Hard realities

[kskboys]

Ya it sucks to lose those guys but ya can't sign everyone.

Sure, but when you consistently sign the wrong players you'll lose to those guys a lot.

 

[Gangsta Spanksta]

Watching the Game Day thread yesterday, the only thing that surprised me was the number of fans that seemed genuinely shocked at how bad our defense played. The screams for Matt Eberflus’ head is understandable but would solve 0% of our problems. Because this defense is really, really bad.

So here’s our first hard reality: This defense does not have much talent. A “better” scheme and a 4th new defensive coordinator in 21 months will not solve our problems.

In the 2023 season, our last season with realistic playoff hopes, 3 of our best defenders on that team are no longer on this team. And 3 others are currently hurt. And that 2023 defense was not great to begin with.

• Micah Parsons - best talent we’ve had on defense in two decades. Traded to GB. Predictably tearing it up in GB.
• Demarcus Lawrence - one of the most underrated Cowboys in recent years, was lost in FA to Seattle. (Too many fans here only looked at sack numbers) DLaw was a real talent who has already made an impact in Sea.
• Jourdan Lewis - a real leader and underrated talent, lost in FA to the Jags. Has two picks in 3 games.

The above players weren’t enough to make our defense good enough in the playoffs as we saw in the horrible GB playoff disaster. But the guys who have replaced the above better players we had are all a major step down.

And most of the other talent we have on D now is hurt. Trevon Diggs isn’t right, Deron Bland has a bad foot, and DeMarvion Overshown - who knows if he will ever be the same. Osa Odighizhua is a complimentary piece that will never be dominant without help, and Kenny Clark is clearly not the same guy he once was.

The second hard reality I have accepted and it’s the hardest to overcome: A complete lack of front office cohesiveness beyond how to market this team. Someone was quoted on Twitter last night saying, “The Dallas Cowboys are the Jacksonville Jaguars with better marketing.”And that’s not fair to the Jags. They have been to two conference championship games in the last 30 years.

The hard reality is this is not a roster with enough talent to be a playoff team. It can improve but not much IMO. Losing a lot of games this year is sadly in our team’s best interest.

One final question: Do you have faith that our front office knows how to rebuild? I wish I did but I don’t. We fans are just going to have to play the long game in hopes that real changes will happen at some point. It doesn’t take much football insight to know our FO is clueless when it comes to building a playoff roster.

It is surprising. It should've been obvious from watching the Giants game how bad this defense is.

 

[kskboys]

I think is a major problem with the defense, we don't have any leaders.

talent. Fixed it for you.

 

[kskboys]

No faith in FO.
I am a bitter fan who can't see a way the SB drought will ever end
But I have to keep the hope up that we can get some wins this season.
Otherwise what's the point.

No, we need losses. We need to draft so far toward the front that even Jerry can't mess it up. Yyesyesyes, I know he still can!!!!!

 

[CATCH17]

Watching the Game Day thread yesterday, the only thing that surprised me was the number of fans that seemed genuinely shocked at how bad our defense played. The screams for Matt Eberflus’ head is understandable but would solve 0% of our problems. Because this defense is really, really bad.

So here’s our first hard reality: This defense does not have much talent. A “better” scheme and a 4th new defensive coordinator in 21 months will not solve our problems.

In the 2023 season, our last season with realistic playoff hopes, 3 of our best defenders on that team are no longer on this team. And 3 others are currently hurt. And that 2023 defense was not great to begin with.

• Micah Parsons - best talent we’ve had on defense in two decades. Traded to GB. Predictably tearing it up in GB.
• Demarcus Lawrence - one of the most underrated Cowboys in recent years, was lost in FA to Seattle. (Too many fans here only looked at sack numbers) DLaw was a real talent who has already made an impact in Sea.
• Jourdan Lewis - a real leader and underrated talent, lost in FA to the Jags. Has two picks in 3 games.

The above players weren’t enough to make our defense good enough in the playoffs as we saw in the horrible GB playoff disaster. But the guys who have replaced the above better players we had are all a major step down.

