CFZ Looking at the Cowboys through a different lens

[Verdict]

Let’s say you are the 49ers and you are looking ahead at your options for getting to the SB. That road has two probable road blocks in Dallas and Philly.

You beat Dallas two years in a row in the playoffs. Dallas improved year over year.

Your QB isn’t a big time passer and you need to beat teams by running the ball. Dallas mostly shut down your running game in the 2023 playoff game with a few notable exceptions.

You see that Dallas has added potentially the best RUN STOPPING DT in the draft. Dallas has also added a top flight corner in Gilmore and Hankins back into the fold. Suddenly you start to think —-points are going to come at a premium against this team. And if this version of the Cowboys can keep you behind the chains, Parsons and Co are going to EAT.

On offense they get Pollard back and added the former first rounder Cooks in to the mix. MM is calling plays now so the play calling may force Dak’s hand and the passes may be less predictable. A long handoff to Deuce may pick up 9 on 3rd and 2.

I realize this is all conjecture at this point, but keep this thought process in the back of your mind when you start feeling a bit uneasy about SF or Philly.

 

[CowboyRoy]

Let’s say you are the 49ers and you are looking ahead at your options for getting to the SB. That road has two probable road blocks in Dallas and Philly.

You beat Dallas two years in a row in the playoffs. Dallas improved year over year.

Your QB isn’t a big time passer and you need to beat teams by running the ball. Dallas mostly shut down your running game in the 2023 playoff game with a few notable exceptions.

You see that Dallas has added potentially the best RUN STOPPING DT in the draft. Dallas has also added a top flight corner in Gilmore and Hankins back into the fold. Suddenly you start to think —-points are going to come at a premium against this team. And if this version of the Cowboys can keep you behind the chains, Parsons and Co are going to EAT.

On offense they get Pollard back and added the former first rounder Cooks in to the mix. MM is calling plays now so the play calling may force Dak’s hand and the passes may be less predictable. A long handoff to Deuce may pick up 9 on 3rd and 2.

I realize this is all conjecture at this point, but keep this thought process in the back of your mind when you start feeling a bit uneasy about SF or Philly.

Why should they be worried? Their defense pushes around our online like they are the JV team. We can’t run and once there’s a lead we’re one dimensional and we can’t pass block Against them.

 

[gimmesix]

Why should they be worried? Their defense pushes around our online like they are the JV team. We can’t run and once there’s a lead we’re one dimensional and we can’t pass block Against them.

Not sure teams really worry about other teams. They just worry about being the best they can be, and most have big enough egos that they think if they play their best, no one can beat them.

 

[Rockport]

Let’s say you are the 49ers and you are looking ahead at your options for getting to the SB. That road has two probable road blocks in Dallas and Philly.

You beat Dallas two years in a row in the playoffs. Dallas improved year over year.

Your QB isn’t a big time passer and you need to beat teams by running the ball. Dallas mostly shut down your running game in the 2023 playoff game with a few notable exceptions.

You see that Dallas has added potentially the best RUN STOPPING DT in the draft. Dallas has also added a top flight corner in Gilmore and Hankins back into the fold. Suddenly you start to think —-points are going to come at a premium against this team. And if this version of the Cowboys can keep you behind the chains, Parsons and Co are going to EAT.

On offense they get Pollard back and added the former first rounder Cooks in to the mix. MM is calling plays now so the play calling may force Dak’s hand and the passes may be less predictable. A long handoff to Deuce may pick up 9 on 3rd and 2.

I realize this is all conjecture at this point, but keep this thought process in the back of your mind when you start feeling a bit uneasy about SF or Philly.

Not to mention the best blocking TE in the draft to help out with “I wanna run the damn ball” mantra.

 

[Killerinstinct]

They probably spend more time looking at the Seahawks.

 

[CowboyRoy]

Not sure teams really worry about other teams. They just worry about being the best they can be, and most have big enough egos that they think if they play their best, no one can beat them.

Well if I’m the cowboys I’m saying how do we beat the niners and philly.

 

[gimmesix]

Well if I’m the cowboys I’m saying how do we beat the niners and philly.

I think it's more about looking at what caused you not to win, such as drafting Mazi in the first round being a direct response to not being good enough up the middle (and having to trade for Hankins because of that).

Trading for Cooks was a direct response to the receivers failing.

You can say they are looking at how do we beat the niners and philly, but I think it's more broad than that. Your weaknesses get exposed, so you address your weaknesses.

 

[CowboyRoy]

I think it's more about looking at what caused you not to win, such as drafting Mazi in the first round being a direct response to not being good enough up the middle (and having to trade for Hankins because of that).

Trading for Cooks was a direct response to the receivers failing.

You can say they are looking at how do we beat the niners and philly, but I think it's more broad than that. Your weaknesses get exposed, so you address your weaknesses.

Right. Well niners showed you your weakness.

 

[gimmesix]

Right. Well niners showed you your weakness.

They weren't the only ones. We knew NT was weak well ahead of the Niners game, which is why we traded for Hankins. We knew WR was weak well ahead of the Niners game, which is why we brought in Hilton.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Why should they be worried? Their defense pushes around our online like they are the JV team.

Luke Schoonmaker was drafted for a reason. To help get physical at the LOS.

 

[FanSince71]

Last time we played the 9ers, Tyler Smith was still a rookie, Steele was injured, Tyron was playing out of position, our TE was a below average blocker and we were forced to hand the football to a RB with dead legs. Pollard only had 6 carries before his injury.

