I've Never Been Afraid To Predict Good Things For The Cowboys

[jday]

Very good post! While I'm on record as being a glass-is-half-full kind of guy, I can't agree on every point, but you laid out some really good responses to Hostile's post. I respect Hostile. I respect those that go beyond the one-liners that we are all guilty of displaying in here when frustrated. Again, very nice post. I'm semi on-the-fence this year. But I do feel that we can sneak into the playoffs if health is in our favor. Getting back Crawford and Bass will be huge. Just gotta let the first 5 or 6 games play out and then see where we are. Hopefully our defense can be better than average.

Thank you sir! I respect your optimism, but I try to be a fair objective realist. And now I'm going to duck for using the dreaded "R" word.

 

[Rogerthat12]

I do think the defense may be better this year, how much better seems to be the main question.

If Romo can stay healthy with that OL in front protecting him, the offense has a chance to be excellent.

If the all hands on deck approach on defense is fruitful we could be in the mix for a spot at seasons end.

However, any other significant defensive injuries and if the said approach fails to generate a pass rush, we may be lucky to win 7 games.

 

[jday]

I don't think they are fixed. That isn't what I am saying at all. I'm saying they were so pitifully bad last year that 8-8 was a miracle. How many games did we have a healthy Hatcher and Ware together? 2, maybe 3? The rest of those guys were the best we could manage given who was out there, but they simply could not stop anyone. I'm saying we can now stop some teams, and hold on to some wins. That means better, but it doesn't mean fixed.

I'm not sure if the following is the assertion you were making, but I know a few bloggers who have stated as much, so I'll go ahead and debate: The Cowboys defense was terrible last year, they set the bar so low, that they can only get better, right? I'm gonna say wrong. In many things in life there is only so bad something can be, but in football teams set records in awful almost every year and that is because it seems like every year offenses evolve to combat what stopped them the previous year. Some evolutions are throw-aways and others are keepers. But the overall point that I'm trying to make is there is no bottom to how terrible a defense can be.

Also, to your point about Ware and Hatcher - this season, they won't be playing in any games for the Cowboys together, so dependent on how certain players answer questions that loom over them, it could be bad, medicre or good. Obviously, we are all hoping for the latter, but you have to think at least a few guys will answer in the negative and dependent on which players do answer that way, it could get really bad really quick.

 

[CanadianCowboysFan]

I'm not afraid either. When it's warranted, I'll predict it. I won't just do it every year to show everyone how much of a fan I am.

I think we're a 6 win team conservatively. If we can get Romo back to form for a full season we can be back in the 8-8 mix. What the Cowboys won't be is a real contender.

You can't just look at the talent on this team, though I think that is lacking. It's also the environment that talent is coached in. With no authority in the head coach.

Garrett will find a way to get the team to 8-8

 

[theSHOW]

For me this season is predicated on two distinct areas.

1. Defensive push by the front.

Don't hand me the Marinelli get out of jail free card. You cannot take a cast off and make them a pro bowler.

The defense will need to pressure the quarterback or the secondary will AGAIN be exposed. This defense was built in the opposite direction because Jerry sees defenders getting beat in the passing game and doesn't understand the pass rush is what protects them. Just like the offensive line protects Romo. The game is skewed toward the offense to begin with by rules. So the best defense is to provide a hearty pass rush. Dallas did not build this defense that way. They threw money and picks at the backfield.

They still have no free safety which is the center fielder of the team. Now add in Lee going down, Carter still a question mark, and what do you have? Questionable up the middle, no consistent rush to pressure the quarterback, and defensive backs that cannot cover long enough which opens up the WR's.

2. Murray and TWill.

The offensive line should be better. But the real factors which will determine this offense are Murray and TWill.

Can Murray be consistent in the run game to keep the defenses honest?

Can TWill be enough of a threat to ease the pressure off Dez being the focal point of the passing game.

To me Witten has showed down. Escobar is still a what if. Street is a rookie and Harris and Beasley aren't consistent enough to force teams to look away from Dez.

I also have a real concern about Romo's back. I have never seen him as this super accurate passer to begin with. He has been more of a vicinity passer to me. So how will his back affect his accuracy? That remains to be seen. But age and health will begin to factor into his game. There will be a point when things just don't get better for him. Laffenberg thinks this is the beginning of the end for Tony. Who knows.

So pass rush and the running game and how effective TWill will be in his second year is what this season comes down to for me.

