how do you feel about this stat?

[TheMarathonContinues]

The only loss where we clearly didn't belong was the Aint's game. We competed with the Chargers, Lions, Bronco's and Chiefs. If the Chiefs and Bronco's are the two best teams in the NFL? I feel pretty good where I believe this team is. And I ALSO feel this team is better than it was when we played those teams as well. It sucks we haven't beat anyone with a winning record this year. But when we have played them its come down to 1 or 2 points.

 

[JoeyBoy718]

I don't get your point. Technically most of those those teams would be in contention for a playoff spot, with 4 to 5 games left. A win is a win. There are no style or quality points.

My point is the statement someone else made was inaccurate. They said lots of the teams we beat would be in the playoffs if not for us. That's only true for the Eagles. The Giants would also have a good shot to win the division. The Rams would be 6-5 but I doubt they'd make the playoffs. And the other three teams would have 7 losses (instead of 8) and have almost no chance at the playoffs. So my point was, it's not true. The only borderline playoff team we've beaten has been the Eagles. Everyone else we've played has been pretty darn awful.

 

[Don Corleone]

My point is the statement someone else made was inaccurate. They said lots of the teams we beat would be in the playoffs if not for us. That's only true for the Eagles. The Giants would also have a good shot to win the division. The Rams would be 6-5 but I doubt they'd make the playoffs. And the other three teams would have 7 losses (instead of 8) and have almost no chance at the playoffs. So my point was, it's not true. The only borderline playoff team we've beaten has been the Eagles. Everyone else we've played has been pretty darn awful.

I'm sure the Bears thought the Rams would be an easy win. They punched the Bears in the mouth. The Cards looked awful earlier, and are now 7-4. You take wins when you can get them.

 

[rcaldw]

I understand why. I completely get it. We are now 16 or 17 years or whatever it has been, of almost 100% disappointment. That is why we are so prone to try and explain away even our successes. But the fact is that this team has been being rebuilt the last 3 years, all the while we have stayed in the mix with two 8-8 seasons. I don't think we will be an 8-8 team this year. I see us at either 9-7 or 10-6. I think we will win the East. I think we are on the upswing. As you said, we had Detroit BEAT and gave it away. We played Denver toe to toe. The Chiefs game was close. I like our future.

 

[theogt]

If we'd lost twice to the Giants, they'd be a "playoff" team. If we'd lost to the Eagles they'd be a "playoff team".

It's amazing that 5-6 gets you into the playoffs at this point in the AFC. If we'd beat the Chargers they wouldn't be one of your "playoff teams". If we'd beat the Lions, they'd be tied for their division and not a wildcard team, so very close to not being a "playoff team".

So basically this just tells is that a game or two separates many of our opponents from being "playoff teams" or not, and the effect of winning or losing to us changes that. In other words, a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Other than that, we played three of the top 5 teams in the league and lost. Two of those games were lost by a field goal or less.

 

[Idgit]

I understand why. I completely get it. We are now 16 or 17 years or whatever it has been, of almost 100% disappointment. That is why we are so prone to try and explain away even our successes. But the fact is that this team has been being rebuilt the last 3 years, all the while we have stayed in the mix with two 8-8 seasons. I don't think we will be an 8-8 team this year. I see us at either 9-7 or 10-6. I think we will win the East. I think we are on the upswing. As you said, we had Detroit BEAT and gave it away. We played Denver toe to toe. The Chiefs game was close. I like our future.

Wonder how much a victory in DET would have changed the complexion of the discussions about this team's season to-date around here. I think significantly. We'd have just won 6 of 7 and be a game and, basically, the tie-breakers ahead of Philly having beaten them already once. What a difference that would make, huh?

Man. All the money and planning and effort and training that goes into an NFL season, and just one dumb holding call can have such a huge effect on both perception and reality. That's why this is such a great game to watch every week.

 

[mldardy]

I would say it "counts more" because you only play playoff teams in the playoffs. If we can't beat them in the regular season, you probably won't be able to beat them in the playoffs.

