Do most of you see us as a playoff team?

[Roughneck]

Oh, and with that same offseason/draft and the fact that we play in the NFC, yes I do think we're a playoff team.

 

[Boy's fan in Giant land]

I don't think there's any question that we'll make the playoffs, more than likely as a wild card. Last season was an aberration of major proportions. Before the season, no one realized Darren Woodson's importance to this defense. Turns out he was the glue that held it all together & losing him for the season had a domino effect on the entire D.

How many teams suddenly lose their starting QB before the season even starts? How many have a truly servicable backup in place should something like this happen? Off the top of my head, only the Bengals come to mind.

For the 1st half of the season, our best effort at rb was Eddie George trying to crack the line of scrimmage with a friggin' refridgerator strapped to his back. Our o-line was weak on the right & didn't have the 'spark' needed to help them step it up. They played much better in the 2nd half of the year with JJ firing on all cylinders. Glenn & Campbell sat on the bench the majority of the year, leaving the often doubled Key with little help. And, of course there was Vinny, who I supported, but never should have been dropped in the middle of a situation like this. Damned near ANY qb would've suffered a meltdown.

This season is completely different. Bledsoe is, imho, a minor upgrade from Vinny BUT, he'll have much better protection. He'll be handing off to a guy who has the potential to be one of the best ever providing he picks up where he left off last year. JJ's backups are the best trio we've had around here in a VERY long time. They'll be running behind a far superior OL with an improved Al Johnson and a pro bowl RG in Marco. Whoever wins the RT battle (go Petitti) will receive an enormous amount of help from both Marco and Dan Campbell, neither of which had the pleasure of blocking for JJ last season.

Our w/r's are all healthy, & while aging, are still a better combo than many. I expect great things from Crayton, possibly replacing Morgan by mid season.

Witten will be even BETTER this year.

And you all can scream HOMER at the top of your lungs, but I'm telling you that we will have a top 10 defense by game 11, just in time to stomp into the playoffs with a full head of steam.

 

[dargonking999]

yes, i think we can be a SB if our team matures as well to

 

[Kangaroo]

No I do not

My reasons

1. Bledsoe is overrated and I believe he is washed up and will only be a slight upgrade to Vinny

2. 3-4 change we still have to many undersized linemen trying to play the 3-4 See Ellis and Glover and I do not think Glover will make a good 3-4 DE (see Warren Sapp Raiders last year). Factor in LB questions and I say we are going to get ran over along the front line and muscled worse than last year. Does Brady get it this year ? is Al done ? How well will Spears and Ware play can Thorton improve from last year as a nickel rusher. Who besides Ferguson and Spears has the size for 3-4. Is Canty going to be and stay healthy; how effective he will be this year.

3. WR and age I have injury concerns and remember Key and Glen both went down with injuries last year. I like Crayton and think he will improve but how much is the question. Morgan injury despite the so called reports I have big concerns about a slightly separated shoulder on a wr who has under achieved as a 1st round pick

4. Right Tackle position i have concerns here and playing LA; what is Groude Petterman etc going to give us how much have they improved. Which Flo are we getting this year the Pro-Bowler or the one that regressed last year.

5. Kicker we still do not know if we have one that will not melt down

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

why couldnt we be? this team isnt w/o talent and we've had a solid offseason...if they can finish 10-6 with the crap we had on this team two yrs ago, they absolutely can finish 10-6 or 11-5 with this group

David

Offense. I see Bledsoe as a guy who needs everything to go his way in order to succed. I just think that eventually, age will catch us in the WRs corp. I see our OL as unsettled. RT is a big question in my mind and the fact that none of these guys have played together for more then a few games is problamatic. If either of these two things break down, the free fall of this club will be like that of the Titanic, it's captain freezing his nards off, while plungging to an ice cold grave.

Defensively, I really like our team but I don't think that this whole business of switching from 34 to 43 is as easy as it's made out to be. I've played in a 34 before and I don't see it as trivial. I also agree, with others, that our youth is going to cost us for a time.

It could happen but I don't believe it will.

 

[Jimz31]

Playoffs...yes.

How far into it? Not very. I could see us winning the first game but get beat in the second game....however....that part is a brand new season.

