Did the Cowboys tank yesterday?

[RonnieT24]

RonnieT24......you couldn't have been more frustrated than I. Living in the DMV, and amongst Commander Nation.....I endured ridicule for 2+ hours while enjoying good food and game fellowship. I've never seen an outright pathetic performance of all phases in one game, from the beginning, and for the duration of the game. Look at the game numbers.......no where is there anything positive. This was some "horse frakanicky".

If they come out and boat race Tampa all will be forgiven.. but damn.. that was among the most painful to watch games in recent memory. I don't know which was worse... this game or the season opener. It was such a weird deal. It was clear from the opening kick that the team didn't come to play. What's interesting is that people take looking for reasons why they played so poorly to be "excusing it." I mean what part of "disgusted" and "frustrated" sounds even remotely like "excusing?" The Cowboys played like crap.. I am wired to try and analyze why.. Others appear to be satisfied with "they suck, cut them all." I'm going to try to take a little more nuanced approach than that.

 

[fansince68]

Well if they play like this next week the good news is we will only have to watch one more such performance.

No there's always plenty more of the sos next season.

 

[RonnieT24]

I think the players are smarter than that. There is a big difference between going in as the #1 or #2 seed with home playoff games and having to start off in Tampa against Brady. So, there was a lot to play for at the start of the game. Around halftime, it became apparent the Eagles were not going to lose and maybe that's when you start resting guys. But there is no excuse for a 6 point half while the game had significance. They came out like they knew the Eagles had already won.

Unfortunately I don't. That's why I posted that I was worried about there they're heads would be if they rolled into the playoffs on an 8 or 9 game win streak. The good news (LOL!) is that we don't have to worry about that. The media will be crushing them all week leading up to this game. They should be firmly entrenched with the underdog mentality and should be able to summon enough anger to circle the wagons.. If they can't.. Well there's always the draft show..

 

[dlobell]

Is it possible that the players did not want to play and MM made them. So that was their way of rebelling?

 

[MyFairLady]

The Cowboys lackluster, pathetic effort last night is the result of a soft, entitled culture, which starts at the top with Jerry Jones. Jerry’s tireless work to keep the Cowboys prominent in the NFL landscape despite 26 or so years of mediocrity have somehow given the Cowboys an over-inflated impression of themselves.

I think the team thinks they can turn it on and turn it off at will. I don’t think they understand the meaning of being a professional. It was embarrassing to be a Cowboy fan last night. And at no point in time did I see any emotion from the team…the most distressing thing is that there appears to be no accountability to one another, which is the essence of a team…holding each other to a standard of play.

There were just a bunch of individuals going through the motions last night. The Cowboys are a prime example of how talent alone doesn’t make you a winner; one needs commitment and sacrificing personal glory for the good of the team…something they don’t possess.

100% accurate and well written. Nothing more needs to be said.

 

[Cmac]

If they come out and boat race Tampa all will be forgiven.. but damn.. that was among the most painful to watch games in recent memory. I don't know which was worse... this game or the season opener. It was such a weird deal. It was clear from the opening kick that the team didn't come to play. What's interesting is that people take looking for reasons why they played so poorly to be "excusing it." I mean what part of "disgusted" and "frustrated" sounds even remotely like "excusing?" The Cowboys played like crap.. I am wired to try and analyze why.. Others appear to be satisfied with "they suck, cut them all." I'm going to try to take a little more nuanced approach than that.

1. Effort (if we're protecting from injury, why on the field then)
2. Coaches examining their scheme. (Commanders run the same plays every week)
3. Remove excuses
Extra......review Sam Howell's TD run. (Defense)
Extra.....review the route concepts of our passing game (Offense)

 

[Cmac]

And in all that time, you couldn't come up with a better excuse for their play than this tanking nonsense? Just think about how telling those Commanders fans, "It's a conspiracy against Dallas!" would have saved you the ridicule you endured. They would have let up after that.

I never said they were tanking MarcusRock.....and as for the ridicule (in jest)......actually had fun with my Commander friends......I'm not on the payroll, no sleep lost and had good fun. I just don't look at a donkey and then convince myself that's a candidate for the Kentucky Derby. Call it the way I see it and inject my 2 cents on here like everyone. All good.

 

[dlobell]

You do know that Dak had two of the best games of his career last year on grass right? He put up over 400 yards and 3 TDs on grass at Tampa and 450 yards and 3 TDs against the Pats on grass. Other theories certainly welcome.

I think it's safe to say that Dak stinks on all surfaces.

 

[Doomsday101]

 

[RS12]

Some you better careful I am worried about your health with all the pulled muscles you are gonna get reaching for excuses on what you witnessed yesterday. I get the shock hasn't worn off yet but I doubt the worst is over.

