Mental Toughness! Do the Cowboys players have it?

cowboyjoe

Well-Known Member
Messages
28,433
Reaction score
753
Every year, a team comes to a fork in the road, where they are tested as players to step up, be accountable and say enough is enough, do your job, and play with heart, intensity and desire, with mental toughness.

The cowboys players had to do that in midseason in 1971, when they were starting to lose games. Cowboy players called a private meeting, chewed each other out, because some players werent laying it all on the line. They aired out their differences, played through pain, etc and won, while going to the super bowl. Bob Lily said the players were really ticked off, and they all determined especially on defense, the only way teams were going to get into the end zone was over dead bodies. That year, at the end of the season and going into the playoffs and the superbowl, no team scored a TD on the defense.

So, whats the difference, is it attitude, mental toughness?

Same thing happened to a degree to the eagles last year, as you know by midseason they were losing, but they held a team meeting, their star safety, cant think of his name right now, but the safety that went to denver, called a team meeting, challenged everyone and rest is history, they got together as a team, started winning and got to the championship game in nfc.

The same thing to a degree happened in 1978, in midseason, the cowboy players started losing, and Jackie Smith called a team meeting and told the players that they werent practicing like they should, they were expecting just to go out on the field and win with the star on their helmet, etc. The players woke up, challenged each other, changed their practice habits and went to the super bowl. I know they didnt win against the steelers that year, but they went to the super bowl because players looked within themselves, made other players accountable, got metally tough and played hard, stopping the stupid mistakes and penalties.

Does this team have that this year, give your feedback on what you think, and what the cowboys players need to do to fix that attitude if its not there.
 

cobra

Salty *******
Messages
3,134
Reaction score
0
NO. No mental toughness. We suck.

Screw optimisim. Let's just be ridicilously critical across the board.

After all, these weak-minded individuals deserve it.
 

Rampage

Benched
Messages
24,117
Reaction score
2
we're gonna have to wait and see. going off of last year no we don't.
 

adbutcher

K9NME
Messages
12,287
Reaction score
2,910
Rampage;2916023 said:
we're gonna have to wait and see. going off of last year no we don't.

So you are saying that Ware and Witten don't have mental toughness? How about Ratliff?
 

CATCH17

1st Round Pick
Messages
67,664
Reaction score
86,203
This team scares me in that they can literally give up a perfectly played game in just 1 or 2 plays.

I love this team and the talent but at some point we have to cash in on it.

Are they mentally tough? I think so.

But are they off the wall stupid at times? Absolutely.
 

adbutcher

K9NME
Messages
12,287
Reaction score
2,910
CATCH17;2916032 said:
This team scares me in that they can literally give up a perfectly played game in just 1 or 2 plays.

I love this team and the talent but at some point we have to cash in on it.

Are they mentally tough? I think so.

But are they off the wall stupid at times? Absolutely.

Perfectly stated.
 

cowboyjoe

Well-Known Member
Messages
28,433
Reaction score
753
CATCH17;2916032 said:
This team scares me in that they can literally give up a perfectly played game in just 1 or 2 plays.

I love this team and the talent but at some point we have to cash in on it.

Are they mentally tough? I think so.

But are they off the wall stupid at times? Absolutely.

so how do you stop the off the wall stupid stuff at times?
to me if your mentally tough, you wont allow yourself or others to make those off the wall stupid stuff. but appreciate the feedback.
 

Doomsday101

Well-Known Member
Messages
107,762
Reaction score
39,034
They will play the season and we will find out. This team knows and understand the challenge in front of them. Many have writen them off even some of the fans.
 

CATCH17

1st Round Pick
Messages
67,664
Reaction score
86,203
cowboyjoe;2916049 said:
so how do you stop the off the wall stupid stuff at times?
to me if your mentally tough, you wont allow yourself or others to make those off the wall stupid stuff. but appreciate the feedback.

I have no idea.

Even Parcells could never put a finger on it.

Thats why I don't put a lot of it on Wade because Wade hasn't had a losing record here and if anything I believe this team has played better on both sides of the ball with him.
 

