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

[America's Cowboy]

ok Tad thanks for the input.
I didnt say he had it against the Bills although I wouldnt say he was Tom Brady back there I said the OL got kicked around. I said he has had them when the OL gets their butts handed to them and hes under constant pressure and thats happened against good teams with solid fronts in the past most notibly San Fran

Ok, Jess, don't get your panties all tied up in a bunch. I was simply correcting you. Why mention "deer in the headlights look" concerning this Bills game when Dak never exhibited such against the Bills? Next time please try to be accurate. If not, the trolls will grab on to such a take and run with it.

 

[starfan1]

Ok, Jess, don't get your panties all tied up in a bunch. I was simply correcting you. Why mention "deer in the headlights look" concerning this Bills game when Dak never exhibited such against the Bills? Next time please try to be accurate. If not, the trolls will grab on to such a take and run with it.

I mentioned it because its happened before. I didnt feel like I was being inaccurate but perhaps i could have worded it better. as an avid Dak supporter that I am I cant stand the Trolls but I also recognize that on occassion Dak give them ammo and he isnt without fault

 

[kskboys]

Disagree w/ Ron here, not a common thing.

We have two issues. Inability to stop the run against good teams and a good QB who just lays an egg at times. Yes, there are other issues that contribute. No starters at RB, poor LB's, inconsistent OL play, subpar DT play. Not setting the edge on D is a problem.

I simply don't see any issues w/ mental toughness or maturity.

 

[rambo2]

When they were forced to play McCaffrey at QB in the NFC title game? Yeah, losing all of your QBs to injury can be a problem.

It damn sure can.

 

[Blast From The Past]

Respectfully, they didn't just lose a game. They got physically trounced.

Both sides of the ball. No adjustments nothing. Coaching matters.

 

[Aftershock]

A whole lotta nothing just to say the team crapped the bet. I don’t care if they had the mental toughness of the Navy seals. This defense is not built to stop physical running teams like San Fran or buffalo on the grass. This teams qb continuously lays the egg in big tough away games against competition over .500 8 years and counting. For Dak it’s not a question of does he have mental toughness he absolutely does given what he’s had to go through in life but what he has shown is he can’t step up in tough away games vs >.500 teams. Is he 100% to blame? No. The culture is set by the FO and trickles down to the staff and players. Until that changes this team the way it’s currently built will never reach a sb. Wish you guys would stop rehashing this each and every week on week on week it’s so tiring. Just a big circle jerk of Dak haters and lovers arguing over trivial sh**. We are not winning a SB so just enjoy the damn games as they come. Dak and the team will continuously fold against physical teams above .500 on the road

 

[cowboyed]

Let's give the players tobacco pipes so they can thoughtfully and silently commiserate over their road games.

 

[Hawkeye0202]

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..

One word Ronnie.....consistency
I don't need to tell you the playoff requires winning a string of big games, not playing your a___ for one, and laying an egg the next. To be honest, the loss to the Bills doesn't me as much the way they played, knowing the importance of the game.

BTW...IMO some of this is MM. I find it hard to believe the players had an excellent week of practice before the Bills game. I am a firm believer that what players show in practice will generally carry over to the games. In the words, MM and coaches should have sense/know the players' readiness from practice. I'm willing to bet a red penny the coaches saw some of the same issues in practice that carried over to the game.

 

[ChuckA1]

One word Ronnie.....consistency
I don't need to tell you the playoff requires winning a string of big games, not playing your a___ for one, and laying an egg the next. To be honest, the loss to the Bills doesn't me as much the way they played, knowing the importance of the game.

BTW...IMO some of this is MM. I find it hard to believe the players had an excellent week of practice before the Bills game. I am a firm believer that what players show in practice will generally carry over to the games. In the words, MM and coaches should have sense/know the players' readiness from practice. I'm willing to bet a red penny the coaches saw some of the same issues in practice that carried over to the game.

MM missed the opportunity to challenge the bad fumble call... again! He doesn't seem to coach fast or with good time management.

