Identifying Playoff Team Behavior

[Bobhaze]

Great win last night in Filly. It’s always fun to activate the famous boo birds in the City of Brotherly Shove. What remains to be seen for our Cowboys is whether of not this team can maintain the type of performance we saw last night but have seen so rarely this season. Can the Cowboys continue this?

Having recently passed the halfway point of the 2018 NFL season, it has become very clear what qualities teams who will qualify for the playoffs must have:

1. The ability to score points- 5 of the 6 NFC teams who would be in the playoffs today average 27 points or more per game. The saints, rams, vikings and bears all average 30 or more points per game. Dallas was averaging 19.3 going into last night’s game. If the Cowboys are going to have a chance to make the playoffs, it will start with the ability to score 27 or more.

2. Having an opportunistic defense- thanks to the NFL owners desire to have rules that completely favor the offense, having a dominant defense is almost impossible. What good teams can have though is an opportunistic defense that gets turnovers and stops at critical moments. The Cowboys already have this kind of defense. If they could get more TOS, they would be even better.

3. Consistency- Having a good game like last night is great. But what separates the contenders from the pretenders is consistency. Putting multiple games together where the offense scores points and the defense gets some stops and TOs is the mark of a playoff tea. The Cowboys haven’t won back to back games since last Nov-early Dec.

Bottom line- the only thing that will make last night’s win in Brotherly Shove-Town more meaningful is to win at least three in a row.

That means the Cowboys need to win in Atlanta next week, then come home and beat the deadskins. That would be 3 in a row. If the Cowboys do that, they are contenders. If they return to the behavior of a typical Garrett coached team and lose next week, they aren’t a playoff team.

 

[1972COWBOY]

Well Atlanta got beat easily yesterday and the game with the skins was close so its a possibility. It would be good to see the Cowboys beat a powerful team with a good record though.

 

[nightrain]

I think they need to win 6 of the remaining 7 to win the division and get into the playoffs. A tall order for a team that has not won consecutive games all year. Last night was a great win, but no one should lose sight of how different the 2018 Eagles are from last year's team.

 

[Bobhaze]

Well Atlanta got beat easily yesterday and the game with the skins was close so its a possibility. It would be good to see the Cowboys beat a powerful team with a good record though.

The Cowboys haven’t beat a team with a winning record yet. All NFL wins are good, but if you only play well against the bottom feeders, you haven’t proved much. They have an opportunity to prove something against the best offense in the NFC in 3 weeks when the saints come marching in.

 

[Turkish-Cowboy]

With Cooper out there, the offense is getting it together. Cooper helps all the others around him. Dak just needs to be quicker and more consistent. The OL also looked better with Xavier. You can sense that the new coach has a touch on that line.

As for next week, Atlanta defense is really bad. We should take advantage of that. Our defense is good but must be more than good to limit that offensive power. If they can pull out a win next week, with all the momentum I can't see them loosing to the Commanders on TG.

 

[Jipper]

Great win last night in Filly. It’s always fun to activate the famous boo birds in the City of Brotherly Shove. What remains to be seen for our Cowboys is whether of not this team can maintain the type of performance we saw last night but have seen so rarely this season. Can the Cowboys continue this?

Having recently passed the halfway point of the 2018 NFL season, it has become very clear what qualities teams who will qualify for the playoffs must have:

1. The ability to score points- 5 of the 6 NFC teams who would be in the playoffs today average 27 points or more per game. The saints, rams, vikings and bears all average 30 or more points per game. Dallas was averaging 19.3 going into last night’s game. If the Cowboys are going to have a chance to make the playoffs, it will start with the ability to score 27 or more.

2. Having an opportunistic defense- thanks to the NFL owners desire to have rules that completely favor the offense, having a dominant defense is almost impossible. What good teams can have though is an opportunistic defense that gets turnovers and stops at critical moments. The Cowboys already have this kind of defense. If they could get more TOS, they would be even better.

3. Consistency- Having a good game like last night is great. But what separates the contenders from the pretenders is consistency. Putting multiple games together where the offense scores points and the defense gets some stops and TOs is the mark of a playoff tea. The Cowboys haven’t won back to back games since last Nov-early Dec.

Bottom line- the only thing that will make last night’s win in Brotherly Shove-Town more meaningful is to win at least three in a row.

That means the Cowboys need to win in Atlanta next week, then come home and beat the deadskins. That would be 3 in a row. If the Cowboys do that, they are contenders. If they return to the behavior of a typical Garrett coached team and lose next week, they aren’t a playoff team.

Good stuff....biggest thing for me is consistency. They have not two in a row yet this year and that's a great starting point.

How much fun would it be to watch on thanksgiving with a chance to be tied atop the division....im really trying not to get sucked back in but inevitably this is what happens.....they win a couple and look on a roll then go right back to where they were....

Kinda like a dog one of those retractable leashes hitting the end and getting pulled back....cant ever seem to just run

 

[Bobhaze]

Good stuff....biggest thing for me is consistency. They have not two in a row yet this year and that's a great starting point.

How much fun would it be to watch on thanksgiving with a chance to be tied atop the division....im really trying not to get sucked back in but inevitably this is what happens.....they win a couple and look on a roll then go right back to where they were....

Kinda like a dog one of those retractable leashes hitting the end and getting pulled back....cant ever seem to just run

My mantra the last few years- “I’ll believe it when it happens”. That’s what the last two decades with this fool of an owner has done to me.