I will happily admit I was wrong if these no name defensive linemen can actually step up. But as it stands this isn't enough to cause me to think there will be any pass rush whatsoever. Because I don't see an edge rusher here at all and I see the team somehow counting on Spencer who may have played his last game. Now marry that with a soft interior defense that will give up the rushing yards and this is still a bottom dweller.

Now add an offense that is ASSUMED to be top five but could well slip to the middle of the pack because of age, health, and too few stars.

That spells 5-11 for me.

So many seem to think posts like this are emotional, gutless, an easy prediction, or some such.

I love this team as much as anyone on this board and have loved them longer that most. I cannot shut off my logical mind and override it with hope that so many things have to align for this team to be competitive.

It never works that way.

But I will enjoy the season because I love watching this team play.

Nice to hear you're as big a Cowboys fan as any on here. Longtime fan. You sound like you feel you would build the team better than Jerry when you go on about the backwards building of the D. How many 1st round picks has Jerry spent on safteys? Did Jerry get a 1st round talent at the top of the 2nd that plays DE? I think your wrong on you're Dline feeling also. The 2014 "NoNames"will be rotating some average players that could see snaps on any team in the League. The safteys have talent. This defense just needs to make some average stops to be a contender. 16th in the League is average. I see average (10-22)
You want a defensive front but on offense you go on about it being Myrray and TWill. How about our offensive line? Does Jerry understand that?
Lets turn that 5-11 into a 9-7 or 10-6

 

[Vintage]

This thread needs more butt hurt.

 

[Hostile]

I'm not sure if the following is the assertion you were making, but I know a few bloggers who have stated as much, so I'll go ahead and debate: The Cowboys defense was terrible last year, they set the bar so low, that they can only get better, right? I'm gonna say wrong. In many things in life there is only so bad something can be, but in football teams set records in awful almost every year and that is because it seems like every year offenses evolve to combat what stopped them the previous year. Some evolutions are throw-aways and others are keepers. But the overall point that I'm trying to make is there is no bottom to how terrible a defense can be.

Also, to your point about Ware and Hatcher - this season, they won't be playing in any games for the Cowboys together, so dependent on how certain players answer questions that loom over them, it could be bad, medicre or good. Obviously, we are all hoping for the latter, but you have to think at least a few guys will answer in the negative and dependent on which players do answer that way, it could get really bad really quick.

No , I'm not saying they can only get better. I gave a laundry list of the players we used on DL last year.

Ware and Hatcher are givens. Who else on that list do you think has a guaranteed job in 2014? So you don't have to go back and look, here's the list again.

Nick Hayden...currently on Cowboys 90 man roster.
Jerome Long...FA
Corvey Irvin...Lions
Frank Kearse...Commanders
Everette Brown...FA
Everett Dawkins...Buccaneers
Drake Nevis...Panthers
David Carter...Raiders
George Selvie...currently on Cowboys 90 man roster.
Edgar Jones...FA
Caesar Rayford...currently on Cowboys 90 man roster.
Marvin Austin...Broncos
Landon Cohen...Bears
Jason Vega...Winnepeg Blue Bombers
Jarius Wynn...Bills

I'd say Selvie is the only sure thing. Wynn may be closest after that. None of them will start even if they do make a roster, and yet had to start for us due to attrition.

All I'm saying is there is no way what happened to us last year is repeated this year, and if we can stop some teams we're not going to suffer through a 6-10 season or 3-13 like USA Today said. We have a very good Offense and added a piece on OL that could make us a great Offense. One more stop per game couple with one more scoring drive per game, even a FG, changes the landscape.

I just don't see why we can't be a little excited about the season. Maybe there are better ways to say it, but I don't care. I just want people to get a little bounce in their step about this year. If that is as bad as these guys claim, oh well.

I just don't think people are accepting how bare last year's cupboard was. No one could win with those guys manning the DL. Not the Broncos, not the Seahawks and certainly not the Cowboys as we all unfortunately found out. People talk about my predictions, but won't admit I make them BEFORE we lose key players to injury. When I predicted 10-6 last year I was under the impression our DL was going to be Spencer, Ratliff, Hatcher, and Ware, with Brent and Crawford as the key backups and rotation guys. I don't foresee the future unlike others. I couldn't see butt hurt feelings,m torn Achilles tendons, and Ware at about 75% for half the season. Just like I couldn't see Hatcher having a great year. But I could at least see the talent in those 6 names.

