Let's Do This. Show me this is a 7-9 team.

[Manster68]

I have no idea how the Cowboys will fare in 2009. Here are a few things that give me hope:

1. The problem children are gone. Hopefully, there will be more cohesiveness within this team. Cohesiveness leads to confidence, and confidence leads to winning.

If Dallas has the same problems with guys like TO, Tank, Pacman, and Roy Williams out of Dallas, then the Cowboys have much deeper problems than what we can even imagine.

2. Special Teams play. I have the utmost confidence that Joe DeCamillis will right this ship. There will be imperfections. I understand that. Rome cannot be built overnight. David Bueler alone improves the special teams.

3. Felix Jones. This guy is dynamic, and I trust that we have yet to see the tip of the iceburg as to what this guy can do.

 

[burmafrd]

Sd has Norv as coach so they have no edge there. If LT and company wear down as they did last year then we should beat them. I think NO just has our number. And Atlanta worries me. But other wise we should not lose more then 4-5 games overall. THis team is arguably more talented overall then the 13-3 2007 Team. the Giants have no WRs and still have Sheli. The sudden lack of depth on the Eagles O line and other problems there are becoming apparent= and peters has not played very well. Add in the Vick mess THAT WILL HAPPEN before the end of the season and I am not really all that worried.

 

[BLEU3ASY]

3-5 on the road last season

That's misleading, #9 missed 2 or 3 road games.....

 

[SkinsFan28]

@ Tampa Bay - L
NY Giants - L
Carolina - L
@ Denver - L
@ Kansas City - L
Atlanta - L
Seattle - L
@ Philadelphia - L
@ Green Bay - L
Washington - W
Oakland - L
@ NY Giants - L
San Diego - L
@ New Orleans - L
@ Washington - W
Philadelphia - L

LOL

I think I've said this before, but the chances of any NFC E team going under .500 is near nil.

Realistically:
every team should:
go 3 out of 4 against the AFC W (really we all should go 4-0)
go 3 out of 6 against the division
go 2 out of 4 against the NFC S (again 3 out of 4 is possible)
split remaining two games

that means the least wins a NFC E team should have is 9. Just to satisfy the crowd, even if the Skins get swept by the Cowboys, our two lone games are Detroit/St. Louis so it is still a reasonable statement that every NFC E team should have 9 wins.

 

[Eldorado]

take off the homer glasses then you will see 9-7 for starters new orleans and san diego will be Loses. So will the first giants game.

You know how hard it is to take an illiterate moron seriously? Learn how to speak the language before you try to contradict a point.

 

[MetallicBlue]

This is a challenge to all the butt-hurt mediot parrots on this board who have now swallowed the conventional wisdom and now are calling this an 8-8 to 7-9 team.


@ Tampa Bay - W
NY Giants - W
Carolina - W
@ Denver - W
@ Kansas City - W

One way would be if we didn't start 5-0 like you have us, which is doubtful.

 

[sonnyboy]

Good thread. My observation with most of the 7 to 9 win predictions:
1) Underestimating our talent, recent track record of winning and the impact of having a franchise QB.

2) Overestimating the competition. I won't play the W-L game but I will handicap each game as I see it on Sept 8th.



