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.
