CFZ Evaluating this team at mid-season

[WB1017]

Slight correction on your INT number…think you forgot CJ Stroud. I believe he still only has one INT on the year.. kid is seriously balling…but carry on

He forgot a lot of players. Dak has 5 INTs which isn’t bad but the following players all have less:
CJ Stroud, Derek Carr, Justin Herbert, Lamar Jackson, Trevor Lawrence, Baker Mayfield, Russell Wilson, Kenny Pickett and as mentioned Joe Burrow. A bunch also have 5 including Jared Goff, Kirk Cousins, Brock Purdy, Joshua Dobbs.

You implied that Dak’s 5 INT was amazing. It’s much better than last year but it’s right in line with many QBs this season.

The top QBs (Tua, Mahomes, Allen, Hurts) all have a few more INTs than Dak but also have 40-80 more total passes thrown than Dak.

 

[Motorola]

I’d have to look it up but it’s probably our longest home streak since we moved . I know one season we won 8 straight.

And to @Bobhaze, I’m not discounting the streak as much as putting into perspective. Schedules often have a major contributing factor. And if it had been mentioned I wouldn’t have needed to comment.

Cowboys longest RSHG Winning Streak - 18 games.
1979 - 1982 seasons; tied for 7th best overall with two other teams.

 

[Bobhaze]

I agree with your thoughts, I bet if we were better with pre snap penalties we are probably undefeated at this point.

I doubt pre-snap problems were the reason the niners hung 42 on us but I get your point.

 

[CCBoy]

I doubt pre-snap problems were the reason the niners hung 42 on us but I get your point.

Getting some consistency at starters on the field will affect some of the pre snap anticipations tendency. A group explosion will arrive before the end of season. Both sides of the ball.

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

WEAKNESSES

• Running game. The Cowboys only average 3.9 yards per rush and only avg about 110 yards a game.

You sure about tha, old timer?

 

[DallasDW00ds0n]

Team is a disappointment. Worse than I expected and flawed just the same as last season IMO.

 

[Cebrin]

Slight correction on your INT number…think you forgot CJ Stroud. I believe he still only has one INT on the year.. kid is seriously balling…but carry on

Best player I picked up off waivers in FA. Fields has been a disaster.

 

[WB1017]

You sure about tha, old timer?

3.9, 111 per game…he’s right on that stat

 

[Blackrain]

Excellent evaluation

And here we are at the halfway point and it feels like groundhog Day.
I've begged to fix the running game all season Jerry has ignored it.
To compound matters the offensive line seems to have aged in dog years since last year and are an inconsistent penalty ridden Mess.

On a good note it's nice to have a reliable kicker again.

We are always hoping that Jerry will find all the pieces to the puzzle at once but this never happens we are always a couple pieces short as we are this year so we will beat most of the teams we should beat and we will be beaten by the teams that have gone the extra mile to make themselves better and prepare for the postseason

 

[Fmart322]

Totally agree with your assessment of the team so far this season. The good thing about this team compared to other Cowboys teams is they really can play so much better, especially vs good teams with the players we have. Do it is another this though.
After watching this team so far, I can see a repeat of last season. Maybe win a postseason game then get beat on the road in the division round unfortunately.
This team never shows us how great they can be.

 

[Jarntt]

Slight correction on your INT number…think you forgot CJ Stroud. I believe he still only has one INT on the year.. kid is seriously balling…but carry on

And more than just Burrow have 4 Ints - Lawrence, Herbert, RW, Pickett, Mayfield and Carr all have 4 and Lamar has 3. Also Dak is tied with a bunch of guys who also have 5

 

[Jake]

Sunday’s game vs the giants will signify passing the mid-point of the 2023 season and it‘s a good time to evaluate this team’s strengths, weaknesses and needs going forward.

STRENGTHS (Not necessarily in order of importance)

• The Cowboys have been good at home as evidenced by an 11 game home winning streak. During the Garrett years, the Cowboys were barely above .500 so this team has gained a home field advantage for a change.
• The Cowboys beat the teams they are supposed to (other than Ariz). The Cowboys usually destroy lower rungs teams on their schedule.
• Pass rush. When this team has a two score lead, the pass rush led by Parsons is brutal on opponents.
• Dak has protected the ball well with 5 INTs so far. Only Joe Burrow (4) has less among starting QBs. Whatever anyone thinks about Dak, he’s been good, just not top 5 great. I still think he’s good enough to win playoff games with the right team around him.
• Cedee Lamb. Has emerged into a top 10 NFL receiver and completely reliable weapon for the offense. In fact the MOST reliable weapon.
• Pass defense. Despite the loss of Travon Diggs, the Cowboys secondary has held up well overall. They have 9 INTs, two for TDs and are ranked 3rd against the pass in yardage surrendered.
• The defense has generated 12 TOs in 8 games which is outstanding.
• STs have been excellent. Brandon Aubrey is probably THE most reliable player on the team, and the Cowboys have blocked 2 punts and a FG, creating 2 TDs and a safety.

