Most important game in years

[SultanOfSix]

To be honest, I would be a lot more comfortable with Sean Payton calling the plays for Romo than Chris Palmer.

Too bad SP ain't here anymore.

 

[gbrittain]

I think coming out of this 3 game road trip no worse that 2-1 is important.

Honestly, I think coming out of this road trip 3-0 is where they need to be if there is still any hope to this season.

A loss at Carolina, to me, is the end of the season. Not mathematically of course. Four straight losses to good competition tells me everything I need to know about this team. They are not headed anywhere, unless we can line up cup cakes all the way to the playoffs and then to the Super Bowl.

After the Carolina game and assuming the Cowboys win there, Dallas needs to make a statement that they are going to take care of business build some momentum. Two straight games on the road at Washington and Arizona are must wins in my opinion not to mention extremely winnable games.

 

[DipChit]

I wouldnt pin too much on this one. I imagine theres a pretty good chance we could get hammered.

I mean I wouldnt have expected to win with DB either but if we're thinking we have any shot because of what Romo did aside from the picks, ok, but I still think it's a huge assignment for the kid. Road game, stout D, yada yada.

Plus thinking that way helps my mind set. We lose, no biggy.. we win and it's yessssssssss!

 

[Doomsday101]

Honestly, I think coming out of this road trip 3-0 is where they need to be if there is still any hope to this season.

A loss at Carolina, to me, is the end of the season. Not mathematically of course. Four straight losses to good competition tells me everything I need to know about this team. They are not headed anywhere, unless we can line up cup cakes all the way to the playoffs and then to the Super Bowl.

After the Carolina game and assuming the Cowboys win there, Dallas needs to make a statement that they are going to take care of business build some momentum. Two straight games on the road at Washington and Arizona are must wins in my opinion not to mention extremely winnable games.

I don't. I think if Dallas can come back home after the 3 game road trip with a 5-4 record with many home games left we will be alright.

 

[DipChit]

I don't. I think if Dallas can come back home after the 3 game road trip with a 5-4 record with many home games left we will be alright.

Thats how I'm approaching it. Romo stands to get more comfortable as time wears on and the schedule favors us down the road (at home).

It may take winning 3 or 4 in a row at some point but if we aint capable of doing that we dont deserve to go anywhere anyway.

 

[slick325]

This is a "big game" for the 'Boys. Under Coach Parcells more often than not we lose these types of matchups. I don't know why but we never show up in a "big game" with maybe the exception of Carolina last season. I hope something changes starting with this week.

 

[Maikeru-sama]

Thats how I'm approaching it. Romo stands to get more comfortable as time wears on and the schedule favors us down the road (at home).

It may take winning 3 or 4 in a row at some point but if we aint capable of doing that we dont deserve to go anywhere anyway.

Yeah, as he starts to work with the first unit and gets constantly exposed to NFL Gamespeed he should show more improvement.

If Carolina is successful in making us one dimensional, well you can stick a fork in her : .

And hopefully Drew Carter wont have the same kind of performance Ricky Proehl did last year.

- Mike G.

 

[Maikeru-sama]

This is a "big game" for the 'Boys. Under Coach Parcells more often than not we lose these types of matchups. I don't know why but we never show up in a "big game" with maybe the exception of Carolina last season. I hope something changes starting with this week.

Nah, we show up, but more often then not, we come up on the losing end of it.

2003
1-1 vs Eagles (12-4) overall
0-1 vs Bucs (3-3) when we played them and pretty stout defense, the OL was tested pretty good
0-1 vs Pats (SB champs)
1-1 vs Panthers (SB runner up)
0-1 vs Dolphis (10-6, didnt make playoffs but would have in NFC and embarssed us on TGD)

You can add the Saints game, they were 8-8 but we didnt play hard that game

2-5 against good competition in 2003.

