CFZ Everything That's Gone Right The Past Two Years

[TexasBacon]

The Cowboys are poised to make the playoffs for a second straight season for the first time in over 15 years and are currently ranked in the top 5 teams in the NFL. Yet, I still see so many threads complaining about everything to the point you’d think they were as hopeless as we all thought they would be after week 1. So, here’s a TL;DR list of significant positives/ some very fortuitous breaks for the team and us fans in the past two years:

· Dallas continues to nail the draft. In addition to having the highest percentage of draft picks on the roster, Dallas traded back and managed to draft what might be a top 5 all time defensive player in Micah Parsons, knocked the Tyler Smith pick out of the park, and have hit in the later rounds with players like Hendershot, Sam Williams, Bland etc. I think we take this teams’ drafting for granted even with the second-round busts they seem to have. They are amazing at drafting compared to other teams.

· Dan Quinn. In just two seasons Dan Quinn came in and took a depleted defense that looked like garbage under Mike Nolan and has unequivocally turned them into a top 3 defense in the league in just two years. Additionally, he’s developed Parsons and Trevon Diggs into all-pro players. I can’t think of another coach that has had even close to this impact on another team in such a short span. We are very fortunate he chose to stick around and need to pray he will stay a few more seasons because I don’t think Mike is going anywhere (rightfully so).

· Mike McCarthy seems to be the real deal at Head Coach. Many of us were on the fence about him but he seems to actually identify problems (even with his own coaching) and make the necessary adjustments. The players seem to love him and want to play for him and he should be the frontrunner for Coach of the Year. This is easily the best coaching job we’ve seen since the Tuna’s first season when he took the Quincy Carter-led Cowboys to the playoffs and is such a far cry from Garrett’s approach of doing the same thing over and over and over and over and hoping it works. Now if Kellen can just be consistent….

· Releasing/not re-signing players like Gregory, Collins, etc., has paid off due to the identification and development of late round/undrafted talent like Dorance Armstrong, Terence Steele, etc. It’s rare to release pro-bowl players and actually improve, but the Cowboys have somehow managed to do this at multiple positions. Depending on how this offense shakes out, even releasing Amari may pan out. When have we ever seen this approach work out as well as it has with multiple positions?

· Cooper Rush and Brett Maher. We all thought at the beginning of the season that backup QB and kicker were going to crush us in some games because of how inactive Dallas seemed to be at improving the positions. We all know what Rush has done, but just as shockingly we resigned a kicker who missed multiple extra points and easy field goals that cost us games just 3 years ago. Maher has come in and been more than solid. I think he has what, one missed field goal (that was close to 60 yards) all season? He’s been incredible, especially given his history.

· Dak getting his groove back. I’m a bit hesitant to put this on the list yet, and he still has a lot more to prove especially in the post season, but Dak getting back to form in the last two weeks after the inexplicable fall-off last season is HUGE, especially after the way the defense is playing. If Dak can maintain that level of play with this supporting cast, in the current state of the NFC, Dallas really could make a championship run this year.

· Trevon Diggs developing into a true all-pro corner. Diggs’ picks were great last year but he really seemed to work his butt off this offseason and has looked like a true shut down corner this year. He’s still making plays on balls but is also shutting down WR’s in coverage. He looks great.

· Dallas has finally hit in FA while still not breaking the bank. Up until last year, Dallas had always been cheap in FA and had pretty much whiffed on their signings. All of a sudden they sign the likes of Kearse, Hooker, Barr, Fowler, etc., while still being cheap, but have added significant talent.

· Dallas has made all of these moves and is a top 4 team without giving up any significant draft capital and is still in great cap shape. Yes, the contracts for Diggs and Parsons loom in the next 2-3 seasons, but they have the capacity to contend for multiple years. While we can be frustrated at the lack of a WR trade, they are still in great shape to make a run this year.

· In addition to finally having a top defense and offense on its way to the top, special teams has been fantastic. I already mentioned how clutch Maher has been. But Dallas also has one of the best punters in the league in Anger who constantly gives us great field position, made a great signing in Turpin at kick returner, and has great special teams play from fringe players like Goodwin and even Kelvin Joseph (though I wish one of my bullets was how great Joseph was playing at CB).

· Finally, they have two RB-1 caliber backs in Zeke and Pollard who can be a fantastic combination if used correctly. With Tyron coming back and the OL developing the way they have the running game should only continue to get better. Zeke has worked his tail off to maintain his level of play, and while he’ll never repeat his 2016 season he and Pollard are maybe the best RB duo in the league.