I don't see it in the 14 above. I appreciate Selvie last year, but wouldn't want to count on him starting for a team trying to make an impact.

Here's the thing, if this Defense does do what I say, meaning they rotate and keep fresh legs on the attack with better depth than last year, and we avoid the injury bug and somehow miraculously improve despite the schedule that is scaring so many people for some reason...it will either mean people are wrong about what sunk last year, or wrong about our current depth. Either way, that'll be kind of fun to watch.

Pardon my cynicism about that.

 

[Hostile]

This thread needs more butt hurt.

I delivered some, just for you. Hope you enjoy it.

 

[Idgit]

I'm certain we can.

But it is like this idea that only the happy can post some things here. There are certain comments which the filter will alter if you are wanting to label a group of happy campers.

Yet hater is okay.

I find that curious and a little dense. Playing favorites isn't my idea of a message board. If you aren't tough enough to take it, then don't post. This is one of my biggest arguments about the way this is handled here. I watch some get away with murder with impunity.

Others are sent to the bench for defending their position.

Take the gloves off or be an equal opportunity mod is what I think.

Now I have transgressed and will probably suffer a month off this time. But in all idget, the fanbase is not happy with the results, and controlling the dialog to reflect a happier time only puts stress on posters who have to toe a line when others can do as they please. Including the staff.

This is what causes the arguments and the acrimony for some more than anything else.

This will not go away until Jerry fixes the team. The displeasure will remain and get more vocal as years pass without positive results. No matter how many pretty pictures are painted by prose on this board.

Well, bear in mind that there really aren't two camps here. We're all Cowboys fans. 'Haters' is a word that's got a very definite application that has nothing to do with 'realists.' It applies to Skins fans, or Eagles or Giants fans, for example. You can see why that's not automatically filtered.

And I can say, with a high degree of confidence, nobody is ever benched for defending opinions. They're benched for not staying within guidelines. And even then, the interpretation is frankly, fairly generous.

I also categorically disagree with you that the dialogue around here is controlled to 'reflect a happier time.' That's easy to disagree with, because I'm not sure what you're getting at, but all you have to do is look at the general tone of the threads--or at the thread titles themselves--and know that it's not the case. There are plenty of reasons to be grumpy around here, and there are plenty of grumps.

You're entitled to your opinion, though, of course, TwoDeep. Just like I'm entitled to believe you're wrong, or that you might be wearing your martyr hat a bit here in this thread. We don't have to agree, though, that's my point. And we can disagree without being nasty to each other, as this thread shows, right?

 

[Gameover]

Don't you feel even the slightest bit uncomfortable when you lie to yourself like this?

Teams couldn't run the ball on Demarcus Ware's side from 2005-09. Teams have ran at will on D-Wares side starting in 2010.

Randy White had a break down of this back in 2010. How Ware wasn't keeping his contain. But I'm the one lying to myself?

Ask anyone who knows the game, how has D Ware played the run the past 4 seasons.

If they're honest and smart, they'll tell you not very well.

But *** I'm lying to myself!

Like that WG and fallen pebble.

 

[Hostile]

http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas/cowboys/post/_/id/4728969/aikman-cowboys-garrett-success-hinges-on-d

If the Cowboys' defense improves, then Aikman sees a team that can contend.

“The defense is going to be better. They can’t possibly be as bad or worse than a year ago, so it’s going to be better,” Aikman said Tuesday on ESPN 103.3 FM’s "Afternoon Show with Cowlishaw and Mosley."

Aw, what does Troy know. He's just a homer.

 

[jday]

No , I'm not saying they can only get better. I gave a laundry list of the players we used on DL last year.

Ware and Hatcher are givens. Who else on that list do you think has a guaranteed job in 2014? So you don't have to go back and look, here's the list again.

Nick Hayden...currently on Cowboys 90 man roster.
Jerome Long...FA
Corvey Irvin...Lions
Frank Kearse...Commanders
Everette Brown...FA
Everett Dawkins...Buccaneers
Drake Nevis...Panthers
David Carter...Raiders
George Selvie...currently on Cowboys 90 man roster.
Edgar Jones...FA
Caesar Rayford...currently on Cowboys 90 man roster.
Marvin Austin...Broncos
Landon Cohen...Bears
Jason Vega...Winnepeg Blue Bombers
Jarius Wynn...Bills

I'd say Selvie is the only sure thing. Wynn may be closest after that. None of them will start even if they do make a roster, and yet had to start for us due to attrition.