 

[CowboyPrincess]

I'm not just shooting for the playoffs... As my sig says... I'm going for the Superbowl Championship

 

[Zaxor]

My good friend David wrote:

Wiley was terrible at RDE, almost non existant...surely Spears and Ware will at least duplicate his misery and most likely improve over what he did...

first I don't necessarily believe either guy will for its not out of the the realm of possibility that they get thrown around like rag dolls out there...many good players need a year or 2...second with the new defense you are making an assumption that Glover and Ellis will play like they have in the past but again its not out of the realm of possibility that they will both thoroughly suck at it...plus its been many years since Fergie played NT he is not a young man anymore.... So in essense you could have a much worse bunch than even last year

Marco Rivera is a substantial upgrade to the OL...

Rivera has had problems with some nagging injuries the last 3 season (though he will play with pain) again depending on how well things go if he plays and can avoid injury... but those are not givens...in fact it would be going against his current trend..

Anthony Henry may or may not be a good or solid CB, but he will certainly be better than late round draft picks, undrafted rookies and guys who were claimed off the street...

out of all the FA signings my favorite every time I saw Henry he was making a play but granted I did not watch a lot of brownie ball...

but again new system new coverages and him talking recently about being glad his former coach is here because he needs to do things his way...worries me a bit

Terry Glenn missed almost all of last yr and is back now...

He has great hands when he is out there but Terry Glenn has something like only 2 seasons where he played in all the games...also he is aging and is arrow is pointing down...not sure if putting so much hope on Glenn is the wisest of choices (sorry LTN)

Julius Jones missed half of last yr and is available now...

But can he stay healthy first a wrist then the ribs then the shoulder blade
again this seems a bit premature to be counting on someone who has not proven he can stay healthy

Jason Ferguson is alot better DT than Leo Carson is...

no arguement but can he still play NT effectively and for an entire season?

then there's Bledsoe, while I am skeptical of how good he will be, it is hard for me to believe that he cant be an improvement over QC or VT with the supporting cast we have...

The so called proverbial icing on the cake...

David... this guy is a need to have QB...by that I mean he needs to have a GREAT OL & TE & WR & RB etc...the joker needs everything to even have a remote chance of being successful...throws a pretty ball though...where its going nobody knows..but real pretty...waste of a roster space for my money but I don't pay the bill out at the ranch

 

[Zaxor]

I don't think there's any question that we'll make the playoffs, more than likely as a wild card. Last season was an aberration of major proportions.

lets break this down

west...cards
north...vikes
south...carolina
east...eagles

leaves 2 wildcard spots...give one to Atl...that leaves one left who is gonna go to...

Rams, Seahawks, Green Bay, NO...or maybe a team like Det or the Giants

and if you think about all the changes we have to implement I just don't see how it can happen

 

[Doomsday101]

lets break this down

west...cards
north...vikes
south...carolina
east...eagles

leaves 2 wildcard spots...give one to Atl...that leaves one left who is gonna go to...

Rams, Seahawks, Green Bay, NO...or maybe a team like Det or the Giants

and if you think about all the changes we have to implement I just don't see how it can happen

That is why they play the games. I think Dallas has just as much of a chance as the other you listed as possiable WC.

 

[Zaxor]

That is why they play the games. I think Dallas has just as much of a chance as the other you listed as possiable WC.

I think there is something to be said for continuity...while change can be good or bad it always requires a period of adaptation and the more changes the longer the adaptation time...the Cowboys made boat loads of changes

 

[blindzebra]

We have a chance mainly because all the teams have warts.

But there are a ton of ifs:

Can Bledsoe be good enough to lead the offense to take the pressure off the defense?

Can Julius Jones stay healthy?

Will we stay healthy at WR?

Can Henson or Romo step into the starters role if needed, or will Parcells even let them?

RT or depth at guard if Allen moves over?

Back up center?

Rivera's back?

Ellis and Glover's role and tension that may arise?

All those rookies on defense?

Which defense?

Can the undersized middle stop the run in the 3-4?

Do we have a FS?

Can we get a pass rush?

Parcells ego and pride, and the negative impact both may have?

My biggest fear is that Parcells may force a square peg into a round hole, just for his comfort, and leave if the outcome is bad.

The fan in me says yes we can make it, but the realist in me says too much has to go right.

 

[AtlCB]

Funny, go over to the Skins forum and we laugh at them for thinking they're a playoff team.

Unfortunately, when the come over here, they laugh at us for thinking WE are a playoff team.

No. We laugh at them, because they think they are a superbowl team. I think this team has a decent chance to make the playoffs, but I don't believe we will be going to the superbowl.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

No. We laugh at them, because they think they are a superbowl team. I think this team has a decent chance to make the playoffs, but I don't believe we will be going to the superbowl.

Spoken like a true Extemist.

