CFZ NFL Parity is real, but Cowboys are undersized, soft and have zero red zone offense success

acr731

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And we were missing much more than 2 pieces in our losses....excuses for one team but not the other. Yeah, that is how it works on here.
It matters when the missing pieces are vital to the success of the offense.
 

Mac_MaloneV1

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The 49ers success came from misdirection lol. Size/physicality had absolutely nothing to do with the result of that game.

People just like to say that.
 

Xeven

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The one thing I agree with the most on the OP. Is we do not have a RB that can handle the load and get the tough yards and wear down a defense.
Also we have not had a true end zone threat since Dez. Not even Witten as he was getting older could be a threat he once was.
Our WR's are for sure under sized.

Both of those are the main issue with the scoring problems.

Not having LB's, yeah that also. This team even before DQ came in, always went into TC with like 6 or 7 LB's, they NEVER try to improve that.
I do not think we have the blocking schemes and the right OL for serious run game.
 

Doomsday

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McCaffrey had 51 yards on 19 carries, the issue wasn't size it was breakdowns in the secondary and being on the field for the entire game because the offense started out with 3 three and outs and a fumble and didn't do much better on most of their other possessions.

Yea, they are undersized, but they are also fast.
 

TheMarathonContinues

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McCaffrey had 51 yards on 19 carries, the issue wasn't size it was breakdowns in the secondary and being on the field for the entire game because the offense started out with 3 three and outs and a fumble and didn't do much better on most of their other possessions.

Yea, they are undersized, but they are also fast.
McCafffery looks hurt. This physical play is hurting him. Shocked they played him last night he just needs a bye week or something to get back on track.
 

fivetwos

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Parity is alive and well. 49ers stomped us then lost 2 in a row. Cards stomped us and lost to everyone else on their schedule. We stomped the Jets, Jets beat the Eagles. We stomped the Pats, Pats beat the Bills, and so on...

There is only one elite QB in the NFL now, and his name is Patrick Mahomes. Everyone else is trying to get better so throw your Dak angst somewhere else.

Which of these 3 are the biggest problems this year? And more important, how do you fix it? Can you fix it? Because these 3 obstacles are what I feel most likely to keep this team from winning it all in a league full of parity where anyone can look good or bad each week, especially depending on starter injuries. As Aikman said, depth is so bad now, every team is just 1-2 injuries away from mediocrity.
  1. Cowboys are undersized.
    1. Biggest reason why 49ers had their way. Don't believe me? Go look at Cleveland's defensive linemen size vs ours. Look at our RBs and WRs sizes versus several teams. This team is built on speed, which is good, but it can also backfire, and this team will be physically dominated by squads like the 49ers that we are sure to meet in the Playoffs. #11 can tear up teams, if he's not too worn out from being double-teamed against offensive linemen 50-75lbs bigger than him. (Or they can just run over him) The two units that aren't undersized are the offensive line and safeties, and they're not executing.
  2. Cowboys are mentally soft.
    1. Biggest reason why the Cards won. Never seen a cornerback injury deflate a team so much but apparently Diggs is our injury that takes us to mediocrity. You saw players like #11 and #88 get accused of giving up in the 49ers game. Even Darryl Johnston pointed out how mentally soft this team can be and not shake it off. Also consider that teams come to play when it's a game against Dallas. They know it has the ratings. Stupid stuff like Kittle wears his shirt. This is a big game for many opponents who don't play in the lights 24/7 like our overhyped team. And the penalties are coming back. Stupid penalties from an undisciplined mentally soft squad have been an Achilles' heel of the Coach Mac era, even if they want to blame unfair refs, which IMO makes them look softer.
  3. Red Zone offense stinks.
    1. Now the Dak Haters can get excited. Blame Dak, blame the undersized RBs, blame the new offense (which looks like the culprit if you just compare red zone numbers versus last year). But Cowboys are sitting on 39.13% scoring percentage in red zone. Only 6 teams are worst. AND the scoring % is lower the last 3 games! So no sign of it getting better except for a good showing from the QB last week. No reports of trading for a physical back to support Pollard. Best thing you can say about this is they will improve as they implement it weekly, and offensive line is back together again, but still dinged.
We are everyone’s top target and it shows. Every fanbase hates the other three teams in their division….and Dallas. Each NFC East team considers Dallas their most hated rival.

As far as speed, yeah we are built around it, but they don’t seem to play fast at all.

Check out Cleveland vs SF or the Jets vs Philly. That’s playing with intensity and speed.

Makes me wonder if Quinn as HC is the wrong move, but he is a safe choice and will keep us “relevant and interesting.”

Please tell me what moron comes out and says that’s your team philosophy, then scratches their head as to why they can’t win?
 

Creeper

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I am not buying any of this. The Cowboys got beat up by the 49ers and we are putting too much into that game. The 49ers were super jacked up for that game. They did not play as physical against the Browns or the the Vikings. Going into the 49ers game I never thought the 49ers offensive line would take it to Dallas they way they did. But it was one game.

The Cowboys offensive game plan against the 49ers was awful. Short passes and runs to the edges are not how you attack the 49ers. You have to attack them downfield and the Rams showed how when they played the 49ers. Obviously, MM decided he would so something else. The Vikings clearly had the right game plan. Cousins was throwing downfield all night and threw for well over 300 yards. The guys on the field are only as good as the strategy the coaches give them.