 

[ShiningStar]

we make excuses every year.

 

[Hawkeye0202]

MM missed the opportunity to challenge the bad fumble call... again! He doesn't seem to coach fast or with good time management.

I agree but I'm going to give him a pass on that one coz I think he's probably taking the bullet for whatever staffer/coach in the booth responsible. I'm pretty sure every NFL HC has someone in the booth to help them make immediate decisions.

 

[Whyjerry]

Players change. Coaches change. Outcomes are similar. Why? The drunken narcissists running the team are the same.

 

[baltcowboy]

so we are just happy to be in the playoffs? We don't want a chance to host a home game where we are actually pretty tough to beat?

And I played the sport so you can save me the excuses.

What are you talking about? The playoffs have not started yet. You sound like a guy that has the Cowboys real record is 1-4 and if the Cowboys don’t win the Super Bowl everyone should be fired and cut. We are a top 5 NFL and the 49ers are a juggernaut. Relax…..

 

[Cmac]

I think some of it is the mental grind of the season. It's just inevitable that at some point teams are going to have letdowns. The fact that there hasn't been an undefeated season in over 50 years should tell you that it happens to every team every year. Maybe 5-6 games of focus is all we can expect out of this generation of players. It's going to be very interesting to see how it plays out over the next 5-6 weeks.

One game......ok. But Arizona, 9er's, and now Buffalo have come with physical play, and we folded in such a way that no fight was exhibited......none. Unacceptable pattern. Josh Dobbs......that one.....looked promising. Look at him now. Too many times over the seasons, too many unheralded players are getting nominations for Player of the Week.

 

[The Natural]

What are you talking about? The playoffs have not started yet. You sound like a guy that has the Cowboys real record is 1-4 and if the Cowboys don’t win the Super Bowl everyone should be fired and cut. We are a top 5 NFL and the 49ers are a juggernaut. Relax…..

Are you remedial? I asked why the Cowboys were not desperate to win Sunday and your response was "The Cowboys are in the playoffs". So I'll ask again, are we content with just being in the tournament or do we want a chance to create the most favorable path possible? And if its the latter, why were we not desperate to win on Sunday? Now turn the bold font off, read the question, and answer it.

 

[RonnieT24]

Are you remedial? I asked why the Cowboys were not desperate to win Sunday and your response was "The Cowboys are in the playoffs". So I'll ask again, are we content with just being in the tournament or do we want a chance to create the most favorable path possible? And if its the latter, why were we not desperate to win on Sunday? Now turn the bold font off, read the question, and answer it.

Come on Bro.. there is no way the Cowboys, who could clinch a playoff berth while losing could be anywhere near as "desperate to win" as Buffalo whose playoffs hopes would have been all but extinguished with a loss. That part really isn't open for discussion. The disparity in desperation was unavoidable. The issue is that the disparity in energy and effort was greater than it should ever be in an NFL game. I only played in one game in college or high school where it felt like the entire team was sleepwalking through the game except me and maybe one or two other guys. We lost that game but I played as hard as I ever had and screamed and yelled at everybody within earshot during the game. It didn't do any good. I never had another such game until one day like 20 years later I was playing in a flag football game on a Saturday morning and our whole team showed up looking like we'd all been out partying the night before. And we played that way too. Thing is, I don't drink and didn't party the night before.. But my legs were dead and I felt like I was running in quicksand most of the game. It wasn't until that game that I understood what it felt like to show up for a game with nothing in the tank. To this day I have no explanation for what happened. . Slept in the wrong position, food poisoning, whatever it was.. I never figured it out. Thankfully it never happened again but I never got too judgmental about guys not having energy on game day after that. But I was never a professional athlete getting paid to perform after getting the best training and nutrition possible. I hold professional athletes to a little higher standard. But none of that means it doesn't happen to them. We all know it does. Champions just find a way to win in spite of it. I want the guys on my favorite team to figure out how to do that.