 

[Doomsday101]

I think there is something to be said for continuity...while change can be good or bad it always requires a period of adaptation and the more changes the longer the adaptation time...the Cowboys made boat loads of changes

Now days? Heck every team has players coming and going on a yearly basis and I don't think the changes will be all that drastic. Dallas did use some 3-4 last season and will use more this year but I still feel we will see them using the 4-3 as well, I think Bledsoe will do better than your predicting and I see a vast improvement in a secondary that was down to the 5th guy we enter the season I feel much stronger at RB. Myself I'm optimistic about this season and I think Parcells will get this team back to the playoffs and while I am optimistic I do not think I’m seeing it through rose colored glasses

 

[Seven]

On paper - Yes.
On the field - not just yet. For all the valid reasons written by the posters in this thread.
As for BP mucking this all up and leaving.....NEVER happening. I'm not a BP homer and haven't agreed with everything he's done, but he just doesn't have that in him.
As for the 10-6 season 2 yrs ago, forget about it. That was an anomally. Long gone. Dallas is 6-10 right now, this very minute and nothing has changed that.

 

[Banned_n_austin]

I don't think there's any question that we'll make the playoffs, more than likely as a wild card. Last season was an aberration of major proportions. Before the season, no one realized Darren Woodson's importance to this defense. Turns out he was the glue that held it all together & losing him for the season had a domino effect on the entire D.

.

 

[Rocco]

10 years ago, hell no...in 2005, we have as good a shot as any and probably better than most if we stay healthy and the new defense shows up..

 

[blindzebra]

I don't think there's any question that we'll make the playoffs, more than likely as a wild card. Last season was an aberration of major proportions. Before the season, no one realized Darren Woodson's importance to this defense. Turns out he was the glue that held it all together & losing him for the season had a domino effect on the entire D.

Who's the glue now?

How many teams suddenly lose their starting QB before the season even starts? How many have a truly servicable backup in place should something like this happen? Off the top of my head, only the Bengals come to mind.

We replaced a below average starter with his equal.

For the 1st half of the season, our best effort at rb was Eddie George trying to crack the line of scrimmage with a friggin' refridgerator strapped to his back. Our o-line was weak on the right & didn't have the 'spark' needed to help them step it up. They played much better in the 2nd half of the year with JJ firing on all cylinders. Glenn & Campbell sat on the bench the majority of the year, leaving the often doubled Key with little help. And, of course there was Vinny, who I supported, but never should have been dropped in the middle of a situation like this. Damned near ANY qb would've suffered a meltdown.

This I agree with, but it would have been just as bad with Carter.

This season is completely different. Bledsoe is, imho, a minor upgrade from Vinny BUT, he'll have much better protection. He'll be handing off to a guy who has the potential to be one of the best ever providing he picks up where he left off last year. JJ's backups are the best trio we've had around here in a VERY long time. They'll be running behind a far superior OL with an improved Al Johnson and a pro bowl RG in Marco. Whoever wins the RT battle (go Petitti) will receive an enormous amount of help from both Marco and Dan Campbell, neither of which had the pleasure of blocking for JJ last season.

Our w/r's are all healthy, & while aging, are still a better combo than many. I expect great things from Crayton, possibly replacing Morgan by mid season.

Witten will be even BETTER this year.

And you all can scream HOMER at the top of your lungs, but I'm telling you that we will have a top 10 defense by game 11, just in time to stomp into the playoffs with a full head of steam.

The question becomes can this minor upgrade lead the offense well enough to overcome the growing pains on defense?

 

[burmafrd]

We are talking about maybe 3-4 plays a game that usually make the difference when you are talking QB. Bledsoe has a much better chance of making those plays then Vinny had at age 41 (or age 31,for that matter).
JJ sure did not have trouble staying healthy for 7 straight games-carrying as heavy a load as any back did last year- that after in his own words having shriviled up while injured- he is much stronger now.
Key and GLenn are a little old- but Jerry RIce and Tim Brown sure were performing well at comparable ages.
There is no reason RIvera should not be as good as he was last year; and RT we will have someone decent-maybe not top grade, but decent.
GLover is a lot better then Sapp in a lot of ways- so I see him doing quite well if he plays at DE- and he made the Pro Bowl playing NT once at NO, I believe.
Ferguson is a tough guy and playing NT does not seem to worry either him or BP- nuff said there.
Spears is very big and strong so he is NOT going to get tossed around. Ware- we shall see.
Henry looks solid enough for the #2 CB so that is fine.
FS we have Reese if Davis does not pan out.
So all in all I say we look better then last year in at least 6-8 positions.
ANd let us not forget that the NFC is not exactly an overwhelming conference right now.