Gut feelings

[xwalker]

This is a serious stretch of games for our Cowboys. Many prognosticators and fans believe we must win the East to even land a playoff birth. I almost feel that way too--not all the way, but leaning towards winning the division.

I usually dismiss gut instincts/feelings, but I have to say; handle the Giants, and I feel really good about beating down the Eagles, and I mean really good about it come Thanksgiving.

That's as far as I will prognosticate. What's your gut tell you?

My prediction is that is they win both games against the Eagles, then they win the division.

 

[jazzcat22]

Right now, I'm not sure what my gut feeling is. I feel this year is different, the team is different, and I have confidence they will continue to get better.
However, from the past 3 years, that feeling of uncertainty comes in and makes me a bit uneasy.

I do think we win the next 2 games, get to 9-3, then we can and should win the division.
I do actually think we can beat the Colts at home. But we need to win the next 2, I feel these are very important games.

Best scenario, win the next 4, and if Eagles lose to Seattle, and by us beating the Eagles twice, we take the division.
would love to see the Titans upset the Eagles Sunday.

 

[Cowboys=SuperBowl]

I feel that we will only get stronger and will win these next two, win the division this year!

 

[Beast_from_East]

Yeah, but Dallas still plays PHI twice, the NFCW has 9 games against their top three teams, the Packers still have to play the Lions again. That's a guaranteed 12 losses (barring ties) divided up amongst those 7 teams, without even counting other tough games outside of divisions (like our game in Indy, or PHI v. SEA, or in the NFCW, whoever still has to play the Rams). There's probably 16-18 losses still coming from that top 7 group, not including the fact that we've got tie breakers over some of those teams.

There's a long way to go. If we just take care of business in the NFCE, we're golden. If we handle NY and WAS and split with PHI, we've still got a really good shot. I know people are conditioned to think that the Cowboys choke, but at least this year we've got a good team for cold weather, we're relatively healthy, and we're playing enough better on defense that we actually have a reason to think we can beat good teams.

As long as we keep winning, everything else will take care of itself.


Clearly our best chance to make the playoffs is by winning the East and the only thing standing in our way is Mark "buttfumble" Sanchez..................I like our chances.

 

[KJJ]

Even if the Cowboys come out and stomp on the Giants, it won't have any bearing on the Philly game the following week.

It would provide some momentum heading into the Philly game and that could have a bearing. It's important to be coming off a good performance with some confidence heading into that game.

 

[Wayne02]

It would provide some momentum heading into the Philly game and that could have a bearing. It's important to be coming off a good performance with some confidence heading into that game.

Explain the Washington game.

 

[Beast_from_East]

Explain the Washington game.

Amnesia.............our offensive coaching staff forgot what a blitz was and how you counter it.............they literally were looking at the pictures on the sidelines of 10 man blitzes with bewilderment, like "what the hell is this".

 

[WV Cowboy]

We play the Bears, Colts, Giants, Eagles x2, and Commanders. We should come out of this at worst 11-5, but honestly should go 12-4 or 13-3.

WOW!

 

[JoeKing]

My gut tells me we win the next 3 then lose in Philly and spilt the last 2. I don't know if that wins the division or not. 11-5 is a good record though... good enough to get us in the playoffs.

 

[KJJ]

I have a bad feeling about the last 6 games. I think they will be doing good to win 3 games. Hope I am wrong.

I can only see that happening IF the Cowboys lose to the Giants Sunday Night. I'm more concerned about the Giants game than the Philly game because the Giants don't have much to lose at this point and can throw caution to the wind. This is a game that will set the tone for the rest of the season for the Cowboys in my opinion. The Cowboys are 1-2 coming off a bye the last 3 seasons. The concern I have for Sunday Nights game with the Giants is the Cowboys have had some struggles winning games on Sunday Night and this game has the appearance of a trap game. The Giants have lost 5 straight games and their season is pretty much over. The fact the Cowboys have already beaten them and with the biggest game of the season coming up just 4 days later vs Philly the fear is the Cowboys might be already looking ahead to Philly which would be a huge mistake.