All I'm saying is there is no way what happened to us last year is repeated this year, and if we can stop some teams we're not going to suffer through a 6-10 season or 3-13 like USA Today said. We have a very good Offense and added a piece on OL that could make us a great Offense. One more stop per game couple with one more scoring drive per game, even a FG, changes the landscape.

I just don't see why we can't be a little excited about the season. Maybe there are better ways to say it, but I don't care. I just want people to get a little bounce in their step about this year. If that is as bad as these guys claim, oh well.

I just don't think people are accepting how bare last year's cupboard was. No one could win with those guys manning the DL. Not the Broncos, not the Seahawks and certainly not the Cowboys as we all unfortunately found out. People talk about my predictions, but won't admit I make them BEFORE we lose key players to injury. When I predicted 10-6 last year I was under the impression our DL was going to be Spencer, Ratliff, Hatcher, and Ware, with Brent and Crawford as the key backups and rotation guys. I don't foresee the future unlike others. I couldn't see butt hurt feelings,m torn Achilles tendons, and Ware at about 75% for half the season. Just like I couldn't see Hatcher having a great year. But I could at least see the talent in those 6 names.

I don't see it in the 14 above. I appreciate Selvie last year, but wouldn't want to count on him starting for a team trying to make an impact.

Here's the thing, if this Defense does do what I say, meaning they rotate and keep fresh legs on the attack with better depth than last year, and we avoid the injury bug and somehow miraculously improve despite the schedule that is scaring so many people for some reason...it will either mean people are wrong about what sunk last year, or wrong about our current depth. Either way, that'll be kind of fun to watch.

Pardon my cynicism about that.

First, regardless of my doubts as far as improvements go, I am excited about this year. As i stated before, my being a fan is not dependent on dreams for playoff contention or based purely on expecting a Super Bowl appearance. I simply love football and I love watching the Cowboys. But over the years I've learned to temper my expectations; early on I refused to ignore the truth of the Cowboys and typicaly paid a week of misery following disappointment.

The biggest issue in my mind is they are handicapped by the cap. They weren't able to address as many issues as I would have liked during Free Agency. The 2nd truth that I think anyone should see is that the rookies the Cowboys were able to get will take time to develop, likely a full season if not more.

I will agree that it is tough to overcome the injury issues this team has had to contend with, however, in turn, I will ask you to agree that we can predict that injuries will happen again...and likely to alot of the same people. I will also ask you to agree that while these rookies do have potential, you cannot expect them to replace the starters with the same type of contribution or level of experience this early in their career.

I will agree that the offense has improved. But that Ol, Rb, and Wr core is 1 to 2 injuries away from being not so good. I understand your saying about refusing to predict injuries but since it is such a big part of football, your setting yourself up for dissappointment if you don't at least expect a few in hard to replace positions. And when that happens, once again the Cowboys will have to draw from the proverbial scrap heap again and hope for the best.

Given the Cowboys current construction, they are thin at every starter position, including the Dl. I include the Dl because, as you said, they are wanting to send players in waves. Well, like the offense, they are a few injuries away from having that strategy hamstringed. The linebacking core took a huge hit with the loss of Lee and they are counting on Carter and Durant to stay healthy for a full season, which I'm afraid is doubtful all things considered. Lastly, while our corners were able to play much of last year, I can't say I'm all that confident in their ability to shut down top tier receivers. Lastly, there are some big questions marks over the Safety position. Church, while solid, as I said before, has holes in his game, particularly when asked to cover the speedier variety of TE's and receivers and at this point it's anybody guess what we have in Wilcox. Behind them is a bunch of guys who have yet to prove anything.

I respect that you want to remain optimistic and inject some life in this blog. This blog needs your type of input and I encourage you to continue. But being optimistic about the Cowboys future doesn't necessarily mean you have to expect a return on their investments this season. I expect great things in the near future; just not this season.

 

[Gameover]

http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas/cowboys/post/_/id/4728969/aikman-cowboys-garrett-success-hinges-on-d

If the Cowboys' defense improves, then Aikman sees a team that can contend.

“The defense is going to be better. They can’t possibly be as bad or worse than a year ago, so it’s going to be better,” Aikman said Tuesday on ESPN 103.3 FM’s "Afternoon Show with Cowlishaw and Mosley."

Aw, what does Troy know. He's just a homer.

I know who wont like this(fallen pebble)

11-5!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Vintage]

I delivered some, just for you. Hope you enjoy it.