It’s been a rough 25 years to be fans of this team and it’s very easy for us all to lament any perceived bad move by the coaches, players, and especially the FO. But I think we have a lot to be thankful for when you think about all of the variables that have had to have gone right for us to be where we are right now. This is as complete a team as I can remember, and while we need to avoid the injury bug and need to see Dak continue to elevate his play (especially against good teams), let’s try and think about how many things have gone right for once.

 

[Hawkeye0202]

Hell, I gave you a like for writing

 

[blueblood70]

The Cowboys are poised to make the playoffs for a second straight season for the first time in over 15 years and are currently ranked in the top 5 teams in the NFL. Yet, I still see so many threads complaining about everything to the point you’d think they were as hopeless as we all thought they would be after week 1. So, here’s a TL;DR list of significant positives/ some very fortuitous breaks for the team and us fans in the past two years:

· Dallas continues to nail the draft. In addition to having the highest percentage of draft picks on the roster, Dallas traded back and managed to draft what might be a top 5 all time defensive player in Micah Parsons, knocked the Tyler Smith pick out of the park, and have hit in the later rounds with players like Hendershot, Sam Williams, Bland etc. I think we take this teams’ drafting for granted even with the second-round busts they seem to have. They are amazing at drafting compared to other teams.

· Dan Quinn. In just two seasons Dan Quinn came in and took a depleted defense that looked like garbage under Mike Nolan and has unequivocally turned them into a top 3 defense in the league in just two years. Additionally, he’s developed Parsons and Trevon Diggs into all-pro players. I can’t think of another coach that has had even close to this impact on another team in such a short span. We are very fortunate he chose to stick around and need to pray he will stay a few more seasons because I don’t think Mike is going anywhere (rightfully so).

· Mike McCarthy seems to be the real deal at Head Coach. Many of us were on the fence about him but he seems to actually identify problems (even with his own coaching) and make the necessary adjustments. The players seem to love him and want to play for him and he should be the frontrunner for Coach of the Year. This is easily the best coaching job we’ve seen since the Tuna’s first season when he took the Quincy Carter-led Cowboys to the playoffs and is such a far cry from Garrett’s approach of doing the same thing over and over and over and over and hoping it works. Now if Kellen can just be consistent….

· Releasing/not re-signing players like Gregory, Collins, etc., has paid off due to the identification and development of late round/undrafted talent like Dorance Armstrong, Terence Steele, etc. It’s rare to release pro-bowl players and actually improve, but the Cowboys have somehow managed to do this at multiple positions. Depending on how this offense shakes out, even releasing Amari may pan out. When have we ever seen this approach work out as well as it has with multiple positions?

· Cooper Rush and Brett Maher. We all thought at the beginning of the season that backup QB and kicker were going to crush us in some games because of how inactive Dallas seemed to be at improving the positions. We all know what Rush has done, but just as shockingly we resigned a kicker who missed multiple extra points and easy field goals that cost us games just 3 years ago. Maher has come in and been more than solid. I think he has what, one missed field goal (that was close to 60 yards) all season? He’s been incredible, especially given his history.

· Dak getting his groove back. I’m a bit hesitant to put this on the list yet, and he still has a lot more to prove especially in the post season, but Dak getting back to form in the last two weeks after the inexplicable fall-off last season is HUGE, especially after the way the defense is playing. If Dak can maintain that level of play with this supporting cast, in the current state of the NFC, Dallas really could make a championship run this year.

· Trevon Diggs developing into a true all-pro corner. Diggs’ picks were great last year but he really seemed to work his butt off this offseason and has looked like a true shut down corner this year. He’s still making plays on balls but is also shutting down WR’s in coverage. He looks great.

· Dallas has finally hit in FA while still not breaking the bank. Up until last year, Dallas had always been cheap in FA and had pretty much whiffed on their signings. All of a sudden they sign the likes of Kearse, Hooker, Barr, Fowler, etc., while still being cheap, but have added significant talent.

· Dallas has made all of these moves and is a top 4 team without giving up any significant draft capital and is still in great cap shape. Yes, the contracts for Diggs and Parsons loom in the next 2-3 seasons, but they have the capacity to contend for multiple years. While we can be frustrated at the lack of a WR trade, they are still in great shape to make a run this year.