2004
0-1 vs Vikings (8-8 but pretty good early on)
0-1 vs Steelers (15-1) overall, fluke elbow-gate game
0-1 vs Packers (10-6)
0-1 vs Bengals (8-8) but talented team
0-2 vs Eagles (13-3)
0-1 vs Ravens (9-7) good competition (henson scored only TD)
1-0 vs Seahawks (9-7) jj went crazy

1-7 against good competition in 2004

2005
1-0 vs Chargers (9-7) probably best team not to make playoffs
0-2 vs Skins (10-6)
1-1 vs Giants (11-5) div. winners
0-1 vs Seahawks (SB runner up), should of would of could of
0-1 vs Broncos (13-3), cant remember if an int or fumble was returned for td in OT
1-0 vs Chiefs (10-6)
1-0 vs Panthers (11-5)

4-5 against good competition in 2005

2006
0-1 vs Jaguars
0-1 vs Eagles
0-1 vs Giants

0-3 against good competition in 2006

 

[gbrittain]

I don't. I think if Dallas can come back home after the 3 game road trip with a 5-4 record with many home games left we will be alright.

Oh dont get me wrong, I believe mathematically we would be ok. To me it is not about making the playoffs or not at this point.

I am more about Dallas making a statement as opposed to sneaking in the back door with fingers crossed and just hope that we are team of destiny.

A small part of me keeps holding out that Dallas is going to right this ship and demonstrate that they are an upper echelon team and three straight road wins would not be the end of the story but it could possibly be a nice beginning of one.

 

[slick325]

Nah, we show up, but more often then not, we come up on the losing end of it.

Thanks for the breakdown MG58.

 

[DipChit]

I am more about Dallas making a statement as opposed to sneaking in the back door with fingers crossed and just hope that we are team of destiny.

I hear ya. But good luck with that. We've had our chances to make statements already. Prove all the off-season moves were right.. go down to Jax and get it done. Go up to Philly and get it done. Get it done the other night.. take the division lead. Ooops.

Now we're supposed to "make a statement" in the next couple games with a kid making his first official starts ever.. on the road to boot?

And theres not much wrong with that back door team of destiny deal anyway. Thats pretty much how the NFL is anymore when you look at SB participants over the last 10 years. Who hot at the end... particularly in the NFC where it's been basically a diff team every year. If that you, you aint gonna apologize for it. You'll just do your best to build off it.. even if like the others, you basically fail.

 

[Chuck 54]

I think MOnday night was the 2nd most important game of the year, the most important at the time.

NOw our most important game of the year will be whichever one has us at the point of elimination from playoff contention...eventually one would think Parcells would have the team ready for one of these challenges. It's been a long time since we met a challenge and achieved it...a long time. Shouldn't even a blind squirrel find a nut once in a while?

 

[gbrittain]

I hear ya. But good luck with that. We've had our chances to make statements already. Prove all the off-season moves were right.. go down to Jax and get it done. Go up to Philly and get it done. Get it done the other night.. take the division lead. Ooops.

Now we're supposed to "make a statement" in the next couple games with a kid making his first official starts ever.. on the road to boot?

And theres not much wrong with that back door team of destiny deal anyway. Thats pretty much how the NFL is anymore when you look at SB participants over the last 10 years. Who hot at the end... particularly in the NFC where it's been basically a diff team every year. If that you, you aint gonna apologize for it. You'll just do your best to build off it.. even if like the others, you basically fail.

Well we will see. I have hope, but it is hope that a fan would have not based upon the reality of the situation.

I still think the next three games are the most favorable to them. Yes, I know they are on the road. But they play one good team and then two teams who have a combined record of 3-9.

Am I predicting a 3-0 record on the road? Absolutely not. I have hope, but no faith.

 

[DipChit]

Well we will see. I have hope, but it is hope that a fan would have not based upon the reality of the situation.

I still think the next three games are the most favorable to them. Yes, I know they are on the road. But they play one good team and then two teams who have a combined record of 3-9.

Am I predicting a 3-0 record on the road? Absolutely not. I have hope, but no faith.

Well I agree bout the Zona game. You absolutely have to have that one.

I'm not even sure bout beating the Skins. They'll be ready, they have the 90K screaming idiots and I havent forgotten the pummelling we took up there at the end of last year when some chips were down. But there again it was a team (them) on a bit of a roll down the stretch when that happened. Now they're not. We'll see.

