Mental toughness and maturity is what is stopping this team from reaching the promised land

[Jake]

Games like this last one with the Bills.. the AZ game, the 49er game all illustrate that this team just isn't on a championship level mentally. And that saddens me because I don't know what you can do about something like that. This team needs more dawgs to be sure. It's been that way for at least 20 years. A lot of comes back to Garrett and his "right kinda guy" mantra for so many years. Yes it's nice to have choir boys on you team but truth be told you need some nasty sum*****es too and we simply do not have enough of the latter. For all the flak Jerry gets for his meddling, he will at least go get a guy with some edge to him no matter the optics look like. Wonder if Rolando McClain is in shape. This team needs some guys who are willing to fight each other on the sidelines to bring the team out the doldrums. Or at least fight somebody on the other team. I love our team but this mental softness will be their undoing long before any physical softness does.. The one silver lining to this loss is that it might allow them to refocus and recenter for the next 4-5 weeks. Lord knows this teams performs much better when doubted than when everybody is pumping them up. So the Buffalo butt kicking might have done them a favor.

The head coach of the Dallas Cowboys does not set the culture, he inherits it. That's part of the deal of becoming the next head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.

The Cowboys got their butts whooped in Buffalo and what happened? Did the owner/GM call them out? No, he blamed the weather and gave them an excuse.

And some of y'all still can't figure out why this team comes up short year after year, despite the talent on the roster. It ain't the QB or the coach, it's the culture.

 

[Whirlwin]

I'm positive hard-core workouts would either make or break this team.

I have to disagree. Again, I’ve been training over 50 years. Professional athletes, and others. We don’t have the size you can’t keep getting pounded on. You will break down. Look what happened to the Eagles, and their big on the line. You do get beat down. Mean it’ll be OK for a few games but this is the end of the season. It’s not gonna matter how much you train. You need the size. We’re just too small at linebacker.

 

[America's Cowboy]

I have to disagree. Again, I’ve been training over 50 years. Professional athletes, and others. We don’t have the size you can’t keep getting pounded on. You will break down. Look what happened to the Eagles, and their big on the line. You do get beat down. Mean it’ll be OK for a few games but this is the end of the season. It’s not gonna matter how much you train. You need the size. We’re just too small at linebacker.

Oh, I agree somewhat to physically, but I was referring to mentally. This team is not mentally tough. Too entitled/spoiled/etc. They need to be physically and emotionally driven to get tougher. Similar to our military.

 

[noshame]

Yep, all that a zone defense lol

 

[Hawkeye0202]

IDK OP......I agree somewhat that it takes major maturity and toughness but you're not going to get from every player, you're just not, especially in a game like the Bills. It's when you have one or two players/playmakers on both sides of the ball who refuse to be stopped. A good example, when the 49ers need a big play you better believe Trent Williams, Fred Warner, McCathny and/or Deebo are in the mix somewhere and THEY take the rest of the team with them. If this team gets to where we want them to go, it will be on the back of Dak, Lamb and Parsons. They have to take their game to another level and show they are the best three players on the field, otherwise, we have no chance IMO.

 

[Hawkeye0202]

Oh, I agree somewhat to physically, but I was referring to mentally. This team is not mentally tough. Too entitled/spoiled/etc. They need to be physically and emotionally driven to get tougher. Similar to our military.

I agree somewhat but I'm not sure they know how to win the big games. How to bring their A game for 60 min coz in big games the margin is razor-thin. There's not a lot of room for mistakes and you noticed, more times than not our losses in big are centered around a ton of players' mistakes or we are out-coached/unprepared.

 

[RonnieT24]

I agree somewhat but I'm not sure they know how to win the big games. How to bring their A game for 60 min coz in big games the margin is razor-thin. There's not a lot of room for mistakes and you noticed, more times than not our losses in big are centered around a ton of players' mistakes or we are out-coached/unprepared.

Let me stop you right there. I categorically reject this whole notion that they only big games are the ones the Cowboys lose. That's absolute nonsense. The Eagles game was bigger than the Bills game could ever hope to be. It was head to head against a division rival with first place in the division and possible #1 seeding on the line. Throw in that it was a conference game and that game trumps anything you could put on the Bills game. Not that the Bills game wasn't a big one.. but the fact that they had just boat raced the Eagles the week before should put the whole "can't win the big games" noise to rest. And if they come out and boat race the Dolphins or even eke out a win people will immediately color THAT one "not a big game" and the Dolphins not a good team. These narratives are stupid. The guys suffered a letdown against the Bills. It happens.. my post is about trying to stop it from happening again for the next 6 weeks. Nothing more, nothing less. If they don't have another letdown they'll finish the season in Vegas. If they do have another letdown.. well we know how that ends too..

 

[America's Cowboy]

I agree somewhat but I'm not sure they know how to win the big games. How to bring their A game for 60 min coz in big games the margin is razor-thin. There's not a lot of room for mistakes and you noticed, more times than not our losses in big are centered around a ton of players' mistakes or we are out-coached/unprepared.

Yep. Agreed.

I would state what was done (hard-core physical drilling to the point almost half of the team quit but we toughened up both physically and mentally while bringing the penalties down to almost zero per game) when I was in high school absolutely fixed this problem the Cowboys keep committing (too many penalties and a serious lack of mental and physical toughness), but people will complain as usual.

 

[CowboyoWales]

Hes back folks
After hibernating a few days because Dak crapped the bed LOL
After telling us we have the best QB in the NFL.
No reflection, no admission of blindness, no responsibility for his hero, just moving on to mental toughness

Yep and with the change of pronoun emphasis from HE (when we're winning) to THEY (when we lose).

