I will go against the grain and say I am optimistic

[JohnnyHopkins]

I am not usually a cheerleading type, but I honestly thought Dallas was going to get roughed up yesterday and came away thinking they might have actually found their identity again.

I know Seattle's record does not show it, but they are the second best team Dallas has faced all season. Of the Seahawks four losses, three were against the Packers, Panthers and Bengals. They have played the best in football this season and, like last season, they will most likely finish on a tear.

For Dallas, up next come the Eagles and The Bucs. Neither team is anywhere close to the Seahawks. If Dallas limits their turnovers and runs the football like they have the last two games they can very realistically go into the Miami game at 4-5.

I don't know if Dallas can dig out, but I think they can finish up 9-7 or 8-8 as long as the defense keeps playing like it has and they keep running the football. That could actually get them in the playoffs.

 

[perrykemp]

For Dallas, up next come the Eagles and The Bucs. Neither team is anywhere close to the Seahawks. If Dallas limits their turnovers and runs the football like they have the last two games they can very realistically go into the Miami game at 4-5.

I dunno -- from all indications that Seahawks team is not a good football team.

I agree the Cowboys need to win one or both of the next two games to give themselves a decent show at a playoff run with Romo.

Having said that neither the Eagles or the Bucs are gimme games....

 

[canters]

I agree. WE MUST BEAT THE EAGLES for anything else to matter. The winner of the NFCe might be 8-8, who knows.

 

[CATCH17]

I can see us getting to 8-8 with Romo but there is hardly any room for error.

It's just sad that we are so pathetic without Romo and it sucks that our coach would rather die conservative than fight for a win.

I'm not sure what it is he thinks we have to lose.

 

[Sydla]

I am not usually a cheerleading type, but I honestly thought Dallas was going to get roughed up yesterday and came away thinking they might have actually found their identity again.

I know Seattle's record does not show it, but they are the second best team Dallas has faced all season. Of the Seahawks four losses, three were against the Packers, Panthers and Bengals. They have played the best in football this season and, like last season, they will most likely finish on a tear.

For Dallas, up next come the Eagles and The Bucs. Neither team is anywhere close to the Seahawks. If Dallas limits their turnovers and runs the football like they have the last two games they can very realistically go into the Miami game at 4-5.

I don't know if Dallas can dig out, but I think they can finish up 9-7 or 8-8 as long as the defense keeps playing like it has and they keep running the football. That could actually get them in the playoffs.

Eagles are good run defenders and lead the league in takeaways. To beat them, unfortunately, we are going to have to make plays in the passing game.

 

[adam3313]

IF we can get 1 or 2 wins in the next two weeks, I think we can have a decent shot.

The best thing that's happened is no NFC East team has run away with things as of yet, which makes the task easier.

Our schedule to end the season doesn't look quite as daunting as it once did. The remaining AFC East teams don't really scare me, and we get two with the Skins as well. Carolina could be a tough customer, but I usually feel good about us in the Thanksgiving game. And the trip to Lambeau doesn't look quite as bad as it did earlier in the season, and you know the team is anxious to get up there.

We've seen improvements in a lot of phases of the game, and when Romo comes back in a few weeks, and Dez can get healthier, I think this defense will be able to feast once we have our normal offense back, barring any injuries...

 

[Staubacher]

Eagles are good run defenders and lead the league in takeaways. To beat them, unfortunately, we are going to have to make plays in the passing game.

Agreed. We do not run well vs Philly even with Romo behind center, Their front 7 is good and they will be sure to stuff our run. Cassel cannot win games for us with his arm he will make too many mistakes.

Optimism is fine but this season is a wrap. Sucks but it's true. Of course I'll watch and root and hope for a miracle but we suck right now and Romo ain't going 7-0 with this coaching and talent.

 

[Sydla]

Agreed. We do not run well vs Philly even with Romo behind center, Their front 7 is good and they will be sure to stuff our run. Cassel cannot win games for us with his arm he will make too many mistakes.

Optimism is fine but this season is a wrap. Sucks but it's true. Of course I'll watch and root and hope for a miracle but we suck right now and Romo ain't going 7-0 with this coaching and talent.

The only hope for the Eagles game is that it turns out like the Seattle game and is low scoring. Maybe get Bradford to turn the ball over a bit.

But this team, with the inevitable conservative BS game plan we'll get from Garrett/Linehan and a mediocre Cassel, likely won't be able to score enough against Philly if the defense doesn't play out of their minds again. They'll have to force turnovers, which they aren't very good at, to have any hope.

We are a 3 point home dog to a mediocre to bad Philly team.

 

[Staubacher]

The only hope for the Eagles game is that it turns out like the Seattle game and is low scoring. Maybe get Bradford to turn the ball over a bit.

But this team, with the inevitable conservative BS game plan we'll get from Garrett/Linehan and a mediocre Cassel, likely won't be able to score enough against Philly if the defense doesn't play out of their minds again. They'll have to force turnovers, which they aren't very good at, to have any hope.

My least favorite play yesterday was Garrett burning a TO in the 3rd to come out with a whizbang play on 3rd down in the redzone, only to have Cassel dump it off to McFadden for 2 yards and a FG attempt.