Oh, I did. It was amusing.

I'm not as opttimistic on this upcoming season as you are... But I'm excited as he'll for another season.

 

[cml750]

I'm not afraid either. When it's warranted, I'll predict it. I won't just do it every year to show everyone how much of a fan I am.

I think we're a 6 win team conservatively. If we can get Romo back to form for a full season we can be back in the 8-8 mix. What the Cowboys won't be is a real contender.

You can't just look at the talent on this team, though I think that is lacking. It's also the environment that talent is coached in. With no authority in the head coach.

RS, truer words have never been typed!!!! The fans who think their fan card will be revoked unless they predict a perfect 16 -0 season with a Lombardi trophy make no sense to me. I call it like it is. We will be lucky to win 8 games this season and if Romo goes down early we will be in the running for the #1 pick.

 

[Coy]

I totally disagree with Parcells on the record thing.

2007 Cowboys weren't 13-3 good.

Easy schedule, fluke victories, every lucky bounce of the ball, teams not having enough tape on Romo and Garrett's offense. Even Andy Reid's son got arrested the week we played them on a big Sunday night game. That team was so lucky.

I remember the 2006 Packers had a horrible start. They finished that year 8-8. I thought they were better than we were by seasons end. The next year they went 13-3. Sometimes records can be misleading in both ways.

Although I get what you are saying, I guess sometimes it´s better to be lucky than good, it´s all about winning IMO, you can make a case that the 2007 and 2011 Giants weren’t the best team but they won it all and that´s all that matters.

And that´s what Parcells meant and I couldn’t agree more.

 

[5Stars]

Convenient position. Some might see your can't tell the future act as a way to back bite those who come here expressing their thoughts.

Others might say offering up your OPINION would put you in a position where you have to support what you think. And we all know it is easier to sit back and ridicule others for an opinion you are not willing to offer.

Then there will be the ones, and probably very few, who find you to be gutless.

I myself see you contradict without actually saying anything at all but your mousy little snark remarks. You rely on the predict the future comments as your empirical evidence, which it is not at all. You do not discuss any of the things I said, offering up your opinion on why they are true or false.

So to encapsulate this, you don't ever put your opinion at risk by actually discussing football. You simply make comments to denigrate the posters for making their opinions.

Unless of course it's one like Hos who comes along this time every year and make generalizations with feel good commentary. You like those because it leaves room to dream.

As far as Hos goes, he's like the first pitch of the baseball season or a groundhog predicting the weather. Same time next year.

You, you snipe at people until they call you out and show you up, whence you disappear for a week until it blows over.

But I like you and Hos, 5 stars. There is something about the consistencies of life that make it comfortable.

I am so glad you got all those thoughts out of your system. lol

Sometimes I disappear for more than weeks at a time. In fact, Sir...as of today, I have not made a post in over 7 months! By the way, everyone calls me out. But, that's cool, because they don't know me.

 

[cml750]

Nothing wrong with being optimistic..........I hope you are finally correct.

I sincerely hope he is to even though I know he is wrong.

 

[cml750]

In the immortal words of the old lady sitting next to Billy Crystal & Meg Ryan in 'When Harry Met Sally', I'll have what the OP is having.

He's an ultra-homer so no surprise seeing him post his annual prediction of greatness for the Cowboys.

I just don't see this windfall of increased talent on defense. We're banking on a gimpy Spencer to fully recover from a career threatening knee injury. We're hoping that two unproven young DL (Crawford & Lawrence) actually pan out. I like Melton but you never know how players will perform in their first year back from a serious knee injury.

The LB play will probably be inconsistent again and we still have a gaping hole at FS.

There are just way too many 'ifs' and question marks for the Cowboys. That's why I see them as a 6 to 8 win team. I'm leaning more towards 6.

Not to mention we still have the same coach who has cost us at least two games a season with with idiotic game / clock management. I know there are no bigger Garrett supporters than Hos but unless Jerry added "Clock Management for Dummies" to Garrett's training curriculum then I suspect he may cost us another game or two or three this season.

 

[jobberone]

Too easy for teams to rise and fall in the climate of today's NFL. At least 5 new teams a year on average. Injuries can cripple teams. Some fall inexplicably. But you can generally guess who are 2 of the teams in the conference championship game.

AFAIC, we're still an 8-8 team which means somewhere between 6-10 and 10-6. We'll go as far as Romo and the D takes us.