Meandering through a euphoric haze of doubt

[erod]

My football logic antenna tells me that by the time Dallas walks off the field in New York, the Cowboys will be 12-1, and the Giants will be 8-5. The Steelers and Cowboys are about to pop that cystic zit in The Meadowlands.

That would pretty much put to bed the division, a first-round bye, and home-field advantage in the playoffs. Tony Romo and the second string will take the field in Philly before a wild-card bye. I said, Tony Romo and the second string will take the field in Philly before the wild-card bye. I just wrote that without laughing.

So why am I so fidgety?

This impossible year, cloaked in rookie messiahs and defensive nobodies, marches onward through the NFL season virtually unblemished. Meanwhile, awful football pervades throughout the rest of a league wrought with sloppy teams. The Panthers, Packers, Cardinals, Steelers, Ravens, Bengals, Broncos.....the supposedly elite teams are anything but.

The almighty Seahawks, whom we are supposed to fear, scored a whole 3 points on offense yesterday against the ding-dong Buccanneers and their 80s hair-band uniforms.

The NFL is just bad. The party-all-you-want CBA has ripped the quality from it. Almost everywhere, that is, but here in RKG land, thanks to Coach Garrett and our soothsayer, Will McClay.

So, again, why my pessimism about where this thing lands come playoff time? Perhaps it's just the 20 years of crotch-kicking I've endured. The post-90s crash-and-burns of ill-conceived rosters around here are legendary. Why can't I shake the funk?

My leeriness, like many of yours, lies within this time-bomb defense. Let's not kid ourselves, it's bad, and even worse, it's increasingly hurt and gimpy, and that spells trouble come playoff time. The Cowboys haven't forced a turnover in a month and don't put pressure on the QB ever. Yes, they play with fire and Rod Marinelli is a defensive prophet, but that voodoo only goes so far come the knockout round.

I know, points-per-game, yadda, yadda. Offensive ineptitude doesn't equal good defense. I watch all the games every Sunday. Offense is putrid across the NFL this year.

My team of concern is Atlanta and what it might do to this defense. Matt Ryan with an all-day vacation in the pocket and countless receivers.....yeesh. Never mind what Tom Brady would carve this group into in a Super Bowl, lest we get that far.

Understand, I'm only talking about the here and now. The future looks dominant. DOMINANT! I couldn't be happier with where this franchise is right now.

The rookie phenoms continue to protect the ball, and the offensive line is mowing down good fronts like dallisgrass. So Dallas continues to win methodically and demonstrably against flawed foes, and the entire NFC shudders of what a good defensive offseason for the Cowboys means going forward. It could be lights out for a good while.

Yes, I realize how preposterous this is. Greed is overcoming my logic here, I know full well. Just enjoy the damn ride, Erod, you ungrateful nincompoop. Sorry, can't help it.

I'm just trying to figure out if this is 1991 or 1992. I'd prefer the latter. You long-timers know what I mean.

 

[cowboys1981]

Good post. It's very easy to feel the way you do given recent results. This team is different though. It's like watching that new boxer enter the ring and have win after win. As a fan you don't believe in that person until they win it all.

In this case the defense can improve in pass rush. What has negated that is our ability to stop the run. That will be big for us in the playoffs. Most bad defenses are bad all around. We have something to hang out hat on. I would like the pass rush to be addressed in the off season. Until then I want to see Thornton come off the edge more and even throw Irving out there as well.

I feel NY will be our biggest threat since they can score in offense and do enough on defense to make timely plays.

Atlanta will also be a threat and they're a bigger threat than SEA since they can move the ball. I just hope if we run into them we have a healthy secondary.


In the end I have my confidence because we can best anyone in the heart and soul of where battles are won and lost; the trenches.

Can't wait to see how this plays out.

Overall good post OP.

 

[Blackspider214]

Just enjoy the ride. Don't over think it.

 

[SDCowboy]

Great post, erod. I'm the same way. I'm not even setting myself up to assume we're making the playoffs yet. Our horrendous defense is eventually going to catch up to this team. Our offense can't also be our defense forever.

