sonnyboy
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First off, let me say I still believe we have an excellent chance to make some noise here and perhaps even a Superbowl run.
That's not so far fetched once you understand a few NFL truisms.
The first is that you are seldom as good or bad as you look. Winning and losing are as much a function of who and when your playing that team as it does with your performance.
In hindsight we were not as good during Romo's first 6 games, as the 5-1 start suggested. Some of the quality wins like @Carolina, Indy and @NY, turned out not to be so quality.
The flip side of that is what's happened the last four games.
WE ARE NOT THIS BAD. We have just hit a stretch of consecutive tough opponents played at precisely the wrong time.
Dec 10 New Orleans In retrospect its crystal clear. Our coaching staff and players underestimated this team. We had little respect for this defense and thought we could make them one demensional on offense. Pressure Brees into mistakes.
We also caught them at the wrong time. They had lost 3 of 4 at home mid season. After that they had two immpressive wins by 18 and 24 points and were on a serious roll.
Dec 16 @ Atlanta This is a classic up and down team. Won 4 of 6 to start the season. Followed that up with 4 staight losses. They then put together impressive back to back road wins to pull to .500. They come into our game on a real nice roll. Vic and thier O was actually playing well and putting up points. No disgrace giving up 28 to them at that time. They had momentum and motivation. Our game was the last straw for them.
Dec 25 Phila Here's another team that I think the fans, players and coaches underestimated. I don't mean the coaches took them lightly. I just think they underestimated how well they were playing and what we needed to do on both sides of the ball to compete. Especially on defense. We overestimated our DL's ability to control the line against them. We also underestimated how well Garcia was playing and the need to get a big rush on him.
Dec 31 Det Here's the real killer. The game that has everyone convinced that we're one a done in the play-offs. Maybe so. This was a 2-13 team on a 7 game losing streak. However, it was also a team that had played some pretty good footbal the last month.
They had a fourth quarter lead at NE and a fourth quarter lead last week against the Bears. And were perhaps a Romo fumble away from blowing another fourth quarter lead to us.
Regardless of what they had done, I'm focusing on what they did to us. In the midst of a couple fortuitus calls/non calls and some timely Cowboy turnovers, they played really well. Kitna for sure. If you consider the pass rush pressure we put him under, I'd say it was the best game a QB has played against us this year. That first TD to Williams was perfect and indefensible. It was only topped by the Williams catch itself.
This team was simply on a roll and due for a win. The law of football odds simply caught up to them at our expense.
I think you'll hear as much from Parcells today now that he's had a chance to view the tape. Could we have played better, yes. Could and does Romo need to avoid those type mistakes, yes.
But the defense played better in a lot of areas we stressed. And save for some outstanding play from the opposition, would have faired better.
SO WHERE'S THIS LEAVE US?
I believe we are much much better than most fans, media and perhaps even members of the organization think right now.
More like an 11-5 team than a 9-7 team.
I believe we match up real well against both Seattle and Chicago.
They don't have an overwhelming unit on the team we should have trouble with. Their OL has given up 49 sacks this year. They're a better running offense than passing and really need to run to set up the pass and protect Hasselbach. This plays into our strenght of our defense.
They resemble a losing team. They've been out-stat'd in every category.
Off runs 4.0 average, Def runs average 4.6. Off YPA is 6.58 and Def is YPA is 7.02. They've gained slightly less yards and points than their opponenets. Thrown 10 more interceptions. Recovered 10 less fumbles. Given up 8 more sacks.
Most importantly, we have the better QB.
We should beat them and head to Chicago for just as favorable a match up.
That's not so far fetched once you understand a few NFL truisms.
The first is that you are seldom as good or bad as you look. Winning and losing are as much a function of who and when your playing that team as it does with your performance.
In hindsight we were not as good during Romo's first 6 games, as the 5-1 start suggested. Some of the quality wins like @Carolina, Indy and @NY, turned out not to be so quality.
The flip side of that is what's happened the last four games.
WE ARE NOT THIS BAD. We have just hit a stretch of consecutive tough opponents played at precisely the wrong time.
Dec 10 New Orleans In retrospect its crystal clear. Our coaching staff and players underestimated this team. We had little respect for this defense and thought we could make them one demensional on offense. Pressure Brees into mistakes.
We also caught them at the wrong time. They had lost 3 of 4 at home mid season. After that they had two immpressive wins by 18 and 24 points and were on a serious roll.
Dec 16 @ Atlanta This is a classic up and down team. Won 4 of 6 to start the season. Followed that up with 4 staight losses. They then put together impressive back to back road wins to pull to .500. They come into our game on a real nice roll. Vic and thier O was actually playing well and putting up points. No disgrace giving up 28 to them at that time. They had momentum and motivation. Our game was the last straw for them.
Dec 25 Phila Here's another team that I think the fans, players and coaches underestimated. I don't mean the coaches took them lightly. I just think they underestimated how well they were playing and what we needed to do on both sides of the ball to compete. Especially on defense. We overestimated our DL's ability to control the line against them. We also underestimated how well Garcia was playing and the need to get a big rush on him.
Dec 31 Det Here's the real killer. The game that has everyone convinced that we're one a done in the play-offs. Maybe so. This was a 2-13 team on a 7 game losing streak. However, it was also a team that had played some pretty good footbal the last month.
They had a fourth quarter lead at NE and a fourth quarter lead last week against the Bears. And were perhaps a Romo fumble away from blowing another fourth quarter lead to us.
Regardless of what they had done, I'm focusing on what they did to us. In the midst of a couple fortuitus calls/non calls and some timely Cowboy turnovers, they played really well. Kitna for sure. If you consider the pass rush pressure we put him under, I'd say it was the best game a QB has played against us this year. That first TD to Williams was perfect and indefensible. It was only topped by the Williams catch itself.
This team was simply on a roll and due for a win. The law of football odds simply caught up to them at our expense.
I think you'll hear as much from Parcells today now that he's had a chance to view the tape. Could we have played better, yes. Could and does Romo need to avoid those type mistakes, yes.
But the defense played better in a lot of areas we stressed. And save for some outstanding play from the opposition, would have faired better.
SO WHERE'S THIS LEAVE US?
I believe we are much much better than most fans, media and perhaps even members of the organization think right now.
More like an 11-5 team than a 9-7 team.
I believe we match up real well against both Seattle and Chicago.
They don't have an overwhelming unit on the team we should have trouble with. Their OL has given up 49 sacks this year. They're a better running offense than passing and really need to run to set up the pass and protect Hasselbach. This plays into our strenght of our defense.
They resemble a losing team. They've been out-stat'd in every category.
Off runs 4.0 average, Def runs average 4.6. Off YPA is 6.58 and Def is YPA is 7.02. They've gained slightly less yards and points than their opponenets. Thrown 10 more interceptions. Recovered 10 less fumbles. Given up 8 more sacks.
Most importantly, we have the better QB.
We should beat them and head to Chicago for just as favorable a match up.