Rampage

Benched
Messages
24,117
Reaction score
2
adbutcher;2916027 said:
So you are saying that Ware and Witten don't have mental toughness? How about Ratliff?
he asked about the team not 3 of the best players on it. I find it interesting that you didn't name Romo....
 

cowboyjoe

Well-Known Member
Messages
28,433
Reaction score
753
well another question i had towards the mental toughness of the team. Dont remember the exact details, but a veteran said he felt that some of the rookies and first year players didnt have the toughness, intensity and desire to play.

since that player talked, i saw where brian broaddus said after talking to some of the players and cowboys staff, one of the reason why the cowboys didnt resign tony curtis, his intensity, desire to play the game wasnt there.

so, thats what im pointing too, with the mistakes, is the lack of mental toughness not coming from some of the players?

we all remember the last 2 big runs from the ravens, ran basically at the same location. Players in that vicinity were zach thomas, no longer with the team, ken hamlin, spears and spencer.

its kinda like a writer said today about stanback, on a deep crossing route, the writer said, stanback seemed to pull up some when he saw the safety out of the corner of his eye.

like right after stanback fumbled, courtney brown was covering a wr on a play, courtney hestitated, but he had the interception, if he just ran through the play he probably would have scored a td on the interception;



is that what is lacking on this team with some of the players? and how do you correct that? Players going to them making them accountable, or coaches getting on them, what?
 

Doomsday101

Well-Known Member
Messages
107,762
Reaction score
39,034
cowboyjoe;2916124 said:
well another question i had towards the mental toughness of the team. Dont remember the exact details, but a veteran said he felt that some of the rookies and first year players didnt have the toughness, intensity and desire to play.

since that player talked, i saw where brian broaddus said after talking to some of the players and cowboys staff, one of the reason why the cowboys didnt resign tony curtis, his intensity, desire to play the game wasnt there.

so, thats what im pointing too, with the mistakes, is the lack of mental toughness not coming from some of the players?

we all remember the last 2 big runs from the ravens, ran basically at the same location. Players in that vicinity were zach thomas, no longer with the team, ken hamlin, spears and spencer.

its kinda like a writer said today about stanback, on a deep crossing route, the writer said, stanback seemed to pull up some when he saw the safety out of the corner of his eye.

like right after stanback fumbled, courtney brown hestitated, but he had the interception, if he just ran through the play he probably would have scored a td on the interception;



is that what is lacking on this team with some of the players? and how do you correct that? Players going to them making them accountable, or coaches getting on them, what?

Both coaches and peers. That is part of what I have been saying for a while this unit has to come together and play as a team.
 

DaBoys4Life

Benched
Messages
15,626
Reaction score
0
Rampage;2916096 said:
he asked about the team not 3 of the best players on it. I find it interesting that you didn't name Romo....

Very interesting indeed.
 

BAT

Mr. Fixit
Messages
19,443
Reaction score
15,607
CATCH17;2916085 said:
I have no idea.

Even Parcells could never put a finger on it.

Thats why I don't put a lot of it on Wade because Wade hasn't had a losing record here and if anything I believe this team has played better on both sides of the ball with him.

You should be careful when using common sense, there is an aversion to it on this board.
 

poke

the older I get the better I was
Messages
2,585
Reaction score
17
i think to make the players mentally tough we should require them to
read cowboyjoes posts.:D
 

Doomsday101

Well-Known Member
Messages
107,762
Reaction score
39,034
I think when players start pushing one another instead of being interested in only themselves the questions of mental toughness will go away.
 

jterrell

Penguinite
Messages
33,874
Reaction score
15,971
mental toughness is just sports media talk for the most part.

their is actual toughness involved in the game and certainly a mental aspect that is really just discipline and focus.

this team appears more focused and while it is hard to call it disciplined after the pre-season penalty fests it's hard to imagine the team being worse between the ears than in previous campaigns.

as to the eagles example....

yea dawkins called a meeting but anyone who buys that changed things is silly. the eagles were so impressed they promptly let him walk away in the off-season. what changed was brian westbrook got healthy and mcnabb looked better with his weapons all back from injury. unlike dallas who had an ailing witten, no felix jones and a banged up OL the eagles were healthy when it mattered.

does a team like the pats routinely display "mental toughness"... again if you define it as discipline, attention to detail and focus then darn straight they do. this team has done a better job thus far.
 

cowboyjoe

Well-Known Member
Messages
28,433
Reaction score
753
Doomsday101;2916340 said:
I think when players start pushing one another instead of being interested in only themselves the questions of mental toughness will go away.

good thought doomsday,
 

dogunwo

Franchise Tagged
Messages
10,320
Reaction score
5,700
cowboyjoe;2916049 said:
so how do you stop the off the wall stupid stuff at times?
to me if your mentally tough, you wont allow yourself or others to make those off the wall stupid stuff. but appreciate the feedback.

You cut someone who everyone knows wont make the team anyway to send a 'message'
 
Top