Also, Noah Brown was our #2 receiver.

The defense, although not dominant, played well enough to win. We lost by a TD, 12-19. Maybe we lose that game regardless, but I like our chances with the improvements we made. They pushed the Cowboys around in the 2021 playoffs. They won by attrition and a QB trying to force plays in the 2022 playoffs.

Disagree all you want. Call me a blind optimist.

It makes me wonder if any of you with defeatist attitudes ever played organized football. If you never had any hope to beat the dominant teams, I wouldn’t want you on my squad. The competition and the desire to win is what makes the game so great and victory so sweet when it comes.

If you’d rather whine than have hope, I’d suggest sticking to video games. Go undefeated against the CPU in Madden and brag to your friends.

 

[Denim Chicken]

Suddenly you start to think —-points are going to come at a premium against this team

Points were already at a premium --they scored 19.

Only issue is we scored 12

 

[morasp]

Not to mention the best blocking TE in the draft to help out with “I wanna run the damn ball” mantra.

He's going to pay dividends early.

 

[gimmesix]

Last time we played the 9ers, Tyler Smith was still a rookie, Steele was injured, Tyron was playing out of position, our TE was a below average blocker and we were forced to hand the football to a RB with dead legs. Pollard only had 6 carries before his injury.

Also, Noah Brown was our #2 receiver.

Some of that is correct, but I don't think Brown was our No. 2 receiver. We had Hilton and Gallup was as full throttle at that point as he was going to be last season.

 

[visionary]

Here is how I’m looking at it:

There is no way Pollard can hold up as the number 1 RB through 17 games and playoffs

As currently constructed we have no shot against Philly or SF without a 100% healthy Pollard who is fresh and available for the entire game

If we don’t get another 1a RB we are toast

 

[Haimerej]

MM is calling plays now so the play calling may force Dak’s hand and the passes may be less predictable.

Isn't he supposed to be simplifying things? I don't see how becoming more simple makes you less predictable. If anything, I'd think having less option routes and simpler reads would make you more predictable.

 

[MikeB80]

I don't think the NFC is very good but I do think it is better than just Dallas, Philly and SF. It sure looks like Seattle and Detroit are going to be in the mix. Then the wild card ish teams have improved in NY, Washington and New Orleans.

New Orleans gets to play the terrible afc south like the nfc east did last year, throw in their own division looks pretty bad. I bet that helps carry them to a divsion win. They have a pretty good defense and a great home advantage so I can't imagine New Orleans being a pushover in January.

So if you can imagine a scenario where wild card teams have to go to New Orleans and Seattle in the playoffs that is not easy.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

Last time we played the 9ers, Tyler Smith was still a rookie, Steele was injured, Tyron was playing out of position, our TE was a below average blocker and we were forced to hand the football to a RB with dead legs. Pollard only had 6 carries before his injury.

Also, Noah Brown was our #2 receiver.

The defense, although not dominant, played well enough to win. We lost by a TD, 12-19. Maybe we lose that game regardless, but I like our chances with the improvements we made. They pushed the Cowboys around in the 2021 playoffs. They won by attrition and a QB trying to force plays in the 2022 playoffs.

Disagree all you want. Call me a blind optimist.

It makes me wonder if any of you with defeatist attitudes ever played organized football. If you never had any hope to beat the dominant teams, I wouldn’t want you on my squad. The competition and the desire to win is what makes the game so great and victory so sweet when it comes.

If you’d rather whine than have hope, I’d suggest sticking to video games. Go undefeated against the CPU in Madden and brag to your friends.

I remember, way back when, cowboys in early 90s. Jimmy couldn't beat the eagles and he said he had to build a team that can get over the eagles. little faster, deeper and more physical. and similarly, we have to build a team to get over the 9ers, who are more physical. the battles with 9ers will be defensive oriented. their defense is good. for a reason. and they like to run the ball, down your throat. they did both years. people want to point fingers at the offense and why they just can't dominate every game. that's just not NFL.

eagles are talented, but we have gone toe to toe with them. we know them and we can play with them. its just that who has the ball last and who can make the last stop. we match up well with them. we don't match up well with Niners..... perhaps now, with a focus on the run and being more physical on both sides of the ball, it will tilt it towards us....

 

[DandyDon52]

No way to know what mike will do, or what the offense will be like till we see 2-3 games.

 

[MikeB80]

I remember, way back when, cowboys in early 90s. Jimmy couldn't beat the eagles and he said he had to build a team that can get over the eagles. little faster, deeper and more physical. and similarly, we have to build a team to get over the 9ers, who are more physical. the battles with 9ers will be defensive oriented. their defense is good. for a reason. and they like to run the ball, down your throat. they did both years. people want to point fingers at the offense and why they just can't dominate every game. that's just not NFL.

eagles are talented, but we have gone toe to toe with them. we know them and we can play with them. its just that who has the ball last and who can make the last stop. we match up well with them. we don't match up well with Niners..... perhaps now, with a focus on the run and being more physical on both sides of the ball, it will tilt it towards us....

The funny thing about that scenario with the eagles is that most people forget the eagles basically imploded/fell apart. Their incredible DT died, Buddy Ryan was fired and then the qb position became a mess. When the cowboys finally got over the hump in December of 91 the eagles were a mess, especially at qb. The eagles still behaved like they had Ryan and ran their mouths in those next few years always getting whipped in the end.