@ Tampa Bay - We have the advantage in ever category. This is in my estimation the most likely road win of the season. 95% chance of a win.
NY Giants - I think most of you are overestimating this team. I would love for someone to explain to me how they are better than us. The weakest unit on our team (WR) is better than the Giants. 75% chance of a win considering I expect them to have a winning record but I'm 99% sure we win this game.
Carolina - Here's another grossly overestimated opponent. This team has been an every other year team forever and 2009 is the other year. They're having a terrible preseason and look like an 8-8 club. I have zero fear of Delhome against our defense. 80% chance of a win.
@ Denver - No need to elaborate. 2 win clubs don't beat teams like us. 95% percent chance of a win
@ Kansas City - See Denver. They also are having a terrible preseason but I'll give Paoli some respect and set this as an 85% chance of a win.
Atlanta - Yet again another overestimated team. The have no defense and will be lucky to win 10 games. 80% chance of a win.
Seattle - I like Seattle to bounce back in 2009. But they have nothing outstanding on either side of the ball to make me think they will win in Dallas. 80% chance of a win.
@ Philadelphia - This is the first chance we see the Cowboys as a dog. Yet another overrated team and I like our chances. But I'd have to make us a dog here and set it at 40% chance of winning.
@ Green Bay - I don't care how good a preseason they're having. Something about the star has this team ****ting in it's collective pants. We won there handily in 2008 and I expect the team to travel to GB with a lot of confidence. 70% chance of winning.
Washington -I have no respect or fear of this team as long as Campbell is at QB. 90% chance of a win.
Oakland - I think they may be much improved this year. But still a losing club. 90% chance of winning.
@ NY Giants - I don't like them in 2009. But I still see them as a winning team and this is a road division game. I feel good about it but must set it at 50% chance of winning.
San Diego - Tough game to handicap. I like us a lot better if Tomlinson is still getting the lion share of the carries since he's no longer special. 60% chance of winning.
@ New Orleans - This is the killer game for me. We never beat them and Brees is the only QB we face I think is every bit as good as Romo. I have to set this at 30% chance of winning.
@ Washington - They will be out of it for sure by now and in total disaray. 90% chance of a win.
Philadelphia - This comes down to where these teams are in the standings and who needs it more. I believe we've clinched everything by now and have little to play for. If that's the case I'll set it for a 50% chance of winning.

I have us at a 70% chance or better in 11 games............10-1
50 to 60% chance in 3 games.......................................2-1
less than 50% chance in 2 games..................................0-2

12-4 or 13-3 if we need the last game.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

I still do not understand the handwringing about NO. Deuce is gone, Bush is hurt and overrated, they have a bit over average Oline and at best their defense is suspect.

Who cares if they kicked our butts a few years ago. That was years ago and these are not the same teams. They are no longer riding the Katrina emotional high. Parcells is gone Zimmer is gone.

Phillips can defend the flats. Phillips won't allow Payton to run simple protection schemes and give Brees simple reads like Zimmer did or he will get Brees killed. Fujita, Shanle and can have fun trying to cover Bennett and Witten. We can run at that smallish front 7 and their secondary sucks.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Good thread. My observation with most of the 7 to 9 win predictions:
1) Underestimating our talent, recent track record of winning and the impact of having a franchise QB.

2) Overestimating the competition. I won't play the W-L game but I will handicap each game as I see it on Sept 8th.

I think this happens a lot around here -- people act like our opponents are always at the top of their game. Maybe they only picture the times they beat us or something. But the truth is, every team has flaws. We aren't the only ones that aren't perfect.

 

[Primetime42]

I think this happens a lot around here -- people act like our opponents are always at the top of their game. Maybe they only picture the times they beat us or something. But the truth is, every team has flaws. We aren't the only ones that aren't perfect.

To be fair, everyone tries to get up to beat the Cowboys, regardless of record.

 

[Vintage]

Didn't we do this last offseason, coming off a 13-3 season..... "look at our schedule, how can anyone not pick us to win at least 11/12 games?"

I don't think we go 8-8, for the record. I think we go 10-6.

But 3/4 seasons, we've gone 9-7. Maybe that's an indicator of where our talent level truly is: based on performance.

And in that case, 8-8 or 10-6 could easily be the case.

Hence my 10-6 prediction.

Ultimately I won't care about our record as long as we win a playoff game.

 

[jterrell]

End of the day Dallas starts with cupcakes.

Not sure how anyone predicts failure early on and if we bank 5 wins in the first 6 weeks how exactly do we end up at .500 or below??

That makes zero sense.

I still don't think people realize just how tough last season's schedule turned out to be and how banged up we really were when we played many of those teams.

Do you realize we played EVERY team sans San Diego last year that won a playoff game???