 

[Doomsday101]

Oh dont get me wrong, I believe mathematically we would be ok. To me it is not about making the playoffs or not at this point.

I am more about Dallas making a statement as opposed to sneaking in the back door with fingers crossed and just hope that we are team of destiny.

A small part of me keeps holding out that Dallas is going to right this ship and demonstrate that they are an upper echelon team and three straight road wins would not be the end of the story but it could possibly be a nice beginning of one.

Dallas making the playoffs at this stage would be a pretty big statement in and of itself. There are going to be some other big games down the line aginst teams who are in the playoff hunt. Carolina is one but not the only one. Coming home we will face the Colts, we will have the Falcons, Saints, we face 2 NFC East teams so I think there are other games down the line that will be as big or even bigger statement games than Carolina. I would love to go 3-0 on this series of road games but coming out 2-1 and I would be pretty happy about it.

 

[risco]

I tend to think the "big game of the year" was Monday night.

Not really... We'll see them again and could possible take the lead on the division at that time. Next time we meet the Giants will be a big game IMO.

 

[gbrittain]

Dallas making the playoffs at this stage would be a pretty big statement in and of itself. There are going to be some other big games down the line aginst teams who are in the playoff hunt. Carolina is one but not the only one. Coming home we will face the Colts, we will have the Falcons, Saints, we face 2 NFC East teams so I think there are other games down the line that will be as big or even bigger statement games than Carolina. I would love to go 3-0 on this series of road games but coming out 2-1 and I would be pretty happy about it.

I hear what you are saying and in a sense agree. Dallas will have many more big games the rest of the year assuming they come out of this road trip alive.

I guess my point is Dallas absolutely needs to beat a good team. I just dont think you can keep going at this rate of losing to every single good team you face.

Dallas needs some confidence that they can face a good team and come out on top. So assuming they beat Carolina which I think is imperative for reasons I already stated, I think a loss to Arizona or Washington is just about unexcusable. I know Washington is going to be fired up, but bottom line up front is they are not that good right now (of course maybe we are not either) in that case it is all a moot point.

 

[CoCo]

Yes, I agree you can find great significance in most every game but I agree that this one in particular will determine if we can compete for a PO spot in 2006.

A win vs a quality opponent on the road (something we have not done this year) breathes new hope into this season.

Yes, it can be snuffed immediately by a loss the next week. But a loss this week, to me signals the end of realistic hope that we can make the PO's this year. There simply aren't enough bad teams left on our schedule to realistically get us there.

Certainly you never say never with a team as talented as ours, but I think this week is a must win for the 2006 playoffs.

I'm not quite as big on the games future years implications. I think that can play out over all the remaining 06 games for Romo & others.

 

[JD_KaPow]

I don't care that much about making the playoffs this year. This is not a team that's ready to compete for the Super Bowl. We're a couple years away (if things go well). One year to upgrade the talent on the offensive line, and a couple offseasons to add an impact player or two. The second season for everything to come together. If we don't have a QB (either Romo or a good free-agent vet), it'll be longer.

Given that, I'm thrilled to see the Bledsoe era end and the Romo era begin. It's going to take a few real games to see if Romo can be the guy, and I'm glad to see those games happen now.

I wonder if Monday night wasn't the best thing that could have happened to Romo. It's one thing to have this dinosaur of a coach yelling at you in practice to protect the ball and be more conservative. It's quite another to get into a real game and see the real consequences of your improvising. I'm hoping those 3 INTs really drove that lesson home. I'm hoping he really takes BP's lesson to heart now - if so, it shouldn't take long for him to settle down.

 

[WV Cowboy]

Carolina is shaping up to be that important. Not only will this game play an important role in showing how far the Cowboys will or won't go in '06, this single game could show us the direction of the Cowboys for the forseeable future.

Dude, I'm sorry to tell you, but the Jax, Philly, and Giants games showed how far we will go this year.

Not very far.

We could not stop the run nor run the ball against the Giants.
If you can't run the ball or stop the run, you are not a very good team and are not going very far, no matter who your QB is.

If you listed our problems 1 - 10, QB would not be 1 or 2. IMO