ESPN: Without Tom Brady, Patriots-Cowboys meeting not the same

[Aven8]

Kinda wish they had him.

They have nothing to lose now and that kid that backs up Brady might end up being pretty good.

I'm with you. I like to see us go against the best. A litmus test almost.

 

[CATCH17]

I'm with you. I like to see us go against the best. A litmus test almost.

Exactly.. Imagine beating Seattle without Russel Wilson last year.

These kind of games can set the tone for an entire season.

We thought we had a pretty good team last year, went up to Seattle, bullied those punks around, and left feeling like the best team in the NFC by a longshot.

 

[65fastback2plus2]

when we beat them with or without brady, it'll be the same W in the column

 

[BotchedLobotomy]

In before someone says they want the Patriots at full strength.

Too late -

One of my pet peeves is when someone says they want to play the other teams when they are at full strength. That's a load of crap. No one is going to care once the playoff teams are decided that your team beat the Patriots in week 5 without Brady. What are they going to do, put an asterisk next to the Cowboys if they beat a team with a back-up QB? The #1 goal is to win the Division and get to the play-offs anyway you can. If you have to beat 10 teams with back-up QB's, so be it.

 

[Doomsday101]

Too late -

One of my pet peeves is when someone says they want to play the other teams when they are at full strength. That's a load of crap. No one is going to care once the playoff teams are decided that your team beat the Patriots in week 5 without Brady. What are they going to do, put an asterisk next to the Cowboys if they beat a team with a back-up QB? The #1 goal is to win the Division and get to the play-offs anyway you can. If you have to beat 10 teams with back-up QB's, so be it.

Not sure it is a load of crap, I really do not care if Brady plays or not. I have watched Cowboys since 1965 and over the years they have gone up against HOF players and won. I don't worry about what the Pats do or who plays what I do care about is this team and it's players. I sure as hell do not sit around acting as if Cowboys can't win because an opponent top player is playing in the game

 

[Bullflop]

I'd like to face a team at full strength if possible. But I won't cry if a team doesn't have its best player, particularly if that player did something worthy of suspension.

That's a good way to see it as well. I'm pretty sure Garoppolo will be likely to prove an extremely competent adversary, so the Cowboys will surely be obliged to earn it, with or without Brady in the lineup.

 

[Idgit]

Too late -

One of my pet peeves is when someone says they want to play the other teams when they are at full strength. That's a load of crap. No one is going to care once the playoff teams are decided that your team beat the Patriots in week 5 without Brady. What are they going to do, put an asterisk next to the Cowboys if they beat a team with a back-up QB? The #1 goal is to win the Division and get to the play-offs anyway you can. If you have to beat 10 teams with back-up QB's, so be it.

Why do you care about another fan's personal preference? Some people just want to see as many wins as they can. Others enjoy watching each competition and want to see the best players possible. Neither is right or wrong. It's all just for enjoyment anyway.

For the record, I'm glad Brady's not playing. I just want the W's.

 

[dogberry]

I don't want to play Brady, but I really want to see him play the Colts in Indianapolis.

 

[DallasDomination]

Nobody gave us a pass when the Cardinals beat us without Romo... funny how that works.

 

[ghosttown cowboy]

The game counts...it's no different than if Brady goes down with an injury...I'm surprised he isn't playing against us, but all I care about is the win, not who was on the other side...I read on BSPN this morning that the Patriots are still the top offense in the AFC even without Brady...I disagree, but we will have to come to play on OCT. 11 if we want to win...Man, I'm ready for some football...

 

[DFWJC]

Order of importance for each game this year starting with most important

1-6) NFCE games: 2x Philly, NYG, Washington. Some may argue that winning the home ones are more important, but I'll lump them together

7-8) NFC games vs most likely playoff teams: Seattle and Green Bay

9-11) NFC games vs somewhat possible playoff teams: Carolina, New Orleans, Atlanta

12) NFC games vs remaining NFC teams: Tampa Bay

13-16) All other games : New England, Buffalo, Miami, New York Jets

 

[Doomsday101]

Nobody gave us a pass when the Cardinals beat us without Romo... funny how that works.