No it doesn't. I doesn't mean anything at this point. The Cowboys could lose a game to every playoff team and if they make the playoffs it doesn't matter. The playoffs you start over except with fewer teams and facing elimination. I wouldn't care if it were reversed if the Cowboys were 7-0 against playoff teams and 0-5 against non playoff teams that doesn't mean the Cowboys are automatically going to continue beating those teams once the playoffs start. It just doesn't matter to me how it gets done to get in just get in.

 

[Direwolf63]

I don't know how to feel about it but it goes like this:

We're 7-0 against non-playoff teams and 0-5 against playoff teams.

Keep in mind, this is 1) if the season were to end today, and 2) if you count the Chargers as a playoff team (they're tied with 4 other teams for the final playoff spot).

The 7 non-playoff teams we beat: Giants twice, Commanders, Eagles, Vikings, Rams, Raiders.

The 5 playoff teams that beat us: Broncos, Chiefs, Chargers, Lions, Saints.

The bad news: If we make the playoffs, every team we'd face would be a playoff team (obviously).

The good news: We went toe-to-toe with all of them but the Saints (49-17).

Any thoughts?

This is the definition of average.

 

[Don Corleone]

If we'd lost twice to the Giants, they'd be a "playoff" team. If we'd lost to the Eagles they'd be a "playoff team".

It's amazing that 5-6 gets you into the playoffs at this point in the AFC. If we'd beat the Chargers they wouldn't be one of your "playoff teams". If we'd beat the Lions, they'd be tied for their division and not a wildcard team, so very close to not being a "playoff team".

So basically this just tells is that a game or two separates many of our opponents from being "playoff teams" or not, and the effect of winning or losing to us changes that. In other words, a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Other than that, we played three of the top 5 teams in the league and lost. Two of those games were lost by a field goal or less.

I used that logic earlier with OP and he dismissed it. Agree 100% by the way.

 

[JoeyBoy718]

I used that logic earlier with OP and he dismissed it. Agree 100% by the way.

I'm just throwing out facts that if the season were to end today. I don't see why that's so complicated. It's just something I noticed. We can play the "what if" game all you want. The fact is, if the season were to end today, we're 7-0 against non-playoff teams and 0-5 against playoff teams. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

[gimmesix]

I don't think it was. When we face Rodgers, if it's without Lee, Hatcher, Mo, and with a hobbled Ware, the same thing is going to happen. If you can't stop the run, and you can't play press coverage, you're sitting in zones against a QB under no pressure and all day to pick you apart. You cannont win games that way. The only hope is to be in a shootout, and when the offense stalled, we were toast.

Not sure CHI has the horse to put that pressure on us defensively, we won't be that injured, and, I'm hoping at least, our offense is showing the signs of coming to life at the right time. But that accumulation of circumstances, playing on the road in a place like NOLA, is going to get us skunked, badly, 100% of the time.

Those reasons are precisely what should make it an aberration. Having the leaders of this defense back obviously doesn't make it a great defense, but it makes it a better defense, which should help Dallas at least take those games down to the wire. If the offense plays at the level it's capable of playing at (which we've sadly only seen a few times this year), then Dallas should definitely be competitive and have a very good shot of winning those games and even in the playoffs .... likely depending on which team catches the last "break."

 

[Idgit]

Those reasons are precisely what should make it an aberration. Having the leaders of this defense back obviously doesn't make it a great defense, but it makes it a better defense, which should help Dallas at least take those games down to the wire. If the offense plays at the level it's capable of playing at (which we've sadly only seen a few times this year), then Dallas should definitely be competitive and have a very good shot of winning those games and even in the playoffs .... likely depending on which team catches the last "break."

Ok, well, in that case, yeah, an aberration.

I just have a hard time believing people were surprised by it when it happened. Going in with a hobbled Ware and no Hatcher and planning on playing Webb in the slot was bad. As soon as Lee went down, at the point he was sitting there on his knees on the field, it should have been obvious to all of us what was going to happen. Just brutal.

 

[gimmesix]

Ok, well, in that case, yeah, an aberration.