 

[Turkish-Cowboy]

I think they need to win 6 of the remaining 7 to win the division and get into the playoffs. A tall order for a team that has not won consecutive games all year. Last night was a great win, but no one should lose sight of how different the 2018 Eagles are from last year's team.

Philly's schedule is very tough. It all depends on WASH's games. Their win against TB is nothing but a miracle. I still cannot believe how those numbers of TB could not amount to a win. Was is not going to win much with that OL.

 

[visionary]

Great win last night in Filly. It’s always fun to activate the famous boo birds in the City of Brotherly Shove. What remains to be seen for our Cowboys is whether of not this team can maintain the type of performance we saw last night but have seen so rarely this season. Can the Cowboys continue this?

Having recently passed the halfway point of the 2018 NFL season, it has become very clear what qualities teams who will qualify for the playoffs must have:

1. The ability to score points- 5 of the 6 NFC teams who would be in the playoffs today average 27 points or more per game. The saints, rams, vikings and bears all average 30 or more points per game. Dallas was averaging 19.3 going into last night’s game. If the Cowboys are going to have a chance to make the playoffs, it will start with the ability to score 27 or more.

2. Having an opportunistic defense- thanks to the NFL owners desire to have rules that completely favor the offense, having a dominant defense is almost impossible. What good teams can have though is an opportunistic defense that gets turnovers and stops at critical moments. The Cowboys already have this kind of defense. If they could get more TOS, they would be even better.

3. Consistency- Having a good game like last night is great. But what separates the contenders from the pretenders is consistency. Putting multiple games together where the offense scores points and the defense gets some stops and TOs is the mark of a playoff tea. The Cowboys haven’t won back to back games since last Nov-early Dec.

Bottom line- the only thing that will make last night’s win in Brotherly Shove-Town more meaningful is to win at least three in a row.

That means the Cowboys need to win in Atlanta next week, then come home and beat the deadskins. That would be 3 in a row. If the Cowboys do that, they are contenders. If they return to the behavior of a typical Garrett coached team and lose next week, they aren’t a playoff team.

Agree Bob
Beat Atlanta and the skins
Then we'll talk
I need consistent good/great play not the up and down trash that has been garretts calling card for 8 years

Dak still continues to do the same stupid things like bailing from clean pockets and actually turning his back to the LOS!! And just refuses to step up in the pocket constantly throwing off his back foot

These are basics
The basics

Maybe this offensive coaching staff can actually start coaching for once

 

[Bobhaze]

Philly's schedule is very tough. It all depends on WASH's games. Their win against TB is nothing but a miracle. I still cannot believe how those numbers of TB could not amount to a win. Was is not going to win much with that OL.

TB is terrible.

 

[Roadtrip635]

Playoff behavior? We beat another mediocre team, not a playoff contender. It was a hated rival, enjoy the win for what it is.

 

[nightrain]

Philly's schedule is very tough. It all depends on WASH's games. Their win against TB is nothing but a miracle. I still cannot believe how those numbers of TB could not amount to a win. Was is not going to win much with that OL.

Philly is done, imo. They have no RBs, no DBs and missing their best OL. If the Cowboys can win through November, I will believe in them. A tall order. Callahan is carrying the Commanders right now keeping that patchwork OL productive.

 

[Dre11]

We're already in the playoffs from here on out.

 

[Bobhaze]

We're already in the playoffs from here on out.

Sounds like last year.

 

[Jake]

Well Atlanta got beat easily yesterday and the game with the skins was close so its a possibility. It would be good to see the Cowboys beat a powerful team with a good record though.

And the week before Atlanta went into Washington and rolled them, so I'm not sure their results against other teams mean much.

If anything, this sets up perfectly for a JG-coached team to go into Atlanta feeling good about themselves only to get blown out of the dome - we've seen it before. It'll be interesting to see what happens.

 

[1972COWBOY]

And the week before Atlanta went into Washington and rolled them, so I'm not sure their results against other teams mean much.

If anything, this sets up perfectly for a JG-coached team to go into Atlanta feeling good about themselves only to get blown out of the dome - we've seen it before. It'll be interesting to see what happens.

Well if JG feels so giddy that he pampers the team, then that very well could be the result.

 

[Cmac]

We jumping ahead already.....when has this team, under JG, afforded fans to look ahead?

 

[blueblood70]

Gut feeling we play well down the stretch but just miss the playoffs again and Garett gets fired..win win we get a decent snapshot of next year have quality ball to watch and Greatt and his staff get the boot..The Washington loss pretty much sealed the fate of the playoffs for us..really blew that one..

 

[Bobhaze]

And the week before Atlanta went into Washington and rolled them, so I'm not sure their results against other teams mean much.

If anything, this sets up perfectly for a JG-coached team to go into Atlanta feeling good about themselves only to get blown out of the dome - we've seen it before. It'll be interesting to see what happens.

Good point. Playoff caliber teams use a good win on the road to build consistency. Mediocre teams simply can’t replicate their prior performance. We will see if this team can reproduce what they did in Filly. If they can’t its just another example of a Garrett coached team’s MO- consistent mediocrity.

 

[PA Cowboy Fan]

And the week before Atlanta went into Washington and rolled them, so I'm not sure their results against other teams mean much.

If anything, this sets up perfectly for a JG-coached team to go into Atlanta feeling good about themselves only to get blown out of the dome - we've seen it before. It'll be interesting to see what happens.

This team will bumble and stumble to 7 or 8 wins. The only real hard team left on the schedule is the Saints. That December schedule is very weak. I think that is where they get most of their wins from.