· In addition to finally having a top defense and offense on its way to the top, special teams has been fantastic. I already mentioned how clutch Maher has been. But Dallas also has one of the best punters in the league in Anger who constantly gives us great field position, made a great signing in Turpin at kick returner, and has great special teams play from fringe players like Goodwin and even Kelvin Joseph (though I wish one of my bullets was how great Joseph was playing at CB).

· Finally, they have two RB-1 caliber backs in Zeke and Pollard who can be a fantastic combination if used correctly. With Tyron coming back and the OL developing the way they have the running game should only continue to get better. Zeke has worked his tail off to maintain his level of play, and while he’ll never repeat his 2016 season he and Pollard are maybe the best RB duo in the league.

It’s been a rough 25 years to be fans of this team and it’s very easy for us all to lament any perceived bad move by the coaches, players, and especially the FO. But I think we have a lot to be thankful for when you think about all of the variables that have had to have gone right for us to be where we are right now. This is as complete a team as I can remember, and while we need to avoid the injury bug and need to see Dak continue to elevate his play (especially against good teams), let’s try and think about how many things have gone right for once.

MY short version,
starting out 6-2 both seasons is what's gone right, the moves obviously have been far better than fans reactions to them. well overreactions.

 

[JBS]

Good post. All true. But nobody cares about any of this anymore. Win playoff games (as in multiple) or it means nothing. Like last season meant nothing. Great opportunity awaits them this season. It’s wide open. Let’s see what they do.

 

[Zordon]

It's amazing how teams like the Bengals and Rams can flip a switch and make it to the Super Bowl, yet the team that is supposedly drafting well and leads the league in drafted Pro Bowlers the last two decades can't even sniff a conference title game. Does anybody really believe the Bengals team last year was significantly better than some of our best teams over the last few years? I swear we're cursed.

 

[TexasBacon]

It's amazing how teams like the Bengals and Rams can flip a switch and make it to the Super Bowl, yet the team that is supposedly drafting well and leads the league in drafted Pro Bowlers the last two decades can't even sniff a conference title game. Does anybody really believe the Bengals team last year was significantly better than some of our best teams over the last few years? I swear we're cursed.

It can definitely feel that way. It's somewhat mind boggling the Bengals made it, I think they are the epitome of getting hot at the right time. We always seem to get hot at the beginning of the year instead of in January but hopefully the roster is finally strong and deep enough to make a deep run regardless.

 

[acr731]

Does anybody really believe the Bengals team last year was significantly better than some of our best teams over the last few years? I swear we're cursed.

I think they have the better QB, but that might be it.

 

[Oz-of-Cowboy-Country]

It's amazing how teams like the Bengals and Rams can flip a switch and make it to the Super Bowl, yet the team that is supposedly drafting well and leads the league in drafted Pro Bowlers the last two decades can't even sniff a conference title game. Does anybody really believe the Bengals team last year was significantly better than some of our best teams over the last few years? I swear we're cursed.

We haven't completely purged ourselves of the process curse. We have this Garrett carrot named Moore this hanging around. Only when he's gone will the curse be lifted.

 

[DogFace]

Great post OP, but again, please don’t mention the kicker.

Thanks

 

[RomoIsGod]

The Cowboys are poised to make the playoffs for a second straight season for the first time in over 15 years and are currently ranked in the top 5 teams in the NFL. Yet, I still see so many threads complaining about everything to the point you’d think they were as hopeless as we all thought they would be after week 1. So, here’s a TL;DR list of significant positives/ some very fortuitous breaks for the team and us fans in the past two years:

· Dallas continues to nail the draft. In addition to having the highest percentage of draft picks on the roster, Dallas traded back and managed to draft what might be a top 5 all time defensive player in Micah Parsons, knocked the Tyler Smith pick out of the park, and have hit in the later rounds with players like Hendershot, Sam Williams, Bland etc. I think we take this teams’ drafting for granted even with the second-round busts they seem to have. They are amazing at drafting compared to other teams.

· Dan Quinn. In just two seasons Dan Quinn came in and took a depleted defense that looked like garbage under Mike Nolan and has unequivocally turned them into a top 3 defense in the league in just two years. Additionally, he’s developed Parsons and Trevon Diggs into all-pro players. I can’t think of another coach that has had even close to this impact on another team in such a short span. We are very fortunate he chose to stick around and need to pray he will stay a few more seasons because I don’t think Mike is going anywhere (rightfully so).

