Here's a theory...

[dfense]

Cowboy's could care less about that game. If they win or lose, the Skins are still in.

Now they have the Skins game plan for attacking them and they showed the Skins nothing.

How many playoff teams won their matchups yesterday? Seahawks lost to a very bad team. Colts lost, Bucs lost. C'mon, like that game meant anything at all.

I hear several Commanders got hurt though.

 

[Skinsmaniac]

The Cowboys didn't know that the Skins could get in even if the Skins lost because the Vikings game went into overtime.

And there were no Commanders injured.

 

[1fisher]

it's possible

 

[gazmc_06]

all the theories in the world but in the end I think it was because: we didn't give a crap about the game.

 

[TonyS]

Cowboy's could care less about that game.

Should've just stopped there. Any rematch will be much different. Our hopes ride on Romo and TO. With them, we can beat anybody. Without them playing at 100%, we'll have a hard time beating anybody.

With TO hurt and Tony playing badly, our hopes turn to 2 weeks of rest and some perspective.

 

[dfense]

Actually, it didn't matter what the Vikings did if the Skins won. As it turned out, if Dallas won 55-3, nothing would be any different this morning. And here's some of those injuries that didn't happen.

James Thrash (WR, WAS)
Thrash twisted his ankle during Sunday's game against Dallas.
Randall Godfrey (LB, WAS)
Godfrey suffered an abdominal strain Sunday against Dallas.
Stephon Heyer (OL, WAS)
Heyer sustained a minor knee sprain Sunday against Dallas.

 

[VietCowboy]

the two biggest reason was of course the meaningless game and weather.

I think that if the Colts or GB had to play in the weather we did, they would have played similarly.

People try to use them as an example of playing a meaningless game hard but they neglected to see how weather would affect the mentality of a meaningless game. Weather exponentially increases one's risk for injury. I think we are okay.

 

[Hostile]

Cowboy's could care less about that game. If they win or lose, the Skins are still in.

Now they have the Skins game plan for attacking them and they showed the Skins nothing.

How many playoff teams won their matchups yesterday? Seahawks lost to a very bad team. Colts lost, Bucs lost. C'mon, like that game meant anything at all.

I hear several Commanders got hurt though.

I'll tell you why I don't buy this theory. Romo played, Ware played, Witten played.

If I really did not care about the game I would have turned it over entirely to the backups and told them it was their audition for post season playing time. They'd have been far more motivated.

yes, the team went through to motions, but playing Romo as late as they did and risking him as they did just to get 7 completions just doesn't register on my priority meter if I want to avoid injuries to key players.

 

[VietCowboy]

I'll tell you why I don't buy this theory. Romo played, Ware played, Witten played.

If I really did not care about the game I would have turned it over entirely to the backups and told them it was their audition for post season playing time. They'd have been far more motivated.

yes, the team went through to motions, but playing Romo as late as they did and risking him as they did just to get 7 completions just doesn't register on my priority meter if I want to avoid injuries to key players.

they got romo his record for completion then took him out. all those players were trying to get some kind of record/accomplishment. plus, people would complain about "rust" if we didn't play them.

edit: i do think it wasn't the best decision to leave them in that long in that weather.

 

[Hostile]

they got romo his record for completion then took him out. all those players were trying to get some kind of record/accomplishment. plus, people would complain about "rust" if we didn't play them.

If they were trying to reach individual achievement then they cared about the game. You're making my point for me.

 

[Frosty]

I would bye this theory if the Cowboys have played better prior to this game, since the GB game they have played lackadasical at best

 

[VietCowboy]

If they were trying to reach individual achievement then they cared about the game. You're making my point for me.

i wasn't disagreeing with you. lol

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

If they were trying to reach individual achievement then they cared about the game. You're making my point for me.

Unless they cared about the records but not the game as a whole.

I don't think many of them cared for anything but their own personal records.

If Romo would have gotten his passes at the start of the 2nd quarter I imagine they would have pulled him at that point.

Still does not make up for the lack of effort by some of the others.

 

[lewpac]

Put yourself in that Commander locker room, the plane ride home, and next two weeks in Dallas at the facility.............after the last month.
These guys are Professional ball players, and worked their ***'s off all year to be in a position to get a little loose lately. Any other year, and we'd be, at best "backed into the playoffs" again. The pundits and media, with all the games yesterday that meant nothing........................unless Dallas loses, and they jumped all over it naturally. No one else got the headline that the Commanders did, because of WHO they beat to get in. Whatever...........

Bottom line, is that our guys know that anything less than a SB appearance would be a "choke", a BIG CHOKE. Don't think for a minute that "seasons past" means anything. There'll be no "let down" in the playoffs. That goofy thing that happened with Romo in Seattle last year, seems like a decade ago. Totally forgotten.
The next biggest thing that motivates players after the desire to win, is the fear of losing, especially when you got home field and the path is clearly drawn for you. You got 43 guys, the coaching staff, Jerry, etc..........all know full well the festival that will occur is Dallas misses the SB this year.
It won't happen. They WILL go to the SB, at least.

 

[VietCowboy]

I would bye this theory if the Cowboys have played better prior to this game, since the GB game they have played lackadasical at best

some of the teams that had the playoffs/their division locked up took it down a notch. the pats most noticably this season, but you see it every year. The season is long, you can't expect them to 100% throughout 15 games when they've clinched things in the 12-13th game. not making any excuses because I don't think that letting up is necessarily good for a team going into the playoffs because it's usually nicer to be going in fired up and on a streak. plus, losing tends to demoralize a locker room, even if those losses were meaningless.

 

[Frosty]

diffently the optimistic point of view, But these Cowboys have not been there yet and no one knows how they will react when the other team is just as hungry as they are....

 

[VietCowboy]

diffently the optimistic point of view, But these Cowboys have not been there yet and no one knows how they will react when the other team is just as hungry as they are....

yes, but i think it is safe to say that these last 5 or so games, their opponents each week were fighting for their playoff lives (except GB, which we were duking it out for the #1 seed), so I think DAL understand the feeling of an opponent's hunger...

 

[Hostile]

Unless they cared about the records but not the game as a whole.

I don't think many of them cared for anything but their own personal records.

If Romo would have gotten his passes at the start of the 2nd quarter I imagine they would have pulled him at that point.

Still does not make up for the lack of effort by some of the others.

That's just silly if that's why they played. I don't think that was it at all, but if it helps people sleep better...

 

[ndanger]

the two biggest reason was of course the meaningless game and weather.

I think that if the Colts or GB had to play in the weather we did, they would have played similarly.

People try to use them as an example of playing a meaningless game hard but they neglected to see how weather would affect the mentality of a meaningless game. Weather exponentially increases one's risk for injury. I think we are okay.

I like your signature quote.

 

[big dog cowboy]

I don't think many of them cared for anything but their own personal records.

It couldn't have been more obvious.