jesusphreak
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Okay, to be honest I was shocked at the way the game ended but I wasn't mad or upset. If this was an NFC championship game or the Super Bowl, yeah I'd be pissed, but this wasn't a huge deal. All in all, though, I think there are a lot of positives for this team over the next few years, and a lot of it has to do with the youth Parcells has brought in.
1. Demarcus Ware - one of the best playmakers in the NFL on defense, and he's only be better with better schemes and a pass rusher opposite him. Keep in mind he ended up with 11.5 sacks as well as an INT and a fumble returned for a touchdown.
2. Tony Romo - Yeah, he was the goat tonight, but he's got the 'IT' which separates the average QBs from the great ones. The very fact that we are even talking about that last second play in amazing considering we at one point were 3-3 and people were talking about the season being over. Romo got us to the playoffs and I believe he will be even better next year. He hasn't even had a full season of experience, yet he is already one of the most feared QBs in the NFL. The '1 thing' has to do with him, and I'll mention that at the end.
3. Miles Austin, Sam Hurd (and Patrick Crayton) - both two interesting young receivers with a lot of potential. Miles Austin return for a TD was just something that you had to see coming with how he has returned the ball all year. Think about it - next year we will have Tyson Thompson AND MA back there. I also liked how you could see him covering up the ball - it means he is smart and learns from his mistakes. Sam Hurd didn't get to play a ton this year, but I really do think he is the next TO without all the hassle, and I hope he gets more time next year. Bill seems excited about Austin's potential, so I honestly wouldn't mind TO being set loose and seeing both Hurd and Austin get a lot of playtime. Crayton is one of the best #3 receivers in the NFL. Get him the ball more.
4. Jason Witten, Marion Barber, Julius Jones - all are guys that have been on the team for a few years now, all are very solid players that make plays when you need them. I think if we upgrade one or two spots on our line, every single one will benefit. I liked the aggressiveness, the cut backs and speed I saw out of JJ tonight, and I think that Parcells being gone (if he leaves) may mean that he gets a coach which lets him use his instincts a bit more, which will be very good for him.
5. Bobby Carpenter, Patrick Watkins - Carp really showed up tonight. It seemed that you constantly heard his name being mentioned and he did a good job of getting pressure. Whether it is inside or outside linebacker, I can't wait to see him starting next year, especially after a year of conditioning. Patrick Watkins - honestly don't know what to think about him right now. I do know that he gets hard, but he hasn't been mentioned a lot in the secondary. This is a good or bad thing depending on how you see it. It is good because it doesn't mean he is being beat, it is bad because he isn't making plays. I do think he has potential and I want to see what he will do next year.
Overall this team just has a ton of young talent, and things will only get better. I think we are set for years to come with some of these guys. Think about it: Miles Austin, Sam Hurd, Tony Romo, Jason Witten, Oliver Hoyte, Bobby Carpenter, Demarcus Ware, Marcus Spears, Patrick Watkins, Patrick Crayton, Jason Hatcher, Marion Barber, Julius Jones, Marc Columbo, Bradie James (I know not everyone is sold on him), Terrance Newman, Kevin Burnett, Andre Gurode and I'm sure I am missing others - all of them are young players with talent that Bill has brought in over the past few years.
This is why I am extremely excited about the future of this team. Very few other teams have such youth and potential. At the current time, there are a few problems we need to fix to take it to the next level.
1. A young, aggressive coach, and a revamped coaching staff. I'd like to see someone like Jon Gruden come in here. As glad as I am that Parcells has done such a good job of bringing talent to this team, I think he is a horrible in-game coach and I think he does a very poor job of adjusting to other teams. His conservative (play not to lose) play calling killed us tonight when he ran on 3rd and 1 instead of going for the dagger. I also believe that the biggest problem with our defense isn't a lack of talent, but rather very poor scheming and a lacking defensive coordinator. We have absolutely no creativity on our blitzes. Before the snap we line up our guys at the line and nearly every single time we blitz up the middle it fails spectacularly. We need to get someone in here who will take advantage of the players we got. Get players like Roy Williams up to the line where he will be most effective.
Also, Bill doesn't have that fire anymore. So many times this year when the team got down, Bill would just get that annoyed, depressed face. And his team as a whole would wear that face. We need to get a head coach in here that will make this team believe they will win.