I just have a hard time believing people were surprised by it when it happened. Going in with a hobbled Ware and no Hatcher and planning on playing Webb in the slot was bad. As soon as Lee went down, at the point he was sitting there on his knees on the field, it should have been obvious to all of us what was going to happen. Just brutal.

I was ever hopeful, but didn't have much faith in the line being able to get pressure with a hobbled Ware and without Hatcher ... and knew if Dallas didn't pressure Brees, the Cowboys wouldn't be able to even slow the Saints.

Of course, what disappointed me (as it has for too many games this season) was the performance of an offense that should be doing what it did in the second half today on a regular basis.

 

[Lodeus]

Saints was the only really bad loss though. Sucks we cant win close games but at least we're not far off. Maybe we'll get there someday....

 

[jnday]

Does a win against a playoff team count more or something? Don't care. I care about making the playoffs and going from there.

It sure is an indicator that this team is not a good team, but an average one that has very little chance of winning in the playoffs. The notion that just getting in and anything can happen gets shot down when they are not capable of beating good teams.

 

[mldardy]

It sure is an indicator that this team is not a good team, but an average one that has very little chance of winning in the playoffs. The notion that just getting in and anything can happen gets shot down when they are not capable of beating good teams.

It's not an indicator of anything. Like I said if we won all of our games against playoff teams it means squat come playoff team. No one is gonna give a crap that we beat teams that made the playoffs come playoff time. Is that going to make you feel all good inside if we having a winning record against playoff teams and then go out and lose the first game.

'I know we're out of the playoffs but at least I can feel good that well at least we had a winning record against playoff teams.'

 

[birdwells1]

It's not an indicator of anything. Like I said if we won all of our games against playoff teams it means squat come playoff team. No one is gonna give a crap that we beat teams that made the playoffs come playoff time. Is that going to make you feel all good inside if we having a winning record against playoff teams and then go out and lose the first game.

'I know we're out of the playoffs but at least I can feel good that well at least we had a winning record against playoff teams.'

If you win games against the good to great opponent that puts you in the category of good to great. It also give the team the confidence when playing teams of this caliber in the playoffs that they can win those games.

 

[mldardy]

If you win games against the good to great opponent that puts you in the category of good to great. It also give the team the confidence when playing teams of this caliber in the playoffs that they can win those games.

Man this is getting more ridiculous. It doesn't put you in any category. It just means you have a good record against playoff teams. It doesn't have any significance once the playoffs start. You start over once the playoffs start. All the records are throw out. That means the regular season regular and more specifically the part of that record against playoff teams doesn't mean anything.

 

[birdwells1]

Man this is getting more ridiculous. It doesn't put you in any category. It just means you have a good record against playoff teams. It doesn't have any significance once the playoffs start. You start over once the playoffs start. All the records are throw out. That means the regular season regular and more specifically the part of that record against playoff teams doesn't mean anything.

What you are doing is trying to marginalized the fact that the Cowboys haven't beat any good teams. That's not to say that they can't "get on a roll" in the palyoffs because they most definitely can, but if their 7-5 record included wins over KC, Detroit, NO, SD, and Denver you'd probably site the fact that we proved that we could beat good teams seeing as those are the ones that we'd be playing in the playoffs.

 

[JoeyBoy718]

What you are doing is trying to marginalized the fact that the Cowboys haven't beat any good teams. That's not to say that they can't "get on a roll" in the palyoffs because they most definitely can, but if their 7-5 record included wins over KC, Detroit, NO, SD, and Denver you'd probably site the fact that we proved that we could beat good teams seeing as those are the ones that we'd be playing in the playoffs.

He's trying to say that nothing in the regular season matters once you get in the playoffs. This logic comes from the fact that a few of the recent Super Bowl champions had mediocre regular season records. But he forgets that these teams either dealt with injuries or changes in scheme during the season. The Packers made the playoffs as a wildcard but got healthy when the playoffs started and won the Super Bowl. The Ravens fired their offensive coordinator and fixed their offense right when the playoffs started. The Giants thrived against teams with good QBs in the regular season because they had an amazing pass rush. We have nothing in common with these teams.