If the Pessimists turn out to be Realists...

[CoCo]

and we go 8-8 this year...

It will be because...
List reasons



And the offseason moves will look like this...
List moves

 

[Four]

then they will all say I told you so and chest thump like they are geniuses.

and if they are wrong they will slink off into the same dark corner for a couple months then reappear with some other bull crap to spew.

Ya, I know I didn't follow the rules of the thread, but I am realist, and no one is allowed to tell me I am wrong, cause I am real, really.

 

[Doomsday101]

and we go 8-8 this year...

It will be because...
List reasons



And the offseason moves will look like this...
List moves

If we go 8-8 I think it will be because the staff could not get through to the players. I would expect that we would have continued to have mental breakdowns and stupid penalties

The move of course would be a coaching change. As I heard many years ago you can't fire 53 player but you can fire a coach.


I honestly do not think this team will drop to 8-8. I feel last year the team did underachive going from 13-3 to 9-7 and I don't expect to see them under achive this season

 

[Chief]

If it happens, then these could be the culprits:


1. Offensive line breaking down, starting with Flozell.

2. Players not responding to lame-duck coaching situation.

3. Jason Garrett struggles.

4. Injuries to key players (lack of quality depth surfaces).

5. Roy Williams and/or Miles Austin don't take it up a notch.


Off-season changes:

1. Jerry will delicately move Wade out. Replacement would be either Garrett (if he has a good year) or Holmgren (if Garrett has a bad year).

2. The offensive line would be overhauled (Flozell will be gone and "Free Reign" could be splintered).

3. Jerry would aggressively pursue a top receiver ... again.



Having said all that, I think Garrett will come through and I think Roy Williams could have a decent year.

The offensive line worries me most. And injuries are always a wild card.

 

[masomenos]

If we go 8-8 then it will be because of injuries to multiple key players.

 

[Rampage]

it will be because of our coaches.

 

[Doomsday101]

it will be because of our coaches.

So in fairness if this team does achieve a trip to the NFC Championship or Super Bowl then it will be because of the coaches?

 

[Rampage]

So in fairness if this team does achieve a trip to the NFC Championship or Super Bowl then it will be because of the coaches?

imo it probably will. we don't have a hc. we have 2 coordinators and no head coach.

 

[DFWJC]

and we go 8-8 this year...

It will be because...
List (possible) reasons

1. Romo misses 5 or more games.
2. The OL loses at least one starter for the season
3. Injury to the WR/TE group..especially either Witten or RW.
4. RW really is not a legit #1 WR and Miles is not as good as we hope.
5. DL does not hold up
6. NFC East is as good as peole say and dallas is really only the 2rd or 4th best team---even if they play up to abilities.

And the offseason moves will look like this...
List moves

1. Wade will be gone---regardless of whether or not he was the cause
2. Possibly Shanahan is in unless Garrett and the offense are great
3. Draft and/pr trade for WR help.
4. Draft trade for OLine help
5. Darft trade for DLine help

see above

 

[Doomsday101]

imo it probably will. we don't have a hc. we have 2 coordinators and no head coach.

I disagree. Wade is the one standing in front of the media taking the heat no matter how the defense played in a game and he has to answer for what the offense did because he is the HC. He is not the only HC who runs either the offense or defensive side of the ball there are others who do it as well and they are still called HC and it the success or failure falls on them.

 

[Real1st]

We go 8-8 because of key injuries and if our offensive line cannot regain to its top form. I want to believe that Koiser getting hurt was why our line crashed but some of the guys are up in age and are on the decline.

 

[cowboyjoe]

So in fairness if this team does achieve a trip to the NFC Championship or Super Bowl then it will be because of the coaches?

no, not just the coaches, will be due to players and coaches;
for instance; how many times last year did wade philllips say we got out played on offense, defense and special teams and out coached, more than twice

now i was thinking this; a 7-9 season, but with roy williams wr working hard, romo finally accepting responsibility somewhat, bradie james growing up; i think the cowboys can go 9-7 or 10 -6, maybe 11-5 but not more than that

due to wades harder approach to the players, finally realilzing that he cant treat the players like professionals, heck even wade got onto jason garrett at mini camp one day; thats what the head coach is suppose to do, even on himself, make the coaches and players accountable

now on to jason garrett, i once was like alot of you or some of you that jason garrett was the next great coach and all that stuff.

Yet, if you look at garretts history, he got fired as offensive coordinator in miami best i remember; and we all realize that sparano was calling plays into garrett in 2007.

I think one mistake that jerry jones made this year was not hiring dan reeves as guru to help wade and jason garrett on offense as a consultant

as the old saying, experience is the best teacher, and jason garrett has to learn his dues, now can we wait for him to learn, i dont know

just like when we had sean payton as offensive coordinator, you all remember what he was like the first year that parcells let him run the offense, it stunk

took sean payton 3 years to learn and get ready, heck even when sean payton ws with the giants, he got play calling duties taken away from him in new york too for a little bit


now i do think this, wade has to keep his foot on all the players in training camp, no more camp cupcake or camp marshmellow, no giving players the day off either like wade did after the loss in arizona, do that and players stepping up like romo, roy williams, witten, brooking, then i think this team will do fine,

not sure if its enough to outbeat the giants or eagles due to their draft and players they signed in free agency, but enough for cowboys possibly getting to playoffs and winning a game or 2.

