kmd24
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Maybe it's just coincidence, but BP's Dallas Cowboys teams have collapsed towards the end of every winning season (I'm not sure if you can consider a 6-10 team to collapse at any point).
I know there have been injuries and such that might account for some of it, but if you look at it on the surface, it is extremely alarming:
2003: 7-2 and the team limps in to the playoffs, finishing 10-6
2004: 1-3 to end the season, but it was a pretty sorry team anyway
2005: 7-3 and the team craters out of a playoff spot by losing 4 of the last 6
2006: 8-4 and backs into the playoffs again losing 3 of the last 4
Obviously, the defense has been particularly alarming this year. The offense hasn't been that great, but man, the defense has been bad. In particular, third downs have been a huge problem. Dallas has allowed 33-60 third down conversions. That percentage would be worst in the league. Prior to the last 4 games, Dallas had allowed 60-152, which still isn't great, but there has been some huge breakdown.
I can't figure out why there would be this trend. I'm torn between the idea that the players are worn down by the tough training camps and the idea that Parcells schemes are just too easy to exploit (e.g., predictable) by the last part of the season. I doubt that Parcells changes much from one year to the next, so the idea that it would take 10 weeks to figure out how to beat his schemes doesn't seem to hold water. I'm kind of leaning towards the physical nature of the training camps wearing these guys out.
I have been a big apologist for this regime, but it's pretty clear that something is consistently and continually causing these teams to collapse when the games mean the most.
I know there have been injuries and such that might account for some of it, but if you look at it on the surface, it is extremely alarming:
2003: 7-2 and the team limps in to the playoffs, finishing 10-6
2004: 1-3 to end the season, but it was a pretty sorry team anyway
2005: 7-3 and the team craters out of a playoff spot by losing 4 of the last 6
2006: 8-4 and backs into the playoffs again losing 3 of the last 4
Obviously, the defense has been particularly alarming this year. The offense hasn't been that great, but man, the defense has been bad. In particular, third downs have been a huge problem. Dallas has allowed 33-60 third down conversions. That percentage would be worst in the league. Prior to the last 4 games, Dallas had allowed 60-152, which still isn't great, but there has been some huge breakdown.
I can't figure out why there would be this trend. I'm torn between the idea that the players are worn down by the tough training camps and the idea that Parcells schemes are just too easy to exploit (e.g., predictable) by the last part of the season. I doubt that Parcells changes much from one year to the next, so the idea that it would take 10 weeks to figure out how to beat his schemes doesn't seem to hold water. I'm kind of leaning towards the physical nature of the training camps wearing these guys out.
I have been a big apologist for this regime, but it's pretty clear that something is consistently and continually causing these teams to collapse when the games mean the most.