It will take more than the first game to know what this team is

[ShiningStar]

Most NFL fans: I dont like the preseason, im only about the regular season.

Us: ok, now you have a longer pre season, thanks moron.

 

[Rockport]

It’s a normal yet humorous football tradition to watch the first game of the season and then - win or lose - base the entire season’s expectations on that one performance. But in reality the first game of the season is 1/17th of a marathon. And truth is, it may or may not be preview of things to come.

Last year we opened the season with a 40-0 shellacking of the giants in NY and the talk was that our defense was going to completely dominate opponents on weekly basis. Then in week 4 the lowly Ariz Cards led by pedestrian QB Josh Dodds ran roughshod over the Cowboys in a 28-17 surprise defeat. Which game was most representative of the Cowboys in 2023? Probably neither. Each game is a different challenge.

I am super excited for real football to start and excited to see what this Cowboys team will be. With that in mind, here are some things to keep in mind about this year’s Cowboys team:

• The Cowboys will have 8 new starters as we open the season. Eight players who were not here last year. Sunday in Cleveland will be the first time those 22 starters will have played together in a normal NFL game as opposed to a PS game or controlled practice.
• The Cowboys will start 4 rookies Sunday and another who will see plenty of action. And as excited as I am about Guyton, Beebe, Kneeland, Liafau and Carson, even the best most talented rookies will have mistakes and growing pains.
• It usually takes 4-6 games to really know what a team can be. Whatever happens in Cleveland Sunday, we will learn some things about this team. Just not everything.

It is very likely this 2024 team will be better in December than it is now. The only sure prediction I can make about Sunday’s opener is this: On our Game Day thread, the first time the Cowboys have to punt several fans will declare this season is over! Haha!

So whatever happens in Cleveland, this team is still going to need some time to develop. I’m excited to see how that happens.
Go Cowboys!.

Thanksgiving

 

[Reid1boys]

It’s a normal yet humorous football tradition to watch the first game of the season and then - win or lose - base the entire season’s expectations on that one performance. But in reality the first game of the season is 1/17th of a marathon. And truth is, it may or may not be preview of things to come.

Last year we opened the season with a 40-0 shellacking of the giants in NY and the talk was that our defense was going to completely dominate opponents on weekly basis. Then in week 4 the lowly Ariz Cards led by pedestrian QB Josh Dodds ran roughshod over the Cowboys in a 28-17 surprise defeat. Which game was most representative of the Cowboys in 2023? Probably neither. Each game is a different challenge.

I am super excited for real football to start and excited to see what this Cowboys team will be. With that in mind, here are some things to keep in mind about this year’s Cowboys team:

• The Cowboys will have 8 new starters as we open the season. Eight players who were not here last year. Sunday in Cleveland will be the first time those 22 starters will have played together in a normal NFL game as opposed to a PS game or controlled practice.
• The Cowboys will start 4 rookies Sunday and another who will see plenty of action. And as excited as I am about Guyton, Beebe, Kneeland, Liafau and Carson, even the best most talented rookies will have mistakes and growing pains.
• It usually takes 4-6 games to really know what a team can be. Whatever happens in Cleveland Sunday, we will learn some things about this team. Just not everything.

It is very likely this 2024 team will be better in December than it is now. The only sure prediction I can make about Sunday’s opener is this: On our Game Day thread, the first time the Cowboys have to punt several fans will declare this season is over! Haha!

So whatever happens in Cleveland, this team is still going to need some time to develop. I’m excited to see how that happens.
Go Cowboys!.

I seem to remember a NY Giants team that was 7-7 after 14 games and there were loud voices calling for the coach to be fired. A few weeks later, they were lifting the Lombardi.

Trying to say you know what a team is, even after 10 games is a joke.
Last year, after 11 games the Iggles were 10-1. did you know what they were?

 

[CCBoy]

It’s a normal yet humorous football tradition to watch the first game of the season and then - win or lose - base the entire season’s expectations on that one performance. But in reality the first game of the season is 1/17th of a marathon. And truth is, it may or may not be preview of things to come.

Last year we opened the season with a 40-0 shellacking of the giants in NY and the talk was that our defense was going to completely dominate opponents on weekly basis. Then in week 4 the lowly Ariz Cards led by pedestrian QB Josh Dodds ran roughshod over the Cowboys in a 28-17 surprise defeat. Which game was most representative of the Cowboys in 2023? Probably neither. Each game is a different challenge.