2. A pass rusher opposite Ware. We absolutely must have this. Towards the end of the year, teams would simply double Ware and we could generate no rush. Despite this he still nearly had 12 sacks. I think if we get another solid OLB opposite him, it would only make him even more dangerous and we could see upwards of 15 sacks from him easily. This is imperative. I'm not sure if this will be Bobby Carpenter or if we need to go out into free agency, but I feel very strongly that we shouldn't spend yet another 1st round pick on OLB. Either get proven, tested talent in free agency or get Carp up to speed.
3. The offensive line. This entire year we have had a problem running the ball consistently. You cannot win the NFL if you don't have this ability. We need to upgrade in a few spots (and I can't tell you who exactly it is, I know a lot of people mention Marco Rivera). If we are able to improve the offensive line, it means we will be better at controlling the clock and we won't force Tony to have to win the game for us. He's at his best when he doesn't have to make plays, but lets them come. Doing so will also make Julius and Marion more effective (obviously), and I do think what is holding them back is not their lack of ability, but some problems in our run blocking.
4. Free safety play. I don't think this was too much of a problem towards the end of the year. The main problem was a lack of pressure, and I think with that being improved, Patrick Watkins could do very well and may turn out to be a playmaker in this league. Still, it wouldn't hurt to get a veteran free agent in here to give some competition (and possibly beat) Watkins. ABSOLUTELY NO MORE KEITH DAVIS AT FREE SAFETY. The guy is great on special teams, but I never want to see him starting at FS again.
5. Wide receivers. Glenn and TO are getting up there in age. It is questionable whether TO is worth keeping around. Will he show more productivity and be worth the money with a healed hand and a new coach who understand the importance of getting him the ball early? Or will he explode at some point next season, and possibly undermine a young head coach? It is questionable. Also at some point, as I said earlier, you really want to give players like Hurd, Austin, and even Jamaica Rector a chance. We don't want to waste talent, and all of them seem like team-oriented players instead of TO players.
All of this gives me excitement about seriously challenging for a Super Bowl next year. We must improve in those areas, though. If we do so, the only thing I can see stopping us from winning the big game a few times over the next few years is:
Can Romo win the big game? Now this is hard to answer because he has been in very few big games in his career. However, the way the game ended tonight is something that can haunt a player for as long as he plays. Will Romo just be a Danny White who plays pretty well but can never get his team over the final hill? I hope not, but it has happened to players in the past. Perhaps (and hopefully), this loss will only propel Romo to greater heights. Sometimes it takes falling down a few times before you learn to fly.
I hope this team lives up to its potential over the next few years. There is more reason for optimism in Valley Ranch than there has been since the early 1990s. Go Cowboys!
1. Demarcus Ware - one of the best playmakers in the NFL on defense, and he's only be better with better schemes and a pass rusher opposite him. Keep in mind he ended up with 11.5 sacks as well as an INT and a fumble returned for a touchdown.
2. Tony Romo - Yeah, he was the goat tonight, but he's got the 'IT' which separates the average QBs from the great ones. The very fact that we are even talking about that last second play in amazing considering we at one point were 3-3 and people were talking about the season being over. Romo got us to the playoffs and I believe he will be even better next year. He hasn't even had a full season of experience, yet he is already one of the most feared QBs in the NFL. The '1 thing' has to do with him, and I'll mention that at the end.
3. Miles Austin, Sam Hurd (and Patrick Crayton) - both two interesting young receivers with a lot of potential. Miles Austin return for a TD was just something that you had to see coming with how he has returned the ball all year. Think about it - next year we will have Tyson Thompson AND MA back there. I also liked how you could see him covering up the ball - it means he is smart and learns from his mistakes. Sam Hurd didn't get to play a ton this year, but I really do think he is the next TO without all the hassle, and I hope he gets more time next year. Bill seems excited about Austin's potential, so I honestly wouldn't mind TO being set loose and seeing both Hurd and Austin get a lot of playtime. Crayton is one of the best #3 receivers in the NFL. Get him the ball more.
4. Jason Witten, Marion Barber, Julius Jones - all are guys that have been on the team for a few years now, all are very solid players that make plays when you need them. I think if we upgrade one or two spots on our line, every single one will benefit. I liked the aggressiveness, the cut backs and speed I saw out of JJ tonight, and I think that Parcells being gone (if he leaves) may mean that he gets a coach which lets him use his instincts a bit more, which will be very good for him.
5. Bobby Carpenter, Patrick Watkins - Carp really showed up tonight. It seemed that you constantly heard his name being mentioned and he did a good job of getting pressure. Whether it is inside or outside linebacker, I can't wait to see him starting next year, especially after a year of conditioning. Patrick Watkins - honestly don't know what to think about him right now. I do know that he gets hard, but he hasn't been mentioned a lot in the secondary. This is a good or bad thing depending on how you see it. It is good because it doesn't mean he is being beat, it is bad because he isn't making plays. I do think he has potential and I want to see what he will do next year.