 

[MileyDancer]

Why does Marinelli just absolutely refuse to blitz? I get you don't want to do it all the time for fear of getting burned, but I think we should do it early and often to at least make the QB weary of it.

It worked well last year against Washington, the game we won without Romo.

We aren't getting to the QB. At all. We NEED to change it up. I hope he's more aggressive in the playoffs.

 

[DandyDon1722]

I think Garrett and the team in general, know exactly what they are doing in that they understand the defense is a liability and the goal is not to stop teams from scoring because they can't, but to just get a few key stops per game.

It almost might be a formula where they know if they get "x" amount of stops the offense will get us a lead and they just know teams can't get the ball from us late in the game because they are wore down and we sure as hell aren't going to turn it over and so far - that's been good enough.

Watch out the next five years though because once we do start stopping teams - it's over.

 

[TheHerd]

I'm just trying to figure out if this is 1991 or 1992. I'd prefer the latter. You long-timers know what I mean.

Great post, and I had this exact discussion this morning. My heart says 92, but my head says 91. Either way I'm ecstatic given where I was while watching Romo in Seattle this past August.

 

[SDCowboy]

I think Garrett and the team in general, know exactly what they are doing in that they understand the defense is a liability and the goal is not to stop teams necessarily but to get a few stops per game.

It almost might be a formula where they know if they get "x" amount of stops the offense will get us a lead and they just know teams can't get the ball from us late in the game.

We don't turn the ball over and defenses have not shown the ability to stop us. We don't need to shut teams down - we just need a few stops and so far that's been good enough.

Watch out the next five years though because once we do start stopping teams - it's over.

Totally, if this team even had an average or slightly above average D, this team would be almost impossible to beat.

 

[aikemirv]

My football logic antenna tells me that by the time Dallas walks off the field in New York, the Cowboys will be 12-1, and the Giants will be 8-5. The Steelers and Cowboys are about to pop that cystic zit in The Meadowlands.

That would pretty much put to bed the division, a first-round bye, and home-field advantage in the playoffs. Tony Romo and the second string will take the field in Philly before a wild-card bye. I said, Tony Romo and the second string will take the field in Philly before the wild-card bye. I just wrote that without laughing.

So why am I so fidgety?

This impossible year, cloaked in rookie messiahs and defensive nobodies, marches onward through the NFL season virtually unblemished. Meanwhile, awful football pervades throughout the rest of a league wrought with sloppy teams. The Panthers, Packers, Cardinals, Steelers, Ravens, Bengals, Broncos.....the supposedly elite teams are anything but.

The almighty Seahawks, whom we are supposed to fear, scored a whole 3 points on offense yesterday against the ding-dong Buccanneers and their 80s hair-band uniforms.

The NFL is just bad. The party-all-you-want CBA has ripped the quality from it. Almost everywhere, that is, but here in RKG land, thanks to Coach Garrett and our soothsayer, Will McClay.

So, again, why my pessimism about where this thing lands come playoff time? Perhaps it's just the 20 years of crotch-kicking I've endured. The post-90s crash-and-burns of ill-conceived rosters around here are legendary. Why can't I shake the funk?

My leeriness, like many of yours, lies within this time-bomb defense. Let's not kid ourselves, it's bad, and even worse, it's increasingly hurt and gimpy, and that spells trouble come playoff time. The Cowboys haven't forced a turnover in a month and don't put pressure on the QB ever. Yes, they play with fire and Rod Marinelli is a defensive prophet, but that voodoo only goes so far come the knockout round.

I know, points-per-game, yadda, yadda. Offensive ineptitude doesn't equal good defense. I watch all the games every Sunday. Offense is putrid across the NFL this year.

My team of concern is Atlanta and what it might do to this defense. Matt Ryan with an all-day vacation in the pocket and countless receivers.....yeesh. Never mind what Tom Brady would carve this group into in a Super Bowl, lest we get that far.