 

[nyc-cowboy]

The Cowboys lackluster, pathetic effort last night is the result of a soft, entitled culture, which starts at the top with Jerry Jones. Jerry’s tireless work to keep the Cowboys prominent in the NFL landscape despite 26 or so years of mediocrity have somehow given the Cowboys an over-inflated impression of themselves.

I think the team thinks they can turn it on and turn it off at will. I don’t think they understand the meaning of being a professional. It was embarrassing to be a Cowboy fan last night. And at no point in time did I see any emotion from the team…the most distressing thing is that there appears to be no accountability to one another, which is the essence of a team…holding each other to a standard of play.

There were just a bunch of individuals going through the motions last night. The Cowboys are a prime example of how talent alone doesn’t make you a winner; one needs commitment and sacrificing personal glory for the good of the team…something they don’t possess.

Seen this movie before - this is the Wade/Garrett years all over again.

You got Uncle Mike, The polarizing QB and the "boy genius" offensive coordinator leading a weak minded, not very physical team.

Yes they'll get some pretty stats and have some success in the regular season but come time to play with the big boys they will fold.

And all this headed by Jethro and his superstar pampered culture.

 

[Doomsday101]

Some you better careful I am worried about your health with all the pulled muscles you are gonna get reaching for excuses on what you witnessed yesterday. I get the shock hasn't worn off yet but I doubt the worst is over.

as I said even if the Cowboys played vanilla it does not excuse the poor play and execution. It does not remove the play of Dak or that of the OL

 

[RonnieT24]

I think it's safe to say that Dak stinks on all surfaces.

You can SAY whatever you like.. It won't make any of it accurate.

 

[USArmyVet]

Holy hell the lengths people will go to defend a crappy game by Dak and the Dallas offense.

 

[Sheepherder]

I honestly think part of its human nature. Let’s be realstic they had nothing to play for. Even if there was a slight chance they could win something.

Their performance yesterday means nothing to me. I mean last year they were ok late in the year and laid an egg against SF.

Just go out and play good football next week

I hope you are right. We'll see.

 

[dlobell]

You can SAY whatever you like.. It won't make any of it accurate.

Please...how can you possibly support him? What the heck do you see that the majority of the football world doesn't?

 

[ottawacowpoke]

tank isnt the right word...

i personally think the gameplan was vanilla....and the offense didnt care....Defense actually played well for how many times washington started in their own territory

personally to me its a throw away game...throw the tape away and move on its not worth looking at or discussing

This is what I hope happened. I guess Monday night we’ll find out.

 

[CTcowboy203]

If they come out and boat race Tampa all will be forgiven.. but damn.. that was among the most painful to watch games in recent memory. I don't know which was worse... this game or the season opener. It was such a weird deal. It was clear from the opening kick that the team didn't come to play. What's interesting is that people take looking for reasons why they played so poorly to be "excusing it." I mean what part of "disgusted" and "frustrated" sounds even remotely like "excusing?" The Cowboys played like crap.. I am wired to try and analyze why.. Others appear to be satisfied with "they suck, cut them all." I'm going to try to take a little more nuanced approach than that.

Saying they tanked isn’t a nuanced approach

 

[viman96]

As I watched (disgusted) yesterday's game and saw just how pervasive the lethargy and half-assed efforts were across the board on this team I found myself wondering? Was this done on purpose? Could Mike McCarthy be like me in that he doesn't trust this team when it's riding high and the media is all caressing their ..er.. private parts. Could he had instructed both coordinators to present a preseason level game plan and really never put much into the game? If it had been one side of the ball I might feel differently.. but the defensive effort was sporadic, the special teams were horrible.. the receivers dropped balls, the QB was off, the backs looked like they were running in quicksand and my lord, the offensive line looked like they would struggle to block Baylor.

Everybody stunk.. If it wasn't an outright tank then they need to get the name of whoever catered the pregame meal and never use them again and never stay at whatever hotel they stayed at again either. If it wasn't taking, food poisoning or somebody pulling the fire alarm at 3 am, then this team will have a short visit to the playoffs if it can't play about 20,000 miles above what they showed us yesterday.

Yesterday looked like a lazy team that has been feeling itself too much. The last 4-5 weeks they have played poorly and a couple of game were able to win it in the end. They play like they can just flip a switch and pull out a win which is what lazy people do.

 

[RS12]

Holy hell the lengths people will go to defend a crappy game by Dak and the Dallas offense.

That is because black Monday for them is 75% off of number 4 jerseys in the pro shop.