How's This For a Positive Spin?

[cowboys2233]

All week long leading up to the Cardinals game, the media was back on board with the Cowboys, talking about them "getting hot" and the team was rising up every power poll out there. If we had managed to kick the field goal and win the game, we would have been two games up on the Giants, with a chance to clinch the division this Sunday.

But think about it -- as many have mentioned, the team simply did not play very well this past Sunday, often looking uninspired and disorganized, despite the fact that they had ten days to prepare. Despite all of their talk about taking it one day at a time, it is entirely possible they were starting to read the headlines and felt better about themselves than they really should have. Their play would certainly suggest that was the case.

So instead of losing, we pull off yet another last second victory over the Cards and take our two-game lead home with us to play the Giants. The media not only continues to say how hot the Cowboys are leading up to the game, but they add in the fact that they have all but clinched the division, that the race is over for all intents and purposes. But would it really be over? We come into the game, full of overconfidence and get our hats handed to us by the desperate Giants. Now we're only one game up with three to play and just lost the tiebreaker advantage to the Giants. And before you know it, we're in NY, playing the division leading Giants, needing a victory to even make the playoffs.

Maybe this type of defeat is really what the Cowboys needed at this point. Everyone has jumped off the wagon and have roundly criticized the team for its inability to execute in crunch time. A dose of reality, so to speak. Because we have been brought back to earth, it is entirely possible that the team will re-focus, understanding how critical the situation is that they put themselves in and play much better this weekend. Because in reality, being two games up on the Giants this week would not have made this game much less important, if at all. But it is certainly possible that it would have lulled us into a false sense of confidence and made our situation even more dire come Monday morning.

 

[BourbonBalz]

A 7-5 team does not need a wake up call. If it does, the problems are much deeper than we think.

 

[The Emperor]

I thought the 34-7 defeat to the Eagles was the type of defeat to really help the Cowboys.

Like someone's signature says: it's time we start teaching lessons instead of receiving them.

 

[Romo2Bryant4Six]

Like the idea..but it was still disappointing..as much as I'd like us to be 2 games up..maybe needing every game heading into the playoffs and being on our toes will be beneficial...that's my positive spin

 

[Dodger]

Perhaps, but how many times does this have to happen to this team for them to learn? This isn't the first time this has happened, and I would expect them to learn from previous mistakes, but here we are....saying that they needed a reality check...again.

I'm not being critical of your post, but just how many reality checks does a team need?

Ugh...

 

[Zimmy Lives]

After watching the game last night for the first time I will agree that the Cardinals were much more fired up, especially on defense, than the Cowboys.

However, we will not know for sure if they had a letdown until the game this Sunday night is over. If they beat down the Giants and the Cards lose to the Niners, then we will know.

 

[tupperware]

I've heard this way too many times over the past few years. "They read the headlines" "They ate the cheese" "Maybe now they'll have a chip"

No, it's much simpler than that. We overrate our talent on our team. They aren't as good as they're made out to be. They aren't the most talented team in the NFL, not even close.

Part of having talent is not only physical but mental. We at times appear to have some really really slow players. Pair that up with questionable coaching decisions and the inability to account for blitzes and you have what we are:

A slightly above average football team. I'm hoping we'll be a good team moving in to next year, with the draft and full off season.

 

[visionary]

let me be the first to say that we will beat the giants by double digits

you heard it here first

 

[cowboys2233]

I thought the 34-7 defeat to the Eagles was the type of defeat to really help the Cowboys.

Like someone's signature says: it's time we start teaching lessons instead of receiving them.

It was, we went on a four-game winning streak directly after that. And our two most impressive games in that streak were the first two, the ten-point win over Seattle and the Buffalo blowout. The final two games were less impressive, barely eeking out wins over the Commanders and Dolphins. The complacency had started to set in at that point, culminating in a very uninspired looking team out in Arizona. All of the criticism the team has dealt with this week could be just what the doctor ordered, causing them to pull together, focus much more in practice this week and come out much better prepared against the Giants than they would have been otherwise.

 

[Risen Star]

I've heard this way too many times over the past few years. "They read the headlines" "They ate the cheese" "Maybe now they'll have a chip"

No, it's much simpler than that. We overrate our talent on our team. They aren't as good as they're made out to be. They aren't the most talented team in the NFL, not even close.

Part of having talent is not only physical but mental. We at times appear to have some really really slow players. Pair that up with questionable coaching decisions and the inability to account for blitzes and you have what we are:

A slightly above average football team. I'm hoping we'll be a good team moving in to next year, with the draft and full off season.

Outstanding.

The excuses are expected and arrive right on schedule after every loss.

