I admit I should not have bought what was being sold

[IceStar-D7]

I'm in. Fans, you know what to do. STOP going to games. STOP buying merch. STOP attending anything Cowboys related. Let's run the snake oil salesman out of town!

And here's to the future Dallas Vaqueros!

I've been on board with this. Problem is majority aren't.

 

[SteveTheCowboy]

Good points CT. I don’t think the talent level on this team “sucks”. My take is this team definitely has talent. But talent alone is not enough. Especially when your organization is fundamentally flawed in its self assessment. They overvalue their talent to the point they don’t take chances on getting better. They stood Pat at the trading deadIine this year. They thought they had enough. And they had holes that showed up against the better teams.

This team’s defense was overrated. They got most of their success by getting turnovers and sacks while being ahead by two or more scores. Which can be fools gold if you can’t stop the run when you’re behind. Which was exactly the case when the Cowboys got two scores behind. The D was bad when they couldn’t get TOs.

So the biggest talent gaps are on defense. Especially at LB and DL. And that’s not to say there aren’t problems with talent on offense. It’s just not as glaring.

Our offense did nothing to stop the d bleed out....and in fact encouraged opening the wound. Get a couple scores, get our defense off the field and keep their offense from just teeing off....
Might have helped. Our offense heavily assisted our defense getting trucked. GB both O and D..was just having fun by half time.

 

[Cowboys5217]

Woefully inadequate team when it counts.

The Imp of the Perverse has creeped into the soul of the Cowboys. Deep down inside the players and coaches expect to blow it, and it becomes reality.

 

[Redsfan_83]

I only fell for it because I wanted to become good buddies with Cowboy, and hope Rocky and I would hit it off. Well, the first one was a success and second one is now just a pasttime of mine

 

[Praxit]

I will admit it. I bought the bill of goods. I believed this team was different and capable of at the very least being capable of a deep playoff run. I was dead wrong.

And amazingly, until this season I usually started the season saying, “I will believe it when it happens.” I bought that this team, this coaching staff was positioned to be different. Again, I was as wrong as that putrid performance yesterday.

As of last night, I am returning to “I will believe it when it happens.” Not before.

For me, “buying in” won’t happen until I see some meaningful changes made at the top of this organization. An organization led by a man that never takes ultimate responsibility for his team’s failures and will never make a fundamental change in the way he operates. It won’t matter who is coaching or QBing this team until that changes.

How about you? What will it take to make you believe again?

..it might be safer to enjoy season. Without any attention to obvious predicaments that might be showing.

Because whether it's bad luck or coaching. Post season is another story for Dallas

 

[InPhiltraitor]

Many people took the bait, but we should have been cautious about believing this group was going to take a deep run as there were markers throughout the season. The beatdown in SF, the pummeling in Buffalo, and a few inexplicable games such as the puzzler in Arizona were clear signs that this team has some real issues to contend with.

But there we sat in the #2 position after taking advantage of Philly’s backslide and Dan Campbell’s pigheadedness. Home victory stacked upon home victories with the poor youthful Packers coming to town spelled nothing short of a lock for a win. After this, a second home playoff win was likely in order since we DON’T lose here and then, boom, we get a chance at sweet revenge against the 9er’s. Then the Pack went Corso and said, “Not so fast my Friend”, and Dallas obliged by going full Cowboys and losing in embarrassing fashion.

It’s not a loss you forget or that makes you declare that next year we’ll get the band back together again and make a run with just a few tweaks. By all means, if you want another winning season but an early playoff exit - go for it. Windows of winning aren’t typically open that long and following our 3rd consecutive 12-win season with no NFCCCG, I’m left believing that a deep run isn’t possible with this current cast. A downward turn is inevitable unless leadership can be proactive and set the wheels in motion to right the current wrongs.

Sign me up for significant changes. What they are, I don’t know at this point but we sure are football’s version of the definition of insanity. I’m afraid that some wisenheimer will open the door to using a blue star as an emoji for any variant of the word “insane”. Sometimes you must take a chance knowing you may yield a few victories in the short term to obtain long term wins. I’m in that camp as I’ve been a fan for a long time and am willing to sit through a retooling to have a legit shot at reaching the top again.

 

[CT Dal Fan]

Our offense did nothing to stop the d bleed out....and in fact encouraged opening the wound. Get a couple scores, get our defense off the field and keep their offense from just teeing off....
Might have helped. Our offense heavily assisted our defense getting trucked. GB both O and D..was just having fun by half time.

You are right but this was an entire team meltdown. If the offense played well the Packers still moved the ball at will and scored 34 points even minus Dak's gifts. If the defense played well the offense couldn't get moving until it was too late.

The Packers were a step ahead of the Cowboys in every single facet of the game. It was a total annihilation and that's what makes it so hard to figure out.

 

[kskboys]

If Jerry hires Belly and gives him a lot of control, then he might get me to believing.

 

[CTcowboy203]

Good points CT. I don’t think the talent level on this team “sucks”. My take is this team definitely has talent. But talent alone is not enough. Especially when your organization is fundamentally flawed in its self assessment. They overvalue their talent to the point they don’t take chances on getting better. They stood Pat at the trading deadIine this year. They thought they had enough. And they had holes that showed up against the better teams.

This team’s defense was overrated. They got most of their success by getting turnovers and sacks while being ahead by two or more scores. Which can be fools gold if you can’t stop the run when you’re behind. Which was exactly the case when the Cowboys got two scores behind. The D was bad when they couldn’t get TOs.

