Danger Ahead...

[T-RO]

The Cowboys are going to be forced into playing a tired and overworked group of players more than 2 games in just five days.

It's a perfect recipe for injury.

Consider the following:
1. Sunday's HOF game featured 132 plays...about 10 more than a normal game. Preseason games are notorious for being longer (and featuring more plays) than a typical regular season game. They have have more penalties and incomplete passes, which repeatedly stop the clock.

2. A Sunday night game will be followed by another game only 4 days later. Plus travel will shorten the week even further.

3. Thinned ranks will force some personnel into playing most of both games, at a time when the players are not yet in regular season condition. For example Scott Sicko will likely be called upon to play over 50 plays Thursday night, and an injury to him would seriously deplete the Cowboys at the position.

I hate preseason games. Hate. Them. At the very least the NFL needs to suspend some of it's time stoppages in these games. Shorten the games to less than 100 plays by keeping the clock running. The fans are usually emptying out of stadiums or changing the channel early in the 4th quarter anyway.

Any enjoyment of watching a preseason game is radically diminished with an injury like the one Phillips (likely) suffered. Mr. Goodell, fix this thing NOW.

 

[The Emperor]

2. A Sunday night game will be followed by another game only 4 days later. Plus travel will shorten the week even further.

How's that any different than our annual Thanksgiving Day game? Actually, there is a difference. We'll have about 80 players out there this Thursday, whereas we've got 45 on Thanksgiving. Plus, about 28 of those 45 play every down.

This is all much ado about nothing.

 

[jswalker1981]

And Wade already has a plan for this. He featured players on special teams and limited their position plays. Now he will switch it up for the next game. The players that focused on their position play, will now play special teams, and those special team players will focus on their position play.

 

[adbutcher]

How's that any different than our annual Thanksgiving Day game? Actually, there is a difference. We'll have about 80 players out there this Thursday, whereas we've got 45 on Thanksgiving. Plus, about 28 of those 45 play every down.

This is all much ado about nothing.

It is an act of desperation. Outside of injuries and our Hercules kicker being to excited, there are far more positives to come out of the game than negatives, especially for the first preseason game.

 

[The Emperor]

And Wade already has a plan for this. He featured players on special teams and limited their position plays. Now he will switch it up for the next game. The players that focused on their position play, will now play special teams, and those special team players will focus on their position play.

Which could mean we'll have a worse performance than in the Hall of Fame game. Hey, maybe this will give folks something to complain about.

"Did you see what our 7th string wide receiver did on special teams? He can't even make a tackle! Our December woes have struck early this year."

 

[The Emperor]

It is an act of desperation. Outside of injuries and our Hercules kicker being to excited, there are far more positives to come out of the game than negatives, especially for the first preseason game.

Oh, man, you said it. I haven't seen our entire team play this good in pre-season in a while.

 

[Doomsday101]

The Cowboys are going to be forced into playing a tired and overworked group of players more than 2 games in just five days.

It's a perfect recipe for injury.

Consider the following:
1. Sunday's HOF game featured 132 plays...about 10 more than a normal game. Preseason games are notorious for being longer (and featuring more plays) than a typical regular season game. They have have more penalties and incomplete passes, which repeatedly stop the clock.

2. A Sunday night game will be followed by another game only 4 days later. Plus travel will shorten the week even further.

3. Thinned ranks will force some personnel into playing most of both games, at a time when the players are not yet in regular season condition. For example Scott Sicko will likely be called upon to play over 50 plays Thursday night, and an injury to him would seriously deplete the Cowboys at the position.

I hate preseason games. Hate. Them. At the very least the NFL needs to suspend some of it's time stoppages in these games. Shorten the games to less than 100 plays by keeping the clock running. The fans are usually emptying out of stadiums or changing the channel early in the 4th quarter anyway.

Any enjoyment of watching a preseason game is radically diminished with an injury like the one Phillips (likely) suffered. Mr. Goodell, fix this thing NOW.

Do you lay awake at night worrying? :laugh2:

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Which could mean we'll have a worse performance than in the Hall of Fame game. Hey, maybe this will give folks something to complain about.

"Did you see what our 7th string wide receiver did on special teams? He can't even make a tackle! Our December woes have struck early this year."

I worry about these games, too... I even worry about this practice at the stadium on the fake turf coming up tomorrow. Hopefully it's extremely light and there's no pressure from up above to make it more strenuous than it should be simply because it's an open practice and people paid (to park) to see it.

 

[superpunk]

I just hate that we play 5.

It's a raw deal for the teams in the HOF game every year, and it's stupid that they can't just work it out so those teams play 4.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

I just hate that we play 5.

It's a raw deal for the teams in the HOF game every year, and it's stupid that they can't just work it out so those teams play 4.

Yep.

Good thing Jerry asked for this game, eh?

And before the Jerry lovers jump on me, because I know they will... No, I don't directly blame Jerry for Phillips being out for the year. But this is a violent game, and we now have a mature, veteran team. We pretty much know what we have and we don't need to play an extra game to see what we have. Why volunteer and even lobby to play one more game in these days of limited rosters?

 

[Chuck 54]

The starters played very little last night, and most of the "tired, overworked" players aren't going to be Cowboys this season anyway.

I'm not worried.

 

[SDCowboy]

The starters played very little last night, and most of the "tired, overworked" players aren't going to be Cowboys this season anyway.

I'm not worried.

This. If anything the starters aren't getting played enough in the preseason.

 

[Doomsday101]

This. If anything the starters aren't getting played enough in the preseason.

But the starter will see increased min. as we go through pre season.

 

[SDCowboy]

But the starter will see increased min. as we go through pre season.

Oh I know. I just would have liked to see two drives yesterday. Especially when they don't get a TD.

 

[Doomsday101]

Oh I know. I just would have liked to see two drives yesterday. Especially when they don't get a TD.

With 4 more to go I'm sure the starter will see a bit more. With the extra game this year there was no need to have them in the game more than 1 series. I think last nights game was the perfect situation to give the reps to those trying to make the team and to those who will not see many reps throughout the season.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

This. If anything the starters aren't getting played enough in the preseason.

:abuseme:

 

[Idgit]

Yep.

Good thing Jerry asked for this game, eh?

And before the Jerry lovers jump on me, because I know they will... No, I don't directly blame Jerry for Phillips being out for the year. But this is a violent game, and we now have a mature, veteran team. We pretty much know what we have and we don't need to play an extra game to see what we have. Why volunteer and even lobby to play one more game in these days of limited rosters?

Got it. You're not being critical. You're just being analytical. Right?

 

[Blast From The Past]

I just hate that we play 5.

It's a raw deal for the teams in the HOF game every year, and it's stupid that they can't just work it out so those teams play 4.

This makes perfect sense to me. Why not to the commish?

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Got it. You're not being critical. You're just being analytical. Right?

No, I'm being critical.

 

[theebs]

No, I'm being critical.

where we live today, sports.