Likely or unlikely?

[Bobhaze]

I agree with all of these but on the Defense I think they will be better just because the scheme issues will be fixed. We also will have the run stuffer DTs with more pass rushers on the edge. The big question is the secondary and they won't have Byron Jones but they will have strength in numbers. They also won't be leaving Awuzie out on an island for opponents to target.

The defense for me is the biggest question mark. We signed the two FAs- Poe and McCoy to be pluggers and maybe they work out. They are both older. The pass rush and coverage might be better based on a lot of hope and maybes. Nothing wrong with hope, it just doesn’t instill confidence in me yet. I want to see it before I believe it.

 

[Kaiser]

The defense for me is the biggest question mark. We signed the two FAs- Poe and McCoy to be pluggers and maybe they work out. They are both older. The pass rush and coverage might be better based on a lot of hope and maybes. Nothing wrong with hope, it just doesn’t instill confidence in me yet. I want to see it before I believe it.

I get that, but the first step is to stop the bleeding and the new scheme will do that.

 

[StarBoyz83]

Don't see any upgrades on the D? You will be pleasantly surprised when the season comes around then. ​

No only coaching. Hopefully I'm suprised

 

[Williamsboys]

Very nicely done, and the only one I disagreed with you on is #6, After free agency and the draft if the defense isnt improved I may find the nearest (one story) ledge to jump off of....Tiiimmmbbbeeerrr.

 

[Cowfan75]

#8...I'd say it will be at least a couple years before we have a legit chance at a Super Bowl, unless we manage to pull off something this year or hit FA hard next year, which means actually targeting impact players still in their prime. Since we prefer to build through the draft only, I give it a couple more years until we can legit talk about the Big Dance.

 

[JoeKing]

1 Likely, this will happen
2 Likely, this will happen
3 Likely, this will happen
4 Unlikely, hell no
5 Likely, this will happen
6 Likely, this will happen
7 Unlikely, Zeke will get enough carries to get 1000 yards.
8 Unlikely but its the most likely of the unlikely

 

[CowboyRoy]

The Egirls won NFC east last year by going 9-7. We won it in 2018 going 10-6.

Cant wait for you to be proven dead wrong!!!!!!!!

 

[Bobhaze]

Cant wait for you to be proven dead wrong!!!!!!!!

Me too!!!

 

[75boyz]

1. Tossup/Unlikely i think the Eagles have the edge over us
2. Unlikely, i think he plays under the tag this season
3. Unlikely, i think we will have trouble winning 9 games i think 8-8 is more likely again
4. Unlikely, unless Dak is playing on the Tag , then i think all bets are off during training camp and Dalton if he plays well enough will have a shot
5. Unlikely/Debateable, without an offseason to learn the new offense i think it will be hard for the team to be better on the offensive side of the ball, plus 1st year receivers under MM never seem to have great rookie years although they explode in their 2nd seasons under him
6. Unlikely, i agree
7. Likely, MM will use Pollard a little more plus he likes to throw the ball
8. Unlikely, as a team we are not good enough to get there

More in line with my thoughts here. Forum getting awful rosy colored here so I appreciate your sense of balance here that I, in the obvious minority, agree with. Nice post.

 

[CouchCoach]

More in line with my thoughts here. Forum getting awful rosy colored here so I appreciate your sense of balance here that I, in the obvious minority, agree with. Nice post.

Lots of love for players that have never played a down of NFL ball and a couple of DL that haven't played in a while.

But, there's no extra charge for being optimistic but some of them do get nasty when everyone doesn't join in. What is ironic are the Pollyanna's espousing on the benefits of positive thinking while some are the first to get really nasty with some that aren't buying in. Yikes, hate to see them in a negative mood.

Some put too much on just the change in D coaching and a new scheme and I wonder if they've checked Nolan's resume out closely? It reads like he's been in the coach's protection program.