I got a feeling next week is the game everyone "officially" realizes we are done. I think we get steamrolled by Philly and we see some of that quit. Philly isn't all that good but they will play better offensively than they did against us last time. Our offense is going to be a disaster.

 

[JohnnyHopkins]

Eagles are good run defenders and lead the league in takeaways. To beat them, unfortunately, we are going to have to make plays in the passing game.

Bradford is Dallas's ace in the hole. He is a statue in the pocket and has averaged two interceptions per game in his last three. The Eagles receivers are terrible this year. The Eagles defense has been opportunistic for sure, but their offense has returned the favor. I think the Dallas defense is going to be great next weekend.

 

[tyke1doe]

My least favorite play yesterday was Garrett burning a TO in the 3rd to come out with a whizbang play on 3rd down in the redzone, only to have Cassel dump it off to McFadden for 2 yards and a FG attempt.

 

[JohnnyHopkins]

I dunno -- from all indications that Seahawks team is not a good football team.

I agree the Cowboys need to win one or both of the next two games to give themselves a decent show at a playoff run with Romo.

Having said that neither the Eagles or the Bucs are gimme games....

I hear ya. I knew it was not a popular opinion. Heck, after last weekend I was really bummed because I thought Seattle would spank us. But, this weekend changed things for me. They really looked like last year's squad to me yesterday. They came up short, but they looked like they had found their identity again.

 

[Alexander]

I got a feeling next week is the game everyone "officially" realizes we are done. I think we get steamrolled by Philly and we see some of that quit. Philly isn't all that good but they will play better offensively than they did against us last time. Our offense is going to be a disaster.

I agree. I see a blowout next week for the Eagles.

I cannot think they are that inept that after a week to prepare they play like they did in Philadelphia. Once Dallas loses that slight edge in the division they appear to be clinging to, you will see the quit come out.

 

[Sydla]

Bradford is Dallas's ace in the hole. He is a statue in the pocket and has averaged two interceptions per game in his last three. The Eagles receivers are terrible this year. The Eagles defense has been opportunistic for sure, but their offense has returned the favor. I think the Dallas defense is going to be great next weekend.

Doesn't matter if the Dallas offense is as inept as it was against Seattle.

And I have no doubt that stubborn Garrett will try to run the ball fruitlessly between the tackles against the Eagles because as the noose tightens on this team he tends to get more and more conservative. Oh and while Philly might turn the ball over, we are one of the worst teams at forcing turnovers so I wouldn't count on the Eagles handing us the ball.

A few weeks ago, I figured this was a win with as bad as Philly looked. I have little faith now. Because as bad as Philly has looked and their offense has looked........... ours is much worse.

 

[Doomsay]

I can see us getting to 8-8 with Romo but there is hardly any room for error.

It's just sad that we are so pathetic without Romo and it sucks that our coach would rather die conservative than fight for a win.

I'm not sure what it is he thinks we have to lose.

The real reality is that he has nothing to lose, he just doesn't want to make any glaring mistakes on "his" side of the ball IMO. He keeps his job if he doesn't pull a Switzer in the red zone and looks coherent coachy and monotonic in his press briefings (i.e. not like Wade). He'd much rather lose the season than lose his job and get exposed for the inexperienced front man that he is.

 

[khiladi]

I'm always optimistic, because it's my Cowboys. Even when Babe Laufenburg came in when Troy went down and he was chucking up INTs, I still believed they were going to make the play-offs. With Romo, there is always a chance. If we sneak in a win without him and the East is crappy as it is, it's not a huge mountain to climb.

 

[JohnnyHopkins]

Doesn't matter if the Dallas offense is as inept as it was against Seattle.

And I have no doubt that stubborn Garrett will try to run the ball fruitlessly between the tackles against the Eagles because as the noose tightens on this team he tends to get more and more conservative. Oh and while Philly might turn the ball over, we are one of the worst teams at forcing turnovers so I wouldn't count on the Eagles handing us the ball.

A few weeks ago, I figured this was a win with as bad as Philly looked. I have little faith now. Because as bad as Philly has looked and their offense has looked........... ours is much worse.

Seattle's Defense is much better than the Eagles'. If they use the exact same game-plan against the Eagles it will result in Dez Bryant open downfield and more yards per carry in the run game. Having said that, I completely understand why people are frustrated.

 

[Alexander]

If we sneak in a win without him and the East is crappy as it is, it's not a huge mountain to climb.

We keep looking to steal that win, but the way we are playing not to lose, I have a hard time seeing that happen.

 

[Sydla]

Seattle's Defense is much better than the Eagles'. If they use the exact same game-plan against the Eagles it will result in Dez Bryant open downfield and more yards per carry in the run game. Having said that, I completely understand why people are frustrated.

Last year, we didn't run the ball well at all against Philly in either game. We actually ran the ball better against the better Seattle defense in 2014.

We didn't run the ball well in the first game this year.

I think it's wishful thinking at this point thinking that we can run the ball better against Philly this time around, especially when they know we have a bum at QB right now.

The exact same game plan against Philly will result in a frustrating, nauseating loss.

 

[MRV52]

I have had a strange feeling all year about this team. just get in the playoffs and then look out. this team is better than last years team when healthy.