So the biggest talent gaps are on defense. Especially at LB and DL. And that’s not to say there aren’t problems with talent on offense. It’s just not as glaring.

I agree with you on the defense and I’ve said as much myself this year. In terms of the trade deadline I agree it would have been nice to see additions but it’s hard to know what they passed on without being in the room. If the criticism is that the team has been unwilling to “ante up” and go “all in” and instead settles on the hopes of being “good enough “ then that’s fair criticism.

My only gripe is those who all year pump the team up and then when it all comes crashing down suddenly say the team sucks. (not accusing you of this) it’s hard for me to take those people serious.

 

[TasteMyScythe]

Great optimism...But 29 years now??? And Jerry and Stephen have more decades ahead to get even more senile... Good luck with that, Friend.

Yeah, I know...it's a living hell!
.

 

[Pantone282C]

The Imp of the Perverse has creeped into the soul of the Cowboys. Deep down inside the players and coaches expect to blow it, and it becomes reality.

Self fulfilling prophecy.

 

[EenonyMoose]

You can never trust an organization that blurs the line this much between football operations and marketing/PR. Is it really a good roster, or just a well marketed one? Stay tuned!

 

[CTcowboy203]

That's a worn out tired line, one I do not buy into.

The job of an NFL GM is to put a team together to compete for a super bowl. Since Jerry continuously leaves the team w/ glaring holes, he is doing a terrible job at what he's supposed to be doing.

This team was not built for a deep run due to badly needed upgrades at LB, UT, RB, S, and OL. Jerry gets full credit for Parsons, Lamb, Martin, etc, and also gets full credit for why we can't win in the playoffs.

But again and just playing devils advocate the team is competing for Super Bowls….they’ve won 12 games 3 straight years and this were viewed as a contender. 36-15 the last few seasons.

Now we all have way higher standards and criticism on jerry is fine and warranted but you (not literally but figuratively) can’t just knock him on the bad stuff and give no credit for good things.

 

[Bobhaze]

If Jerry hires Belly and gives him a lot of control, then he might get me to believing.

I can’t believe either of those happen. I respect Belechick but I don’t think at 72 he has what it takes anymore.

Even the all time great Tom Landry had hit a wall at 64. He was no longer able to stay relevant with all the changes the league had brought. I feel the same about Bill B. He’s done IMO. Besides, do any of us believe JJ will ever change his ways?

 

[Bobhaze]

But again and just playing devils advocate the team is competing for Super Bowls….they’ve won 12 games 3 straight years and this were viewed as a contender. 36-15 the last few seasons.

Now we all have way higher standards and criticism on jerry is fine and warranted but you (not literally but figuratively) can’t just knock him on the bad stuff and give no credit for good things.

IMO just winning a lot in the regular season is like being proud of a participation trophy. Playoff wins are ultimately how NFL teams are judged.

 

[Mcsports]

Yeah we have some young talented players. They all stunk yesterday. Parsons and Bland deserve some criticism today. Bland was embarrassingly awful yesterday. So was Gilmore.

Dak deserves everything he’s getting today. But changing QBs without some other fundamental changes in this organization is just another coat of paint on the Titanic.

Excellent post. I’d throw Damone Clark in there as awful.
the defensive philosophy must change.

 

[FVSTONE]

Results. I was happy dak was playing well but when it counts you cannot rely on him. He proved that again against another playoff opponent not named the 49ers.

There's a video out of Kurt Cousins exiting the Cowboy locker-room dragging a life like costume of Prescot behind him.

 

[Pantone282C]

I can’t believe either of those happen. I respect Belechick but I don’t think at 72 he has what it takes anymore.

Even the all time great Tom Landry had hit a wall at 64. He was no longer able to stay relevant with all the changes the league had brought. I feel the same about Bill B. He’s done IMO. Besides, do any of us believe JJ will ever change his ways?

Prolly not change. This regime was his last hope. What now? More of the same?

 

[jgboys1]

I can’t believe either of those happen. I respect Belechick but I don’t think at 72 he has what it takes anymore.

Even the all time great Tom Landry had hit a wall at 64. He was no longer able to stay relevant with all the changes the league had brought. I feel the same about Bill B. He’s done IMO. Besides, do any of us believe JJ will ever change his ways?

Yeah, at 72 I think Belechick should be thinking about fishing on his boat. I don’t think he is the long term solution at HC.

 

[kiheikiwi]

Bob,like you I thought this year was going to end different. At the Championship game. Always thought we had too many holes and fundamentally were flawed.
What I bought into this year, was that McCarthy had finally figured out how to get everyone on the same page, his philosophy of everyone knows the reason why a play is called and everyone knows their jobs and those around them.
Yeah, not so much.
It has to be a systemic problem !
We shuffle thru coaches and players, but the final product is always the same.
We are not losing the Joneses, so how can it change.
We are lucky to fall into good players from time to time, hall worthy players, but it's not enough. I'm tired of being the butt of every other teams jokes, year after year.
I want Quinn and McCarthy gone, but have no idea who can get thru to Jerry to get out of the way.
The greatness of being a Dallas Cowboy, is also the curse of being a Dallas Cowboy.

The entitlement that players and coaches feel, is a problem that no one can seam to Crack. Its not a football team, it's a business product. You see players continually making "Business decisions" on the field.
Maybe Belicheck, as a defensive and strong coach could change the culture. But I fear it would also flame out spectacularly.
Today I feel a little lost.