Key to this season?

[CowboyRoy]

We all know about the stars of the team and they will be critical to the team's success. But what could hold this team back from really being contenders?

I would suggest that the "holes" are what keep you from advancing in the playoffs, because good teams exploit your weaknesses. Safety depth could be one of those things, but safeties are easier to find than DTs and you can schematically protect one less than stellar safety.

On the other hand, DT, may be a gaping hole in an otherwise solid defense. We not only have a lack of depth there, we seem to not even have a player who is a starting level quality player on the entire team.

How far we can advance may be tied to can any one of Price, Ward, Collins and company give us serviceable play there and can the second rotational guy not totally suck and he exploited like taking candy away from a baby.

Right now this is my biggest concern. If one of our starting linebackers gets a significant injury, and we can't get good DT play we avoid be super soft against the run.

Health. Like always we have little depth and the coaching cant take adversity.

Jaylon Smith really needs to turn into a pro bowl linebacker. IF he is a JAG we are in trouble.

 

[Batman1980]

Health. Like always we have little depth and the coaching cant take adversity.

Jaylon Smith really needs to turn into a pro bowl linebacker. IF he is a JAG we are in trouble.

I'd be more worried if LVE is just a guy. There are other positions where we need more help than LBer but I get making a pick as Lee insurance.

 

[Montanalo]

Here are a couple of thoughts based more upon offense and defensive efficiency rather than an individual or player groups:

• Offense redzone passing -- Dak completed 48% of his passes inside the 20 yard line and 45% inside the 10 yard line. Discounting those that threw less than 25 passes in the redzone, Dak ranked about middle of the road. Drew Brees was tops in this category with a 67% completion rate. It is not fair to assign the middle-of-the-road performance to Dak alone. Rather, it is a function of many things, not the least of which include: offensive scheme and play-calling, receiver targets, etc.
• Opponent redzone scoring -- The Cowboys ranked 22 allowing their opponents to score 57% of the time. To be honest, I was surprised at this stat -- I assumed (without data to back it up) that the Cowboy defense fared much better than this. Worse still, their 67% opponent scoring inside the redzone for the final three games of the year was on of the NFL's worst.

Even moderate improvement in both categories should translate into more wins in 2018.

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

We all know about the stars of the team and they will be critical to the team's success. But what could hold this team back from really being contenders?

I would suggest that the "holes" are what keep you from advancing in the playoffs, because good teams exploit your weaknesses. Safety depth could be one of those things, but safeties are easier to find than DTs and you can schematically protect one less than stellar safety.

On the other hand, DT, may be a gaping hole in an otherwise solid defense. We not only have a lack of depth there, we seem to not even have a player who is a starting level quality player on the entire team.

How far we can advance may be tied to can any one of Price, Ward, Collins and company give us serviceable play there and can the second rotational guy not totally suck and he exploited like taking candy away from a baby.

Right now this is my biggest concern. If one of our starting linebackers gets a significant injury, and we can't get good DT play we avoid be super soft against the run.

It could be like WWI
To the trenches! Slog it out with RBs and DTs!
The other concern is a 1-dimensional offense (Zeke) if our WRs are shut down.
A credible WR needs to step up and take the pressure off of
Zeke.
And yes, our D line is sorely lacking, lad.

 

[Verdict]

It could be like WWI
To the trenches! Slog it out with RBs and DTs!
The other concern is a 1-dimensional offense (Zeke) if our WRs are shut down.
A credible WR needs to step up and take the pressure off of
Zeke.
And yes, our D line is sorely lacking, lad.

Well said ruffian.

 

[Verdict]

Here are a couple of thoughts based more upon offense and defensive efficiency rather than an individual or player groups:

• Offense redzone passing -- Dak completed 48% of his passes inside the 20 yard line and 45% inside the 10 yard line. Discounting those that threw less than 25 passes in the redzone, Dak ranked about middle of the road. Drew Brees was tops in this category with a 67% completion rate. It is not fair to assign the middle-of-the-road performance to Dak alone. Rather, it is a function of many things, not the least of which include: offensive scheme and play-calling, receiver targets, etc.
• Opponent redzone scoring -- The Cowboys ranked 22 allowing their opponents to score 57% of the time. To be honest, I was surprised at this stat -- I assumed (without data to back it up) that the Cowboy defense fared much better than this. Worse still, their 67% opponent scoring inside the redzone for the final three games of the year was on of the NFL's worst.

Even moderate improvement in both categories should translate into more wins in 2018.

Good stuff fellow poster. Keep the facts coming.

 

[kskboys]

heres how i see it so far. With Kris manning the CBs. it think they give the DL enough time to get the job done. Before our CBs used to play with a big cushion off the WR. If Kris changes that, our DL will have a few more seconds to get stuff done. THat can make a HUGE difference. Am i overly worried, no I feel Rod can run the DL well. If hes regulated to just the DL and let the over all scheme, we should be fine. Let Kris and Bloom run their squads and dont micro manage them.

Flip it. The cushion is what gives your DL time.

 

[CowboyRoy]

I'd be more worried if LVE is just a guy. There are other positions where we need more help than LBer but I get making a pick as Lee insurance.

V is a rookie. He wont have much of an impact this year.

 

[Whyjerry]

IMO...

