I'd treat Thursday as my dress rehearsal

[Idgit]

For whatever reason, we've done the opposite so far in preseason: pulling our ones before they pull most of theirs, playing our fours when they're playing twos in some cases. I'm not sure if the idea was to keep them practicing hard, or what. It's not fun to watch, but I doubt it's going to change here in game four.

Either way, it's preseason. You can't really use it to build momentum for anything but your fan base. Five plays into the SF game, none of the rest matters and the good teams start to emerge and the bad ones sink.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

I think week 3 was the intention but we had too many not cleared by Docs to return.
And guys who did return were obviously rusty so we looked just bleh at best.

I guess you can deal with that in one of two ways.
Either expect to sharpen up in practices; most not in pads
.

Just to be clear, I'm not totally against your idea. I do think the players would know they're beating guys who will be cut the next day, but I'd rather they played a simulated game rather than not doing one at all.

But I'm sure it won't happen. David Moore was even just talking about how Melton had been saying he really wanted to play even one series just to knock some rust off and get back in the rhythm of the regular season, but Moore thinks the team won't let him.

I guess the team figures if we're healthy we can at least be entertained for several weeks, where if a few starters got injured we might not even get that.

 

[Doomsday101]

How many wins do you "think" the staff is projecting?
Do you think the staff is projecting that they return next year to Coach?

Getting players healthy and on the practice field only matters if they can actually play once they get there.
Guys have been rested or sidelined much of pre-season.
At some point you gotta play.

You think it is safe to go into week 1 with 5 or 6 guys that are totally unknown?

I could care less about fan feels.
I'd be concerned about my team.
And this team has no reason to believe it can beat SF today.
A good showing Thursday and that changes at least to a small extent.
You are asking guys to rely upon players they've never lined up next to in a game.

at some point they will be playing but making sure guys are ready for SF is more important than week 4 of the pre season. Reason no teams will be playing starters is they understand it is important to make sure their teams are as healthy as possible and sorry but that trumps any minor work you will get in a pre season contest after all there are no breaks or chance to get guys close to 100% once the season starts we get no breaks until week 11. A good showing vs Denver will not mean anything and will be quickly forgotten. Guys trying to make the team this game is critical after all their careers hang in the balance. Now I do agree some starter who have not seen live action I would like to see them get some snaps but sure as heck not looking at an entire half.

 

[xwalker]

Agree......

Considering how everyone has missed camp....It's time for guys to either put up or shut up and move on .

As far as I'm concerned players like

T. McClain
J. Mincey
Ahmad Dixon
Clairborne
Melton
Carr

Need to show they belong.....I wouldn't be disappointed at all if these guys stunk up Thursday- to cut them and run w/ some kids off waivers that are @ least hungry and want to play. This coddling of the players has got to stop.

LOL, you are going to cut a former pro bowler for some cast off in waivers? Carr was codded because his Mom died as we gave him some time? Mincey has played the whole time.

You have no idea what you are talking about.

LOL....I guess you want to be a part of the second team ever to go 0-16 along with Marinelli. Thanks, but no thanks.

Floaty, do you mind if I tell them that you were voted top 5 all time in a certain category over at another Cowboys message board?

 

[diehard2294]

I agree however with the growing trend of us losing players to injury how can you blame them for siting guys

 

[Fla Cowpoke]

No offense but you gotta get the facts right for me to take what you say seriously.

Dallas Vs Chargers play by play is readily available....
The FIRST drive was Weeden to Randle and TWill.
So we started with our 2s at the skill positions.

The Chargers played their top QB, RB, WR....

Dallas started Terrence Mitchell and Ahmad Dixon on defense and about 5 guys we ALREADY cut played defense in that game many in the first half.
SD held out like 3 starters while we held out 13.

So you should feel even better about out team

 

[Fla Cowpoke]

No offense but you gotta get the facts right for me to take what you say seriously.