By the way, we won the flag football game I spoke of.. I eventually snapped out of MY funk and scored 3 TDs in the 4th quarter including the game winner with no time left with the defense all playing prevent and triple teaming me. My QB heaved it to an open spot in the defense and I outran the defenders to the ball and waltzed into the end zone. The mistake they made was that they all came over to my side of the field.. which made it a footrace to the ball thrown to the other side of the field.. I won the footrace by a country mile. Our post game celebration at the nearest watering hole was epic! Good times! My son was 7 or 8 at the time and he still remembers that game to this day.. He's 39 now. Obviously so do I! LOL! What's any of this got to do with the Cowboys? Absolutely nothing... but that game recalled a fond memory for me.. You gotta find the positives whenever you can!

 

[The Natural]

Come on Bro.. there is no way the Cowboys, who could clinch a playoff berth while losing could be anywhere near as "desperate to win" as Buffalo whose playoffs hopes would have been all but extinguished with a loss. That part really isn't open for discussion. The disparity in desperation was unavoidable.

Dope story. I trimmed the post to save space but I did read it all and I can appreciate a trip down memory lane. The bolded is the problem around here, there is no killer instinct. Too much reading their own press clippings, not enough fire.

 

[RonnieT24]

Dope story. I trimmed the post to save space but I did read it all and I can appreciate a trip down memory lane. The bolded is the problem around here, there is no killer instinct. Too much reading their own press clippings, not enough fire.

I think there is a lot to this. I think too many guys simply cannot handle the level of attention and celebrity that comes with being a Dallas Cowboy. There is really nothing like it in all the rest of sports. Even role players are elevated when they're part of America's Team. And not everybody can handle that. Like I keep saying.. I don't like Dak's calm demeanor on days like Sunday. I want him to be pissed not positive. I want him to be excoriating not encouraging. What this team needs more than anything is a Dez Bryant or a Michael Irvin. Maybe two.. No having those guys doesn't mean you win every game.. but having those guys means at least one guy on the field and on the sidelines will be absolutely losing his mind when the other guys don't show up. Sometimes.. that's just what a team needs.

 

[Blackrain]

I think there is a lot to this. I think too many guys simply cannot handle the level of attention and celebrity that comes with being a Dallas Cowboy. There is really nothing like it in all the rest of sports. Even role players are elevated when they're part of America's Team. And not everybody can handle that. Like I keep saying.. I don't like Dak's calm demeanor on days like Sunday. I want him to be pissed not positive. I want him to be excoriating not encouraging. What this team needs more than anything is a Dez Bryant or a Michael Irvin. Maybe two.. No having those guys doesn't mean you win every game.. but having those guys means at least one guy on the field and on the sidelines will be absolutely losing his mind when the other guys don't show up. Sometimes.. that's just what a team needs.

I think it's about having guys on the team that refuse to lose that just can't stomach it and they will sacrifice whatever it takes to win including salary.
Why did guys follow Tom Brady how could he go to the Tampa Bay buccaneers take them to a super bowl and win .
He could do this because he could make the whole rest of the team buy in and play above their heads because they knew how much he wanted it he wasn't about the money he was about compiling those super bowl wins.

It was never more on display than the playoff game against Green Bay when he threw three interceptions.
If that was our team the defense packs it in and makes business decisions from then on in his defense buckled down knew he would write the ship and played twice as hard that's the difference.

 

[Blackrain]

Dak Prescott Mike McCarthy Dan Quinn Micah Parsons are all extremely good at their jobs

Roger Staubach Tom Landry Ernie Stautner and Bob Lilly were all extremely good at their jobs too the difference was they could inspire the rest of the team to play so far above their heads and sacrifice their bodies that they were ultimately more successful in their careers because of not only what they could do but what they could inspire others to do through their work ethic and sacrifice.
None of them cared about being the highest paid or being called the greatest they serve their country first then brought that attitude of sacrifice and leadership to their team there was an aura around these men that made others do what they didn't feel was even possible.

They didn't talk to talk they didn't worry about what the media said about them come game day they just put on the cape and did things that others viewed as impossible inspiring the rest of the team to do things they didn't think they were capable of.