And most of the other talent we have on D now is hurt. Trevon Diggs isn’t right, Deron Bland has a bad foot, and DeMarvion Overshown - who knows if he will ever be the same. Osa Odighizhua is a complimentary piece that will never be dominant without help, and Kenny Clark is clearly not the same guy he once was.

The second hard reality I have accepted and it’s the hardest to overcome: A complete lack of front office cohesiveness beyond how to market this team. Someone was quoted on Twitter last night saying, “The Dallas Cowboys are the Jacksonville Jaguars with better marketing.”And that’s not fair to the Jags. They have been to two conference championship games in the last 30 years.

The hard reality is this is not a roster with enough talent to be a playoff team. It can improve but not much IMO. Losing a lot of games this year is sadly in our team’s best interest.

One final question: Do you have faith that our front office knows how to rebuild? I wish I did but I don’t. We fans are just going to have to play the long game in hopes that real changes will happen at some point. It doesn’t take much football insight to know our FO is clueless when it comes to building a playoff roster.

I don’t understand how you can confidently say firing Eberflus wouldn’t matter because of the talent.

We are letting guys run free all over the field.

If players were actually covering those areas it would make a massive massive difference.

They are literally not being defended.

So you can say we have a talent issue but I would bet this group could play significantly better defense if they were within a 2 yard radius of being able to make a play.

 

[Bobhaze]

Agreed. Just looking at the replies here, you see so many focused on individual players. This franchise is so messed up that adding Josh Allen, Sauce Gardner, and Myles Garrett and I still don’t think we would contend seriously for the NFC.

This is not a player or coaching issue. This is a front office issue.

This team is run like it’s a fraternity fantasy football league. With dad and son having fun on draft day getting to pick their favorite players.

They do not have a clue how to construct a complimentary roster that is a collective force as opposed to a bunch of individual players that their VP of Player Personnel handed them scouting reports about their talents.

I would not be surprised if JJ and birth certificate boy could not name more than 10 of their players by name. They play at being football executives. The rest of the league’s GMs are accountable to their owner for results or they’re fired.

 

[StarLord]

Jerry will never use a first round pick on a QB. Never. Especially not with the amount of money he has tied up in that position with Prescott. Anyone we get will be forced to sit because above all this team and Jerry will never let Prescott at 60 mil a year sit while a rookie plays. The team itself gets no benefit from the rookie contract because of the albatross that is Prescott.

Most likely when we do move on from Prescott, it will be even worse with dead money. As Jerry restructures Dak in the next few years to rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic.

 

[Bobhaze]

Players play harder when they believe that they can win.
They would play harder for Josh Allen.

Getting untalented players to play harder doesn’t make you better. It might make fans like them better but it won’t make the team a winner.

This team is 10-12 players away from being competitive. There’s not a QB anywhere capable by himself of making this team a playoff juggernaught without a bunch of other better players at multiple positions.

 

[StarLord]

Letting Lewis go was a huge mistake. If Jerry had anticipated trading Parsons, I think they would have made more of an effort to re-sign him.

Yeah prior to losing Micah, I had said we were going to really feel the loss of Lewis. It really feels like the Jones don't understand who to let go, who to keep, and when.

 

[plymkr]

talent. Fixed it for you.

Lol, Good call! We lack both

 

[Kwyn]

Players play harder when they believe that they can win.
They would play harder for Josh Allen.

When they “believe” do they get better, faster and stronger? Do they become more skilled?

This isn’t Rudy.

 

[plymkr]

Getting untalented players to play harder doesn’t make you better. It might make fans like them better but it won’t make the team a winner.

This team is 10-12 players away from being competitive. There’s not a QB anywhere capable by himself of making this team a playoff juggernaught without a bunch of other better players at multiple positions.

I was talking to someone at work today about the Cowboys. For me it’s slowly and painfully coming to ahead that this is the norm for being a Cowboys fan. The very best is a 10-12 win season and thumped in the playoffs. As much as I want to believe draft picks will help the repeated statements of Jerry picking the players has merit. I think for me it has to come to a place where I pivot my fandom to accepting this organization is more about being a soap opera and marketing and IF we compete it’s a bonus.