WEAKNESSES

• Running game. The Cowboys only average 3.9 yards per rush and only avg about 110 yards a game. By having a weak running game, it forces Dak to have to do more which does not help this team. Pollard doesn’t look like a “bell cow” type back when receiving the majority of touches.
• Penalties. Dallas is tied w/ four other teams for most penalties with 60, and have THE most pre-snap penalties with 22. If they don’t fix the pre-snap penalty problems, they will have a short stint in the playoffs.
• OLine has been inconsistent. They have surrendered 23 sacks (11th most in the league so far) and the running game has been anemic. Tyron Smith has actually played well…when he‘s not hurt. This group needed help in the off-season and IMO the FO didn’t do enough to address it.
• Not enough Receivers getting involved. Cedee Lamb has been great and TE Jake Ferguson has emerged but Cooks, Gallup and other TEs have not been getting enough targets for whatever reason.
• Lack of depth at some key positions. RB, OL, LB are probably an injury away from trouble. This is true for most NFL teams but not the ones at the very top. We could all see a need at RB depth this off-season as well as OL but the FO has been reluctant to address it.

NEEDS GOING FORWARD TO COMPETE IN THE PLAYOFFS

• Address the pre-snap penalties! Leading the league in pre-snap penalties will spell doom in the playoffs. We have 11 penalties for lining up off-sides! Just sloppy and lack of attention to detail.
• Get more receivers involved to take pressure off Lamb. Cooks and Gallup have underperformed but occasionally they’ve been open and Dak hasn’t thrown to them. These guys must get more involved or DCs are going to shut down just Cedee to beat us.
• Get Rico Dowdle more involved in the run game. I love Tony Pollard but he’s more effective in the 15-20 touches per game rather than 20-25. Dowdle has more power- we must use him more!
• Faster starts for the offense. We cannot afford to continue with the opening 3 and out, especially against good teams. Poor offensive starts spell disaster in the playoffs.
• Need someone to make a play in clutch moments. Thats often the difference between good and great. Great teams make clutch plays when the game is on the line.

BOTTOM LINE AT MID-SEASON
Bill Parcells’ old quote “You are what your record says you are” has never been more true with this team. This is a good, not great team so far this season and the record reflects that. If we want to at least reach a conference championship game for the first time in nearly 3 decades, the team must improve. Good but not great is a repeat of too many recent seasons. Let’s hope they can up their game.

Your thoughts?

I'd feel a lot better about this team is they were 6-2. Winning at San Fran and Philly is tough, but that Arizona game is the kind of brain fart that just can't happen if you want to seriously contend. That team hasn't won a game since, and the Cowboys lost by 12. The Cardinals controlled the game from start to finish. No excuse for that.

I agree about Dowdle. Pollard has never been "the guy" - not even in college - and he's not as effective when asked to carry the load. I feel like I've seen this movie before *cough*Felix Jones*cough*, but there are 10.1 million reasons why I don't expect the workload distribution to change.

 

[Bobhaze]

I'd feel a lot better about this team is they were 6-2. Winning at San Fran and Philly is tough, but that Arizona game is the kind of brain fart that just can't happen if you want to seriously contend. That team hasn't won a game since, and the Cowboys lost by 12. The Cardinals controlled the game from start to finish. No excuse for that.

I agree about Dowdle. Pollard has never been "the guy" - not even in college - and he's not as effective when asked to carry the load. I feel like I've seen this movie before *cough*Felix Jones*cough*, but there are 10.1 million reasons why I don't expect the workload distribution to change.

Well said Jake.
To me the Arizona game is a microcosm of the Cowboys cultural problems. They are capable of playing better (like in Ariz) but there is a strange lack of focus or attention to detail. Thus the penalty problems...the lack of execution in key moments.

This team was so close to winning in Philly at the end. But like so many of the teams of recent past, there is a lack of making plays in the clutch. No one seems capable of rising above and making a special play as so many of our great teams of the past did. Staubach, Pearson, Michael Irvin, Emmitt…even some role players also did on those great teams.

Guys like Alvin Harper, Tony Hill, Billy Joe DuPree, Preston Pearson, Kelvin Martin, and James Washington were not HOFers. They were role players who made big plays in big moments in the playoffs. We need guys on this team to make big plays in big moments. Not just stars but role players too.

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

3.9, 111 per game…he’s right on that stat

Then I would say that an average of 111 rushing yards is great, lad.
Thanks!

 

[Jake]

Well said Jake.
To me the Arizona game is a microcosm of the Cowboys cultural problems. They are capable of playing better (like in Ariz) but there is a strange lack of focus or attention to detail. Thus the penalty problems...the lack of execution in key moments.

This team was so close to winning in Philly at the end. But like so many of the teams of recent past, there is a lack of making plays in the clutch. No one seems capable of rising above and making a special play as so many of our great teams of the past did. Staubach, Pearson, Michael Irvin, Emmitt…even some role players also did on those great teams.