 

[Risen Star]

let me be the first to say that we will beat the giants by double digits

you heard it here first

I'd suggest you open your other eye then.

 

[BourbonBalz]

After watching the game last night for the first time I will agree that the Cardinals were much more fired up, especially on defense, than the Cowboys.

However, we will not know for sure if they had a letdown until the game this Sunday night is over. If they beat down the Giants and the Cards lose to the Niners, then we will know.

I agree with this 100%. The worrisome thing is why would that be? They're basically playing for nothing and we're playing for a playoff spot and the NFC East title. The fact that we weren't properly motivated or prepared after 10 days between games is very telling about both our coaching staff and players.

 

[Doomsday101]

All week long leading up to the Cardinals game, the media was back on board with the Cowboys, talking about them "getting hot" and the team was rising up every power poll out there. If we had managed to kick the field goal and win the game, we would have been two games up on the Giants, with a chance to clinch the division this Sunday.

But think about it -- as many have mentioned, the team simply did not play very well this past Sunday, often looking uninspired and disorganized, despite the fact that they had ten days to prepare. Despite all of their talk about taking it one day at a time, it is entirely possible they were starting to read the headlines and felt better about themselves than they really should have. Their play would certainly suggest that was the case.

So instead of losing, we pull off yet another last second victory over the Cards and take our two-game lead home with us to play the Giants. The media not only continues to say how hot the Cowboys are leading up to the game, but they add in the fact that they have all but clinched the division, that the race is over for all intents and purposes. But would it really be over? We come into the game, full of overconfidence and get our hats handed to us by the desperate Giants. Now we're only one game up with three to play and just lost the tiebreaker advantage to the Giants. And before you know it, we're in NY, playing the division leading Giants, needing a victory to even make the playoffs.

Maybe this type of defeat is really what the Cowboys needed at this point. Everyone has jumped off the wagon and have roundly criticized the team for its inability to execute in crunch time. A dose of reality, so to speak. Because we have been brought back to earth, it is entirely possible that the team will re-focus, understanding how critical the situation is that they put themselves in and play much better this weekend. Because in reality, being two games up on the Giants this week would not have made this game much less important, if at all. But it is certainly possible that it would have lulled us into a false sense of confidence and made our situation even more dire come Monday morning.

Sorry I see no positive to a loss. It was a big game for the Cowboys and they blew that oppertunity. Thankfully we are still in a position to control our own but there was nothing positive about the loss.

 

[tupperware]

Outstanding.

The excuses are expected and arrive right on schedule after every loss.

Not sure I follow, are you saying I'm making excuses?

 

[Doomsday101]

I agree with this 100%. The worrisome thing is why would that be? They're basically playing for nothing and we're playing for a playoff spot and the NFC East title. The fact that we weren't properly motivated or prepared after 10 days between games is very telling about both our coaching staff and players.

Dallas defense was killing them in the 1st half the fact they were still in the game coming out of halftime gave them ample reason to be motivated.

 

[cowboys2233]

Perhaps, but how many times does this have to happen to this team for them to learn? This isn't the first time this has happened, and I would expect them to learn from previous mistakes, but here we are....saying that they needed a reality check...again.

I'm not being critical of your post, but just how many reality checks does a team need?

Ugh...

Unfortunately, I think it's just human nature. Despite all the talk about taking it one day at a time, making every practice perfect, blah, blah, blah, it's all rhetoric. Every player, every team, gets lulled into complacency if given enough time and often needs a harsh reality check to snap back and refocus.

 

[BourbonBalz]

Dallas defense was killing them in the 1st half the fact they were still in the game coming out of halftime gave them ample reason to be motivated.

Yes, but our offense was ****ting the bed.

 

[BourbonBalz]

Unfortunately, I think it's just human nature. Despite all the talk about taking it one day at a time, making every practice perfect, blah, blah, blah, it's all rhetoric. Every player, every team, gets lulled into complacency if given enough time and often needs a harsh reality check to snap back and refocus.

You mean like the Packers have done this year?

 

[cowboys2233]

Outstanding.

The excuses are expected and arrive right on schedule after every loss.

No, it is not what you want to hear. Nor do I. But that doesn't change the fact that complacency is a very real part of every football season.

 

[Doomsday101]

Yes, but our offense was ****ting the bed.

I agree. Cards stacked the line at time dropping both safeties down into the box as well as using a ton or run blitzes and we could not burn them deep and as long as we were not hurting them with the deep pass they had no reason to back off the line. I think the Cowboys were correct in how they tried to attack the Cards we threw some deep balls on them but was unable to beat them deep.