Dallas's path to the playoffs much better than being presented

[Irvin88_4life]

Next week if Carolina, Atlanta and Detroit all lose then we control our own destiny by winning out.

Detroit losing......7 losses

Atlanta and Carolina play week 17 so one of them will lose the other gets in

 

[Idgit]

38% ain't great.

And in the end, the worst possible outcome. Go 10-6, don't make playoffs, screw draft position and give Jerry every possible reason to think his coaching staff is awesome and we don't need any changes.

Coaching staff is not changing in any scenario now, Sydla. That was a pipe dream, anyway. And draft position is overrated. Just enjoy the two games that count we may have left, and hope the 38% scenarios materialize.

 

[Idgit]

What are their chances if Rodgers doesn't play?

Common sense says 1%.

That DET team really isn't all that good. They can easily lose either of these upcoming games.

 

[IheartRomo]

38% ain't great.

And in the end, the worst possible outcome. Go 10-6, don't make playoffs, screw draft position and give Jerry every possible reason to think his coaching staff is awesome and we don't need any changes.

I was on on-board with tanking. However, that ship has sailed. The difference between 9-7 and 10-6 for draft purposes is not enough to justify not going after the playoffs. At this point, might as well hope.

 

[Kevinicus]

There is a scenario where if the Bucs win their next 2 games, and the Bengals beat the Lios, Cowboys clinch a Wildcard spot.

This assumes Dallas winning out, correct?

 

[erod]

That DET team really isn't all that good. They can easily lose either of these upcoming games.

Perhaps. But Cincinnati is getting blown out of games lately. They quit.

And the Packers are a one-man franchise.

 

[Sydla]

Coaching staff is not changing in any scenario now, Sydla. That was a pipe dream, anyway. And draft position is overrated. Just enjoy the two games that count we may have left, and hope the 38% scenarios materialize.

I disagree. I think if they limp to the finish here, you could see Marinelli and/or a few positional guys changed up.

Bringing back this staff intact is moronic........... and yet, I fully expect them to do so.

 

[Sydla]

I was on on-board with tanking. However, that ship has sailed. The difference between 9-7 and 10-6 for draft purposes is not enough to justify not going after the playoffs. At this point, might as well hope.

No one is suggesting they tank at this point.

My only point is the worst case scenario here is going 10-6 and not making the playoffs. A couple of draft spots could easily be the difference between getting a guy you really want and not.

 

[Idgit]

I disagree. I think if they limp to the finish here, you could see Marinelli and/or a few positional guys changed up.

Bringing back this staff intact is moronic........... and yet, I fully expect them to do so.

Maybe, if something unexpected happens. I seriously doubt it, though. Marinelli is well-respected in Dallas right now among the people who make the decisions. Position coaches changing is whatever.

This is a good and stable staff, though. I know you guys hate to hear it and hate the fact that the organization and the players feel that way, but it is. They have a plan for continuing to develop, but it's built around adding players and not changing what's been working pretty effectively in recent years.

With the extra picks, and the salary cap freeing up here somewhat, that's where the idea of improvement will come from. You may not buy into it, but that's what they're going to be selling.

 

[Kevinicus]

And I don't see the Falcons or Panthers losing two. And us winning out still seems like a long shot to me. Our QB is incredibly limited and our coaches make the oddest play calls at times.

I don't get why it's so hard to see the Falcons losing two when they have the Saints and Panthers left? The Falcons aren't that good.

 

[marius]

what its the situation if at the end cowboys tie with falcons?, assuming that Atlanta loses with the saints. and both end with a 10-6,
--posible final stats--
atlanta:
div 4-2-0
conf 8-3-0
non-conf 1-3-0

cowboys:
div 5-1-0
conf 7-4-0
non-conf 2-2-0

 

[Sydla]

Maybe, if something unexpected happens. I seriously doubt it, though. Marinelli is well-respected in Dallas right now among the people who make the decisions. Position coaches changing is whatever.

This is a good and stable staff, though. I know you guys hate to hear it and hate the fact that the organization and the players feel that way, but it is. They have a plan for continuing to develop, but it's built around adding players and not changing what's been working pretty effectively in recent years.