Understand, I'm only talking about the here and now. The future looks dominant. DOMINANT! I couldn't be happier with where this franchise is right now.

The rookie phenoms continue to protect the ball, and the offensive line is mowing down good fronts like dallisgrass. So Dallas continues to win methodically and demonstrably against flawed foes, and the entire NFC shudders of what a good defensive offseason for the Cowboys means going forward. It could be lights out for a good while.

Yes, I realize how preposterous this is. Greed is overcoming my logic here, I know full well. Just enjoy the damn ride, Erod, you ungrateful nincompoop. Sorry, can't help it.

I'm just trying to figure out if this is 1991 or 1992. I'd prefer the latter. You long-timers know what I mean.

I just don't see anyway the Cowboys do this.

It would be stupid on their part

 

[aikemirv]

Why does Marinelli just absolutely refuse to blitz? I get you don't want to do it all the time for fear of getting burned, but I think we should do it early and often to at least make the QB weary of it.

It worked well last year against Washington, the game we won without Romo.

We aren't getting to the QB. At all. We NEED to change it up. I hope he's more aggressive in the playoffs.

2 of Washington's TD's came off of big plays downfield. 1 to the 2 yrd line and 1 that scored. So without those 2 bigs plays Washington scored 12 points and passed for another 350 yards. The bend but don't break philosophy works and blitzing does not help that philosophy succeed. Thats just my take even though I would like to see more pressure as well.

 

[Sepia]

Was there ever an update on Gregory? I keep hoping the rumors were really a mix up with McClain, and maybe media sources got it wrong.

 

[CATCH17]

Why does Marinelli just absolutely refuse to blitz? I get you don't want to do it all the time for fear of getting burned, but I think we should do it early and often to at least make the QB weary of it.

It worked well last year against Washington, the game we won without Romo.

We aren't getting to the QB. At all. We NEED to change it up. I hope he's more aggressive in the playoffs.

Because the defenses goal is to not screw it up for our offense and that is why they are top 10 in the league at points allowed.

Our defense doesn't give up a lot points. They may not rush well, get turnovers, or do whatever it is you prefer but they hold teams point totals low.

 

[Grevus]

Good post. It's very easy to feel the way you do given recent results. This team is different though. It's like watching that new boxer enter the ring and have win after win. As a fan you don't believe in that person until they win it all.

In this case the defense can improve in pass rush. What has negated that is our ability to stop the run. That will be big for us in the playoffs. Most bad defenses are bad all around. We have something to hang out hat on. I would like the pass rush to be addressed in the off season. Until then I want to see Thornton come off the edge more and even throw Irving out there as well.

I feel NY will be our biggest threat since they can score in offense and do enough on defense to make timely plays.

Atlanta will also be a threat and they're a bigger threat than SEA since they can move the ball. I just hope if we run into them we have a healthy secondary.


In the end I have my confidence because we can best anyone in the heart and soul of where battles are won and lost; the trenches.

Can't wait to see how this plays out.

Overall good post OP.

Good post. My feeling is this is 1991 and 2017 we need to find our next Charles Haley

 

[rynochop]

What if Zeke is say 80 yards away from the rookie record in a meaningless last game, then what do you do?

 

[cowboys1981]

I see alot of 91 references. In today's era of football a '91 team can actually win it all.

 

[LandryFan]

My football logic antenna tells me that by the time Dallas walks off the field in New York, the Cowboys will be 12-1, and the Giants will be 8-5. The Steelers and Cowboys are about to pop that cystic zit in The Meadowlands.

That would pretty much put to bed the division, a first-round bye, and home-field advantage in the playoffs. Tony Romo and the second string will take the field in Philly before a wild-card bye. I said, Tony Romo and the second string will take the field in Philly before the wild-card bye. I just wrote that without laughing.

So why am I so fidgety?

This impossible year, cloaked in rookie messiahs and defensive nobodies, marches onward through the NFL season virtually unblemished. Meanwhile, awful football pervades throughout the rest of a league wrought with sloppy teams. The Panthers, Packers, Cardinals, Steelers, Ravens, Bengals, Broncos.....the supposedly elite teams are anything but.