· Mike McCarthy seems to be the real deal at Head Coach. Many of us were on the fence about him but he seems to actually identify problems (even with his own coaching) and make the necessary adjustments. The players seem to love him and want to play for him and he should be the frontrunner for Coach of the Year. This is easily the best coaching job we’ve seen since the Tuna’s first season when he took the Quincy Carter-led Cowboys to the playoffs and is such a far cry from Garrett’s approach of doing the same thing over and over and over and over and hoping it works. Now if Kellen can just be consistent….

· Releasing/not re-signing players like Gregory, Collins, etc., has paid off due to the identification and development of late round/undrafted talent like Dorance Armstrong, Terence Steele, etc. It’s rare to release pro-bowl players and actually improve, but the Cowboys have somehow managed to do this at multiple positions. Depending on how this offense shakes out, even releasing Amari may pan out. When have we ever seen this approach work out as well as it has with multiple positions?

· Cooper Rush and Brett Maher. We all thought at the beginning of the season that backup QB and kicker were going to crush us in some games because of how inactive Dallas seemed to be at improving the positions. We all know what Rush has done, but just as shockingly we resigned a kicker who missed multiple extra points and easy field goals that cost us games just 3 years ago. Maher has come in and been more than solid. I think he has what, one missed field goal (that was close to 60 yards) all season? He’s been incredible, especially given his history.

· Dak getting his groove back. I’m a bit hesitant to put this on the list yet, and he still has a lot more to prove especially in the post season, but Dak getting back to form in the last two weeks after the inexplicable fall-off last season is HUGE, especially after the way the defense is playing. If Dak can maintain that level of play with this supporting cast, in the current state of the NFC, Dallas really could make a championship run this year.

· Trevon Diggs developing into a true all-pro corner. Diggs’ picks were great last year but he really seemed to work his butt off this offseason and has looked like a true shut down corner this year. He’s still making plays on balls but is also shutting down WR’s in coverage. He looks great.

· Dallas has finally hit in FA while still not breaking the bank. Up until last year, Dallas had always been cheap in FA and had pretty much whiffed on their signings. All of a sudden they sign the likes of Kearse, Hooker, Barr, Fowler, etc., while still being cheap, but have added significant talent.

· Dallas has made all of these moves and is a top 4 team without giving up any significant draft capital and is still in great cap shape. Yes, the contracts for Diggs and Parsons loom in the next 2-3 seasons, but they have the capacity to contend for multiple years. While we can be frustrated at the lack of a WR trade, they are still in great shape to make a run this year.

· In addition to finally having a top defense and offense on its way to the top, special teams has been fantastic. I already mentioned how clutch Maher has been. But Dallas also has one of the best punters in the league in Anger who constantly gives us great field position, made a great signing in Turpin at kick returner, and has great special teams play from fringe players like Goodwin and even Kelvin Joseph (though I wish one of my bullets was how great Joseph was playing at CB).

· Finally, they have two RB-1 caliber backs in Zeke and Pollard who can be a fantastic combination if used correctly. With Tyron coming back and the OL developing the way they have the running game should only continue to get better. Zeke has worked his tail off to maintain his level of play, and while he’ll never repeat his 2016 season he and Pollard are maybe the best RB duo in the league.

It’s been a rough 25 years to be fans of this team and it’s very easy for us all to lament any perceived bad move by the coaches, players, and especially the FO. But I think we have a lot to be thankful for when you think about all of the variables that have had to have gone right for us to be where we are right now. This is as complete a team as I can remember, and while we need to avoid the injury bug and need to see Dak continue to elevate his play (especially against good teams), let’s try and think about how many things have gone right for once.

Very well said.

 

[Pentagruel]

I honestly think the Cowboys have been well run the past few years and made some good moves in all aspects of team building. I can’t say that for all of the past 25 years or whatnot. I can see them making a run this year and I see them poised to be competitive for the coming few years as well.