Low expectations low letdown. It’s disappointing but this is the reality of Jones family running the team. Sucks, but expecting a competent run organization is unrealistic at this point. 30 years of proof is hard to ignore.

 

[tomokawan]

A lot of our good players were sent away. Lewis, Lawrence, Parsons, Armstrong, and I’m sure there are a few more im missing. Meanwhile, the guys we signed to replace them haven’t performed and the big contracts we’ve given out, especially Diggs aren’t performing either.

This is a bad football team and as injuries progress through out the season, you will notice our depth is even worse.

The last thing I want is Jerry trading picks acting like this season can be saved. The fact he views this team as a playoff team is scary.

Parsons is the only one you can say was great. The others were not that good. Revisnist history here. Those defenses sucked with Parsons and Lawrence. Dallas has not had an elite defense since the 90's.

 

[KingCorcoran]

Jerry will never use a first round pick on a QB. Never. Especially not with the amount of money he has tied up in that position with Prescott. Anyone we get will be forced to sit because above all this team and Jerry will never let Prescott at 60 mil a year sit while a rookie plays. The team itself gets no benefit from the rookie contract because of the albatross that is Prescott.

Jerry Jones is the albatross.

 

[Johannes44]

Jerry Jones is the albatross.

well he is the original albatross.

 

[Preoccupied]

No, we need losses. We need to draft so far toward the front that even Jerry can't mess it up. Yyesyesyes, I know he still can!!!!!

What you have stated sounds good , future hope.

I've given up on the FO to.

1. Get the right coaching team in.(Even a gem of a OC /DC. Who stays long enough for his unit to get DC to the SB.
2. WTH was wrong with MM as HC.
3. The QB.
4. I joined in 2008 starry eyed and learned so much.
5. In 2025 the SAME issues are still outstanding, we've not even been close to a SB play off run.

My humble take it it all.
I've posted this before.

2025 - 2029 JJ & SJ.
2030 - 2046 SJ + Jones member heir apparent.
2046 - 2051 - SJ Heir apparent + The next one inline to be thrown at us.

It's of paramount importance that in the years of incompetence from 2046- 2051.
The two decision makers, accept and realise.

1. It's been over 50 years.
2. A GM from another successful team / or with a good track record has to be hired.
3.That GM has full control.
We just sign the checks and give the GM every resource available to get success.
At Coordinater / HC recruitment.
At player recruitment AND contracts.
4. Creates a football culture.
Trenches first. We punch in the mouth as well as we receive a punch.

I'm dreaming and hoping.

No, we need losses. We need to draft so far toward the front that even Jerry can't mess it up. Yyesyesyes, I know he still can!!!!!

 

[Bobhaze]

I was talking to someone at work today about the Cowboys. For me it’s slowly and painfully coming to ahead that this is the norm for being a Cowboys fan. The very best is a 10-12 win season and thumped in the playoffs. As much as I want to believe draft picks will help the repeated statements of Jerry picking the players has merit. I think for me it has to come to a place where I pivot my fandom to accepting this organization is more about being a soap opera and marketing and IF we compete it’s a bonus.

Low expectations low letdown. It’s disappointing but this is the reality of Jones family running the team. Sucks, but expecting a competent run organization is unrealistic at this point. 30 years of proof is hard to ignore.

That is our reality as fans. Until Jerry is gone.

 

[plymkr]

That is our reality as fans. Until Jerry is gone.

Yeah, we can only pray the nepo baby is different. If not then Stephen will outlive me and it’s a wrap. Like you said in the title of this thread: hard realities

 

[jay94]

I disagree with the Parsons take. Give me Ware every day over Parsons. Is Parsons maybe a slightly better pass rusher? Yes, but with the run it slants heavily in Ware's favor, also, can he do it for 10 years? I have my doubts. Wr I would say we do, TO was past his prime and Lamb can do virtually everything better than Dez, but yac.

As for Lawrence maybe the most underrated Cowboy the past 10 years, just because a fickle number, where luck is a bigger factor than most people give it.

 

[ShiningStar]

Everyone in the world knows it except the Jones. And I think deep down they know it but can’t admit it.

i think a lot of fans wont admit reality.

JJ is here to make money, thats all.