How close were we last year? In your opinion Players

[daveferr33]

I thought we were the best team going down the stretch. No team was perfect and all had their holes. But we had the ingredient for success in the playoffs--a great offensive line and a running game.

It was a huge missed opportunity in my opinion.

 

[tyke1doe]

We didn't have the defense to advance to the NFC Championship Game. Everyone wants to talk about the Dez non-call. But more glaring than that is that we couldn't get to a hobbled Aaron Rodgers enough to put him on the ground.

The offense gave us everything it had, especially playing in legendary Lambeau Field. Sure, we left points on the board, but we're playing the Packers on their home turf.

We just didn't have the defense to advance. And that's the reality of the matter. To me, it's pointless to continue to drone on about what we would have or should have done. The proof is in what happened. And what happened is we lost in the divisional round to a team that was a bit more complete than we were.

This season, we need to address the pass rush - PERIOD!
A good pass rush helps our secondary. A good pass rush gives the ball back to our offense and allows them to grind time off the clock. We fix the pass rush, and I'm booking a ticket to the NFC Championship.

I'm not really worried about the offense or the running game. I am concerned about Tony Romo's back. But I expect him to hold up another year.

 

[Doomsay]

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.

There were many bad calls against us in that game and one totally inexcusable fumble - had we won that game, we would have had more momentum than any team ahead of us at that point. I don't buy the can't beat Seattle at home 2x myth or the cheaters' playoff invincibility, if Martin could have recovered a little bit each week, we could have pounded both of those teams into submission like we had most of the NFL throughout the season. We didn't need any new players to accomplish that, IMO.

 

[Biggems]

Had we beaten the Skins, we would have been the 1 seed, had a bye week and had to play the winner of GB/Seattle in the NFC Title game at Jerry World. I would have loved our chances there. That didn't happen, so let's go with what happened.

If Murray could have held onto the pig as he ran through the grand canyon sized hole, I believe he gets about 30-40 yds., and we go down and get at least 3.

If we hand the ball off before the half instead of trying a pass, a ball that Romo bobbled and then almost threw a TD, we use more clock. If we don't get the first down, we get to kick to close out the half. Even if Bailey misses, we don't leave the Packers time to go get a FG of their own.

If the refs don't screw us on the Dez catch, Murray probably walks in a play or two later. Of course that leaves Rodgers 4 minutes to dissect our D, like he did all 2nd half.

We were very close and should have beaten GB. I believe we could have gone to Seattle and won again, but we will never know. Had that happened, by the time the SB came around, we probably could have gotten some of our players on D a little healthier.....and it would have improved our chances against the Pats.

 

[CATCH17]

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.

Pretty close. I felt like we could beat Seattle.

I always feared teams with elite QB's. We should've beat GB but we never put the dagger in them when we had a chance.

 

[Zimmy Lives]

"We" were one top-ten defense away from going to the SB.

 

[scottsp]

Pretty close, despite the obvious deficiencies. It was a great year considering.

Moving forward, with all the moving parts, we have to reinvent in some ways. Last season's success doesn't necessarily translate to the next season. In fact, it rarely does these days.

 

[khiladi]

We were robbed, put it that way.

 

[Alexander]

I thought we were the best team going down the stretch. No team was perfect and all had their holes. But we had the ingredient for success in the playoffs--a great offensive line and a running game.

It was a huge missed opportunity in my opinion.

Yes, it was. That was a pretty magical season that we caught breaks we normally did not. But the defense was on borrowed time, waiting for the lack of a legitimate pressure defense to cost us.

 

[StarBoyz83]

A real pass rusher would have definitely helped. I think the team might have made it the way it was. They just didnt play that great in the playoffs.

 

[DallasDomination]

We handed the ball to Murray too much away from beating GB. That's my opinion of course but I think Randle needed more touches than what he got at the time. That fumble killed us.

 

[Eddie]

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

1) We were a bad call away from being eliminated from the Wild Card playoffs.

2) We were a bad call away from watching Aaron Rodgers march down the field on us and kick a winning FG with 1 second left on the clock.

We're no where near a SB !!!

 

[percyhoward]

"We" were one top-ten defense away from going to the SB.

Maybe even top 12.

Not that your defense has to be good, but it means you'll rely less on just one aspect of the team (your offense), or luck.

 

[Joe Realist]

we will look back on this year like we did about 2007 in the subsequent years

 

[CowboyGil]

A pass rusher to put pressure on Rodgers, and a CB to step in front of a pass in the endzone.

This.

 

[Flinger]

We were short 2 difference making defensive lineman....

Now - we are short 2 difference making defensive lineman, 2 linebackers and 1 running back that exacts his will on defenses

 

[KJJ]

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 the players on offense to win it all but the defense continues to be an issue. We need a pass rush, better coverage and need to tackle better. With Murray gone the Cowboys have just moved farther away from being a championship team. We had a great thing going on offense with the modern day triplets and losing Murray especially to Philly could end up blowing up in the Cowboys face in 2015 and beyond.