CFZ Evidence of why a team’s mental toughness matters

[Bobhaze]

A team’s mental toughness- their ability to overcome adversity and win anyway is one of THE most underrated indicators of a championship team.

So far, we’ve only played about 40% of the season. So none of us yet know who the teams are that have the mental toughness needed to win in the playoffs.

Here are some recent examples of what I mean:

• In 2021, last years champs the rams were 7-4 after 11 games and lost 3 games in row in late October to early Nov. They did not look like champs then. Then they got tough between the ears.
• Last year’s AFC Champs the bengals were 7-6 on Dec 12. No one…I mean no one could have sanely predicted they were going to win the AFC and head to a SB.
• In 2020, eventual SB champ Tampa was 7-5 before it went on a run to win it all. Brady looked old and the offense was up and down. Nine weeks later they were champs. They were mentally tough.
• In 2019, the chiefs were 6-4 on Nov. 10 and not playing well. Then they got hot and went on a tear. Andy Reid later said it was their mental toughness that made the difference.
• Even many of the Cowboys SB teams had overcome lots of adversity. Our first SB winner from 1971 was 4-3 after 7 games. The ‘93 SB winning team was 0-2 to start the season and no SB winner had ever started 0-2 and gone on to win a SB. Mental toughness!

I could go on and on…None of us know what lies ahead. Who will get hot and will make a conference championship? We don’t know yet.

Those teams that advance in the playoffs may not always be the most talented. But those teams winning multiple playoff games are always mentally tough. If the Cowboys are ever going to go on a deep run in the playoffs, mental toughness may be what pushes them to get there.

 

[links18]

So what you are saying is the Packers will win the Super Bowl? Great.

 

[Bobhaze]

So what you are saying is the Packers will win the Super Bowl? Great.

Maybe.

 

[blueblood70]

agree playing well in the 2nd half's of games, shows they are making adjustments and going out and closing out games.
Id like to get out on teams earlier, but we have the bye week to demote Moore and let MM call plays LOL , one could only HOPE!! I still say KM is our Achilles heel and his little cute mental breakdowns in games is just showing he has issues against better defenses for a reason. you can beat the lions this way but the eagles and playoff teams..KM is not learning. those short yardage and 3rd down calls were terrible.

 

[Jipper]

watching this team struggle in the first half and then find a way to get 4 consequtive turnovers and convert to multiple td's to seal it late showed incredible toughness yesterday.

There is just a different vibe with this team....might not win it all but they are not getting bounced out in the wild card round.

 

[Vtwin]

This is the first time in years I get a vibe from the team that indicates they have that blue collar, mentally tough attitude.

They don't seem to be "just a bunch of damn front runners".

 

[guag]

watching this team struggle in the first half and then find a way to get 4 consequtive turnovers and convert to multiple td's to seal it late showed incredible toughness yesterday.

There is just a different vibe with this team....might not win it all but they are not getting bounced out in the wild card round.

Speaking of wild card... would love to get the Giants in the WC. But I'm getting ahead of myself lol.

 

[Oz-of-Cowboy-Country]

Confidence comes from evidence. A team will begin to believe in themselves with every victory. As they say, it's not the size of the dog in a fight, it's the size of the fight and a dog.

 

[jazzcat22]

Get hot at the right time. And this team has not got hot yet. I think the defense gets better. Hopefully the run defense.
Don't peak too soon.
Our bye week coming at about the right time. Get by the Bears with a win. Have two weeks to heal and rest before playing GB & Minnesota. Both will be tough games.
Then an easier stretch, though we have both Giants and Eagles at home. Start to peak going into December.
Offense will continue to improve.

Eagles and Giants are looking good, but are they peaking too soon? They both are fortunate not to be around 3-3. But yet here we are in 3rd place with a lot left to play.
The NFCE is back, and that itself makes teams mentally stronger, a tough division. Even Washington showed some grit yesterday beating GB.
When the NFCE is this good, one of the teams usually fgoes deep in the playoffs, and gets tov the SB.

 

[foofighters]

A team’s mental toughness- their ability to overcome adversity and win anyway is one of THE most underrated indicators of a championship team.

So far, we’ve only played about 40% of the season. So none of us yet know who the teams are that have the mental toughness needed to win in the playoffs.

Here are some recent examples of what I mean:

• In 2021, last years champs the rams were 7-4 after 11 games and lost 3 games in row in late October to early Nov. They did not look like champs then. Then they got tough between the ears.
• Last year’s AFC Champs the bengals were 7-6 on Dec 12. No one…I mean no one could have sanely predicted they were going to win the AFC and head to a SB.
• In 2020, eventual SB champ Tampa was 7-5 before it went on a run to win it all. Brady looked old and the offense was up and down. Nine weeks later they were champs. They were mentally tough.
• In 2019, the chiefs were 6-4 on Nov. 10 and not playing well. Then they got hot and went on a tear. Andy Reid later said it was their mental toughness that made the difference.
• Even many of the Cowboys SB teams had overcome lots of adversity. Our first SB winner from 1971 was 4-3 after 7 games. The ‘93 SB winning team was 0-2 to start the season and no SB winner had ever started 0-2 and gone on to win a SB. Mental toughness!

I could go on and on…None of us know what lies ahead. Who will get hot and will make a conference championship? We don’t know yet.

Those teams that advance in the playoffs may not always be the most talented. But those teams winning multiple playoff games are always mentally tough. If the Cowboys are ever going to go on a deep run in the playoffs, mental toughness may be what pushes them to get there.

Yep! The NFC is up for grabs this year. I am tickled on where we are right now. Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!!!

