CFZ Cowboys at a crossroads for playoff momentum

[Rockport]

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.

You’re entitled to your opinion. No matter how lame it is.

 

[basel90]

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.

The cowboys should be going for an all in season every 2-3 years in order to win a super bowl , which is the only thing cowboys fans want. Going for consecutive 10 or so wiins in a row may sell tickets but means nothing for the fans and for the record books. Only lombaridis count . Cowboy fans will be ok with a down year or 2 after a super bowl win . fans understand how the cap works.

 

[LACowboysFan1]

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.

Good for you. Maybe someday I can, too...

 

[LACowboysFan1]

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.

Good post, thank you. No Dak bashing, no Zeke "glad he's gone" gloating and no "Jerry Jones only cares about making money/was responsitble for the 1990s success" If only it was as simple as those type of posts <sigh>.

Couple of additional points. In regard to the "having a few chances than one good one", I'm torn between that attitude and the opposite. I'm not getting any younger, don't know how many more seasons I'll be around, getting one SB by going all in and betting the house the dropping into the pits would at least get us to the Steelers and Patrots SB win level, and I could stand another 20 years of no more SBs. But getting all excited to see another trophy hoisted then more disappointment would really hurt, that's why I'm not getting my hopes up.

Second, continuing to gain postseason experience is great, except that it makes your players more attractive to other teams than maybe they should be, and we'll start losing players to teams that are willing to outbid Dallas. You only have a few short years to almost get there before the team starts to fall apart, as in the 1990s Cowboys.

 

[Calvin2Tony2Emmitt2Julius]

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.

Ok so Let me try and keep up with yo . I'm kinda slow. We got Cooks, Gallup is a year removed from surgery, Smith is a year older, Steele coming back, We got Gilmore making the defense better

we signed almost all of our FA's that we needed to, and because YOU think Dak is going to regress, You say we won't make the playoffs

 

[LonnieElam]

Ok so Let me try and keep up with yo . I'm kinda slow. We got Cooks, Gallup is a year removed from surgery, Smith is a year older, Steele coming back, We got Gilmore making the defense better

we signed almost all of our FA's that we needed to, and because YOU think Dak is going to regress, You say we won't make the playoffs

Philly was just in the SB, have two first round picks (probably getting Bijan, and stopping the run is our weakness), and a WAY better QB. They have a far better chance of winning the division than we do. I hope I'm wrong, but I don't see it. I'm sorry you got triggered by my post, but at least you possess enough self-awareness to realize you're slow.

 

[CowboyFanInLexKy]

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.

Bill called the plays in 2006-2007. When MM was at GB, he called the plays. He hasn't had that opportunity while here. He will this year.... We will see just what he does.

 

[Diehardblues]

Bill called the plays in 2006-2007. When MM was at GB, he called the plays. He hasn't had that opportunity while here. He will this year.... We will see just what he does.

Bill wasn’t here in 2007. He left after 2006.

 

[nalam]

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

You forgot the first 5 years as OC

 

[nalam]

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.

So you are saying we are SB bound ? Most of us saying NFC championship or bust , so it matches well .

 

[CowboyRoy]

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.

So dak looked lost against the #1 D in the world on the road with only zeke to run the ball?

yah, get rid of him. Lol

do you people even listen do yourself?

 

[CowboyRoy]

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

Dak defenders say dak is a top 10 qb. Haters say he’s below average and Daniel jones is better. Who is more accurate?

 

[Calvin2Tony2Emmitt2Julius]

Philly was just in the SB, have two first round picks (probably getting Bijan, and stopping the run is our weakness), and a WAY better QB. They have a far better chance of winning the division than we do. I hope I'm wrong, but I don't see it. I'm sorry you got triggered by my post, but at least you possess enough self-awareness to realize you're slow.

Calm down little buckeroo. Insults are a dead give away for people with limited intellect

 

[CowboyFrog]

Calm down little buckeroo. Insults are a dead give away for people with limited intellect

100%..Its like our society is slowly learning debate skills from Politicians "I cant give my argument legs so I'm going to trash you"..dead giveaway they feel like they are behind the 8 ball.

 

[Calvin2Tony2Emmitt2Julius]

You Eagles fan you!!!!!!

 

[LonnieElam]

Calm down little buckeroo. Insults are a dead give away for people with limited intellect

You're the one that said you're slow, not me.

 

[kskboys]

Dak defenders say dak is a top 10 qb. Haters say he’s below average and Daniel jones is better. Who is more accurate?

Depends on which ones you're referring to. I've seen Dak compared to Mahomes, and I've seen a declaration that he's better than Burrow and Herbert.

So, neither side of the Dak spewers is remotely accurate. They seem to get some weird little pleasure out of inane reiterations. I can just see both sides holding their little bankies while they copy and paste the same spew from yesterday.

 

[kskboys]

So dak looked lost against the #1 D in the world on the road with only zeke to run the ball?

yah, get rid of him. Lol

do you people even listen do yourself?

I was firmly on Dak's side until he held the team hostage for top QB play. Hey, you want to insist on being paid top 5, then play like it. He put himself in this position. Guess he's happy counting his money.

 

[CowboyRoy]

Depends on which ones you're referring to. I've seen Dak compared to Mahomes, and I've seen a declaration that he's better than Burrow and Herbert.

So, neither side of the Dak spewers is remotely accurate. They seem to get some weird little pleasure out of inane reiterations. I can just see both sides holding their little bankies while they copy and paste the same spew from yesterday.

That is absolutely ridiculous. One clueless homer that says Dak is better than Burrow or Mahomes is meaningless. Most Dak supporters say hes a top 10 QB and not elite. The haters arent even close.

 

[CCBoy]

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.

Better check with the liquor store guy first...