Myth: The Same Old Cowboys

[Cowboysfan1975]

I think the biggest problem so far has been the play calling. Romo isn't a bus driver type QB that will excel in a dink and dunk offense. He is a high risk, high reward player and it seems like they are taking the thing that makes him so good away. Romo didn't lose his ability to play at a very high level over one off season. I'm not worried yet, because I think the D will get better and they are already playing pretty well. I also don't see our offense being this anemic for long, there is just too much talent on that side of the ball to continue like this. .

I see a lot of improvement in some of our worst areas from last season. O line is better, STs seems better, penalties are a lot better and JG game management seems to have improved a lot as well. It much too early after 2 games to make any statements on the 2013 Cowboys, but I'm not going to panic quite yet.

 

[Wheeltax]

I'm guilty of being a pretty big homer, but I don't mind admitting that the loss to KC upset me more than any in recent memory. It was a fully winnable game, and the little lateral passes drove me crazy for the whole 60 minutes of football - not to mention the same issues in the redzone that we've seen for a few years now.

I'm not writing them off for the year at 1-1, but consider that the Dallas Cowboys are 105-105 since the year 2000. That's a long time of .500 up and down, occasionally terrible and rarely great football to get excited after what we've seen so far in 2 games.

 

[BIGDen]

Good post by the OP. Lots of things are different just not everything yet.

If we can run the ball better and more often all will be solved.

If...

Excellent post by the OP. Like you said "Lots of things are different just not everything yet". I was just telling my friend the same thing yesterday after the game. There were some incredibly frustrating things about that game and I'm not sugar-coating it. I hate that we lost such an absolutely winnable game. However, if Dez catches that ball and we win, our conversations are very different today. We'd be talking about the positive changes as well as some of those frustrations we all have with the play calling and running game. Since we lost, all we see is the negative. There were things to build on in this game and hopefully we do just that. BTW, I am not blaming this game on Dez. I was using that as an example of one play that could have changed everything. Clutch 4th quarter, perfect pass by Romo and an unstoppable Dez Bryant, etc.

 

[mrmojo]

Different team maybe but same results. If we are not underacheiving then our talent and team is what it is....average. I see the changes but the process is not consistent especially on offense. I hope things will start to gel, but right now I'd rather be relishing a victory then wondering if we are over or underacheiving.

 

[dupree89]

Give them time? Lets wait and see? This isnt week 2 of the pre-season. Since when do teams not get judged starting with week 1 of the regular season. This is the same head coach, same QB, the off coord/play caller was on the staff last year, its the same offensive philosphy for the most part. If anything we need to give the defense time. But the offense? No way.

 

[ejthedj]

Give them time? Lets wait and see? This isnt week 2 of the pre-season. Since when do teams not get judged starting with week 1 of the regular season. This is the same head coach, same QB, the off coord/play caller was on the staff last year, its the same offensive philosphy for the most part. If anything we need to give the defense time. But the offense? No way.

Well, the offense started slow last year and really picked up in the second half. That's been consistent since Romo/Garrett came. I think part of it is that it takes offenses longer to get in rhythm. The Saints only put up 16 points on Sunday, too. So, I think in time the offense will pick up, too. If it doesn't, then you will have a different reason this season failed than last. We scored the second half of last year, without any help from the defense. It's why the front office staked so much in a better defense and esp more turnovers. they think it would take this offense to the next level. If not, then you have to start pointing fingers at Garrett/Romo.

 

[EPL0c0]

You fail to miss the key-point...

Despite the correction of the alleged issues that held this JGs glorious offense back, from:

1. Tony Romo has to protect the football
2. Dallas needs to have more commitment to the running game
3. Dallas offense needs to correct penaltes
4. Dallas needs to have better pass protection
5. The WRs now need time to learn the system

The offense is still having the SAME ISSUE, i.e. it can't score in the red-zone and it's way too easy to defend.

I'm with you on #2.

Dallas hasn't had a 100yd rusher since Week 1 of last season (17 straight games). Granted, a 100yd rusher doesn't guarantee a win, but for Dallas having a guy that can gain even 50yds is a major accomplishment (done only 7 times in those last 17 games). I mean come on, 50yds!

