Is this your most optimistic season since the mid 90's?

[KJJ]

My problem with Murray is that his rugged style with limited speed and wiggle is actually better suited for an offense with a line much worse than ours.

He simply couldn't take gigantic holes and maximize them as effectively as you'd like.

I'll sacrifice (if necessary and I'm not sure it is) some short yardage production for overall effectiveness 10 times out of 10.

Murray may not have maximized some of the huge holes he got primarily due to tired legs as the season went on but he made yards in situations where some backs wouldn't have gotten anything. The backs the Cowboys currently have are going to need huge holes to maximize their skills. Without huge holes Randle averaged 3.0 a carry in 2013 and McFadden has averaged 3.3 a carry the past 3 seasons the second lowest in the league over that period. None of the backs the Cowboys have can power and stiff arm their way through traffic like Murray. He picked up a lot of tough yards last season and averaged 5.5 a carry behind a transitioning OL in 2011. In the 4 seasons Murray played in Dallas he never averaged lower than 4.1 a carry while playing with several nagging injuries over that period. His 2 longest runs last season came in the first 8 games 44 and 52 yards while his legs were still relatively fresh. He never had a run longer than 40 yards the second half of the season due to the amount of carries taking their toll. Murray provided almost 2300 all purpose yards and 13 TD's.

The Cowboys rode him last season all the way to the playoffs and his departure is a huge loss for this team that was building something special with their own version of the triplets. We have no idea if the Cowboys are going to be the same team without him and the fact that we're going to have to face him in what will be some critical games with Philly is concerning. Don't think Jerry, Garrett and the rest of the organization aren't concerned because they know how important Murray was to the success of the team last season. You take arguably your teams MVP from the previous season and add them to your rivals arsenal who you've been in a tough battle with for the division title the past 2 seasons and that can shift the balance of power. Like everyone else the Cowboys have no idea how it's going to go with the backs they have they're banking on the OL to make them productive. Jerry commented several months ago that if you can strengthen the OL enough it puts less of a premium on having a top back. We'll soon find out.

 

[big dog cowboy]

My problem with Murray is that his rugged style with limited speed and wiggle is actually better suited for an offense with a line much worse than ours.

He simply couldn't take gigantic holes and maximize them as effectively as you'd like.

I'll sacrifice (if necessary and I'm not sure it is) some short yardage production for overall effectiveness 10 times out of 10.

Murray had a 4.7 ypc last year. Some act like his replacement is only going to get 2.7 ypc this year. Really?

 

[KJJ]

I'm very optimistic about this year and can't see how anyone couldn't be.


The overvaluation of Murray continues.

It depends on what you're optimistic about. I'm optimistic the Cowboys will compete for the division title but losing what was arguably the teams MVP from last season and having a defense that still has a ways to go doesn't have me optimistic about reaching the SB. You add another solid piece to the OL and have a top rusher running behind it then you could start thinking SB but Murray's departure may have thrown a wrench in what this team was building. Say what you will but Murray developed into an elite back last season and now the Cowboys defense that still has a long way to go is going to have to face him twice in 2015 barring injury. Losing Murray was one thing but losing him to a division rival that you've been in a battle with for the NFC East the past 2 seasons can be a game changer. The Cowboys missed out on the playoffs by one game 3 straight seasons and last season went down to the last couple of games. If the Cowboys lose anything from Murray's departure it could prove very costly.

Had he not missed games in each of his first 3 seasons the Cowboys likely would have made the playoffs all 3 seasons. Had he missed time last season the Cowboys likely wouldn't have made the playoffs.The Cowboys have never reached a title game or a SB without an elite back. All the "great" teams the Cowboys had were led by an elite runner. Most on this board are undervaluing what Murray brought to the team last season they would rather point to his fumbles and the yards he left on the field. There's a saying that you don't know what you have until it's gone. We'll find out in 2015 if it was Murray or the OL that made this team run. It's the combination of the OL and the back. The Cowboys have the OL but I don't see the back unless one emerges.

 

[KJJ]

I'll sacrifice (if necessary and I'm not sure it is) some short yardage production for overall effectiveness 10 times out of 10.

A lot of the short yardage production Murray got moved the chains keeping the defense off the field. If the Cowboys lose anything in short yardage situations this won't be the same efficient offense we saw last season and it will lead to more than 4 losses. It's not the overall production that concerns me it's moving the chains in critical situations. Controlling the ball and keeping the defense off the field and fresh is how the Cowboys won games last season. If the team starts losing confidence on 3rd and 2 or 3rd and 3 forcing Romo to have to throw the ball a lot on those downs his efficiency will go down and his turnovers will go up.

 

[theogt]

Probably. But last year was my most pessimistic since Romo took over, and look how that turned out.

 

[KJJ]

Murray had a 4.7 ypc last year. Some act like his replacement is only going to get 2.7 ypc this year. Really?

His replacement may have to average just as much if this is going to be the same team we saw last season and have a chance to improve on it. If the Cowboys aren't as consistent in the running game Romo will have to put the ball up more and a lot of the issues we've seen in the past with him will likely reoccur.

 

[JohnsKey19]

No. 2007 should have been THE year. Young, deep and talented throughout the roster. As it turned out, the offensive juggernaut that was the NE Patriots was the only major concern. But they were in the AFC.

This 2015 team looks good but there are some legitimate questions. We've been here before. I need to see 2 months of ball first.

 

[KJJ]

Probably. But last year was my most pessimistic since Romo took over, and look how that turned out.

