CFZ Cowboys at a crossroads for playoff momentum

[America's Cowboy]

Who's throwing tantrums on here? Certainly not myself, and I really can't think of anybody who has.

If you can remember some, how about some names?

Seriously? You're going to act as if you never saw anyone act out the past 2+ months since the season ended? I would post names, but that is against forum rules.

 

[PA Cowboy Fan]

You saw his last game and last season, right? He's all talk and never does what it takes to back it up. That's what it is based on.

Dak is who he is at this point in his career. His best years are behind him. He looked like he had deer in the headlights once again in the 49er game. The best the Cowboys can do is surround him with enough playmakers to try to make him comfortable. Getting another RB is a must and even maybe another WR. If they do that and Dak still struggles there's no fixing him.

 

[BoyzBlaster]

Which is why getting all excited about making the playoffs 3 years in a row doesn't happen for me.

Now that's my view, don't expect everyone else to feel the same way. It's like when the local university basketball team where I live (not a fan myself, I went to a rival school) managed to make the conference tournament as the last seed only because an improbable sequence of events happened, like one of the worst teams beating one of the better teams.

Lots of back slapping, high fiving (figuratively and literally) and congratulating among the fans, players and coaches, like it was some great feat.

I didn't see that as much of an accomplishment, but hey, everybody is different!

Plus being just good enough to make the playoffs only to get humiliated in back to back years with an early exit, all while still being stuck with our dumbo QB cap sucking QB, doesn't exactly make me feel great. We'd be better off sucking and taking our chances on a transformational player at QB.

 

[Beast_from_East]

A top 5 defense will pretty much guarantee us a spot in the playoffs if Dak plays marginally well.

Yep, the defense should be top 5, maybe even top 3.

If Dak plays just average that should be good enough for 9-10 wins and a wildcard.

 

[JBond]

Absolutely will. Big Mac has done more than any recent Cowboys coach since Parcells to bring some stability and consistency to the scene. This year will say a lot about how his work as HC has affected the organization’s ability to stay consistent.

Well said. The Cowboys have seemed to better understand how to manage its roster than in recent years. It takes good drafts, smart FA moves and wise trades at the right moment to make your roster stay competitive in the cap era.

Out of the three listed, I hate to say it because I want to keep all of them, but it would be Diggs if one has to go.

 

[75boyz]

Winning is the only way to change that narrative. Being “semi-close” should never be “good enough”. Which is why I think NOW is the time for the FO to push the chips ”all in”. The NFC is wide open. To not take risks to get better is just bad management of the cap and this roster.

It’s time to go for it.

It's all a matter of taking the risk with free agency money to acquire the better free agents remaining while understanding that this same risk could cause a couple or more seasons below .500 because of this risk thats taken.

Jerry and son prefer NOT to take that risk and many here are brain washed regular season super fans as well.

I'll continue to stick by your meme about where respect is earned Bob.

They will continue bottoming out at the divisional round unless they change up their philosophy. This QB needs as close to a dream team at every position as possible in order to carry him and further even think of ever winning 3-4 straight playoff games.

Plain and simple.

 

[CowboysLakerBamaFan]

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.

Not sure if anyone mentioned, but notice a trend of every team on that list but us? Start counting the number of Conference Championship games each of those teams has played in this century. Chiefs HAVE to be in double digits. If Eagles aren't in double digits at this point, they gotta be just a hair away. Everyone else at least 2.

The number keeps going up with each team you add up in the list, until you get to the last team. 0. But yeah, maybe we'll play in another Wild Card game this year. WINNING!!!!!!!!

 

[LACowboysFan1]

Seriously? You're going to act as if you never saw anyone act out the past 2+ months since the season ended? I would post names, but that is against forum rules.

There were undoubtedly some, that's just being human.

But not everyone always stays calm, cool and collected. I can understand the frustration, and if someone vents in the "heat of the moment", I can also understand that. To each his own...

 

[LACowboysFan1]

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………….

Nobody can tell you that. Of course, if Trent Dilfer, etc. can win a Super Bowl, why not a Dak Prescott?

So much goes into winning the Super Bowl, not the least of which is some luck. A key injury here, a bad official's call there, a funny bounce of the ball somewhere else, and (to quote the late, great John Madden) boom!

