How close were we last year? In your opinion Players

[DallasCowboysRule!]

With a good pass rusher we're in the Super Bowl last year.

 

[perrykemp]

Hardy on last years team is big...

Rodgers jersey actually needs to get washed after the game this time instead of still looking freshly starched the way we left it

Does an edge pass rusher make a difference there? I'd like to suggest that the secondary needs to be better.

The Lions who had a very good pass rush failed to sack Rodgers a single time the game before the Packers and Cowboys played.

In general, teams like the Patriots and Packers do such a good job of getting rid of the ball early that pass rushers don't get much of a chance to do their thing.

 

[yimyammer]

They had something really special going on, they were good enough to win it all had a few plays gone their way. Great season beyond my wildest expectations but it feels one slipped away

 

[dwreck27]

Does an edge pass rusher make a difference there? I'd like to suggest that the secondary needs to be better.

The Lions who had a very good pass rush failed to sack Rodgers a single time the game before the Packers and Cowboys played.

In general, teams like the Patriots and Packers do such a good job of getting rid of the ball early that pass rushers don't get much of a chance to do their thing.

Him with how hot d-law was getting coming down the stretch???

Dont be naive at the fact that a strong pass rush and solid pass coverage go hand in hand.

 

[Maxmadden]

Not quite as close as it appeared, but a little luck goes a long way.

 

[loublue22]

I thought we were the best team in the NFC and got a bad route to the SB

 

[Dale]

The biggest issue was that the defense was a try-hard group severely lacking in talent. The lack of a pass rush was something we tried to disguise, and actually did an OK job of doing so, but ultimately bit us in the tush against a hobbled Aaron Rodgers. Improve the pass rush and everything on defense will start to look a little better.

I think there was also some noticeable drop off with the running game -- likely due to Murray's hand, his heavy workload and Free's absence. Oh, the ground game was still effective over the final month, but it wasn't quite like it was through the first 10 weeks of the season.

Bailey's unforeseen decline in the postseason didn't help.

Ultimately, there is no "perfect" mix. Every team will have flaws, and even a seemingly perfect team will still encounter hiccups that can derail its success. The big key for me is that we have to find a way to add some mmph to the defense, primarily the pass rush.

 

[lane]

Hardy looks better at run support..which is a good thing...watched his highlight reel at Carolina...a lot of his sacks were coverage sacks.

 

[Red Dragon]

We needed two more good pass rushers and two more good defensive backs.

 

[NEODOG]

I'm the OP
1. Needed the home run break away back..... Holes were there for the taking
2. Yes, pass rush
3. A corner & free away from really being good

That's 4 players away IMO..... For every break we caught, there is another we didn't.

 

[SuspectCorner]

In fairness, beating Seattle twice in one year in their stadium would have been a pretty big longshot.

Unless Caroll forgot to run the ball...

This exhibits the inconsistencies in the NFL tie-breaker system... that Dallas lost out homefield advantage to a team that finished with the same overall record - a team they beat head-to-head that season... and beat them on the road no less.

Dallas should have had the first-round bye - not Seattle.

 

[Redball Express]

After the last 2 weeks of well thought out hyperbole.... Just EXACTLY how close were we player wise from seriously winning a SB? Besides the non-catch on Dez...... What would you expect player wise this off season?

I know who I wanted & both are still out there..... Cost isn't a factor. Romo/Witten is a major factor.

I know most here want to think this team is on a straight line progression.

But I don't think so.

We were thinking the same way back in 2007 when we lost to the Jints in the playoffs and they went on to win 2 SBs after that.

We completely fell off the relevance chart and went 8-8 three years in a row.

Garrett knows this can happen again without a lot more talent being added.

I think that is why we are still 3-5 more starters away from actually competing for a SB.

We are working on it..but not there yet.

For us to win the Eastern Division..we had to watch the Eagles melt down..

and to advance in the first playoff game..

we had to rely on a bad pass interference call to advance then we lost on a poor pass reception call.

Too many stars had to align for us to do what we did.

It will be much harder this year..teams will take us very seriously every game..

and we need more talent to overcome what is coming.

We'll see.

 

[GroundZero1970]

I know most here want to think this team is on a straight line progression.

But I don't think so.

We were thinking the same way back in 2007 when we lost to the Jints in the playoffs and they went on to win 2 SBs after that.

We completely fell off the relevance chart and went 8-8 three years in a row.

Garrett knows this can happen again without a lot more talent being added.

I think that is why we are still 3-5 more starters away from actually competing for a SB.

We are working on it..but not there yet.

For us to win the Eastern Division..we had to watch the Eagles melt down..

and to advance in the first playoff game..

we had to rely on a bad pass interference call to advance then we lost on a poor pass reception call.

Too many stars had to align for us to do what we did.

It will be much harder this year..teams will take us very seriously every game..

and we need more talent to overcome what is coming.

We'll see.

If we sign hardy that will free up our entire draft, this would be thebyear,to,draft romos replacememt early in the draft , h would,ave a,few,years,to,learn under romo then,step in

 

[BigStar]

After the last 2 weeks of well thought out hyperbole.... Just EXACTLY how close were we player wise from seriously winning a SB? Besides the non-catch on Dez...... What would you expect player wise this off season?

I know who I wanted & both are still out there..... Cost isn't a factor. Romo/Witten is a major factor.

We had no real chance in the playoffs w/o going Romo--Dez crazy. That is the reality. We loved the running game to hide the D, but when the cards were stacked...no answer but desperation to Dez...don't give me stats about big WR's winning SBs..we KNOW we had it last year w/Dez and Romo and we blew it by being complacent/conservative (Murray) in GB. That is what has been discussed in the FO...no real attempt to resign Murray? That said, protect Romo and draft a yungin @ RB early to help the O when needed.

 

[JohnnyHopkins]

Dallas needed better players on every level of the defense. Aaron Rogers not being 100% masked that for the first half of the game, but he got comfortable in the second half and just picked the secondary apart.

Getting Hardy and having Lawrence in his second year will help that, but this team still needs an upgrade on the interior D-line, another corner and better safety play.

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

We were a bad call away from likely playing in the SB.

We were a Greg Hardy type pass rusher away from making it to the SB regardless of that bad call.

No.

We lose lions game just like pre Super Bowl winning 90s team.





With that said... We got farther than I expected.

With that said, being that we were gifted lions game... All we needed to do was chase down a one legged QB... And we couldn't.

Get DE's

 

[Nation]

It depends on a lot of things. I thought we were a very good team last year. I also think it is very tough for very good teams to win back to back playoff games, and that is just to get to the Super Bowl. If you put Hardy and Lee on the 2014 Cowboys I think we still match up poorly with the 2014 Patriots, but the main reason I think that now plays with the Jets.

 

[ErikWilliamsHeadSlap]

How close were we? Well there's a question. I think Hardy would have been the difference with GB. One hit, hurry or sack could have put Rodgers out of the game.

As for Seattle, they were a far better match-up for us. And I don't see us struggling in the redzone like GB did in that game.

As for the Patriots, I think they would have really struggled to stop our ground game, leaving Brady on the bench watching. They would have spent too many resources on stopping Murray. And even Revis couldn't have kept Dez down the entire time.


I love hindsight. Especially looking through Silver and Blue tinted glasses. Reality is we did not finish the job. This year we finish it.

 

[Thefeelofcotton]

If we had an elite defensive line as a whole, we dominate the packers and most likely beat Seattle. So I agree that we need to upgrade the defensive line. Oh look, Greg Hardy is in town.....

 

[TwoDeep3]

A pass rush away.