The Final 4 were: Arizona(insanely tough road loss), Philly split, Baltimore(tough home loss), Pittsburgh(tough road loss).

Those 4 losses were huge because of when they came and what they represented. Our final 3 games and the loss that took out Romo and our punter.

This is a 10-11 win schedule with the talent we have.

 

[NextGenBoys]

This is a challenge to all the butt-hurt mediot parrots on this board who have now swallowed the conventional wisdom and now are calling this an 8-8 to 7-9 team.

So let's see it. Here is the schedule. Show me what games this team will probably lose. Don't just pull things out of your ***. Don't pick them to lose games we know dang well they'll be favored in. Show me the 9 losses that we should lose.

@ Tampa Bay - W
NY Giants - W
Carolina - W
@ Denver - W
@ Kansas City - W
Atlanta - L
Seattle - W
@ Philadelphia - L
@ Green Bay - L
Washington - W
Oakland - W
@ NY Giants - L
San Diego - W
@ New Orleans - W
@ Washington - L
Philadelphia - L

That is 10-6, and I see that as reasonable. That would even be with going 2-4 in our Division, which I doubt happens. Probably 3-3. Give the Giants game 2, and we are still 9-7, but it is extremely unlikely we go 1-5 in our division. But even assuming that, still 9-7.

I look forward to bozos posting how we are going to go 0-5 in the final 5 games and other ignorant claims.

I dont understand how anyone can see us at ANYTHING lower than 9-7, and even that is ridiculous.

We're not that bad people, we're one of the most talented teams in the league. It's shocking how people think that because of what happened in the past it's going to happen all over again.

 

[jobberone]

There are only five games right now that we are clear cut favorites. And two are back to back road games at Den and KC. I picked us to go 11-5 but 10-6 will be difficult with our schedule. I think we'll do it if we have decent luck with injuries but it won't be easy.

 

[NextGenBoys]

There are only five games right now that we are clear cut favorites. And two are back to back road games at Den and KC. I picked us to go 11-5 but 10-6 will be difficult with our schedule. I think we'll do it if we have decent luck with injuries but it won't be easy.

I'm with you on 11-5, although I can even see 12-4. I think we go 4-2 in the division and lose at NO and against SD

 

[Frosty]

I agree that since the vast majority have us between 7-9 and 9-7 that my surprise team of the year is US! I just feel everything is moving towards another 11-13 win year.

- MUCH better locker room
- Better, more agressive defense
- MUCH more balanced and consistent offense
- Much improved special teams soon
- Coaches now know how it is to coach in Dallas
- Easier to be the spoiler than the favorite

I mean specifics are hooey, we could just as easy lose to San Diego at home or sweep Washington. Who knows. But I really feel more wins going our way than not.

Those are some wildly exuberate claims...the Boys ain't played a single game, and the fans have seen it, listened to it and drank the koolaid for several years now. From now on,...seeing is believing...

Plan for the worst 7-9 and hope for the best "A playoff victory/SB"

 

[SLATEmosphere]

We go 14-2. Lose at NO and AT Philly.

Holla.

 

[Rampage]

everybody says our depth will do us in. people seem to forget before last season we've been one of the healthiest teams in the league. but i'm so excited i couldn't sleep thats why i'm on here at 3 a.m.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Lose at NO.

:bang2: :bang2: :bang2: :bang2:

Am I the only one who realizes that NO is pretty bad?

 

[dogunwo]

I still do not understand the handwringing about NO. Deuce is gone, Bush is hurt and overrated, they have a bit over average Oline and at best their defense is suspect.

Who cares if they kicked our butts a few years ago. That was years ago and these are not the same teams. They are no longer riding the Katrina emotional high. Parcells is gone Zimmer is gone.

Phillips can defend the flats. Phillips won't allow Payton to run simple protection schemes and give Brees simple reads like Zimmer did or he will get Brees killed. Fujita, Shanle and can have fun trying to cover Bennett and Witten. We can run at that smallish front 7 and their secondary sucks.

this.