I am super excited for real football to start and excited to see what this Cowboys team will be. With that in mind, here are some things to keep in mind about this year’s Cowboys team:

• The Cowboys will have 8 new starters as we open the season. Eight players who were not here last year. Sunday in Cleveland will be the first time those 22 starters will have played together in a normal NFL game as opposed to a PS game or controlled practice.
• The Cowboys will start 4 rookies Sunday and another who will see plenty of action. And as excited as I am about Guyton, Beebe, Kneeland, Liafau and Carson, even the best most talented rookies will have mistakes and growing pains.
• It usually takes 4-6 games to really know what a team can be. Whatever happens in Cleveland Sunday, we will learn some things about this team. Just not everything.

It is very likely this 2024 team will be better in December than it is now. The only sure prediction I can make about Sunday’s opener is this: On our Game Day thread, the first time the Cowboys have to punt several fans will declare this season is over! Haha!

So whatever happens in Cleveland, this team is still going to need some time to develop. I’m excited to see how that happens.
Go Cowboys!.

I rest assured this will be a fun year to learn this team. I'll be watching all year, this one.

 

[9of11]

Things I'm looking forward for this first game is the defense since its a new DCord...offensive line to see how well they do and the running back. We have seen I believe twice the running back by committee approach from Jerry before...lets see what this version can do...The first game is a wash...neither team will look good... but it will come down to as always, who makes the least mistakes...WE ARE DOOMED!!!!, THE SKY IS FALLING!!!!

 

[KJJ]

It usually takes about 5 games into the season to establish what kind of team you’re going to be. Last season it only took three games into the season to know the Cowboys weren’t going anywhere. They looked like dynamite in the first two games against the Giants and Jets, then laid an egg against a bad AZ team. That’s what I knew there wasn’t anything special about the team. It was the same old Cowboys.

 

[links18]

I can tell you what this team is right now: A worse version of what they were last year.

 

[nate dizzle]

Contender or pretender will be known by end of first 7 weeks

 

[JoeKing]

Just win baby!

 

[Bobhaze]

Contender or pretender will be known by end of first 7 weeks

To some it will be known at the end of the first half in Cle.

 

[nate dizzle]

To some it will be known at the end of the first half in Cle.

Well...if there is a certain qb with the 1000 yard stare out there again, would you really blame them?

 

[deerhunter11]

Well said. The other thing we tend to do as fans is only judge a team by individual performances when really it’s how we perform as a TEAM that best judges its potential.

I agree ,this team will evolve as the season progresses.Then they will find their Identity , as a team.

 

[T-RO]

It’s a normal yet humorous football tradition to watch the first game of the season and then - win or lose - base the entire season’s expectations on that one performance. But in reality the first game of the season is 1/17th of a marathon. And truth is, it may or may not be preview of things to come.

Last year we opened the season with a 40-0 shellacking of the giants in NY and the talk was that our defense was going to completely dominate opponents on weekly basis. Then in week 4 the lowly Ariz Cards led by pedestrian QB Josh Dodds ran roughshod over the Cowboys in a 28-17 surprise defeat. Which game was most representative of the Cowboys in 2023? Probably neither. Each game is a different challenge.

I am super excited for real football to start and excited to see what this Cowboys team will be. With that in mind, here are some things to keep in mind about this year’s Cowboys team:

• The Cowboys will have 8 new starters as we open the season. Eight players who were not here last year. Sunday in Cleveland will be the first time those 22 starters will have played together in a normal NFL game as opposed to a PS game or controlled practice.
• The Cowboys will start 4 rookies Sunday and another who will see plenty of action. And as excited as I am about Guyton, Beebe, Kneeland, Liafau and Carson, even the best most talented rookies will have mistakes and growing pains.
• It usually takes 4-6 games to really know what a team can be. Whatever happens in Cleveland Sunday, we will learn some things about this team. Just not everything.

It is very likely this 2024 team will be better in December than it is now. The only sure prediction I can make about Sunday’s opener is this: On our Game Day thread, the first time the Cowboys have to punt several fans will declare this season is over! Haha!

So whatever happens in Cleveland, this team is still going to need some time to develop. I’m excited to see how that happens.
Go Cowboys!.

Great post. Yes everyone will over-react to game one, win or lose...as you say. Indeed we'll over-react to whatever game has most recently been played.