 

[NoLuv4Jerry]

If we go 8-8 it will be because of poor OL play. It is baseline for a succesful football team. A good one can help you control the clock, thus control the tempo of the game....thus allow you to dictate to the defense. It also negates the disadvantadge of bad weather. We tried to do this against the Giants in the 07 playoff game. It was working well. Everything was in place...and the defense crapped their pants RIGHT before the half. Plus Fasano dropped a TD pass...and Crayton dropped a possible TD pass. Funny how none of the mistakes I just mentioned have ANYTHING to do with Tony ROmo....yet because we lost Tony gets the blame.

If we do better than 8-8 it will because of GREAT OL play. Nothing more needs to be said.

 

[Doomsday101]

no, not just the coaches, will be due to players and coaches;
for instance; how many times last year did wade philllips say we got out played on offense, defense and special teams and out coached, more than twice

now i was thinking this; a 7-9 season, but with roy williams wr working hard, romo finally accepting responsibility somewhat, bradie james growing up; i think the cowboys can go 9-7 or 10 -6, maybe 11-5 but not more than that

due to wades harder approach to the players, finally realilzing that he cant treat the players like professionals, heck even wade got onto jason garrett at mini camp one day; thats what the head coach is suppose to do, even on himself, make the coaches and players accountable

now on to jason garrett, i once was like alot of you or some of you that jason garrett was the next great coach and all that stuff.

Yet, if you look at garretts history, he got fired as offensive coordinator in miami best i remember; and we all realize that sparano was calling plays into garrett in 2007.

I think one mistake that jerry jones made this year was not hiring dan reeves as guru to help wade and jason garrett on offense as a consultant

as the old saying, experience is the best teacher, and jason garrett has to learn his dues, now can we wait for him to learn, i dont know

just like when we had sean payton as offensive coordinator, you all remember what he was like the first year that parcells let him run the offense, it stunk

took sean payton 3 years to learn and get ready, heck even when sean payton ws with the giants, he got play calling duties taken away from him in new york too for a little bit


now i do think this, wade has to keep his foot on all the players in training camp, no more camp cupcake or camp marshmellow, no giving players the day off either like wade did after the loss in arizona, do that and players stepping up like romo, roy williams, witten, brooking, then i think this team will do fine,

not sure if its enough to outbeat the giants or eagles due to their draft and players they signed in free agency, but enough for cowboys possibly getting to playoffs and winning a game or 2.

I agree if we achieve high goals it will be the players and coaches same for losing it will be players and coaches. What I said was you can't cut 53 players but you can fire a HC. Win or lose we know that the player roster in 2010 will not be the exact same as 2009 due in part because of FA and cap responsibility.

 

[CoCo]

Top 5 Reasons we could go 8-8
1. OL can't keep heat off Romo, or open holes for RB's
2. Garrett can't compensate for OL or WR shortcomings
3. Lack of general team preparedness, cohesiveness, etc
4. Problems at Safety continue, RCB too young and inexperienced
5. Key injuries are always a wild card

Resulting offseason moves to prepare for 2010
1. Major OL investment via draft/FA, Flo could be gone
2. Coaching shake-up, Garrett? Phillips? Take a guess...
3. Significant WR added through FA/trade
4. K.Hamlin out? - otherwise tweak, and let young'uns grow.

 

[dreghorn2]

If it happens, then these could be the culprits:


1. Offensive line breaking down, starting with Flozell.

2. Players not responding to lame-duck coaching situation.

3. Jason Garrett struggles.

4. Injuries to key players (lack of quality depth surfaces).

5. Roy Williams and/or Miles Austin don't take it up a notch.



Spot on, those are my five as well.

Coaching is my biggest worry, and not necessarily biggest its a lame duck situation.

 

[CoCo]

Interesting that Romo hasn't shown up on anyone's list.

The faith is strong in our QB...

 

[Doomsday101]

Interesting that Romo hasn't shown up on anyone's list.

The faith is strong in our QB...

Not ashamed to call myself a Romo fan but he has to do a better job of hanging on to the ball when the pass rush is bearing down on him. I don't have as big of an issue with his int to TD ratio but he has to be more aware of defenders slapping at the ball as he is scrambling around. This will play a part in our success or failure

 

[Bob Sacamano]

and we go 8-8 this year...

It will be because...

• of key injuries
• the roster is full of unprofessionals
• the coaches don't get enough out of the players
• Jerry steps into the day-to-day operations of the team during the season

And the offseason moves will look like this...

• Wade won't be re-signed (even if we do well he probably isn't coming back)
• Coaching staff gets re-hauled

 

[BrassCowboy]

So in fairness if this team does achieve a trip to the NFC Championship or Super Bowl then it will be because of the coaches?

well it depends, you did not state all the variables in the equation, and it is a common mistake.

What you have to ask is what is the talent level on this team? If this team has an 8-8 level of talent and yet make it to superbowl, then yes coaches can be thanked. Just like the reverse that if the level of talent is late playoff talent but yet go 8-8 or 9-7, then coaches are to blame. the latter example is what I think happened last year. That is obvious by everyone's opinion.

This year, I do believe we have a division playoff level of talent on the field. So yes, if we go 8-8, wade should be gone. If SB, wade should stay.