 

[Bobhaze]

The Cowboys are poised to make the playoffs for a second straight season for the first time in over 15 years and are currently ranked in the top 5 teams in the NFL. Yet, I still see so many threads complaining about everything to the point you’d think they were as hopeless as we all thought they would be after week 1. So, here’s a TL;DR list of significant positives/ some very fortuitous breaks for the team and us fans in the past two years:

· Dallas continues to nail the draft. In addition to having the highest percentage of draft picks on the roster, Dallas traded back and managed to draft what might be a top 5 all time defensive player in Micah Parsons, knocked the Tyler Smith pick out of the park, and have hit in the later rounds with players like Hendershot, Sam Williams, Bland etc. I think we take this teams’ drafting for granted even with the second-round busts they seem to have. They are amazing at drafting compared to other teams.

· Dan Quinn. In just two seasons Dan Quinn came in and took a depleted defense that looked like garbage under Mike Nolan and has unequivocally turned them into a top 3 defense in the league in just two years. Additionally, he’s developed Parsons and Trevon Diggs into all-pro players. I can’t think of another coach that has had even close to this impact on another team in such a short span. We are very fortunate he chose to stick around and need to pray he will stay a few more seasons because I don’t think Mike is going anywhere (rightfully so).

· Mike McCarthy seems to be the real deal at Head Coach. Many of us were on the fence about him but he seems to actually identify problems (even with his own coaching) and make the necessary adjustments. The players seem to love him and want to play for him and he should be the frontrunner for Coach of the Year. This is easily the best coaching job we’ve seen since the Tuna’s first season when he took the Quincy Carter-led Cowboys to the playoffs and is such a far cry from Garrett’s approach of doing the same thing over and over and over and over and hoping it works. Now if Kellen can just be consistent….

· Releasing/not re-signing players like Gregory, Collins, etc., has paid off due to the identification and development of late round/undrafted talent like Dorance Armstrong, Terence Steele, etc. It’s rare to release pro-bowl players and actually improve, but the Cowboys have somehow managed to do this at multiple positions. Depending on how this offense shakes out, even releasing Amari may pan out. When have we ever seen this approach work out as well as it has with multiple positions?

· Cooper Rush and Brett Maher. We all thought at the beginning of the season that backup QB and kicker were going to crush us in some games because of how inactive Dallas seemed to be at improving the positions. We all know what Rush has done, but just as shockingly we resigned a kicker who missed multiple extra points and easy field goals that cost us games just 3 years ago. Maher has come in and been more than solid. I think he has what, one missed field goal (that was close to 60 yards) all season? He’s been incredible, especially given his history.

· Dak getting his groove back. I’m a bit hesitant to put this on the list yet, and he still has a lot more to prove especially in the post season, but Dak getting back to form in the last two weeks after the inexplicable fall-off last season is HUGE, especially after the way the defense is playing. If Dak can maintain that level of play with this supporting cast, in the current state of the NFC, Dallas really could make a championship run this year.

· Trevon Diggs developing into a true all-pro corner. Diggs’ picks were great last year but he really seemed to work his butt off this offseason and has looked like a true shut down corner this year. He’s still making plays on balls but is also shutting down WR’s in coverage. He looks great.

· Dallas has finally hit in FA while still not breaking the bank. Up until last year, Dallas had always been cheap in FA and had pretty much whiffed on their signings. All of a sudden they sign the likes of Kearse, Hooker, Barr, Fowler, etc., while still being cheap, but have added significant talent.

· Dallas has made all of these moves and is a top 4 team without giving up any significant draft capital and is still in great cap shape. Yes, the contracts for Diggs and Parsons loom in the next 2-3 seasons, but they have the capacity to contend for multiple years. While we can be frustrated at the lack of a WR trade, they are still in great shape to make a run this year.

· In addition to finally having a top defense and offense on its way to the top, special teams has been fantastic. I already mentioned how clutch Maher has been. But Dallas also has one of the best punters in the league in Anger who constantly gives us great field position, made a great signing in Turpin at kick returner, and has great special teams play from fringe players like Goodwin and even Kelvin Joseph (though I wish one of my bullets was how great Joseph was playing at CB).

· Finally, they have two RB-1 caliber backs in Zeke and Pollard who can be a fantastic combination if used correctly. With Tyron coming back and the OL developing the way they have the running game should only continue to get better. Zeke has worked his tail off to maintain his level of play, and while he’ll never repeat his 2016 season he and Pollard are maybe the best RB duo in the league.

It’s been a rough 25 years to be fans of this team and it’s very easy for us all to lament any perceived bad move by the coaches, players, and especially the FO. But I think we have a lot to be thankful for when you think about all of the variables that have had to have gone right for us to be where we are right now. This is as complete a team as I can remember, and while we need to avoid the injury bug and need to see Dak continue to elevate his play (especially against good teams), let’s try and think about how many things have gone right for once.