1. Health - Because we know how Garrett responds to injuries
2. Dak Progresses - I am hoping for 28-32 TDs, 6 Rushing TDs. Rating of 95+. Less than 15 total turnovers.
3. Defensive line pressure - because that makes everything else go.
4. Jaylon Smith - Because this season will tell you exactly what they have in him.
5. Coaching - MUST NOT give away the 2-3 games which they seem to do annually.
Bonus - Must win at least 6 games at home!!!

 

[Doomsday101]

Defense the key is turnovers and 3rd down stops.
Offense I think it comes down to having an effective passing game. Yes Dallas will run the ball but you still have to back defense off the LS and you will still have games where you will fall behind in and must be able to move the ball down the field in a hurry via the pass.

 

[jaybird]

We all know about the stars of the team and they will be critical to the team's success. But what could hold this team back from really being contenders?

I would suggest that the "holes" are what keep you from advancing in the playoffs, because good teams exploit your weaknesses. Safety depth could be one of those things, but safeties are easier to find than DTs and you can schematically protect one less than stellar safety.

On the other hand, DT, may be a gaping hole in an otherwise solid defense. We not only have a lack of depth there, we seem to not even have a player who is a starting level quality player on the entire team.

How far we can advance may be tied to can any one of Price, Ward, Collins and company give us serviceable play there and can the second rotational guy not totally suck and he exploited like taking candy away from a baby.

Right now this is my biggest concern. If one of our starting linebackers gets a significant injury, and we can't get good DT play we avoid be super soft against the run.

One word DEFENSE

 

[tomsanders921]

On offense, Dak is the key. As he goes, so will this team. We could have the best rushing attack in the leauge, but you still need a QB to consistently make clutch plays. On my opinion, he was one of the best two or three in the league at doing so his rookie season.

On defense, its keeping Sean Lee healthy. Never have I seen a unit completely crumble when a single player is off the field.

 

[Batman1980]

On offense, Dak is the key. As he goes, so will this team. We could have the best rushing attack in the leauge, but you still need a QB to consistently make clutch plays. On my opinion, he was one of the best two or three in the league at doing so his rookie season.

On defense, its keeping Sean Lee healthy. Never have I seen a unit completely crumble when a single player is off the field.

I still say that's why they drafted LVE, felt like a "Sean Lee safety pick" if I've ever seen one. If LVE can be solid or better this year and Smith improves, we should be more than fine at LB.

 

[PhillySpecial]

We need to score more points than our opponents score on a weekly basis.

That's not necessarily true. I hear (barring STs scores and opposing D scores) if your D gives up less points than the opposing D, you'll win most of the time.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

We all know about the stars of the team and they will be critical to the team's success. But what could hold this team back from really being contenders?

I would suggest that the "holes" are what keep you from advancing in the playoffs, because good teams exploit your weaknesses. Safety depth could be one of those things, but safeties are easier to find than DTs and you can schematically protect one less than stellar safety.

On the other hand, DT, may be a gaping hole in an otherwise solid defense. We not only have a lack of depth there, we seem to not even have a player who is a starting level quality player on the entire team.

How far we can advance may be tied to can any one of Price, Ward, Collins and company give us serviceable play there and can the second rotational guy not totally suck and he exploited like taking candy away from a baby.

Right now this is my biggest concern. If one of our starting linebackers gets a significant injury, and we can't get good DT play we avoid be super soft against the run.

the key to the season is to get 11 wins.

 

[Verdict]

I still say that's why they drafted LVE, felt like a "Sean Lee safety pick" if I've ever seen one. If LVE can be solid or better this year and Smith improves, we should be more than fine at LB.

I think they drafted LVE because they need a dominant linebacker and his upside is tremendous. He was in the right place at the right time.

I still wish we had drafted OBO in the later rounds.

 

[Direwolf63]

Haven't read the thread, but here are my concerns:

Ability of the defense to get off the field on 3rd downs.
A subpar passing game making the offense too one dimensional making it easy for good defenses to stop them.
Poor coaching. Especially the head coach.

 

[Bobhaze]

I believe this team will be able to move the ball, I believe the defense is improved. But IMO, there are three keys to this team’s success that don’t involve offense or defense.

1. Can this HC overcome the adversity every team faces with injuries and other setbacks in a typical NFL season and still win?
2. Can this HC make appropriate adjustments to what opponents do against them? (He never did last year)
3. Can this HC overcome the micromanagement and unnecessary interference of Jerry?

Success in the NFL is almost never accomplished without overcoming adversity. You can have the best starting 22 in the league but at some point during the season adversity of some kind will strike. Then what? The ability to overcome challenges as a team is the biggest separator between contenders and pretenders.

 

[Diehardblues]

All eyes will be on Dak. If he hasn’t further developed our season will be compromised and our future uncertain.

 

[Direwolf63]

All eyes will be on Dak. If he hasn’t further developed our season will be compromised and our future uncertain.

Dak played very well in the first half of last season.

Then Tyron Smith gets hurt. Then came the Falcons game. Dak was never the same.

If Dak is over the PTSD from last year and returns to form from his first year and a half, he will be fine.

If his shellshock is still lingering from the Adrian Clayborne Bowl, then I don't see how this team even reaches .500.