One thing all coaches share, they are limited by talent with regards to any scheme. Parcells couldn't run the proper 3/4 because of talent restrictions and Marinelli had better D's at other stops because of better talent. Landry's Flex was talent dependent.

 

[CouchCoach]

Cant wait for you to be proven dead wrong!!!!!!!!

Well, he is right about the division winners and their records so he can't be proven wrong!!!!!!!!!! I upped the pot one !

 

[CouchCoach]

The two best players on the D last season are gone. Have they been replaced to where the D is even just as good? Vander Esch is recovering, Lee is still Lee and will not play 16.

As usual, there are more unknowns than knowns on the Dallas D.

 

[75boyz]

Lots of love for players that have never played a down of NFL ball and a couple of DL that haven't played in a while.

But, there's no extra charge for being optimistic but some of them do get nasty when everyone doesn't join in. What is ironic are the Pollyanna's espousing on the benefits of positive thinking while some are the first to get really nasty with some that aren't buying in. Yikes, hate to see them in a negative mood.

Some put too much on just the change in D coaching and a new scheme and I wonder if they've checked Nolan's resume out closely? It reads like he's been in the coach's protection program.

One thing all coaches share, they are limited by talent with regards to any scheme. Parcells couldn't run the proper 3/4 because of talent restrictions and Marinelli had better D's at other stops because of better talent. Landry's Flex was talent dependent.

Truly appreciate your response Coach.
I'm of a firm mindset that the newly appointed coach won a LOT of games with a couple of first ballot HOF guys at THE most important position on the field and the current starter in my eyes does not possess the ability to raise other players play but is more a complimentary piece to a perfect environment.

McCarthy's playoff defense statistics are historically bad and I too am not a big Nolan advocate.

Proof is in the pudding. Guess we'll see.
Biggest thing will be if Dalton does in fact out perform Dak in practice and pre season. As many well know, Dak has never been the greatest practice player. I will be especially tuned to who commands this offense better this offseason if there is one.

Meritocracy is the word I believe, lol.

 

[McKDaddy]

1. The Cowboys win the NFC East in 2020. LIKELY.

2. Dak Prescott signs a new contract instead of playing under the tag. UNLIKELY.

3. The Cowboys win more than 10 games in 2020. LIKELY.

4. Andy Dalton wins the starting QB position for 2020. Wins? Maybe. Awarded? No. If Dak is at camp he will retain the position no matter practice performance due to the money committed.

5. The offense will be better than last year. Should be a slam dunk. If this doesn't happen, something has gone terribly wrong.

6. The defense will be better than last year. LIKELY. Yes, secondary is the question mark but the improvement up front & coaching should yield dividends and as the year progresses I can see the secondary finding their cohesive rythym.

7. Zeke Elliott will have less carries than last year. LIKELY. But i kinda feel it may be more about when he gets his carries. I can see a scenario where he gets fewer during the early part of the game but is used to pound teams when needed & close out games in the second half. Overall carries may not dip as much as drastically as if "feels" when you are watching the game. Pollard definitely needs touches though.

8. The Cowboys make it to a Super Bowl. UNLIKELY. Just because its hard. But they should be a legit contender.

 

[fivetwos]

Disagree on 3 and 6.

I've got them at 11 wins. Splitting hairs.

I think the defense is WAY better this year, especially early on, simply because teams wont have any idea what we are throwing at them. They will show many different looks and have a ton of pressures in the beginning of the season. I predict they absolutely smoke the Rams and Goff in the opener.

 

[fivetwos]

Lots of love for players that have never played a down of NFL ball and a couple of DL that haven't played in a while.

But, there's no extra charge for being optimistic but some of them do get nasty when everyone doesn't join in. What is ironic are the Pollyanna's espousing on the benefits of positive thinking while some are the first to get really nasty with some that aren't buying in. Yikes, hate to see them in a negative mood.

Some put too much on just the change in D coaching and a new scheme and I wonder if they've checked Nolan's resume out closely? It reads like he's been in the coach's protection program.