 

[Jipper]

Speaking of wild card... would love to get the Giants in the WC. But I'm getting ahead of myself lol.

i dont think its going to be possible...think the eagles will be the 1, we will be wc 1, giants will be wc 2 and tb on wc 3

 

[Bobhaze]

i dont think its going to be possible...think the eagles will be the 1, we will be wc 1, giants will be wc 2 and tb on wc 3

We don’t know that yet. Lots of things will change in the next few weeks. Just when you think you have it figured out…it’s the nfl.

 

[Jipper]

We don’t know that yet. Lots of things will change in the next few weeks. Just when you think you have it figured out…it’s the nfl.

agreed, that’s purely my opinion but the eagles are 2.5 games up with an incredibly soft schedule…I’d say statistically speaking that’s probably the most logical outcome

 

[Bobhaze]

agreed, that’s purely my opinion but the eagles are 2.5 games up with an incredibly soft schedule…I’d say statistically speaking that’s probably the most logical outcome

You’re right about it being logical. But the NFL isn’t very logical, lol. Like seeing the Wash whatevers beat the pack yesterday.

 

[Jake]

You’re right about it being logical. But the NFL isn’t very logical, lol. Like seeing the Wash whatevers beat the pack yesterday.

I think the Packers just aren't that good this year. They've lost three straight to the Giants, Jets, and Commanders.

Look at their wins: Bears at Lambeau (happens every year), the Bucs with Cole Beasley at WR (barely), and Bailey Zappe's first appearance (in OT).

But if they make a move to get WR help they've still got a future HOF QB, and as you've noted, there's still a lot that can happen.

 

[DallasEast]

In my opinion, unified focus is a key intangible ingredient that makes up part of mental toughness. Distractions can weaken it. Focus can be obtained with a combination of very good-to-great head coaching leadership (uh oh there is that word again) and/or single-minded, organized team determination.

Sean McVay. Bruce Arians. Andy Reid. Tom Landry. Jimmy Johnson. I think that the league, fans and media mostly agree these five head coaches' personas kept their teams' focus centered on the ultimate goal. Yeah yeah. Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. is the goat and he cannot be denied some credit while mentioning Arians. I mentioned Tom. Hope that satisfies his fans.

I believe Zac Taylor and Barry Switzer are/were in the same boat leadership wise helping their team maintain tunnelvision week in, week out. They were fortunate to have self-determination of players like Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin, Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase and Joe Mixon to fortify overall focus. That is critical when unorthodoxy hovers over the entire team from above, leeching at a head coach's usually undivided guiding identity for all their players.

One step the team must take towards adopting necessary focus and thus gain essential mental toughness is for Mike McCarthy to tap into Taylor's leadership traits. Whatever Taylor is doing drowns out Mike Brown in large part. McCarthy should do the same and serve as a blinding buffer between the team and Jerry Jones.

The Dallas Cowboys general manager has been distraction personified since Day One. To what degree? I will not even attempt to quantify but it always exists regardless and the roster does not need it ever. Johnson served as a steel wall. Switzer and team leaders erected a brick wall (hey whatever works). McCarthy and Parsons and whomever else together must step up and do the same this season in order reinforce team focus, construct hardened mental toughness, and strive towards their ultimate goal too.

 

[Jake]

Speaking of mental toughness, what the heck is going on in Tampa? Anyone who has been through a divorce knows how it weighs on your mind.

But the noticeable part to me is how TB12's teammates aren't responding to him. Has his act worn thin? Is it Todd Bowles not doing his job? Something is off.

Do I think the Bucs can turn it around? I wouldn't bet against it, but losing 21-3 to what's left of the Panthers was arguably the worst loss of the NFL season.

 

[ConstantReboot]

A team’s mental toughness- their ability to overcome adversity and win anyway is one of THE most underrated indicators of a championship team.

So far, we’ve only played about 40% of the season. So none of us yet know who the teams are that have the mental toughness needed to win in the playoffs.

Here are some recent examples of what I mean:

• In 2021, last years champs the rams were 7-4 after 11 games and lost 3 games in row in late October to early Nov. They did not look like champs then. Then they got tough between the ears.
• Last year’s AFC Champs the bengals were 7-6 on Dec 12. No one…I mean no one could have sanely predicted they were going to win the AFC and head to a SB.
• In 2020, eventual SB champ Tampa was 7-5 before it went on a run to win it all. Brady looked old and the offense was up and down. Nine weeks later they were champs. They were mentally tough.
• In 2019, the chiefs were 6-4 on Nov. 10 and not playing well. Then they got hot and went on a tear. Andy Reid later said it was their mental toughness that made the difference.
• Even many of the Cowboys SB teams had overcome lots of adversity. Our first SB winner from 1971 was 4-3 after 7 games. The ‘93 SB winning team was 0-2 to start the season and no SB winner had ever started 0-2 and gone on to win a SB. Mental toughness!

I could go on and on…None of us know what lies ahead. Who will get hot and will make a conference championship? We don’t know yet.

Those teams that advance in the playoffs may not always be the most talented. But those teams winning multiple playoff games are always mentally tough. If the Cowboys are ever going to go on a deep run in the playoffs, mental toughness may be what pushes them to get there.

This is why this team needs to strike while the iron is hot! They need to trade up for playing making DT and/or receiver that can stretch the field.

 

[75boyz]

Excellent post.

me, being human and all has a very uncharacteristic and optimistic view on things because of how bad things currently are trending right now in the NFC.

What I mean is(and again I know its early still) but if ya take away Tampa and GB with their QBs, the NFC of this year provides a much more plausible path to post season success.

Provided this defense keeps playing like it has.

It's setting up nicely so far cuz I think the Boys can beat Philly and NYG in both of those second games.

Yep, still early but things are definitely setting up nicely.

jmo

 

[nalam]

Maybe.

No , cant stand AR arrogance after that…