Yes, its the whole roster that lacks mental toughness, but you expect the leaders to be the ones to stand up and galvanize the 'lesser' (paid/experienced) troops.

This is the basis of the whole Dak argument, its not blaming him per se, its just saying that if this team (inc. coaching) is "what it is" then there's no point in spending out the CAP on a QB that repeatedly shows he is the most prone to mental retraction in the face of adversity. May as well rebuild, from the trenches and see what Lance/or a lesser QB can do.

 

[America's Cowboy]

Yep and with the change of pronoun emphasis from HE (when we're winning) to THEY (when we lose).

Yes, its the whole roster that lacks mental toughness, but you expect the leaders to be the ones to stand up and galvanize the 'lesser' (paid/experienced) troops.

This is the basis of the whole Dak argument, its not blaming him per se, its just saying that if this team (inc. coaching) is "what it is" then there's no point in spending out the CAP on a QB that repeatedly shows he is the most prone to mental retraction in the face of adversity. May as well rebuild, from the trenches and see what Lance/or a lesser QB can do.

See what Lance can do???



After 8 games, you Dak haters will be screaming to bring Dak back!!!



PS: I'm with you on not overpaying Dak or any other QB. $40 - $45 mil/year is more than enough.

 

[SteveTheCowboy]

Games like this last one with the Bills.. the AZ game, the 49er game all illustrate that this team just isn't on a championship level mentally. And that saddens me because I don't know what you can do about something like that. This team needs more dawgs to be sure. It's been that way for at least 20 years. A lot of comes back to Garrett and his "right kinda guy" mantra for so many years. Yes it's nice to have choir boys on you team but truth be told you need some nasty sum*****es too and we simply do not have enough of the latter. For all the flak Jerry gets for his meddling, he will at least go get a guy with some edge to him no matter the optics look like. Wonder if Rolando McClain is in shape. This team needs some guys who are willing to fight each other on the sidelines to bring the team out the doldrums. Or at least fight somebody on the other team. I love our team but this mental softness will be their undoing long before any physical softness does.. The one silver lining to this loss is that it might allow them to refocus and recenter for the next 4-5 weeks. Lord knows this teams performs much better when doubted than when everybody is pumping them up. So the Buffalo butt kicking might have done them a favor.

More Furgusons? He's shown some pep and spine.

 

[SteveTheCowboy]

Yep and with the change of pronoun emphasis from HE (when we're winning) to THEY (when we lose).

Yes, its the whole roster that lacks mental toughness, but you expect the leaders to be the ones to stand up and galvanize the 'lesser' (paid/experienced) troops.

This is the basis of the whole Dak argument, its not blaming him per se, its just saying that if this team (inc. coaching) is "what it is" then there's no point in spending out the CAP on a QB that repeatedly shows he is the most prone to mental retraction in the face of adversity. May as well rebuild, from the trenches and see what Lance/or a lesser QB can do.

If I get your drift, I agree.

The same people that call Dak this GREAT leader, proceed to blame everyone BUT dak when the team has a bad game.

 

[SteveTheCowboy]

See what Lance can do???



After 8 games, you Dak haters will be screaming to bring Dak back!!!



PS: I'm with you on not overpaying Dak or any other QB. $40 - $45 mil/year is more than enough.

Well with all those emoji's by gosh you must be right.

 

[NFCBeasts]

Can we expect a thread this week about how overrated and bad Tua is ?

 

[Whirlwin]

Oh, I agree somewhat to physically, but I was referring to mentally. This team is not mentally tough. Too entitled/spoiled/etc. They need to be physically and emotionally driven to get tougher. Similar to our military.

I’m a veteran I don’t get the military thing but that’s OK. Yeah you’re only as tough as your leaders.

 

[CowboyoWales]

If I get your drift, I agree.

The same people that call Dak this GREAT leader, proceed to blame everyone BUT dak when the team has a bad game.

Yep, it's about apportioning accountability. If we continue to come up short in difficult games (especially away from AT and against decent defenses), is there a point in throwing money at the one player whom a portion of our fanbase hold as a leader (WHEN WE'RE WINNING).

If he's a leader, when we win, he's equally liable when we fail.

 

[America's Cowboy]

Gronk is correct...

https://bleacherreport.com/videos/502527-gronk-on-cowboys-struggles

 

[The Natural]

It’s tough to play hard every week. Especially going up to play in Buffalo against a team that is desperate to win. Not saying we will win next week against Miami but guarantee we will play hard.

Why weren’t we desperate to win?

 

[CATCH17]

It’s just how the NFL is..

The Cowboys are a top 5 NFL team.

They all do this.

The key is show up in the playoffs. I’ll judge this team in the post season.

 

[starfan1]

If I get your drift, I agree.

The same people that call Dak this GREAT leader, proceed to blame everyone BUT dak when the team has a bad game.

Out of curiosity Steve who gives Dak a free pass? I have not seen that even his most ardent supporter dont believe he is without fault. I have seen them push back on this narrative that dak is holding the team back. Dak doesnt succeed on his own nor does he fail on his own. That missed pass to Cooks was huge thats on Dak. That being said its not changing the outcome of that game. I think the cowboys need to play better complimentary football. There are times when the defense plays all world and the offense craps the bed and visa versa.

When the defense craps the bed it usually points to crappy DL play and LB play and when the offense does its a variety of reason including a deer in the headlights QB version we get from Dak when The OL gets their butts kicked like they did on Sunday.