The almighty Seahawks, whom we are supposed to fear, scored a whole 3 points on offense yesterday against the ding-dong Buccanneers and their 80s hair-band uniforms.

The NFL is just bad. The party-all-you-want CBA has ripped the quality from it. Almost everywhere, that is, but here in RKG land, thanks to Coach Garrett and our soothsayer, Will McClay.

So, again, why my pessimism about where this thing lands come playoff time? Perhaps it's just the 20 years of crotch-kicking I've endured. The post-90s crash-and-burns of ill-conceived rosters around here are legendary. Why can't I shake the funk?

My leeriness, like many of yours, lies within this time-bomb defense. Let's not kid ourselves, it's bad, and even worse, it's increasingly hurt and gimpy, and that spells trouble come playoff time. The Cowboys haven't forced a turnover in a month and don't put pressure on the QB ever. Yes, they play with fire and Rod Marinelli is a defensive prophet, but that voodoo only goes so far come the knockout round.

I know, points-per-game, yadda, yadda. Offensive ineptitude doesn't equal good defense. I watch all the games every Sunday. Offense is putrid across the NFL this year.

My team of concern is Atlanta and what it might do to this defense. Matt Ryan with an all-day vacation in the pocket and countless receivers.....yeesh. Never mind what Tom Brady would carve this group into in a Super Bowl, lest we get that far.

Understand, I'm only talking about the here and now. The future looks dominant. DOMINANT! I couldn't be happier with where this franchise is right now.

The rookie phenoms continue to protect the ball, and the offensive line is mowing down good fronts like dallisgrass. So Dallas continues to win methodically and demonstrably against flawed foes, and the entire NFC shudders of what a good defensive offseason for the Cowboys means going forward. It could be lights out for a good while.

Yes, I realize how preposterous this is. Greed is overcoming my logic here, I know full well. Just enjoy the damn ride, Erod, you ungrateful nincompoop. Sorry, can't help it.

I'm just trying to figure out if this is 1991 or 1992. I'd prefer the latter. You long-timers know what I mean.

You alluded to it in your post, but a major benefit we have going forward is that EVERY team is flawed, including the New Englands and Seattles of the NFL world. We just need to hang in there and hopefully get Mo back later in the season. When he went down, so did our sacks. The back end was able to give the front a tick more time to apply pressure. Even when we get him back we won't be Doomsday II, but we'll be better, even if by only a little bit. Sturm has said it more than once in his articles, but what our offense is able to do is sustainable and repeatable, which is vital in the playoffs. Every game of experience Dak gets going forward is only going to make him better. As good as our offense is now, it will be better come playoff time. All that said, if we lose, it will very likely be on our defense, because our offense can keep up with just about anybody. In summary, I'll take my chances with the overall team we have versus the overall team anybody else has this year.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

I too worry about the defense.
I too get the feeling that if we face an offense as good as ours with a defense that is better it could be all she wrote...in the playoffs.
I too, as silly as it is, keep thinking...we are due for a loss.

With all of that said....I will enjoy each of the wins we can get and I will give my old ticker a serious workout every game.

 

[TheHerd]

2 of Washington's TD's came off of big plays downfield. 1 to the 2 yrd line and 1 that scored. So without those 2 bigs plays Washington scored 12 points and passed for another 350 yards. The bend but don't break philosophy works and blitzing does not help that philosophy succeed. Thats just my take even though I would like to see more pressure as well.

Allowing 2 huge plays defeats bend don't break. We're fortunate Wash is an embarrassing red zone team. Well, we'd have won anyway but it would have been even more harrowing.

 

[Grevus]

What if Zeke is say 80 yards away from the rookie record in a meaningless last game, then what do you do?

You sit him. You don't risk him getting hurt in any way. Way too important for our success.

 

[VACowboy]

I've always been an optimistic wait and see kind of guy, so while I'm not counting any chickens I'm hopeful.