With the extra picks, and the salary cap freeing up here somewhat, that's where the idea of improvement will come from. You may not buy into it, but that's what they're going to be selling.

And they will blow 2-3 years of Prescott and Elliott on cheap deals to learn what is painfully obvious to anyone who isn't emotionally invested in Garrett. They'll probably sit out FA yet again thinking with 10 picks, they'll fix everything and Garrett and his staff will coach him up. The funny thing is they keep changing personnel and the biggest issue facing the Cowboys defense, for example, is creating turnovers and yet they don't seem to think they need changes in defensive schemes.

It's a shame, frankly. And frustrating to watch such a misguided franchise.

There is no dumber an argument for staff continuity, the notion of "stability". What good is stability when it produces average results? As noted above, we are about as successful as the Bengals the last 6-7 years. Holy hell.

 

[IheartRomo]

That DET team really isn't all that good. They can easily lose either of these upcoming games.

This is precisely how I see it. In my mind, Detroit is BY FAR the worst NFC team still alive. They're woefully average with a butter soft schedule.

They're no lock to beat anyone as proven by TB taking them to overtime last week

 

[Idgit]

I don't get why it's so hard to see the Falcons losing two when they have the Saints and Panthers left? The Falcons aren't that good.

With Richardson selling the team now, that will be his last game as owner, too. If the Saints get them next week, it'll make things pretty interesting. I'd still put my money on ATL over the Panthers, but not by much.

DET is looking like the closer call, depending what GB does with Rodgers.

 

[Idgit]

This is precisely how I see it. In my mind, Detroit is BY FAR the worst NFC team still alive. They're woefully average with a butter soft schedule.

They're no lock to beat anyone as proven by TB taking them to overtime last week

Yeah. I sure wish the Bengals hadn't started mailing it in. Tough to have a lot of hope for that one. The GB game, though, looks pretty good for us right now.

 

[JoeKing]

Simply impossible?

As it stands today, if we win our final 2 games, we statistically have a 38% chance of qualifying. Obviously that's a big if, but I don't see that as astronomically unlikely.

I said "next to impossible" not impossible, there is a difference and the 38% you are clinging on to IF we win our final 2 games is the same thing.

 

[marius]

I don't get why it's so hard to see the Falcons losing two when they have the Saints and Panthers left? The Falcons aren't that good.

because the panthers only need to win more game to ensure a place in the playoffs, they do not need to play the starting team in the last game. and maybe will lose to and hungry falcons

 

[Idgit]

And they will blow 2-3 years of Prescott and Elliott on cheap deals to learn what is painfully obvious to anyone who isn't emotionally invested in Garrett. They'll probably sit out FA yet again thinking with 10 picks, they'll fix everything and Garrett and his staff will coach him up. The funny thing is they keep changing personnel and the biggest issue facing the Cowboys defense, for example, is creating turnovers and yet they don't seem to think they need changes in defensive schemes.

It's a shame, frankly. And frustrating to watch such a misguided franchise.

There is no dumber an argument for staff continuity, the notion of "stability". What good is stability when it produces average results? As noted above, we are about as successful as the Bengals the last 6-7 years. Holy hell.

We're not going to see the staff question the same way ever (I'd of course argue that the people who want to change the staff are the ones being irrational because of their own emotional investments), but we don't have to here. I'm saying what I think happens, and it sounds like you more or less agree.

Though, I do think we'll sign at least one impact defender this offseason, depending what we're able to get done with our own guys. In any event, I think they'll be slightly more aggressive then they are normally, because, as you say, we're in a bit of a window of opportunity here with Zeke and Dak.

Who knows? Maybe we win out and sneak into the playoffs and the narrative looks very different heading into the offseason than it does here at 8-6.

 

[aikemirv]

Dome teams who can't run the ball to save their lives generally struggle in cold potentially snowy environments... Also Detroit doesn't have to lose if the Bucs win at least one game.

I think the Bucs would have to win 3 for Detroit to not have to lose.

 

[aikemirv]

because the panthers only need to win more game to ensure a place in the playoffs, they do not need to play the starting team in the last game. and maybe will lose to and hungry falcons

They will still be playing for Home Field advantage - they are not sitting anyone.