Do you really expect this to be a good team?

[Eskimo]

The MRI was negative.

It is good that the MRI is negative but the MRI is not 100% accurate. Just the fact that an MRI was deemed necessary is what worries me. You don't normally do that for just a bit of tightness or soreness. You usually order that test for neurological signs or symptoms (i.e. pinched nerve). You may also order that test if the patient is having severe and persistent pain to check for non-impinging disc damage.

So I am happy the MRI is negative as that gives more hope for a quick return from Costa than the opposite. But the fact the MRI was ordered and that we have now moved on to bringing in a vet Center makes me believe the FO is under-reporting his condition in the media right now.

You have to remember that having a back good enough to go out and lead a relatively normal life and having a back good enough to bend over and try to push on a 350 pound NFL NT are two very different things.

I'll believe Costa is fine when I see him participating fully in full contact scrimmages. Until then I am inclined not to believe what the FO is saying about his health. Right now they aren't letting him play so I think he is still experiencing symptoms.

 

[Risen Star]

The NFC looks pretty tough deep. Chicago should be good too
It depends on how much improvement we get in areas that we expect to be much better...like the secondary, the ILB rotation, more depth on the dline. Plus better health from Romo, Murray, Austin, and Dez could help too.

I thought about Chicago. They could easily be better. But you could make the case the Cowboys are better than Atlanta. So I just put us in the middle.

7th, 8th, 9th. Somewhere in there.

 

[RastaRocket]

I'm still not that high on Detroit or San Francisco. We could be better than the Giants as well but no problem with them at 2 since they are the champs.

 

[Hostile]

I absolutely do.

 

[Bluestang]

We heard all the reports in camp about how the defense has been able to make plays against the offense.

One of those being Church breaking up passes to Witten alot. The previous years that was always an automatic completion.

 

[Blast From The Past]

I like to think I'm pretty objective, and when I look at the 2012 Dallas Cowboys, I see the ingredients for a very poor season. There are just far too many holes and unaddressed needs to think this team is going to compete for the playoffs. Both lines are more or less disasters at this point, the wide receivers are china dolls, and there's hardly any depth throughout the roster.

This is looking like a 6-10 kind of team to me and worse than the team I predicted would be 7-9 or 8-8 last year, which ended up being correct. I know that it's not a popular opinion, but what exactly do you see if you think this team will be better?

I am very optimistic about the coming year. I will leave the w/l predictions to others on this board. I looked at the schedule and I must say it is tough. The NFC East is probably the most competitive division in football currently. I see the Seabirds and the Browns as the only two really "give me" type games on our schedule this year. It's gonna be a fight to finish and win these games with a lot of luck and the ball bouncing our way and minimal injuries we have a chance to win our division. But so do the other three teams. None the less I am excited to see where we measure up against very good teams in order to guage where we stand and where we need to improve to get to their level next year if it doesn't happen for us this year.

 

[theogt]

Good receivers, good backs, good QB, good linebacking corp, good corners.

Mediocre to good D-line.

Bad O-line, bad safeties.

Not sure anyone can debate any of those assessments. I think a team like that puts you in division title/playoff contention.

 

[Rynie]

I fully expect 8-8 again. This is honestly the LEAST optimistic I've been in a while.

 

[cowboy_ron]

I like to think I'm pretty objective, and when I look at the 2012 Dallas Cowboys, I see the ingredients for a very poor season. There are just far too many holes and unaddressed needs to think this team is going to compete for the playoffs. Both lines are more or less disasters at this point, the wide receivers are china dolls, and there's hardly any depth throughout the roster.

This is looking like a 6-10 kind of team to me and worse than the team I predicted would be 7-9 or 8-8 last year, which ended up being correct. I know that it's not a popular opinion, but what exactly do you see if you think this team will be better?

What happened this off season that makes us worse than last year?

 

[AKATheRake]

Not really.

Maybe I'd define it as we got a puncher's chance. It's not like we can't have young guys emerge. But more than likely we are a middle of the road team.

I'd rank us 8th in the conference right now. Behind....

1. Green Bay
2. N.Y. Giants
3. Philadelphia
4. New Orleans
5. San Francisco
6. Detroit
7. Atlanta

Makes sense to me.