Are the Cowboys small? Yes, but how do you argue with the success they have had pressuring QBs? They could play Mazi and Hankins together inside and they would be pretty big in there but they choose to align one NT type with a smaller quicker 3T, and Odighizuwa is having a good year despite being only 280 lbs.

Fred Warner is 6'3" 230lbs. Damone Clarke is 6'3" 240 lbs. Greenlaw is 6'0" 230. LVE is 6'4" 256lbs. So the Cowboys are not that small at LB, they just choose to use a S at LB to give them more versatility. The defense has done it's part for the most part. The offense is the problem.

As for playing soft. They didn't play soft against the Giants, Jets, NE or even the Chargers. They had one game where they were much less physical than their opponent. Against, the Cardinals they were just flat. They lost because they could not run the football in the red zone.

The one question we all have is why is our offensive line playing so poorly? When you look at it more closely, you can see they do not get much movement, but it is also the TEs and WRs who cannot block. They don't get push and they do not sustain their blocks. I have no idea why this year is different but they were clearly better last year.

The problem with the Cowboys is they have a defense that is built to play with a lead and an offense that is trying to control the ball and not take chances. Those tow things are contradictory. The Cowboys want to get out front quickly and force the other team to come from behind. Playing a ball control offense to avoid mistakes means they will fall behind or play in close games which does not favor their defense.
 

NoLuv4Jerry

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I don't know man I think these are some excuses. Cowboys need to play better. THey are flawed. But every team is flawed.

You can't beat a team by 30 and 40 points and then lose like you did to San Fran. Granted, 49ers are a great team but the Browns and Vikings showed they aren't this superior juggernaut.
No one should expect any team to go 17 - 0. So I am pretty sure Dallas and the 49ers and the Eagles and the Lions use playing against each other as measuring sticks. The 49ers were LOCKED in on us.....and they beat us easily. The last 3 times playing them.....the gap widens by the game. And they have beaten us with 2 different QBs. They are BETTER than us....and I don't feel we have done ANYTHING to try to change that!
 

TheMarathonContinues

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No one should expect any team to go 17 - 0. So I am pretty sure Dallas and the 49ers and the Eagles and the Lions use playing against each other as measuring sticks. The 49ers were LOCKED in on us.....and they beat us easily. The last 3 times playing them.....the gap widens by the game. And they have beaten us with 2 different QBs. They are BETTER than us....and I don't feel we have done ANYTHING to try to change that!
Things change as a season goes on. You don't peak in October. So this team could be better by the time the season ends. They should be anyway. They are not 30 points better than the Cowboys. They may be better but not by that much.
 

Cowboys93

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If this team is built on speed then we have varying definitions of speed. I’d probably use the word finesse
 

rambo2

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Parity is alive and well. 49ers stomped us then lost 2 in a row. Cards stomped us and lost to everyone else on their schedule. We stomped the Jets, Jets beat the Eagles. We stomped the Pats, Pats beat the Bills, and so on...

There is only one elite QB in the NFL now, and his name is Patrick Mahomes. Everyone else is trying to get better so throw your Dak angst somewhere else.

Which of these 3 are the biggest problems this year? And more important, how do you fix it? Can you fix it? Because these 3 obstacles are what I feel most likely to keep this team from winning it all in a league full of parity where anyone can look good or bad each week, especially depending on starter injuries. As Aikman said, depth is so bad now, every team is just 1-2 injuries away from mediocrity.
  1. Cowboys are undersized.
    1. Biggest reason why 49ers had their way. Don't believe me? Go look at Cleveland's defensive linemen size vs ours. Look at our RBs and WRs sizes versus several teams. This team is built on speed, which is good, but it can also backfire, and this team will be physically dominated by squads like the 49ers that we are sure to meet in the Playoffs. #11 can tear up teams, if he's not too worn out from being double-teamed against offensive linemen 50-75lbs bigger than him. (Or they can just run over him) The two units that aren't undersized are the offensive line and safeties, and they're not executing.
  2. Cowboys are mentally soft.
    1. Biggest reason why the Cards won. Never seen a cornerback injury deflate a team so much but apparently Diggs is our injury that takes us to mediocrity. You saw players like #11 and #88 get accused of giving up in the 49ers game. Even Darryl Johnston pointed out how mentally soft this team can be and not shake it off. Also consider that teams come to play when it's a game against Dallas. They know it has the ratings. Stupid stuff like Kittle wears his shirt. This is a big game for many opponents who don't play in the lights 24/7 like our overhyped team. And the penalties are coming back. Stupid penalties from an undisciplined mentally soft squad have been an Achilles' heel of the Coach Mac era, even if they want to blame unfair refs, which IMO makes them look softer.
  3. Red Zone offense stinks.
    1. Now the Dak Haters can get excited. Blame Dak, blame the undersized RBs, blame the new offense (which looks like the culprit if you just compare red zone numbers versus last year). But Cowboys are sitting on 39.13% scoring percentage in red zone. Only 6 teams are worst. AND the scoring % is lower the last 3 games! So no sign of it getting better except for a good showing from the QB last week. No reports of trading for a physical back to support Pollard. Best thing you can say about this is they will improve as they implement it weekly, and offensive line is back together again, but still dinged.
They are 4 and 2. Stay tuned for a couple of weeks. If they beat the Rams and the Eagles. They would be right at the top of the league.
 
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