In my opinion, if you want to get a feel for how your team is going to play, you need to wait for at least the second game of the year. If you play that first game and have some mistakes and make those same mistakes in the second game, then you might be on to something. I knew good and well that Dallas' secondary was better than they played in Jacksonville in the 2006 opener. They came out the next week and played great against Washington. Finally, after the 2005 opener at S.D., expectations for Dallas went up. However, the second game against Washington showed you that Dallas' offense could struggle some against a good, blitzing defense. Dallas' offense really struggled to put up points consistently, and they had to grind drives out. The 28 points they put up at S.D., really wasn't the "state of the union".
Dallas is trying to get things tuned up for the season. Phillips did go 13-3 during the season by doing things his way. The Colts didn't win a game in the pre-season the year they won the Super Bowl. Prior to that Super Bowl, they had a disappointing playoff history. The Colts lost more than the two playoff games Dallas has lost. In fact they were bounced out, with a 13-3 record, by the Titans in the divisional round. Elway was the number one seed in 1996, and they were bounced at home by the Jaguars in the divisional round. They came back and won back to back Super Bowls.
These players have not been playing for "twelve years". It is a young team. They probably don't care about this "twelve year streak". They care about ending their two year skid. Saying that this team "can't flip the switch" makes it sound like they are taking things for granted or not trying. You have the pre-season, so you can get the kinks out. The third pre-season game is the one where you want to look good. In fact, Dallas didn't play well in the third preseason game last year. When Phillips and Garrett start really showing their hand about what they want to do this year, you can rest assured the "switch will be flipped". I think you will see Philadelphia get some things you have not seen before.
I'll tell you this, too. Dallas kicked Denver's you know what during those practices and in the game last year. John Lynch whined about some of the things Dallas' defense did and other coaches did as well, evidently. Last week was more important for Denver than Dallas. Denver was really up for it, just like Dallas was last year when they were learning new systems on offense and defense. Dallas will be ready to play when the season starts. Will they be perfect in game one? Probably not, but I think they will win a tough game at Cleveland.
LOL at Dallas finishing last. The only way that happens is injuries, and they would be bad ones.
Plus, LOL at Pacman being a third corner or a good number 2. He was a star at Tennessee at CB in 2006. (5.4 YPA in 2006; 8th in the NFL) Some people in the Dallas mass media don't get how good this guy can be at CB, because they have not seen him play every week. Pacman can be 1b in Dallas at CB. If Pacman plays with his 2006 mojo, you have two number one CBs, not one (Newman). He is only 24 years old. Pacman should have been in the Pro Bowl in 2006. They need to go back and talk to the Jaguars, Giants, and that one other team that I can't think of right now, because Pacman pretty much sealed those teams' fate with interceptions, touchdowns, and huge plays at cornerback.