 

[KJJ]

I like to think I'm pretty objective, and when I look at the 2012 Dallas Cowboys, I see the ingredients for a very poor season. There are just far too many holes and unaddressed needs to think this team is going to compete for the playoffs. Both lines are more or less disasters at this point, the wide receivers are china dolls, and there's hardly any depth throughout the roster.

This is looking like a 6-10 kind of team to me and worse than the team I predicted would be 7-9 or 8-8 last year, which ended up being correct. I know that it's not a popular opinion, but what exactly do you see if you think this team will be better?

We really won't know what kind of team the Cowboys will have in 2012 until the season opener. That first game will start answering some of the questions. I strongly feel and have for awhile that if the Cowboys get off to a good start against the Giants on opening night they'll have a good season and make the playoffs barring a significant injury to Romo or a rash of injuries to key players.

The Cowboys MUST get off to a good start and build some confidence early because if they get off to a 3rd straight 0-1 start to open the season especially against a division opponent that owned them last year they could be headed for another disappointing up and down season. The Cowboys are not a team that finishes seasons strong so they need to rack up some wins in Sept, Oct and Nov.

The 2012 season could go either way for the Cowboys it's all going to depend on how they start. There's no way I can see the team recovering from a shaky start especially with the Dec schedule they have in 2012.

 

[Lonestar94]

Hell yeah I do. I expect us to be one of the best teams in the league. We've got an elite QB, two very solid runningbacks, elite tight end, solid recieving core, elite tackle, best overall defensive player, elite linebacker, and a damn good secondary. Only holes are at center, guard, and that's probably it.

Call me crazy, but I think we can go all the way this year and finally end our Super Bowl drought.

Stop with the extreme homerism, your getting almost as bad as Hostile.

 

[windward]

Stop with the extreme homerism, your getting almost as bad as Hostile.

Why should he stop?

 

[Cowboys&LakersFan]

Stop with the extreme homerism, your getting almost as bad as Hostile.

Are you mad I'm not a negative poster like Risen Star?

 

[Cowboys&LakersFan]

I fully expect 8-8 again. This is honestly the LEAST optimistic I've been in a while.

Don't understand how anybody could not be optimistic.

We have everything you need to be an elite team.

Great Quarterback - Check
Solid Running Game - Check
Solid Weapons - Check
Solid Defense - Check

 

[jnday]

I see some tough games this year. Very few gimmes. In the NFC East very little has been done to counter the Giants dline and the Eagles have beefed their line up with Cox and Curry. The two rookies will improve an Eagles' dline that Dallas couldn't handle last year. The Cowboys had a good offseason, but a rookie corner is going to struggle and with Jenkins injured, the secondary might no be as solid as it first looked. The trenches are going to hold the Cowboys down. It is just a matter of how much. 8-8 or 9-7 might be the result.

 

[cowboy_ron]

Are you mad I'm not a negative poster like Risen Star?

I'm beginning to feel like negativity is encouraged now days....I'll never fall into that thought process but some thrive on it and want to try and spread it...the sad part is it's working here.

 

[Lonestar94]

Why should he stop?

Because I like when people are realistic. We do not have a solid receiving core or a good secondary until proven otherwise.


9-7 for me. Romo will continue to improve but our redzone offense will struggle again. You don't win games kicking field goals.

Defense will improve, and there will be less "4th quarter collapses", but they are still a year away. I expect them to be average.

 

[NeonNinja]

Because I like when people are realistic. We do not have a solid receiving core or a good secondary until proven otherwise.


9-7 for me. Romo will continue to improve but our redzone offense will struggle again. You don't win games kicking field goals.

Defense will improve, and there will be less "4th quarter collapses", but they are still a year away. I expect them to be average.

I think you should stop telling other fans how to feel about their team, they can be optimistic if they choose, get over it. You have your opinion and they have theirs on the outlook of the team.

I'd like to wait and actually see the team play first, but logic doesn't apply to many around here.

 

[CATCH17]

The 2 teams in the Superbowl last year had flaws. Patriots had no defense to speak of and the Giants don't have a secondary.


You guys gotta get the perfect team mentality out of your head.


It's all about the Quarterback. If you have a good QB your going to compete in this NFL.

We're not going to be some scrub team.