Very well said. Thank you.

 

[Zman5]

One thing I really like about MM era vs JG era is that MM isn't afraid of playing younger inexperienced players.
JG was hell bent on trotting out older supposedly "proven" players when everybody and their grandmother knew the younger players were the better option.

Only injuries to vets gave the younger players a chance to shine. That's the only reason we got to find out how much better Miles Austin was over Roy Will (WR) and D. Murray over Felix Jones. Funny thing is, they both broke team records in their first starts and kept the starting job.

 

[Pass2Run]

The Cowboys are poised to make the playoffs for a second straight season for the first time in over 15 years and are currently ranked in the top 5 teams in the NFL. Yet, I still see so many threads complaining about everything to the point you’d think they were as hopeless as we all thought they would be after week 1. So, here’s a TL;DR list of significant positives/ some very fortuitous breaks for the team and us fans in the past two years:

· Dallas continues to nail the draft. In addition to having the highest percentage of draft picks on the roster, Dallas traded back and managed to draft what might be a top 5 all time defensive player in Micah Parsons, knocked the Tyler Smith pick out of the park, and have hit in the later rounds with players like Hendershot, Sam Williams, Bland etc. I think we take this teams’ drafting for granted even with the second-round busts they seem to have. They are amazing at drafting compared to other teams.

· Dan Quinn. In just two seasons Dan Quinn came in and took a depleted defense that looked like garbage under Mike Nolan and has unequivocally turned them into a top 3 defense in the league in just two years. Additionally, he’s developed Parsons and Trevon Diggs into all-pro players. I can’t think of another coach that has had even close to this impact on another team in such a short span. We are very fortunate he chose to stick around and need to pray he will stay a few more seasons because I don’t think Mike is going anywhere (rightfully so).

· Mike McCarthy seems to be the real deal at Head Coach. Many of us were on the fence about him but he seems to actually identify problems (even with his own coaching) and make the necessary adjustments. The players seem to love him and want to play for him and he should be the frontrunner for Coach of the Year. This is easily the best coaching job we’ve seen since the Tuna’s first season when he took the Quincy Carter-led Cowboys to the playoffs and is such a far cry from Garrett’s approach of doing the same thing over and over and over and over and hoping it works. Now if Kellen can just be consistent….

· Releasing/not re-signing players like Gregory, Collins, etc., has paid off due to the identification and development of late round/undrafted talent like Dorance Armstrong, Terence Steele, etc. It’s rare to release pro-bowl players and actually improve, but the Cowboys have somehow managed to do this at multiple positions. Depending on how this offense shakes out, even releasing Amari may pan out. When have we ever seen this approach work out as well as it has with multiple positions?

· Cooper Rush and Brett Maher. We all thought at the beginning of the season that backup QB and kicker were going to crush us in some games because of how inactive Dallas seemed to be at improving the positions. We all know what Rush has done, but just as shockingly we resigned a kicker who missed multiple extra points and easy field goals that cost us games just 3 years ago. Maher has come in and been more than solid. I think he has what, one missed field goal (that was close to 60 yards) all season? He’s been incredible, especially given his history.

· Dak getting his groove back. I’m a bit hesitant to put this on the list yet, and he still has a lot more to prove especially in the post season, but Dak getting back to form in the last two weeks after the inexplicable fall-off last season is HUGE, especially after the way the defense is playing. If Dak can maintain that level of play with this supporting cast, in the current state of the NFC, Dallas really could make a championship run this year.

· Trevon Diggs developing into a true all-pro corner. Diggs’ picks were great last year but he really seemed to work his butt off this offseason and has looked like a true shut down corner this year. He’s still making plays on balls but is also shutting down WR’s in coverage. He looks great.

· Dallas has finally hit in FA while still not breaking the bank. Up until last year, Dallas had always been cheap in FA and had pretty much whiffed on their signings. All of a sudden they sign the likes of Kearse, Hooker, Barr, Fowler, etc., while still being cheap, but have added significant talent.

· Dallas has made all of these moves and is a top 4 team without giving up any significant draft capital and is still in great cap shape. Yes, the contracts for Diggs and Parsons loom in the next 2-3 seasons, but they have the capacity to contend for multiple years. While we can be frustrated at the lack of a WR trade, they are still in great shape to make a run this year.