It is football there are no free passes. You go out there with who is available and play. I'm sure the Thanksgiving Day game GB played against Dallas with an injured Aikman and Pete felt that was a sure win, who would have thunk that Jason Garrett would play big to help win the game. lol

 

[BotchedLobotomy]

Why do you care about another fan's personal preference? Some people just want to see as many wins as they can. Others enjoy watching each competition and want to see the best players possible. Neither is right or wrong. It's all just for enjoyment anyway.

For the record, I'm glad Brady's not playing. I just want the W's.

I just think that most (not all) with that line of thinking are not being totally honest with themselves. If Brady ends up playing and throws 5 TDs and we lose and that one game costs us a play-off berth, does that same person look back and think "Well at least we played NE at full strength"? Probably not. I'm not just using that one game as an example, this scenerio could happen several times throughout the season. The bottom line is that NFL wins are hard to come by, and you take your wins anyway you can get them and hoping to play all NFL teams when they are at full strength goes against that.

 

[Idgit]

I just think that most (not all) with that line of thinking are not being totally honest with themselves. If Brady ends up playing and throws 5 TDs and we lose and that one game costs us a play-off berth, does that same person look back and think "Well at least we played NE at full strength"? Probably not. I'm not just using that one game as an example, this scenerio could happen several times throughout the season. The bottom line is that NFL wins are hard to come by, and you take your wins anyway you can get them and hoping to play all NFL teams when they are at full strength goes against that.

I agree with you. Though I can see some people just wanting to see the best games possible and still wanting the team to win them. No doubt, beating the Patriots at full strength is the most fun. Beating them with Brady out would be next. Losing to them in any context would be the least enjoyable outcome. That's pretty obvious. I'm with you that I don't care as long as we get the W. The season is long, and there are all sorts of injuries and other issues that play into the lineups we face.

 

[Doomsday101]

I just think that most (not all) with that line of thinking are not being totally honest with themselves. If Brady ends up playing and throws 5 TDs and we lose and that one game costs us a play-off berth, does that same person look back and think "Well at least we played NE at full strength"? Probably not. I'm not just using that one game as an example, this scenerio could happen several times throughout the season. The bottom line is that NFL wins are hard to come by, and you take your wins anyway you can get them and hoping to play all NFL teams when they are at full strength goes against that.

I would say, we should have played better than we did. I tend not to look at who is in the lineup for the opposing team. I really concern myself with the Cowboys and what they need to do to win that game or any game.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

From what I've read, he could get an injunction and play while the case is in court. The risk for him there is that the case could be decided late in the season, and he might have to miss four games then -- or even miss playoff games, depending on how long the case takes.

I would count on him playing against us, one way or another.

He can try for an injunction but he cannot piggyback onto the DV bandwagon. Different legal matter and standard. This actually is integrity of the game stuff.

 

[KJJ]

Definitely won't be the same beating the Pats without Brady. Would have been a nice feather in Romo's cap beating NE with Brady. Romo needs wins vs elite QB's. I know many FANS will hand the Cowboys that game with Brady suspended but they've had some real issues the past 3 seasons beating backup QB's such as Matt Flynn, McCown and McCoy last season. The Cowboys defense made all 3 look elite so they better not relax against Garoppolo or he'll have a career game.

 

[KJJ]

From what I've read, he could get an injunction and play while the case is in court. The risk for him there is that the case could be decided late in the season, and he might have to miss four games then -- or even miss playoff games, depending on how long the case takes.

I would count on him playing against us, one way or another.

Doubt he or the Pats would take that risk it could cost him critical Dec/Jan games and possible playoff games. The Pats could survive the first 4 games if they can go at least 2-2 with Garoppolo.

 

[hornitosmonster]

I don't care if it makes the game less marquee.I want Brady to serve his punishment

 

[erod]

Notice how not one quarterback or player has come out in support of Brady from other teams. And not one owner seems to be in Kraft's corner.

I think there are some ticked off players out there that are loving this.