Guys like Alvin Harper, Tony Hill, Billy Joe DuPree, Preston Pearson, Kelvin Martin, and James Washington were not HOFers. They were role players who made big plays in big moments in the playoffs. We need guys on this team to make big plays in big moments. Not just stars but role players too.

The Cowboys are the poster child of doing the same things over and over again and expecting different results. That's what happens when the same two guys are making personnel decisions for decades, with no fear of repercussions. Old men don't change their ways. They stick with what they know and what feels comfortable to them.

It becomes a problem when they've been successful in other things, like building wealth. They put a lot of stock in their own opinions, in other areas, despite results.

Dak is the new Romo, Pollard is the new Jones - different players, similar results. The problem is Jerry sees them as the new Aikman and Emmitt Smith.

 

[Bobhaze]

The Cowboys are the poster child of doing the same things over and over again and expecting different results. That's what happens when the same two guys are making personnel decisions for decades, with no fear of repercussions. Old men don't change their ways. They stick with what they know and what feels comfortable to them.

It becomes a problem when they've been successful in other things, like building wealth. They put a lot of stock in their own opinions, in other areas, despite results.

Dak is the new Romo, Pollard is the new Jones - different players, similar results. The problem is Jerry sees them as the new Aikman and Emmitt Smith.

And our two front office leaders look at their own players as fans do. They love them. They over-value them and always see best case scenarios unlike the GMs winning SBs who look at their roster with a cold reptilian eye.

Great GMs use worst case scenarios as their guide and plan accordingly. They are pro-active making moves before the team obviously needs them. Our FO waits until a need is so obvious the fans on this board have already identified them. Then the next off-season the FO reacts to that. Problem is they are already too late.

Great GMs must have foresight and anticipation. Bad GMs are slow to change, always late to the party, never self-reflective enough about their failures. You can’t change what you refuse to see or even consider. JJ and SJ are business geniuses. Without Will McClay, the Jones boys are glorified fantasy footballers with fat wallets. And no hardware in the last 3 decades as proof.

 

[Blackrain]

Well said Jake.
To me the Arizona game is a microcosm of the Cowboys cultural problems. They are capable of playing better (like in Ariz) but there is a strange lack of focus or attention to detail. Thus the penalty problems...the lack of execution in key moments.

This team was so close to winning in Philly at the end. But like so many of the teams of recent past, there is a lack of making plays in the clutch. No one seems capable of rising above and making a special play as so many of our great teams of the past did. Staubach, Pearson, Michael Irvin, Emmitt…even some role players also did on those great teams.

Guys like Alvin Harper, Tony Hill, Billy Joe DuPree, Preston Pearson, Kelvin Martin, and James Washington were not HOFers. They were role players who made big plays in big moments in the playoffs. We need guys on this team to make big plays in big moments. Not just stars but role players too.

Agreed in big games we just have nobody that can finish granted Micah is a force to be reckoned with but not so much in big games.

There is no one on offense that teams absolutely fear.
No clutch player that absolutely rises up in big moments and comes through consistently.

Emmitt and Michael were feared and game planned for in big games.
Roger Staubach was feared by the whole league and everyone reiterated the same thing if there was any time on the clock no lead was safe.
Aikman's Cowboys Staubach Cowboys at the six yard line the ball goes in the end zone and they go home with a win the Cowboys of the last quarter century have The uncanny ability to have a win put in their lap and somehow figure out a way to squander the opportunity.

 

[mmohican29]

Here's my take.

The Dallas Cowboys are a good football team.

They are not special and really show no signs of becoming so.

No run game
Hit & miss D, more hit but...
QB has lost a clutch gene

Divisional Round and done.

 

[Cowboysheelsreds058]

Penalties are even worse. Some of the other teams with 60 have played an extra game

Makes it even worse but said we have been top 5 for the last 10 to 15 years easily. That’s one category you never want to be top 5 of.

 

[CCBoy]

Well said Jake.
To me the Arizona game is a microcosm of the Cowboys cultural problems. They are capable of playing better (like in Ariz) but there is a strange lack of focus or attention to detail. Thus the penalty problems...the lack of execution in key moments.

This team was so close to winning in Philly at the end. But like so many of the teams of recent past, there is a lack of making plays in the clutch. No one seems capable of rising above and making a special play as so many of our great teams of the past did. Staubach, Pearson, Michael Irvin, Emmitt…even some role players also did on those great teams.

Guys like Alvin Harper, Tony Hill, Billy Joe DuPree, Preston Pearson, Kelvin Martin, and James Washington were not HOFers. They were role players who made big plays in big moments in the playoffs. We need guys on this team to make big plays in big moments. Not just stars but role players too.

Good view here, guy.

It takes a total team where everyone rises up to the need at the moment and accomplishes the mission, no matter what that is.