How much do injuries count?

[fanfromvirginia]

How much should the injuries count in our assessment of what's wrong with this team? On the one hand, blaming things on injuries is the easy way out, it masks other real problems, and fans can be very biased -- every team is affected by injuries. What seems like a lot of injuries to a fan may just be the average amount that any team has to deal with. In fact, I would argue that we may have gotten off somewhat lightly on offense.

Having said that, has anyone ever seen a defense more decimated by injuries than ours? I certainly haven't. For much of the season we were without our starting NT and DE, our starting FS and two star ILBs. Our superstar OLB was hobbled all season and next to useless last night. The subs brought in to replace these guys were often injured as well. As a result, the middle of our defense was manned by guys off the street. This is a category actually lower than JAGs. I think we may be underplaying that as a factor in this (and other) losses.

The Commanders had won six games in a row coming into a home win-and-in game on the back of a very impressive running game.

Yes, the 2012 Cowboys failed once again. But not all failure is equal. It seems to me that the failure of the defense is both forgivable and something that can be built on. We may have the foundation for a good, if not great, defense going forward.

The offense? Well, that's another matter altogether...

 

[DuceizBak]

packers had tons of injuries and still won the superbowl.
Excuses excuses.

 

[CyberB0b]

I think if injuries hadn't happened, we would be in a similar situation.

 

[elcocinero]

This team has Zero depth. We need to accumulate talent better, especially in the latter rounds of the draft. The only real late round talent/we have acquired in the last few years that I can think of is Dwayne Harris and Dan Bailey.

I long for the days of finding the Tony Romo's, Miles Austin's, Jay Ratliff's, etc in the late rounds/rookie free agency.

 

[goshan]

The team has been the same all season, injuries or not.
Also, the offense was the big disappointment.

 

[superonyx]

packers had tons of injuries and still won the superbowl.
Excuses excuses.

Yawnnnn!!!
Fire everyone. That's the answer. We don't need a great QB because dilfer won a Super Bowl. Let's trade demarco Murray while he has value. The packers won the Super Bowl with bum running backs. Let's trade Dez Bryant also since the Bucs won a Super Bowl with joe jurivicious at WR.

What a bunch of garbage.

 

[superonyx]

The team has been the same all season, injuries or not.
Also, the offense was the big disappointment.

Hmm. I wonder if our defense didn't have all of these injuries if maybe we would have won one of these close games we lost?

If these injured players wouldn't have helped us anyway then why do we need them back? Sean Lee would surely bring us a stud offensive lineman in a trade.

To say having starters out has no effect is straight goofy.

 

[jazzcat22]

packers had tons of injuries and still won the superbowl.
Excuses excuses.

How many to starters, weren't a lot of the injuries to back ups....and for the season, not just during the season, that came back for the playoffs.

I am asking, as I'm not sure, can't remember, but think it was more to back ups.

It's a big difference.

 

[jazzcat22]

packers had tons of injuries and still won the superbowl.
Excuses excuses.

And since you made this post, I'm not doing the research to prove my point, you can to prove yours.....

 

[DBOY3141]

The offense and play calling lost the season.

 

[Falcon554]

They won more when they had all the injuries, what does that tell you?

 

[superonyx]

They won more when they had all the injuries, what does that tell you?

What does it tell you?

Trade everyone that got injured!!!!!!!! Haha.. This is so great fun.

 

[fanfromvirginia]

They won more when they had all the injuries, what does that tell you?

No they didn't. We got progressively more injured as the year went on but finished 5-3 down the stretch. Yes, we got Murray and then Cook back but we lost other guys as well.

On edit: and those guys were on offense. This post was really specifically addressing the defense, where your argument really makes no sense at all. No Coleman, no Ratliff, no Brent (not an injury, obviously but still an absence), no Lee, no Carter, a very dinged up Ware, Simms in and out, no Church, no Scandrick, no McCray.

 

[Illini88228]

Somebody had a great post on the different snap counts on defense this year for different players as compared to other teams. Bottom line is, yes, this team got hammered by injuries. And, for every 2010 packers that won despite injuries there are half a dozen teams every season who's years are derailed by critical injuries.

 

[fanfromvirginia]

Here's another way to look at it: this year's 8-8 squad played better than last year's 8-8 squad, which had significantly fewer injuries and a much easier schedule.

 

[fanfromvirginia]

Somebody had a great post on the different snap counts on defense this year for different players as compared to other teams. Bottom line is, yes, this team got hammered by injuries. And, for every 2010 packers that won despite injuries there are half a dozen teams every season who's years are derailed by critical injuries.

Exactly. The Packers were the exception that proved the rule.

 

[fifaguy]

The injuries were huge, and certainly contributed to the loss. Although one may be tempted to skewer Romo et al. for blowing the chance to pull ahead late, the fact that we fought back and were in a position to steal a win is encouraging.

 

[goshan]

Here's another way to look at it: this year's 8-8 squad played better than last year's 8-8 squad, which had significantly fewer injuries and a much easier schedule.

A matter of opinion. Last years team was much better on offense, and I think the overall better team.

 

[AKATheRake]

The offense and play calling lost the season.

 

[LatinMind]

How much should the injuries count in our assessment of what's wrong with this team? On the one hand, blaming things on injuries is the easy way out, it masks other real problems, and fans can be very biased -- every team is affected by injuries. What seems like a lot of injuries to a fan may just be the average amount that any team has to deal with. In fact, I would argue that we may have gotten off somewhat lightly on offense.

Having said that, has anyone ever seen a defense more decimated by injuries than ours? I certainly haven't. For much of the season we were without our starting NT and DE, our starting FS and two star ILBs. Our superstar OLB was hobbled all season and next to useless last night. The subs brought in to replace these guys were often injured as well. As a result, the middle of our defense was manned by guys off the street. This is a category actually lower than JAGs. I think we may be underplaying that as a factor in this (and other) losses.

The Commanders had won six games in a row coming into a home win-and-in game on the back of a very impressive running game.

Yes, the 2012 Cowboys failed once again. But not all failure is equal. It seems to me that the failure of the defense is both forgivable and something that can be built on. We may have the foundation for a good, if not great, defense going forward.

The offense? Well, that's another matter altogether...

Put it this way. Before the injuries Dallas was #1 ranked def in the nfl and lead the league in 3 and outs. After the injuries well you seen the difference