NFC championship, 1 Lombardi)
• Eagles- 2 consecutive seasons- 2021-22 (1 NFC championship)
• Bengals- 2 consecutive seasons- 2021-22 (1 AFC championship)
• 49ers- 2 consecutive seasons- 2021-22 (No conference championships)
• Cowboys- 2 consecutive seasons- 2021-22 (No conference championship appearances)

That‘s not a long list. It’s hard to build a playoff contender that can compete in the playoffs consistently.

So as we head into this year’s draft, the Cowboys could be one of those teams that in the cap era enter the rare air of making the playoffs in 3 consecutive seasons. It is hard to build organizational momentum. The 2023 season will go a long way in proving whether or not the Cowboys are building that kind of momentum. Exciting times.

Lol…let’s tear it down and start over. Because a bunch of cry babies got it all wrong?

 

[Bobhaze]

We could still end up winning 12 games. I don't think Dak will get us to a title game, but the NFC is at the lowest level across the board as far as QB talent goes that I have ever seen. Even a bus driver could win 12 games in the NFC in 2023 with a good defense and running game.

To me the key for the Cowboys to be serious contenders for a Lombardi is whether or not the front office can put enough playmakers around Dak and a defense stout enough to keep this team in games where the offense isn’t at peak performance.

To win multiple playoff games it’s going to take a lot better roster than what we’ve had the last 27 years. If we have a good draft, continue with smart free agent and trade moves, we have as good a chance as any team in the NFC. I felt the biggest reason we faltered against the niners was the poor off-season we had last year. Yeah, Dak played terrible vs the niners. But that off-season last year, we saw the eagles get super aggressive and win the NFC. While our FO played it safe.

Playing it safe doesn’t win championships.

 

[BleedSilverandBlue]

We're not making the playoffs 3 years in a row, and I think Dak regresses even more. I hope I'm wrong, but I don't think I will be. It's sad, because I think our defense will be top 10, if not top 5.

This isn't going to age well.

 

[LonnieElam]

This isn't going to age well.

That's a great story. Tell me more!

 

[Sarge]

We're not making the playoffs 3 years in a row, and I think Dak regresses even more. I hope I'm wrong, but I don't think I will be. It's sad, because I think our defense will be top 10, if not top 5.

I don’t think Dak regresses but unfortunately I think we have seen the best of him. Is that good enough to win the Super Bowl? You tell me………….

 

[Fastpitch Dad]

Another gem, @Bobhaze , I have enjoyed your posts for many years now. My only complaint is that you do not post enough.

As @TheMarathonContinues , @DogFace , and yourself mentioned, Big Mike deserves a lot of credit. In my opinion, he's been our best coach since Jimmy left.

His first year, with the flu and everything that it impacted, starting QB lost for the season, a lot of other injuries, Mike kept that team together and they played hard. I think a lot of folks look at the record and think it was a bad year. But with Mike being new, hardly being able to even meet his team, then all the stuff I mentioned, I thought his leadership was incredible.

Although we haven't had the playoff success we all want, this team no longer falls apart with an injury like we did under previous puppets. It's always next man up with Mike, and almost all perform well when called on. To me, that's a great-coached team.

If we don't see a Super Bowl under his reign I fear we might not see one for a very long time. Jerry will be hard-pressed to get another coach as good as Mike.

 

[CowboyoWales]

To win multiple playoff games it’s going to take a lot better roster than what we’ve had the last 27 years. If we have a good draft, continue with smart free agent and trade moves, we have as good a chance as any team in the NFC. I felt the biggest reason we faltered against the niners was the poor off-season we had last year. Yeah, Dak played terrible vs the niners. But that off-season last year, we saw the eagles get super aggressive and win the NFC. While our FO played it safe.

Playing it safe doesn’t win championships.

For me it's not as easy as just blaming the roster..... that roster thumped the Eagles and then annihilated the Bucc's (in between horrendous Offensive performances vrs Comms and 9ERS). For me the problem lies with how the Offense plays against a passive zonal Defense. We're ok against the blitz, however, falter when the defense floods the secondary.

Scheme rather than roster.

 

[phildadon86]

Garrett is going to become a fond memory once they extend Dak Prescott and keep the mediocrity going.

You guys really need to bring him into every thread eh?