It's almost better to be pessimistic about this team because that's when they play their best. The past decade great optimism has brought great disappointment. Everyone thought the 08 season would be the Cowboys year after the disappointing end to the 2007 season but the Cowboys folded in Dec and missed the playoffs. After the disappointing 08 season expectations were down heading into 2009 and the Cowboys surprised everyone with an 11-5 record and their first playoff win in 13 years. That season brought enormous SB expectations the following year and it led to a disastrous 2010 season that saw Romo go down and the first coaching change during the season in franchise history. I enter every season hopeful but cautious because the past decade high expectations usually lead to disappointments. Losing Murray leaves an opening for a disappointing season. If we have injuries on the OL it's going to put more of a premium on having a solid lead back. Although the Cowboys have added what appears to be some nice pieces on defense that side of the ball is still a work in progress.

 

[DFWJC]

I don't think there were "enormous Super Bowl expectations " for Dallas in 2010.
They got massacred in the playoffs and had a rad idly aging Oline and defense.

2008 maybe

 

[DandyDon52]

Nope! Every time I get over-confident or excited....I get let down

Going to take it in one game at a time and enjoy the ride

this, I do think they should make playoffs again, and be better on defense.

 

[scottsp]

Most seasons I am pretty optimistic heading in, though last year that wasn't the case. Going into 2010, most of us were sky-high, so there's that. I suppose this outlook is preferable to the alternative, but the good news is this all goes away once the bullets start flying. But, for now, hope springs eternal.

 

[KJJ]

The 2010 season should be a lesson to everyone not to get their expectations too high because there was a lot of SB talk with that team mainly because the Cowboys had an opportunity to be the first team to ever play a SB in their home stadium. Everyone thought that would motivate the Cowboys that season but they fell flat on their face. No one saw a 12-4 season coming last year so the Cowboys have to validate that season to prove it wasn't a fluke. Losing Murray could derail what this team had going we'll just have to see. It's going to be very interesting to see how the RB situation turns out this summer and into the season.

 

[PoundTheRock]

Romo is the QB and we don't have an RB, so no.

 

[KJJ]

You could see the early 90's teams building into something special. It all started with a 1-15 season in 89 and progressed to a 7-9 season in 90 to an 11-5 playoff team in 91 to a 13-3 SB winning team in 92. The 2014 team came out of nowhere and it was a running game led by Demarco Murray that we haven't seen since the days of Emmitt Smith during the early to mid 90's that propelled that team to a 12-4 season. The Cowboys went from being stuck in the mud with 3 straight 8-8 seasons to an unexpected 12-4 season. With the catalyst from that team gone we have to see what affect that may have in 2015. If you go back to the 93 season with Emmitt holding out the first 2 games the Cowboys lost both despite their great OL.

Regardless how much talent you have the back does matter and those great 90's teams would have never won any of those championships without the running game led by Emmitt Smith. He didn't have great speed but he made runs in critical situations, moved the chains and got the ball across the goal line in some VERY important games. Again, I'm not trying to put Murray in Emmitt's league but he meant as much to the Cowboys success last season as Emmitt meant to all the Cowboys successful seasons during the 90's. The Cowboys would not have sniffed a 12-4 season without a career year by Murray.

 

[ConstantReboot]

You remind me of the Phil Jackson types hating on the 3 point shot.

You're trapped in the thinking that it is a great back that makes for a great running game.

As he was humbled so shall you be.

No one is saying that Murray was a great back and that you need a great running back for a great running game. What he's implying is that he wasn't sold on who we got replacing Murray. Thats understandable since McFadden and Williams have never been healthy their entire career and Randle who I believe is an unproven commodity but not starter material and is certainly not a workhorse. We have no one in the roster right now that can at least do half the production as what Murray did and I don't buy this runningback by committee approach.

The running game was what propelled us into the playoffs. If we don't have any semblance of what we did last year to create a balance offensive attack, and have to rely solely on Romo, then our season might not end up being so great after all.

 

[ConstantReboot]

The Cowboys are going to be depending more on the talent they've assembled on the OL than the talent they've assembled at RB. They're clearly banking on the OL that's where all the money is we'll just have to see if it pays off.

If thats the case than thats too bad. Wish that we could have better talent at RB. I do hope at least one of them pans out.

 

[big dog cowboy]

His replacement may have to average just as much if this is going to be the same team we saw last season and have a chance to improve on it. If the Cowboys aren't as consistent in the running game Romo will have to put the ball up more and a lot of the issues we've seen in the past with him will likely reoccur.

Whatever we may lose in the running game will be more than off set in improvements on the defense. We upgraded ever level of the defense including our biggest issue the pass rush. How far our defense can carry us will determine how far we go this year.

 

[KJJ]

Whatever we may lose in the running game will be more than off set in improvements on the defense. We upgraded ever level of the defense including our biggest issue the pass rush. How far our defense can carry us will determine how far we go this year.

We still have yet to see the defense perform so the jury is out till then. If we lose too much in the running game it's going to affect Romo's performance and it's going to put the defense on the field a lot more. If that happens whatever improvements we've made defensively may not show up immediately.

If the defense has to carry the Cowboys they're not going to get very far because the D is still a work in progress. You can't just assume because we've added a couple of promising rookies and a veteran pass rusher who won't be available the first four games that the defense has arrived.

 

[SilverStarCowboy]

It really has that mid 90s feeling ... except without Emmitt Smith.



And we all know how that went.

 

[sureletsrace]

Probably. But last year was my most pessimistic since Romo took over, and look how that turned out.

In that case,

"Let the hate flow through you, young Jedi.... yess...yesss..."