Dallas Vs Chargers play by play is readily available....
The FIRST drive was Weeden to Randle and TWill.
So we started with our 2s at the skill positions.

The Chargers played their top QB, RB, WR....

Dallas started Terrence Mitchell and Ahmad Dixon on defense and about 5 guys we ALREADY cut played defense in that game many in the first half.
SD held out like 3 starters while we held out 13.

Excuse me.

We trotted out the guys that were our best players available at their position. Romo was coming off back injury, so Weeden was our best available QB. He did pretty well with the starting OL. Williams is a starting WR unless I am mistaken. Yes, we did hold out Murray, Witten and Bryant. We started 7 of our regular 11 on offense.

Rivers played one series. They were without Gates also. Their second offensive series was almost all backups. The defense we had out there looks like it could be three of our starters on DL (Crawford, Hayden and Mincey), our starting LB corp, and we were missing secondary guys due to injury and family matters. Not really a whole lot you can do about that.

The reason we had so many guys out is because they weren't available to play...you are making it like we voluntarily played all these backups.

Our first group has been ok in every game. It's as we get further down the depth chart that we have been getting beat.

 

[31smackdown]

I think everyone is just more nervous because we have not had a chance to see the whole team of starters play together and it's hard to convince yourself that they will play as a cohesive unit and that they will be properly conditioned for a game if you have not seen them do it. Let's just hope that the Cowboys coaches have seen the whole team behind closed doors and feels comfortable with where the players are at. As fans I think the little we have seen of starters still appears to need some work and that's made even more difficult when you watch other preseason games where you see starters into the third quarter of some games and playing a half with their full squads in a game that somewhat resembles real football as you would expect to see on Sundays. Injuries and testing players out of position or against higher level competition then their depth chart position might be good for evaluation, but it's awful for building fan confidence.

 

[Denim Chicken]

 

[Mr Cowboy]

there's a tweet out there where Tyron Smith mentioned that he thinks the starting line will get some playing time.

 

[Proximo]

Playing the starters for any extended period of time on Thursday is flat out dumb. There's nothing you could gain that would outweigh the risk of unnecessary injury. The only exception would be situations like Melton or McClain where it wouldn't hurt to shake off some rust and play a little longer than the other starters.

Lots of people on here are putting way too much stock into what they've seen during the 1st 3 preseason games. None of us fans are going to truly have a good idea of how good or bad we are until regular season games have been played.

I'll go out on a limb and say I believe Linehan has revealed very little of what this offense will look like so far, for the sake of giving the 9ers as little footage as possible.

 

[31smackdown]

It seems pretty clear that Mo is nursing the shoulder and playing him would probably just make the injury worse. The fact that he said the other day that he can finally lift his arm up gives you some indication of where he is at. He will still probably not be 100% for game 1 and I suspect live tackling isn't going to cure it either. He'll just have to play through it.

 

[silver]

With the long week before the regular season begins, Thursday would not be a throw away for me.

I understand coaches are loathe to risk injury and I understand they prefer to use the 2 week period as game prep for week 1.

I'd ignore all that because of where this team is currently and what all it needs to accomplish.

I'd go into that game with a nothing to lose and everything to gain mentality.
This team needs to believe it can beat someone and I would be dead finished with being a floor mat for another team to gain confidence off of.

My starters would play one half of football and if we were not ahead they may take the first series of the 3rd quarter as well. I'd rotate my top 8 available DL much like the regular season. I'd play as much like game 1 as possible. I'd get my returning guys snaps so they can get in football shape.

At some point you gotta set a tone. I don't think you can waltz in week 1 and expect to out-tough San Fran if you've spent all training camp and pre-season playing spares and resting or protecting starters. I'd gout and punch Denver in the mouth Thursday because they have everything to lose and nothing to gain from this meaningless game. Whereas Dallas has everything to prove starting with to themselves.

I totally agree with you. These are preparation games. And somehow we dont want to take advantage of being prepared for the 1st game? Watch us show up unprepared or rusty vs San Fran.