 

[America's Cowboy]

So, you aren't bothered by the lack of SB appearances/wins for the last 27 years? The NFL isn't a participation trophy league, it's a professional sport where the goal is to win the Super Bowl, not just play for the fun of it.

Which I'm sure you know. If you can just watch the games and not care if Dallas ever wins another SB, well bless your heart, you're easily satisfied.

But most of us want bigger things. I started watching the Cowboys in 1968, I've seen EIGHT SB appearances. To not get to one for 27 years is galling, to say the least.

As far as the "recent playoff streak accomplishment" goes, how about a little perspective?

When the Cowboys won their first SB, there were 26 teams in the league. Only 8 made the playoffs, the division winners. NO wild card teams. So you had to be darn good to make the playoffs. Now? 14 of the 32 teams make the playoffs. Excuse me if I'm not that impressed.

I never said it doesn't bother me noticing it's been 27 years of not reaching a SB, but I would expect better behavior from Cowboys fans for the recent success of THIS current team. Making the playoffs is not easy nowadays since there is so much parity due to the salary cap, much less if a team can create a playoff streak. That's not something to be so easily scoffed at. Some of you sound so unappreciative and quite frankly spoiled from the years when there was no salary cap. It's much harder with a salary cap in place. Give this current team some credit. They have made back-to-back playoffs while starting to make player changes and better manage their salary cap. Let's see what 2023 - 2025 have to offer before one keeps on complaining so unappreciatively. It's unbecoming of Cowboys fans. Starting to sound like Eagles fans.

 

[gtb1943]

I never said it doesn't bother me noticing it's been 27 years of not reaching a SB, but I would expect better behavior from Cowboys fans for the recent success of THIS current team. Making the playoffs is not easy nowadays since there is so much parity due to the salary cap, much less if a team can create a playoff streak. That's not something to be so easily scoffed at. Some of you sound so unappreciative and quite frankly spoiled from the years when there was no salary cap. It's much harder with a salary cap in place. Give this current team some credit. They have made back-to-back playoffs while starting to make player changes and better manage their salary cap. Let's see what 2023 - 2025 have to offer before one keeps on complaining so unappreciatively. It's unbecoming of Cowboys fans. Starting to sound like Eagles fans.

No, complaining at not making the Championship Game for 27 years is perfectly fine. Being satisfied with JUST MAKING THE PLAYOFFS is NOT FINE.
REAL COWBOYS FANS expect more and are not satisfied until they get there.

BLUNTLY SPEAKING, all we are getting now is like a participation trophy. MEANINGLESS.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

Another gem, @Bobhaze , I have enjoyed your posts for many years now. My only complaint is that you do not post enough.

As @TheMarathonContinues , @DogFace , and yourself mentioned, Big Mike deserves a lot of credit. In my opinion, he's been our best coach since Jimmy left.

His first year, with the flu and everything that it impacted, starting QB lost for the season, a lot of other injuries, Mike kept that team together and they played hard. I think a lot of folks look at the record and think it was a bad year. But with Mike being new, hardly being able to even meet his team, then all the stuff I mentioned, I thought his leadership was incredible.

Although we haven't had the playoff success we all want, this team no longer falls apart with an injury like we did under previous puppets. It's always next man up with Mike, and almost all perform well when called on. To me, that's a great-coached team.

If we don't see a Super Bowl under his reign I fear we might not see one for a very long time. Jerry will be hard-pressed to get another coach as good as Mike.

Yeah that’s crazy to say but yeah it’s true. I’d go as far as to say he has been better than Tuna….granted, Tuna did have to start from scratch but as far as coaching goes? I’d say he’s been the best since Jimmy.

 

[Big_D]

No, complaining at not making the Championship Game for 27 years is perfectly fine. Being satisfied with JUST MAKING THE PLAYOFFS is NOT FINE.
REAL COWBOYS FANS expect more and are not satisfied until they get there.

BLUNTLY SPEAKING, all we are getting now is like a participation trophy. MEANINGLESS.

Most fans won’t be happy until this team either starts beating the better teams in the playoffs or becomes one. Beating up on an 8-9 team who had no business there isn’t gonna cut it. Plus the final 2 plays from both losses? pathetic in both cases is not something to be very happy about.

 

[Aven8]

3 straight years will say a lot about mcarthy.

Mike has done this his whole coaching career. Just get in and sooner or later you might win one.