Defenses don't fear DeMarco Murray. In those last 17 games, Murray has just 4 carries (out of 173) that gained 20+yds. Murray does not seem to be a significant threat to break off big runs. whether it's him or the Oline or both I dunno, but the threat is just not there for this offense.

 

[KJJ]

Murray only averaged 2.1 a carry yesterday hard to commit to something that isn't working. You're not going to score many points pounding the ball for 2 yards a carry with a back who runs into piles.

 

[ejthedj]

Huh? You started the post saying the Cowboys underachieved against the Chiefs and ended it by saying the Cowboys didn’t underachieve. No offense, but i don’t think you know what you think about this team.

I never said we didn't underachieve. I said we played better and different than in the past. To the point where I think we let a game slip away

 

[lwehlers]

I could've sworn I saw the same old Cowboys who cant execute in the redzone or get a stop at the end of the game.

this also is what I saw when I watching this team yesterday.

 

[30yrheel]

You're all a bunch of whiny, crybaby, chicken little, negative nancies.

 

[CyberB0b]

Romo hasn't had a 1000 yard rusher in his career. This is the problem.

 

[NJ22]

This is not the 2012 Cowboys! They actually got worse if you can even believe it. I could not have imagined that the worst rushing team in franchise history would actually take a step backward! yikes. Callahan is actually a worse play caller than Garrett which I did not think was possible. This team is sickening and the product they put out there is unwatchable.

I knew since we were 1-1 everyone would say "Same Old Cowboys." Those people are the types who believe what the media says instead of judging with their own eyes. Anyone who has watched this team play sees a well-coached, smart, and hard-working team. These are not the same old Cowboys. Consider:

1) Last year we got embarassed by an up-and-coming team on the road in game 2 after a big win in game 1. This year we played it close and were ahead for a chunk of the game.
2) Speaking of playing ahead -- this is perhaps the biggest one. We were ahead the whole Giants game and half of the KC game. We led at the end of both first halves. That never happened last year.
3) We have won the penalty battle in both games. Very few stupid errors. We would be even lower were it not for some questionable calls.
4) Pass blocking -- it's night and day the amount of time Romo has.
5) Romo is being too conservative this year instead of trying to do too much. Even the people who out of one side of the mouth say it's the same team out of the other complain that Romo has been playing conservative.
6) Very few miscommunications and bonehead errors this year so far. Only two I can think of, one by a rook and one by a coach getting the call in too late. Last year, especially during the first half of the season, there were multiple a game (Ogletree anyone, Dez?)
7) This may be too early to tell, but it's still more evidence against being the same team. Negative 13 turnover differential last year. Plus 3 so far this year. The offense has really been taking care of the ball overall, absent a miscommunication and Dunbar being Dunbar.
8) Our special teams have been clean. No big miscues. Even a strength.
9) Sacks -- we are on pace for 56 sacks. Last year we had 34.

The two things that so far remain the same are the lack of a running game and the lack of red zone touchdowns. Those are likely connected. Give them time before you declare our attempts to fix them a failure. The oline is better and I think the running game will improve because of it.

Oh yeah, the overreaction and overly negative fans are the same too. You know, the ones who don't use their eyes...

 

[Beast_from_East]

Romo hasn't had a 1000 yard rusher in his career. This is the problem.

Exactly.

This is the source of our entire problem in the red zone as well. Nobody is scared of our running game and all they do is play the pass. When we get into the red zone, the defense gets so many people in pass coverage that there is no where to go with the ball. This has been a staple of the Garrett offense since he became the OC, pass heavy offense and ignoring the run game.

Now I will say that ignoring the run game may be because our offensive line sucks and cant block their own shadow. So all of this may not be totally by choice. Our run blocking is Div 3 quality, seriously. It is very hard for a pro team to run block as bad as we do, some of it is scheme and so of it is just not enough talent.

Neglecting the trenches has consequences and the first place it shows up is in run blocking. Even a scrub can pass block decently, but you cant fake run blocking. If you are marginal talent, you will get your arse handed to you in the run game and there is no way to compensate for that besides just not even attempting to call run plays.

Bottom line is that until the offensive line is upgraded in the run blocking department, not alot we can do about having no run game.

 

[Smith22]

3 main points:

1) Defenses don't fear our running game
2) Defenses know we will abandon rather quickly
3) Divide the carries up a bit at RB and see what happens.