 

[big dog cowboy]

These are preparation games. And somehow we dont want to take advantage of being prepared for the 1st game?

It seems teams just treat this game as the last opportunity to play the scrubs to help sort out the final 53 any more.

 

[jterrell]

First thanks for all the comments pro and anti.
The point of the board I believe is to enjoy this type of philosophical football talk.

If I thought my take were the average or popular one I'd have never made a thread.
I expected it to be against the grain and very specific to this year and this team.

This was a case of if I were Garrett....
TBH, I'd play all year like that starting with Thursday.
Nothing to lose, no regrets, no fear, just go play.
I wouldn't want to go out trying to play odds and being cautious.

going to steal big dog's sig quote here:
Stop being afraid of what could go wrong. Start being positive about what could go right.

That's basically where I'd be.
Onsides to start a game or half? Maybe!
Fake punt in a game? Almost certainly at some point.
The past few seasons have seemed to be about minimizing ways to lose.
This year I'd be about maximizing ways to win.

 

[Doomsday101]

First thanks for all the comments pro and anti.
The point of the board I believe is to enjoy this type of philosophical football talk.

If I thought my take were the average or popular one I'd have never made a thread.
I expected it to be against the grain and very specific to this year and this team.

This was a case of if I were Garrett....
TBH, I'd play all year like that starting with Thursday.
Nothing to lose, no regrets, no fear, just go play.
I wouldn't want to go out trying to play odds and being cautious.

going to steal big dog's sig quote here:
Stop being afraid of what could go wrong. Start being positive about what could go right.

That's basically where I'd be.
Onsides to start a game or half? Maybe!
Fake punt in a game? Almost certainly at some point.
The past few seasons have seemed to be about minimizing ways to lose.
This year I'd be about maximizing ways to win.

I understand where you are coming from and I expect to see some guys who have had little to no snaps get some time Thursday but I also think risking certain players at this point leading into the reg season is a gamble that is not worth taking which is why most teams will not be playing starters. You can call it being afraid but does not change the reasoning behind why teams tend not to play guys in the final pre season and instead allow guys who are fighting for a spot to get the snaps instead. It sounds as if Melton will get some time in this game but I highly doubt he will be in there more than a series or 2.

 

[Fletch]

With the long week before the regular season begins, Thursday would not be a throw away for me.

I understand coaches are loathe to risk injury and I understand they prefer to use the 2 week period as game prep for week 1.

I'd ignore all that because of where this team is currently and what all it needs to accomplish.

I'd go into that game with a nothing to lose and everything to gain mentality.
This team needs to believe it can beat someone and I would be dead finished with being a floor mat for another team to gain confidence off of.

My starters would play one half of football and if we were not ahead they may take the first series of the 3rd quarter as well. I'd rotate my top 8 available DL much like the regular season. I'd play as much like game 1 as possible. I'd get my returning guys snaps so they can get in football shape.

At some point you gotta set a tone. I don't think you can waltz in week 1 and expect to out-tough San Fran if you've spent all training camp and pre-season playing spares and resting or protecting starters. I'd gout and punch Denver in the mouth Thursday because they have everything to lose and nothing to gain from this meaningless game. Whereas Dallas has everything to prove starting with to themselves.

Disagree to an extent. Although as fans we'd love to see that, ain't gonna happen, nor should it.

 

[CCBoy]

JT...I'm with you, and this game would be all out for me as a player. I would make more than a single play or two stand out. I would unglue for a last show to the team, and then the league as a whole. If you love the game, this is where one really proves it...as second half players this game, seldom stick any ways. Myself, I would be explosive and extremely aggressive

 

[Fla Cowpoke]

Yep, let's have our barely recovered players go balls to the wall for a half at least in such an important contest.

 

[NumOneQB]

Garrett-Top is a by-the-book kinda guy. I fully expect Thursday's game to be nothing but 2nd/3rd/4th stringers....