· In addition to finally having a top defense and offense on its way to the top, special teams has been fantastic. I already mentioned how clutch Maher has been. But Dallas also has one of the best punters in the league in Anger who constantly gives us great field position, made a great signing in Turpin at kick returner, and has great special teams play from fringe players like Goodwin and even Kelvin Joseph (though I wish one of my bullets was how great Joseph was playing at CB).

· Finally, they have two RB-1 caliber backs in Zeke and Pollard who can be a fantastic combination if used correctly. With Tyron coming back and the OL developing the way they have the running game should only continue to get better. Zeke has worked his tail off to maintain his level of play, and while he’ll never repeat his 2016 season he and Pollard are maybe the best RB duo in the league.

It’s been a rough 25 years to be fans of this team and it’s very easy for us all to lament any perceived bad move by the coaches, players, and especially the FO. But I think we have a lot to be thankful for when you think about all of the variables that have had to have gone right for us to be where we are right now. This is as complete a team as I can remember, and while we need to avoid the injury bug and need to see Dak continue to elevate his play (especially against good teams), let’s try and think about how many things have gone right for once.

Excellent post. Although some here will say it's TL;DR, I actually enjoy longer, more thought out posts, making different points.

I just wanted to say that Hendershot wasn't even a draft pick. He was an UDFA.

I also pointed out that I liked our offseason moves.

Nope, they weren't your typical big-splash, high-dollar players. But we got the kinds of guys that you can rotate and who fit in our schemes.

Each player brings a different dynamic to your team. For instance, if (cross my fingers) Lamb goes down, then the Cowboys can play Noah Brown, Gallup, Fehoko, Turpin, and Waashington.

I'm pretty good with all of those guys in any combination, push come to shove.

We got Prescott back now. Dude has a cannon. And that's what you need with those players.

I don't care what anyone says. Dak is a good player with good vision.

So, yeah, we're in good shape, my friend.

I'll also add that I do care that they are winning in the regular season, regardless of what happens in the post season. Although I expect them to do well. I also well know that it's any given Sunday...as they say.

Hallelujah for this line, Tyler Smith, and all of those guys grinding it out up front for this offense. Truly admirable job by them. And Cooper Rush.

 

[big dog cowboy]

The Cowboys are poised to make the playoffs for a second straight season for the first time in over 15 years and are currently ranked in the top 5 teams in the NFL. Yet, I still see so many threads complaining about everything to the point you’d think they were as hopeless as we all thought they would be after week 1. So, here’s a TL;DR list of significant positives/ some very fortuitous breaks for the team and us fans in the past two years:

· Dallas continues to nail the draft. In addition to having the highest percentage of draft picks on the roster, Dallas traded back and managed to draft what might be a top 5 all time defensive player in Micah Parsons, knocked the Tyler Smith pick out of the park, and have hit in the later rounds with players like Hendershot, Sam Williams, Bland etc. I think we take this teams’ drafting for granted even with the second-round busts they seem to have. They are amazing at drafting compared to other teams.

· Dan Quinn. In just two seasons Dan Quinn came in and took a depleted defense that looked like garbage under Mike Nolan and has unequivocally turned them into a top 3 defense in the league in just two years. Additionally, he’s developed Parsons and Trevon Diggs into all-pro players. I can’t think of another coach that has had even close to this impact on another team in such a short span. We are very fortunate he chose to stick around and need to pray he will stay a few more seasons because I don’t think Mike is going anywhere (rightfully so).

· Mike McCarthy seems to be the real deal at Head Coach. Many of us were on the fence about him but he seems to actually identify problems (even with his own coaching) and make the necessary adjustments. The players seem to love him and want to play for him and he should be the frontrunner for Coach of the Year. This is easily the best coaching job we’ve seen since the Tuna’s first season when he took the Quincy Carter-led Cowboys to the playoffs and is such a far cry from Garrett’s approach of doing the same thing over and over and over and over and hoping it works. Now if Kellen can just be consistent….

· Releasing/not re-signing players like Gregory, Collins, etc., has paid off due to the identification and development of late round/undrafted talent like Dorance Armstrong, Terence Steele, etc. It’s rare to release pro-bowl players and actually improve, but the Cowboys have somehow managed to do this at multiple positions. Depending on how this offense shakes out, even releasing Amari may pan out. When have we ever seen this approach work out as well as it has with multiple positions?

