Finding a way to lose too often

[gimmesix]

One of the most frustrating things about the Cowboys the past few years is that ability they have shown to find a way to lose close games. Yes, I know they have also found ways to win close games, but 8-8 records are a result of losing games like the one to Detroit.

It's one of the reasons Romo's late-game mistakes get overblown. Even though he doesn't have a lot of them, too many close-game loses where the defense blew it, someone fumbled, Romo threw an interception, a receiver dropped a pass/ran the wrong route, etc., emphasize the ones he does make.

In this case, a holding penalty (of all things) kept Dallas from running the clock down to practically nothing and the defense just let the Lions zip up the field. It's just mind-boggling.

It's just amazing to me that you can practically change one play each year and Dallas is a playoff team. Of course, it shouldn't come down to that, but it has, and Dallas has consistently come up short of making that play. This might be the one this year that does it and it's just depressing.

 

[The Natural]

I don't even believe there was a play yesterday that changed the fate of our season, or if the game as a whole changed the fate of our season. We're way past that. They should have beat Kansas City. They should have beat Denver. They should have beat Detroit. Its almost comical the way this team loses games

 

[ScipioCowboy]

It's amazing how football games come down to situations. As fans, we often take them for granted, but if you don't execute them, your chances of winning plummet drastically.

This is where Garrett's Cowboys leave you scratching your head: late game execution.

 

[HeavyBarrel]

"Losers" (relative term) find ways to lose, it's just what they do, winners just get it done, they seal the deal, they shag the prom queen.

 

[jobberone]

I understand what you're saying. I guess I'd say they don't find ways to win close games but maybe that's just semantics.

 

[gimmesix]

I don't even believe there was a play yesterday that changed the fate of our season, or if the game as a whole changed the fate of our season. We're way past that. They should have beat Kansas City. They should have beat Denver. They should have beat Detroit. Its almost comical the way this team loses games

That's possible, depending on how the season ends up, but if we're a game short of the playoffs, this is the game to me.

Against Denver, we still had to drive at least into field-goal range to win. Against KC, Dallas hadn't done enough on offense to think it would come back from 17-13 down.

Against Detroit, all the team had to do was run the clock down or after that failed because of a holding call, keep the other team from reaching the end zone in a little over a minute.

It's the Baltimore field-goal miss last year by a kicker who rarely misses, or Bryant coming down with a finger out of bounds in the end zone on an incredible catch against New York. Again, there are other games we can point to where the close-game edge went to Dallas, but these few that get away have been the doom of Dallas (and if the Cowboys did get to the playoffs, it's hard to believe we wouldn't see the same thing in some form or fashion, like against Seattle and New York).

 

[gimmesix]

I understand what you're saying. I guess I'd say they don't find ways to win close games but maybe that's just semantics.

Essentially the same thing. They make the mistake, whatever the mistake may be ... because it certainly isn't always the same one.

 

[Dale]

To me, it goes back to us not being able to close out games. Like you said, we essentially discover new ways to lose. But it's not as if it's because we always find ourselves in tight games. ESPN ran a stat tonight saying that since 2011, we've blown more double-digit fourth-quarter leads than anyone in the NFL.

You play 45 minutes desperately TRYING to lead by double digits at some point in the 4th quarter. Yet when we're able to do just that, it's a coin flip as to whether we'll actually be able to seal the deal.

Again, I don't think we have an identity when it comes to closing out games. Do we try to put our foot on their throat and let Tony throw it? "Well, he's messed up in the past some." Do we drain clock, rely on our running game and defense? "Well, we're giving up 400 yards per game and can't run consistently." Not knowing what to do, we kind of dabble a little here, a little there at both. And don't do either particularly well.

 

[iceberg]

snatching defeat from the jaws of victory...

...the cowboy way.

 

[Boyzmamacita]

That's possible, depending on how the season ends up, but if we're a game short of the playoffs, this is the game to me.

Against Denver, we still had to drive at least into field-goal range to win. Against KC, Dallas hadn't done enough on offense to think it would come back from 17-13 down.

Against Detroit, all the team had to do was run the clock down or after that failed because of a holding call, keep the other team from reaching the end zone in a little over a minute.

It's the Baltimore field-goal miss last year by a kicker who rarely misses, or Bryant coming down with a finger out of bounds in the end zone on an incredible catch against New York. Again, there are other games we can point to where the close-game edge went to Dallas, but these few that get away have been the doom of Dallas (and if the Cowboys did get to the playoffs, it's hard to believe we wouldn't see the same thing in some form or fashion, like against Seattle and New York).

Yeah, but I'd be glad if they were there and had the opportunity to dispel the curse myth that's starting to float around.