And yes: Go Cowboys!

 

[diamonddelts]

"Something feels different this year."

Does not take long at all to know who Dallas is. Only those who fall for Jerry's annual okie dokie will be bewildered on who they think Dallas can become.

 

[GMO415]

It’s a normal yet humorous football tradition to watch the first game of the season and then - win or lose - base the entire season’s expectations on that one performance. But in reality the first game of the season is 1/17th of a marathon. And truth is, it may or may not be preview of things to come.

Last year we opened the season with a 40-0 shellacking of the giants in NY and the talk was that our defense was going to completely dominate opponents on weekly basis. Then in week 4 the lowly Ariz Cards led by pedestrian QB Josh Dodds ran roughshod over the Cowboys in a 28-17 surprise defeat. Which game was most representative of the Cowboys in 2023? Probably neither. Each game is a different challenge.

I am super excited for real football to start and excited to see what this Cowboys team will be. With that in mind, here are some things to keep in mind about this year’s Cowboys team:

• The Cowboys will have 8 new starters as we open the season. Eight players who were not here last year. Sunday in Cleveland will be the first time those 22 starters will have played together in a normal NFL game as opposed to a PS game or controlled practice.
• The Cowboys will start 4 rookies Sunday and another who will see plenty of action. And as excited as I am about Guyton, Beebe, Kneeland, Liafau and Carson, even the best most talented rookies will have mistakes and growing pains.
• It usually takes 4-6 games to really know what a team can be. Whatever happens in Cleveland Sunday, we will learn some things about this team. Just not everything.

It is very likely this 2024 team will be better in December than it is now. The only sure prediction I can make about Sunday’s opener is this: On our Game Day thread, the first time the Cowboys have to punt several fans will declare this season is over! Haha!

So whatever happens in Cleveland, this team is still going to need some time to develop. I’m excited to see how that happens.
Go Cowboys!.

BULLET!

 

[Cowboys5217]

It’s a normal yet humorous football tradition to watch the first game of the season and then - win or lose - base the entire season’s expectations on that one performance. But in reality the first game of the season is 1/17th of a marathon. And truth is, it may or may not be preview of things to come.

Last year we opened the season with a 40-0 shellacking of the giants in NY and the talk was that our defense was going to completely dominate opponents on weekly basis. Then in week 4 the lowly Ariz Cards led by pedestrian QB Josh Dodds ran roughshod over the Cowboys in a 28-17 surprise defeat. Which game was most representative of the Cowboys in 2023? Probably neither. Each game is a different challenge.

I am super excited for real football to start and excited to see what this Cowboys team will be. With that in mind, here are some things to keep in mind about this year’s Cowboys team:

• The Cowboys will have 8 new starters as we open the season. Eight players who were not here last year. Sunday in Cleveland will be the first time those 22 starters will have played together in a normal NFL game as opposed to a PS game or controlled practice.
• The Cowboys will start 4 rookies Sunday and another who will see plenty of action. And as excited as I am about Guyton, Beebe, Kneeland, Liafau and Carson, even the best most talented rookies will have mistakes and growing pains.
• It usually takes 4-6 games to really know what a team can be. Whatever happens in Cleveland Sunday, we will learn some things about this team. Just not everything.

It is very likely this 2024 team will be better in December than it is now. The only sure prediction I can make about Sunday’s opener is this: On our Game Day thread, the first time the Cowboys have to punt several fans will declare this season is over! Haha!

So whatever happens in Cleveland, this team is still going to need some time to develop. I’m excited to see how that happens.
Go Cowboys!.

No, it won't. We already know. Admit it, Bob.

 

[Cowboys5217]

Belichick once said 4 games should give you a good idea of what type of team you have.

That applies to teams that are ran properly.

With the Cowboys you only need ask yourself one question to know how the season is going to turn out - Did Jerry Jones step down and hire a proper GM?

If the answer is "No", then you already know what the team is, and how the season will go.

Trying to argue anything else, or "what ifs" after the last 28 years is just wasting time, and wish-casting.

 

[Cowboys5217]

Many fans will judge the entire season on the first series,

Don't even need that, and if you are honest about this, you will agree (see my last post for reason why).

 

[cowboyed]

Even at our regular season best we have proven over many years that we are not a post season threat.

 

[Cowboys5217]

Contender or pretender will be known by end of first 7 weeks

We already know - pretender.