The Cowboys have already made the mistake of not showing up focused to play on a Nationally televised game on Monday Night a few weeks ago vs another NFC East foe whose season was in the toilet and it cost them a game they should have never lost. We've seen all season that any team can beat any team regardless of their record. We just saw last night a 0-10 Raiders team beat a solid KC team that was riding a 5 game winning streak. A loss to a 3 win Giants team at this stage in the season could send the Cowboys reeling into another Dec swoon so it's critical they don't slip up Sunday Night. NY gave SF all they could handle last week despite Eli's 5 int's. Eli is the type of QB who can toss 5 int's one week and 4 TD's the next so the Cowboys have to be focused for this game. It's a game everyone will be picking the Cowboys to win and it's a game they're suppose to win and need to win.

With Philly coming up twice in 3 weeks an upset loss to the Giants could lead to a sweep by Philly and the Cowboys season would be done if that happens. The Cowboys have to beat the Giants and do no worse than a spilt with Philly if they want to make the playoffs. The Bears in Chicago won't be easy the Cowboys were toasted last season in Chicago facing their receivers. Brandon Marshall has been a thorn in the Cowboys side ever since he was in Denver. The Cowboys have to face Andrew Luck and the Colts in week 16 so a loss to the Giants on Sunday would be difficult to recover from. It's going to be a very bitter pill for all of us to swallow if at the end of the season the Cowboys miss the playoffs and we look back and see that it was 2 teams that had only 5 wins between them entering week 12 that ended up destroying their season.

 

[KJJ]

Explain the Washington game.

The Cowboys weren't focused against a Washington team that didn't have much to lose having already 5 losses it cost the Cowboys all the momentum they built up during their 6 game winning streak and it carried over to the following week. Some will say had the Cowboys had Romo they would have beaten AZ but that was far from a guarantee playing an outstanding AZ team that was more blitz happy than the team the Cowboys had just faced. The Cowboys lost to a Washington team that was playing with their 3rd string QB and wasn't near the caliber of team the Cards have so had Romo played he might of had as tough a game as Weeden for all we know. Romo was sacked 5 times vs Washington in a game that Murray put up 141 rushing yards.

Romo would have had a very difficult time vs the Cardinals defense that stuffed Murray for only 79 yards. Romo would have likely had to put the ball up 40+ times in that game which would have played right into the hands of the Cardinals blitz. The Washington game showed that if you get derailed by a bad team you're favored to beat it's going to hurt your confidence and you lose any momentum you've built up. Coming off a loss especially to a bad team can make it difficult to bounce back on a short week. We just better hope the Cowboys team we saw vs Washington a few weeks ago doesn't show up on Sunday Night or it may end up costing them another game.

 

[Wayne02]

The Cowboys weren't focused against a Washington team that didn't have much to lose having already 5 losses it cost the Cowboys all the momentum they built up during their 6 game winning streak and it carried over to the following week. Some will say had the Cowboys had Romo they would have beaten AZ but that was far from a guarantee playing an outstanding AZ team that was more blitz happy than the team the Cowboys had just faced. The Cowboys lost to a Washington team that was playing with their 3rd string QB and wasn't near the caliber of team the Cards have so had Romo played he might of had as tough a game as Weeden for all we know. Romo was sacked 5 times vs Washington in a game that Murray put up 141 rushing yards.

Romo would have had a very difficult time vs the Cardinals defense that stuffed Murray for only 79 yards. Romo would have likely had to put the ball up 40+ times in that game which would have played right into the hands of the Cardinals blitz. The Washington game showed that if you get derailed by a bad team you're favored to beat it's going to hurt your confidence and you lose any momentum you've built up. Coming off a loss especially to a bad team can make it difficult to bounce back on a short week. We just better hope the Cowboys team we saw vs Washington a few weeks ago doesn't show up on Sunday Night or it may end up costing them another game.

That's my point, the Cowboys were on a 6 game winning streak before getting beat by a pitiful Washington team. I don't believe in carry over wins, each game is different, so even if the Cowboys kick the crap out of the Giants, that won't have any bearing on what they come out and do against the Eagles the following week.

 

[Coy]

Call me crazy but I feel more confident about winning vs the Eagles than @Giants.
Anyway, I think we win both but it won´t be easy on sunday.

 

[Crown Royal]

I no longer trust any of my feelings in regards to this team.

 

[KJJ]

That's my point, the Cowboys were on a 6 game winning streak before getting beat by a pitiful Washington team. I don't believe in carry over wins, each game is different, so even if the Cowboys kick the crap out of the Giants, that won't have any bearing on what they come out and do against the Eagles the following week.