One thing all coaches share, they are limited by talent with regards to any scheme. Parcells couldn't run the proper 3/4 because of talent restrictions and Marinelli had better D's at other stops because of better talent. Landry's Flex was talent dependent.

If Nolan had a big resume he wouldn't have been available.

Having the right talent at the right time in the right spot is quite underrated.

Nolan is a capable coach. It's not as if he has his convictions, his system and philosophies are dated and he refuses to adapt. He knows his football and is capable of leading men and having them buy into things.

Agree with your point on the DL, but sometimes things come together from unsuspecting places.

I think its a nice mix of all kinds of dudes....older and successful, in prime, degenerates, try hard UDFAs, and one overpaid stiff. I think as a unit they will be able to cause some issues for QBs.

In the end, I trust that McCarthy knows his football and Nolan was his guy to run the defense.

Maybe I'm the fool again, not sure, but I'm usually not a sunshine guy when it comes to this team, but I do feel good about what the front seven of this team will look like moving ahead.

 

[Established1971]

Based on my opinions, below are some scenarios for this season that I believe are either likely or unlikely. Please feel free to weigh in.

1. The Cowboys win the NFC East in 2020. I say LIKELY. This division almost never has a back to back division winner. E-girls won it last year. Skins and midgets...lol. Cowboys are LIKELY division winners.

2. Dak Prescott signs a new contract instead of playing under the tag. LIKELY. At the last minute, Jerry will come to an agreement with Dak. He always seems to play the long game before caving. I expect a repeat performance here probably at the last possible minute.

3. The Cowboys win more than 10 games in 2020. UNLIKELY. In a year of incredible offseason uncertainty and a new HC coming in, I think this team will probably be something like 10-6. The latter part of the schedule is also very tough. Hope I’m wrong and this team wins 12!

4. Andy Dalton wins the starting QB position for 2020. EXTREMELY UNLIKELY. In fact, barring an injury to Dak, or some crazy holdout, Dalton will be one of the leagues best backup QBs. That’s what he was signed for. Even he knows that.

5. The offense will be better than last year. LIKELY. With the addition of Cedee Lamb plus the new offensive mind of Big Mac, I think this offense is poised to score more. More yardage? Who cares? Points are what matters most and I think this team will kick less FGs and score more TDs because Mac is more aggressive than Coach Vanilla ever was.

6. The defense will be better than last year. This one is tough. I’m going to say...UNLIKELY. I’m not convinced we have added enough pass rushing talent and the loss of Bryon Jones will hurt some, especially early. Safety is still a ? I’m not convinced HaHa is much more than a one year band aid retread. Hope I’m wrong here, but while the D will perhaps be a little better than last year, but not be as good as we want it to be.

7. Zeke Elliott will have less carries than last year. LIKELY. I see this as a good thing, because we have been wearing this guy out under Garrett. Use him but with more variety and creativity. And I expect Pollard to see more action this year. Zeke will be perhaps a bigger weapon because they use him more intelligently.

8. The Cowboys make it to a Super Bowl. UNLIKELY. Only two head coaches in the last 20 seasons have won a SB in their first year- Jon Gruden in 2002 at Tampa Bay and Gary Kubiak in 2015 with the Broncos. I expect Big Mac to have a great first year and I expect the Cowboys to win the NFC East, and win a playoff game. But I see 2021 as a better shot in Big Macs second year.

What about your opinions? Likely or unlikely? Feel free to add some other possibilities.

agree though 11 wins wouldnt shock me at all. the one I disagree on is the defense, they really HAVE to better in order for most of your "likelys" to be likely

 

[CouchCoach]

If Nolan had a big resume he wouldn't have been available.

Having the right talent at the right time in the right spot is quite underrated.

Nolan is a capable coach. It's not as if he has his convictions, his system and philosophies are dated and he refuses to adapt. He knows his football and is capable of leading men and having them buy into things.