You win the Super Bowl! Though it's usually not that way. Just noting that for all the posters with the "Dallas will never win a Super Bowl with Dak as the quarterback" statement, we won't know until he's no longer our quarterback...

 

[kskboys]

3 straight years will say a lot about mcarthy.

For the first time since Tuna, we are acquiring S's and NT's.

 

[kskboys]

A lot of uniquely awful things are going to need to happen in order to miss the playoffs with a top 5 defense in a time when too many teams qualify.

Our D was 12th last year. You think we've done enough to jump up into top 5?

 

[75boyz]

Besides hitting on Parsons which has uplifted our defense , Im not really seeing this dramatic difference in this team from this HC to our last HC.

While the defense is improved , we saw it slide in second half of last season . And the offense has slid from the more running game dominance we had with prior staff.

We did finally have consecutive playoff appearances which is first time since Bill in 2006-2007. But thus far the results haven’t culminated in playoffs with very similar results.

So far , it’s still much in the same to me. Such a shame with a more proven HC . Hopefully that changes. We shall see.

Totally agree. Previous HC had a more dominant o line, RB and more mobile version of this same QB.
Defensively, this current coach's current defense is far superior to the previous HC.

I made a previous post saying how previous coach's 2014-1016 was no different to current HC's 2020-2022.

Current HC's run was consecutive '21'-'22 for wins. Previous one had a good 2014 and good 2016.
Both lost their starting QB for the season that the team failed.

While I may not share your past history of support for the previous coach, I think this coach's success has been due to the previous offensive coordinator and current defensive coordinator vice this HC's direct influence.

Overall, I totally agree with you.
And lucking out on Micah is a HUGE difference maker as you mentioned.

 

[fivetwos]

Our D was 12th last year. You think we've done enough to jump up into top 5?

No sir, you’ll need the context of the post I was answering. Happens.

 

[KJJ]

In a salary cap era if you go all in for one season like a lot of fans on this board want the Cowboys to do you’re going to pay the price the following year and beyond, even if that one year pays off. The Rams went from winning the Super Bowl in 2021 to the basement in the NFC East in 2022. Tampa has fallen off each season since their Super Bowl win in 2020 and will likely fall even farther with the retirement of Brady. I would rather have a few chances in the coming years than one good chance that could very easily end in another huge disappointment.

The longer you can keep your team together, the better the odds you can stay in contention for a Super Bowl in consecutive years. The Cowboys are coming off back-to-back playoff seasons for the first time since 06 and 07 and they’ve done it by managing the cap, enabling them to keep a majority of their best players. The Cowboys haven’t made any splash moves this offseason, but they’ve made some solid moves. Continuing to make the playoffs each year will allow the team to continue to gain postseason experience, which increases their odds of breaking through.

 

[kskboys]

No sir, you’ll need the context of the post I was answering. Happens.

Hmmmm....Guess I'll have to take a look.

 

[kskboys]

No sir, you’ll need the context of the post I was answering. Happens.

Apologies, my good sir!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Context is everything!!!!

 

[kskboys]

Who's throwing tantrums on here? Certainly not myself, and I really can't think of anybody who has.

If you can remember some, how about some names?

It's almost strictly the Dak spewers. Both sides continuously throw tantrums.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

It's almost strictly the Dak spewers. Both sides continuously throw tantrums.

What is a Dak spewer?

 

[kskboys]

What is a Dak spewer?

The dozen or so on either side of the Dak arguments who continuously spew rhetoric. Make any Dak thread so miserable that most simply stay away.

 

[Techsass]

I so wish I could be with you there. Unfortunately, as I've said before, "exciting times" do not exist for me anymore with the Cowboys. Too many disappointments, too many failed seasons and too many "what the????" moments.

I watch and wait for whatever happens, have had enough of the heartaches.

But glad for you and others who still have hope....

I was guilty of a lot of "what the ???" moments during the mid-90s, so I guess my standards have changed. I treat the team a bit too much like family & can forgive some screw ups way too easily. Now I'm even happy with ugly wins.

The late 90s & early 2000s were very hard on me, but I've adapted. The last 5 years have raised my expectations a lot.