Overall this team just has a ton of young talent, and things will only get better. I think we are set for years to come with some of these guys. Think about it: Miles Austin, Sam Hurd, Tony Romo, Jason Witten, Oliver Hoyte, Bobby Carpenter, Demarcus Ware, Marcus Spears, Patrick Watkins, Patrick Crayton, Jason Hatcher, Marion Barber, Julius Jones, Marc Columbo, Bradie James (I know not everyone is sold on him), Terrance Newman, Kevin Burnett, Andre Gurode and I'm sure I am missing others - all of them are young players with talent that Bill has brought in over the past few years.
This is why I am extremely excited about the future of this team. Very few other teams have such youth and potential. At the current time, there are a few problems we need to fix to take it to the next level.
1. A young, aggressive coach, and a revamped coaching staff. I'd like to see someone like Jon Gruden come in here. As glad as I am that Parcells has done such a good job of bringing talent to this team, I think he is a horrible in-game coach and I think he does a very poor job of adjusting to other teams. His conservative (play not to lose) play calling killed us tonight when he ran on 3rd and 1 instead of going for the dagger. I also believe that the biggest problem with our defense isn't a lack of talent, but rather very poor scheming and a lacking defensive coordinator. We have absolutely no creativity on our blitzes. Before the snap we line up our guys at the line and nearly every single time we blitz up the middle it fails spectacularly. We need to get someone in here who will take advantage of the players we got. Get players like Roy Williams up to the line where he will be most effective.
Also, Bill doesn't have that fire anymore. So many times this year when the team got down, Bill would just get that annoyed, depressed face. And his team as a whole would wear that face. We need to get a head coach in here that will make this team believe they will win.
2. A pass rusher opposite Ware. We absolutely must have this. Towards the end of the year, teams would simply double Ware and we could generate no rush. Despite this he still nearly had 12 sacks. I think if we get another solid OLB opposite him, it would only make him even more dangerous and we could see upwards of 15 sacks from him easily. This is imperative. I'm not sure if this will be Bobby Carpenter or if we need to go out into free agency, but I feel very strongly that we shouldn't spend yet another 1st round pick on OLB. Either get proven, tested talent in free agency or get Carp up to speed.
3. The offensive line. This entire year we have had a problem running the ball consistently. You cannot win the NFL if you don't have this ability. We need to upgrade in a few spots (and I can't tell you who exactly it is, I know a lot of people mention Marco Rivera). If we are able to improve the offensive line, it means we will be better at controlling the clock and we won't force Tony to have to win the game for us. He's at his best when he doesn't have to make plays, but lets them come. Doing so will also make Julius and Marion more effective (obviously), and I do think what is holding them back is not their lack of ability, but some problems in our run blocking.
4. Free safety play. I don't think this was too much of a problem towards the end of the year. The main problem was a lack of pressure, and I think with that being improved, Patrick Watkins could do very well and may turn out to be a playmaker in this league. Still, it wouldn't hurt to get a veteran free agent in here to give some competition (and possibly beat) Watkins. ABSOLUTELY NO MORE KEITH DAVIS AT FREE SAFETY. The guy is great on special teams, but I never want to see him starting at FS again.
5. Wide receivers. Glenn and TO are getting up there in age. It is questionable whether TO is worth keeping around. Will he show more productivity and be worth the money with a healed hand and a new coach who understand the importance of getting him the ball early? Or will he explode at some point next season, and possibly undermine a young head coach? It is questionable. Also at some point, as I said earlier, you really want to give players like Hurd, Austin, and even Jamaica Rector a chance. We don't want to waste talent, and all of them seem like team-oriented players instead of TO players.
All of this gives me excitement about seriously challenging for a Super Bowl next year. We must improve in those areas, though. If we do so, the only thing I can see stopping us from winning the big game a few times over the next few years is:
Can Romo win the big game? Now this is hard to answer because he has been in very few big games in his career. However, the way the game ended tonight is something that can haunt a player for as long as he plays. Will Romo just be a Danny White who plays pretty well but can never get his team over the final hill? I hope not, but it has happened to players in the past. Perhaps (and hopefully), this loss will only propel Romo to greater heights. Sometimes it takes falling down a few times before you learn to fly.
I hope this team lives up to its potential over the next few years. There is more reason for optimism in Valley Ranch than there has been since the early 1990s. Go Cowboys!
