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

[DuncanIso]

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.

Truth.

 

[Flamma]

Any given Sunday has always been a thing. But never as much as we see today. I credit that to guaranteed money. Remove that, and we don't see the some of the upsets we see on a regular basis.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

when your narrative is its just a 1 person problem you must make every statement somehow tie into that narrative.

Good point.

 

[KMY_Amber]

cowboys being soft has been as issue since parcells left.
I dont mind the speed vs size thing but i think the scheme on both sides (more so offense) isnt using it right.
Sending pollard up the middle 400 times and maybe one time to the outside is beyond stupid. We also barely use him in the passing game, so its like we have speed, never really utilize it and try to be physical with it and fail.

This team didn't make any dramatic improvements under Parcells. It's like revisionist history with fans, as if with Parcells, this team was suddenly on the right track.

Parcells made the playoffs in his first Cowboys year, 2003, and his last year in Dallas, 2006, but instability at the quarterback position and an infamous botched field goal hold by Tony Romo ended the Cowboys' final season with Parcells at the helm without him having much to show for his time spent in Dallas.

Sure, he was a hard azz, but that didn't produce much here in Dallas.

 

[VaqueroTD]

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.

Counter-point: Cowboys did throw deep often. Can blame the boring play selection, but never seen so many predictable sideline go routes, but the deep threat was there, just no one ever got open, and on the ones they did, Dak threw poorly, either because of inaccuracy or because the bigger San Fran defensive line was having its way. I bring up size because all you have to do is compare our game and the Cleveland game next week. Cleveland got in Purdy's face, we didn't. That's a good offensive line, and like someone pointed out, Minnesota was lucky they were missing their starting LT. He was the guy our brilliant DC decided to matchup agains the undersized #11 all game.

 

[VaqueroTD]

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?

I'm watching these University of Colorado games with Coach Prime, and the other team is in their locker room talking about overhype, lights on, this is the time to move up in the rankings, etc.... Got me to thinking, where else have I seen that... oh yeah, when teams play the Cowboys. LOL Not using it as an excuse, but it's amazing how many opponents give interviews regarding this. And the danger on the other side with our team is it can get to your head, make you overrated. It makes a roster 'eat the cheese' or 'get the annointing oil' as Parcells was great at stopping in the media, but no one else has been able to reverse that Jerry Hollywood Culture. That didn't start until his ownership.

 

[Cowboy_svt]

This team didn't make any dramatic improvements under Parcells. It's like revisionist history with fans, as if with Parcells, this team was suddenly on the right track.

Parcells made the playoffs in his first Cowboys year, 2003, and his last year in Dallas, 2006, but instability at the quarterback position and an infamous botched field goal hold by Tony Romo ended the Cowboys' final season with Parcells at the helm without him having much to show for his time spent in Dallas.

Sure, he was a hard azz, but that didn't produce much here in Dallas.

cause there was no team due to jerry drafting like *** and trading picks away, Parcells started to rebuild that team but only really came to fruition after he left

 

[NoLuv4Jerry]

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.

I repeat...they have beaten us 3 straight times with 2 different QBs and each time we've played them the beating was worse than before! And they've also changed defensive coordinators. So "when" we peak does not matter to them...they find beating us to be pretty simple. And it sure has looked like it.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

I repeat...they have beaten us 3 straight times with 2 different QBs and each time we've played them the beating was worse than before! And they've also changed defensive coordinators. So "when" we peak does not matter to them...they find beating us to be pretty simple. And it sure has looked like it.

Not sure what relevance this has. Brady never lost to us and did last year in the playoffs. This is not the same team as last year or the year before. You have no idea what these teams will look like we might not even get the 49ers in the playoffs.

 

[NoLuv4Jerry]

Not sure what relevance this has. Brady never lost to us and did last year in the playoffs. This is not the same team as last year or the year before. You have no idea what these teams will look like we might not even get the 49ers in the playoffs.

I am sure that is what Jerry is hoping! In fact you may disagree with me, but Jerry does. Jerry just said on his radio show today that we don't belong on the same field with the 49ers!

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

I am sure that is what Jerry is hoping! In fact you may disagree with me, but Jerry does. Jerry just said on his radio show today that we don't belong on the same field with the 49ers!

In October they don’t but honestly the 49ers don’t even belong on the field with the Browns or Vikings.

 

[Praxit]

the parity is mental. Dallas needs Ray Lewis type of characters.

To keep up intensity.

 

[NoLuv4Jerry]

In October they don’t but honestly the 49ers don’t even belong on the field with the Browns or Vikings.

you are using recency bias to try and win a debate. Play that game with someone else, I've been at this too long. I guess the Cardinals are better than us as well because they beat us? There is a PATTERN with us and that team in NoCal. Did you just start watching football 6 weeks ago? I'm not even sure what is happening right now. We don't have to agree, but it feels as if you are just playing games on the internet.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

you are using recency bias to try and win a debate. Play that game with someone else, I've been at this too long. I guess the Cardinals are better than us as well because they beat us? There is a PATTERN with us and that team in NoCal. Did you just start watching football 6 weeks ago? I'm not even sure what is happening right now. We don't have to agree, but it feels as if you are just playing games on the internet.

I’m not playing games. We just disagree. It happens. You’ve been at this awhile you should know that.

You say don’t use recency bias yet are using it to say we can’t beat the Niners….make it make sense.

 

[Bagman]

You do realize that SF lost 2 very important pieces of their offense to injury, rThey are human

 

[leeblair]

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.

Parity, or parody?
The billionaires of the NFL seem to be running a script that keeps fans hopeful longer and maximizes revenue. If you can explain how the Cowboys beat Detroit, Indianapolis, and the Texans last year when they were clearly being outplayed by all three teams until each of those teams "suddenly" couldn't tie their shoes without falling face first, Id love to read it.
Even how the Bears gave up an interception for a touchdown vs Dallas because Justin Fields made sure not to touch the defender when he was down after intercepting the ball.
Like how the ref who was about to signal a touchdown for the Lions was stopped by another official?
Suddenly the teams running roughshod over the rest of the NFL this season are within reach of their competitors again.
Can you say WWF?

 

[john van brocklin]

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.

Good observations.
This team is soft.
Until we change from a country club to a football team mentality, I don't see it changing.

 

[DandyDon52]

cowboys being soft has been as issue since parcells left.
I dont mind the speed vs size thing but i think the scheme on both sides (more so offense) isnt using it right.
Sending pollard up the middle 400 times and maybe one time to the outside is beyond stupid. We also barely use him in the passing game, so its like we have speed, never really utilize it and try to be physical with it and fail.

thats on mike and jerry , they decide how the players are used and when.
They drafted duece, then never really let him play 1 game.
I could see him going to another team with smart HC, and becoming a valuable player.

 

[plasticman]

The Cowboys have the same record as the 49ers, one game behind the Eagles.

The Cowboys are not 0-6. If the playoffs started next week, they would be the #5 seed.

There is room for improvement and there ae definitely challenges that must be overcome but, c'mon,..........

 

[Whirlwin]

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.

We had the linebacker .just got injured We had the linebacker stick just got injured A young kid from Miami was going to be awesome.