Agree with your point on the DL, but sometimes things come together from unsuspecting places.

I think its a nice mix of all kinds of dudes....older and successful, in prime, degenerates, try hard UDFAs, and one overpaid stiff. I think as a unit they will be able to cause some issues for QBs.

In the end, I trust that McCarthy knows his football and Nolan was his guy to run the defense.

Maybe I'm the fool again, not sure, but I'm usually not a sunshine guy when it comes to this team, but I do feel good about what the front seven of this team will look like moving ahead.

You are not a fool at all. No one is a fool because there is so much unknown, we each take what we see and try to project something from that.

And then there's that old "fool me once" adage that some subscribe to because they're tired of getting burned buying in. They keep hearing Daltrey's yell in "Won't Get Fooled Again" as a reminder of past disappointments. But that is not me.

I am a season to season guy and what happened even last year isn't relevant to what might happen this season. The last time I predicted they would go 4-12, they went 12-4, so I am completely qualified to be that guy that knows nothing.

I only wanted one of two HC's and got one so I am good with whatever happens. Couple that with the last 3 times they changed HC's and every year is a new year in the NFC and I am good to go. I dig the unknown.

 

[Bobhaze]

You are not a fool at all. No one is a fool because there is so much unknown, we each take what we see and try to project something from that.

And then there's that old "fool me once" adage that some subscribe to because they're tired of getting burned buying in. They keep hearing Daltrey's yell in "Won't Get Fooled Again" as a reminder of past disappointments. But that is not me.

I am a season to season guy and what happened even last year isn't relevant to what might happen this season. The last time I predicted they would go 4-12, they went 12-4, so I am completely qualified to be that guy that knows nothing.

I only wanted one of two HC's and got one so I am good with whatever happens. Couple that with the last 3 times they changed HC's and every year is a new year in the NFC and I am good to go. I dig the unknown.

I’m excited about the new coaching staff, but what a crazy time to be a team’s new NFL head coach. The big wild card in our coaching change will be how this corona virus situation plays out and how much time the players and coaches will have to acclimate to the new schemes and terminology. So many crazy unknowns and variables. If we have some “normalcy”, I think this could be a really good season.

On top of all that uncertainty, what will governors in states that host NFL games decide about what kind of safety would be required for NFL stadiums and practice facilities? Texas Gov Greg Abbott has approved stadium attendance at 50% capacity for Texas sports facilities, but that doesn’t mean all NFL states will also. And...how in hades will 50% capacity be enforced? What will the NFL do if some teams’ local officials don’t want any sized crowds at games?

And how will players be kept safe? How will they know players who test negative for COVID are staying negative? Will there be testing of every player every week? If a team gets an “outbreak”, will there be forfeits?

Craziest, most uncertain time for all sports.

 

[fivetwos]

I’m excited about the new coaching staff, but what a crazy time to be a team’s new NFL head coach. The big wild card in our coaching change will be how this corona virus situation plays out and how much time the players and coaches will have to acclimate to the new schemes and terminology. So many crazy unknowns and variables. If we have some “normalcy”, I think this could be a really good season.

On top of all that uncertainty, what will governors in states that host NFL games decide about what kind of safety would be required for NFL stadiums and practice facilities? Texas Gov Greg Abbott has approved stadium attendance at 50% capacity for Texas sports facilities, but that doesn’t mean all NFL states will also. And...how in hades will 50% capacity be enforced? What will the NFL do if some teams’ local officials don’t want any sized crowds at games?

And how will players be kept safe? How will they know players who test negative for COVID are staying negative? Will there be testing of every player every week? If a team gets an “outbreak”, will there be forfeits?

Craziest, most uncertain time for all sports.

Good points.

They will probably allow an expanded practice squad for this season only along with more flexible IR rules.

They arent going to have a choice there the way I see it. There absolutely cant be forfeits. TV money would need to be returned in that case, and greedy billionaires dont give back money.