I do believe in carry over wins it's why you see winning streaks. It's the momentum and good play that's carrying over from one week to the next. I also believe in carry over losses but it can all depend on how you lose and who you lose to. There's been teams win 4 straight then lose and begin a 3 game slide it's the carry over affect. I believe how the Cowboys return from the bye and play against the Giants will have a bearing on how they perform against Philly. I'm basing my opinion on the trends/patterns the Cowboys have developed over the past several years especially when the crunch games arrive. In week 13 of the 2011 season a 7-4 Cowboys team that was riding a 4 game winning streak lost a heartbreaker at AZ to a 5 win Cards team that the Cowboys probably overlooked with a huge game vs the Giants looming the following week. The way the Cowboys lost that game hurt their confidence and robbed the team of the momentum they gained during their 4 game winning streak. The loss carried over to the Giants game which resulted in another heartbreaking loss.

The Cowboys ended up finishing that season 1-4 and missed the playoffs by one game. They never recovered from the loss to the Cards. That's just one example of many I've posted on this board. In 09 the Cowboys were sinking in Dec having lost back to back games vs the Giants and San Diego. Everyone was predicting a butt whipping in New Orleans vs the 13-0 Saints which motivated the Cowboys leading to a huge upset win. The momentum they gained from that win carried over to 4 straight wins including their first playoff win in 13 years. It all ended in Minn because the Cowboys and Wade acted like the team had just won the SB after finally winning a playoff game. They entered the Minn game looking flat and it led to a beat down and 3 straight 8-8 seasons that carried over one after another.

 

[DallasJ7]

My gut feeling is that we'd better sweep the Eagles. After messing around with the ESPN playoff machine, there are very realistic scenarios where we miss the playoffs at 11-5 if we split with the Eagles, and the Eagles, Lions, and 49ers/Seahawks all end up at 11-5 also. Eagles win the division if they beat Washington and the Giants, and there's a lot of ways for us to lose out on a three-way tie for the two Wild Card spots (depending on how the games unfold, we could lose a three-way tie at 11-5 with the Lions and Seahawks despite the head-to-head edge on the Seahawks. A three-way tie of Cowboys/49ers/Seahawks is the one that bodes well for us).

I think the Packers are a very good team who will probably win their division at 12-4, but the Lions could still easily go 11-5 as well, losing only to the Packers and Patriots. If the Bears can get things together somewhat, they could have a thing or two to say about the playoff race, given that they play the Lions twice and the Boys at Soldier Field.

The 49ers haven't looked as good as usual this year, but they've got Aldon back, and their schedule sets up nicely besides two games against the Seahawks, which they'll probably split. They play the Cards at home Week 17, where it's possible the Cards have the #1 seed locked.

I just think there's a lot of solid but not elite teams in the NFC, and we should sweep the Eagles (or if not, sweep every other game) if we want to make the playoffs without needing help. Missing the playoffs at 11-5 is an unusual occurrence of course, but I'd rather us control our own destiny nonetheless.

 

[lwehlers]

gut says 10-6, miss out on 6th seed to 49ers

I also think that may happen. lose out either to the lions or 49ers for the last spot.

 

[KJJ]

I no longer trust any of my feelings in regards to this team.

My feelings rarely fail me in regards to this team this time of year which is why I'm concerned about the Giants game. I had a real bad feeling heading into the Washington game and we saw what happened there. Anytime you're approaching a huge game you want to playing well heading into it. Losing to a Giants team that hasn't won since week 5 could end up being a devastating blow that could rattle the Cowboys confidence sending them into a late season tailspin they'll have a difficult time coming out of.

A loss to the Giants would leave the Cowboys 1-3 in their last 4 games and that's not what they want heading into the toughest part of their schedule. With Philly coming up twice in 3 weeks the Cowboys can ill afford to start slumping with the meat of their schedule approaching. They need to take care of the Giants and start playing the kind of football we saw from them when they took it to Seattle in week 6. They start playing that kind of football again they'll win the division and do some damage in the playoffs.

 

[30yrheel]

My gut tells me that eli will pull some throws out of his nether regions and we'll lose.

 

[nablives]

My gut feeling is that if they win the next 2, and don't suffer anymore significant injuries, they'll make the playoffs. If they lose one of these next 2, I sense there will be a great disturbance in the force, and they will not make the playoffs.