DMN Blog (Breer): Tough schedule?

[Angus]

Tough schedule?
11:14 AM Mon, May 05, 2008 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
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Some dude named StreetCred, who's got a blog at Foxsports.com, is saying that the Cowboys got hosed by the NFL's schedule arrangers.

And I'm not seeing it. Here's his case on why Dallas was dealt the fourth worst hand league-wide by the league. ...

4) Dallas Cowboys - The Cowboys are naturally going to have a tough schedule seeing that they were one of 3 teams that made the playoffs in their own division. Furthermore, the Eagles were 8-8 and signed the biggest free agent in the offseason in Samuel. Still, the Cowboys have a brutal stretch in the middle of the season. 8) Tampa Bay, 9) at NY Giants, 11) at Washington, 12) San Francisco, 13) Seattle, 14) at Pittsburgh, 15) NY Giants.

That would be 6 playoff opponents in 7 weeks for the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys overall schedule had a winning percentage of .523 in 2007. The Cowboys had a 13-3 record in 2007 and potentially added 4 key pieces on draft weekend to go along with Zach Thomas. They did what they needed to do to keep pace. However, they will not be able to have the lapses they had at the end of the season in 2007, otherwise their schedule is strong enough to make them pay in 2008.

First off, I don't know just how "brutal" that stretch is. I'm not a big believer in Tampa, and they get the 49ers leading into the annual Thanksgiving Day game, which against a good Seattle team that's no juggernaut. Plus, the bye's in the middle of that run.

I actually think the Cowboys were cut plenty of breaks. First of all, they don't have to play on the road in back-to-back weekends, save for one occassion. And that one -- an Arizona-St. Louis turn -- ain't exactly a backbreaker.

Also, the way this thing sets up, they've got the chance to race out of the gate and start 7-1 or 8-1, and play with the house's money from there. I do think the December portion of the schedule's difficult. But all in all, I think the idea they got screwed is just silly.

http://cowboysblog.***BANNED-URL***/

 

[theebs]

streetcred has nothing on ballzdeep.

 

[Rampage]

I like december cause it will prepare us for the playoffs. playing pitt,ny,baltimore, and philly were going to have to turn it up a notch if we want to try to avoid the december slide. because of the last 4 opponents i think we will be battle tested going into the playoffs.

 

[theebs]

I like december cause it will prepare us for the playoffs. playing pitt,ny,baltimore, and philly were going to have to turn it up a notch if we want to try to avoid the december slide. because of the last 4 opponents i think we will be battle tested going into the playoffs.

NY, baltimore and philly all will have basically the same defensive attack. So at least we should be used to looking at the same type of scheme.

 

[Brandon]

I want nothing less than the toughest schedule in the league.

What fun is it to win 14 games by beating down butter cup opponents like Atlanta, New Orleans and Arizona and then losing in the first round to a team like Minnesota?

 

[viman96]

The only part of the schedule we got screwed is the last regular season game is away.

 

[DCfaninDC]

The only part of the schedule we got screwed is the last regular season game is away.

Last season's last game was away, we start this season with an away game and end it on the raod as well? That's just not cool at all dude...

 

[Vintage]

I like the challenge.

Good teams win in tough games.

We'll find out how legit we are.