· Cooper Rush and Brett Maher. We all thought at the beginning of the season that backup QB and kicker were going to crush us in some games because of how inactive Dallas seemed to be at improving the positions. We all know what Rush has done, but just as shockingly we resigned a kicker who missed multiple extra points and easy field goals that cost us games just 3 years ago. Maher has come in and been more than solid. I think he has what, one missed field goal (that was close to 60 yards) all season? He’s been incredible, especially given his history.

· Dak getting his groove back. I’m a bit hesitant to put this on the list yet, and he still has a lot more to prove especially in the post season, but Dak getting back to form in the last two weeks after the inexplicable fall-off last season is HUGE, especially after the way the defense is playing. If Dak can maintain that level of play with this supporting cast, in the current state of the NFC, Dallas really could make a championship run this year.

· Trevon Diggs developing into a true all-pro corner. Diggs’ picks were great last year but he really seemed to work his butt off this offseason and has looked like a true shut down corner this year. He’s still making plays on balls but is also shutting down WR’s in coverage. He looks great.

· Dallas has finally hit in FA while still not breaking the bank. Up until last year, Dallas had always been cheap in FA and had pretty much whiffed on their signings. All of a sudden they sign the likes of Kearse, Hooker, Barr, Fowler, etc., while still being cheap, but have added significant talent.

· Dallas has made all of these moves and is a top 4 team without giving up any significant draft capital and is still in great cap shape. Yes, the contracts for Diggs and Parsons loom in the next 2-3 seasons, but they have the capacity to contend for multiple years. While we can be frustrated at the lack of a WR trade, they are still in great shape to make a run this year.

· In addition to finally having a top defense and offense on its way to the top, special teams has been fantastic. I already mentioned how clutch Maher has been. But Dallas also has one of the best punters in the league in Anger who constantly gives us great field position, made a great signing in Turpin at kick returner, and has great special teams play from fringe players like Goodwin and even Kelvin Joseph (though I wish one of my bullets was how great Joseph was playing at CB).

· Finally, they have two RB-1 caliber backs in Zeke and Pollard who can be a fantastic combination if used correctly. With Tyron coming back and the OL developing the way they have the running game should only continue to get better. Zeke has worked his tail off to maintain his level of play, and while he’ll never repeat his 2016 season he and Pollard are maybe the best RB duo in the league.

It’s been a rough 25 years to be fans of this team and it’s very easy for us all to lament any perceived bad move by the coaches, players, and especially the FO. But I think we have a lot to be thankful for when you think about all of the variables that have had to have gone right for us to be where we are right now. This is as complete a team as I can remember, and while we need to avoid the injury bug and need to see Dak continue to elevate his play (especially against good teams), let’s try and think about how many things have gone right for once.

 

[Praxit]

..it feels good to be a Dallas fan these days.

 

[DanA]

To me, we are getting an insane result in comparison to what we invested, an A+ off-season. But I'm not sure I'd be celebrating running back with how much we are spending on the position albeit decisions made in past years.

 

[gimmesix]

Maher has two misses from beyond 50 yards. It's amazed me that he's turned into Mr. Automatic from the 50 in and lost his long range. Of course, if he was going to have to sacrifice either one or the other, I'd prefer the not missing from inside the 50. We can save the 50-plus-yarder for end of half, end of game scenarios.

 

[Verdict]

It's amazing how teams like the Bengals and Rams can flip a switch and make it to the Super Bowl, yet the team that is supposedly drafting well and leads the league in drafted Pro Bowlers the last two decades can't even sniff a conference title game. Does anybody really believe the Bengals team last year was significantly better than some of our best teams over the last few years? I swear we're cursed.

The referee bias that may say doesn’t exist had kept us down on more than one occasion.

 

[TexasBacon]

Maher has two misses from beyond 50 yards. It's amazed me that he's turned into Mr. Automatic from the 50 in and lost his long range. Of course, if he was going to have to sacrifice either one or the other, I'd prefer the not missing from inside the 50. We can save the 50-plus-yarder for end of half, end of game scenarios.

Indeed, Maher continues to shock me with how clutch he's been. I think he's a good example that even NFL players can turn things around and continue to develop deep into their careers, which is why many of us still put hope in Dak developing into a top-tier QB. He's shown he can make the throws/plays and has all the talent to be as good as Allen or Mahomes, he just has to do it consistently. Consistency is everything.