Penalties and poor tackling...

[THUMPER]

Penalties and poor tackling are killing us! I don't believe the refs called a fair game, particularly the Owens force out, but we still committed a ton of stupid penalties that continually cost us field position and down-and-distance, keeping up from being able to utilize our running game to its best effect.

Poor tackling contributed to several 3rd down conversions and a couple of TDs for them. We've got to stop either looking for the Sports Center hit or arm-tackling guys. Hit the guy and wrap him up!

I thought we played a very good game considering the holes we kept putting ourselves in. The Patriots are simply the better team right now but we had a good chance of beating them anyway if not for the penalties and missed tackles.

They are better mostly because they didn't make or get called for as many penalties and they made tackles. We got decent pressure on Brady, certainly more than anyone else has this year, and smacked him on a number of occasions.

I believe the Pats got away with an awful lot of holding in pass protection that wasn't called. They also got away with a lot of contact downfield by their DBs. Good teams usually do. If you are not blatant about it then you can get away with it, if your arms are extended then the ref is going to call it.

The bottom line is that we have to eliminate the penalties and make the tackles and we will win games like this. Not constantly putting us in 2nd-and-20 situations would be really nice for a change.

Other than that I feel very good about this team and believe we will see the Patriots again in the SB. Or the Colts, either way we should be the NFC rep as I don't see anyone else close to us in our conference.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

You bring up a very good point. Something that seems to get missed is the poor tackling. There have been many times this season that we should have had a tackle for a loss or a minimal gain only to have some terrible tackling allow the play to turn into a long gain or first down.

Now not every team is going to make every tackle in every game. But we do need to do a better job of that. That is something that can be worked on.

 

[ThreeSportStar80]

Dallas can't afford to be lazy and not wrap up when tackling!

 

[AmericasTeam31]

You bring up a very good point. Something that seems to get missed is the poor tackling. There have been many times this season that we should have had a tackle for a loss or a minimal gain only to have some terrible tackling allow the play to turn into a long gain or first down.

Now not every team is going to make every tackle in every game. But we do need to do a better job of that. That is something that can be worked on.

One key missed tackle was on the 3rd and inches. We hit the RB in the backfield and should've stopped him for a loss, instead he slips out and makes it a 4th and inches which Brady did a QB sneak for. If we make that tackle NE kicks the FG, instead we miss it, and they score a TD a few plays later....

 

[Doomsday101]

I agree the 2 main areas the team failed out too many penalties (12) and poor tackling. I would also add once again getting off to a slow start. Spotting a team like the Pats 14 points to start a game is not something you can get away with and expect to win. I will add I was proud how the team fought in the game to get back into it but it appeared by the 4th qrt the defense was wearing down and the pass rush late was non-exsistent which lead to some big plays down the field. I'm not going to get too down on the team but this game shows we still have a lot of hard work ahead of us to get to where we want to be which will hopefully be a re-match with the Pats.

 

[big dog cowboy]

I thought we played a very good game considering the holes we kept putting ourselves in.

I simply call that shooting yourself in the foot. We have done that a lot this year.

 

[THUMPER]

I agree the 2 main areas the team failed out too many penalties (12) and poor tackling. I would also add once again getting off to a slow start. Spotting a team like the Pats 14 points to start a game is not something you can get away with and expect to win. I will add I was proud how the team fought in the game to get back into it but it appeared by the 4th qrt the defense was wearing down and the pass rush late was non-exsistent which lead to some big plays down the field. I'm not going to get too down on the team but this game shows we still have a lot of hard work ahead of us to get to where we want to be which will hopefully be a re-match with the Pats.

I believe if/when we play them again in the SB we will be a much better matchup and have a good chance to win if we correct these two areas.

 

[Doomsday101]

I believe if/when we play them again in the SB we will be a much better matchup and have a good chance to win if we correct these two areas.

I think so as well. Right now we have way too many around here going overboard with comment. We faced a damn good team and just showed more work is needed but we are still a pretty good team in our own right and should continue to improve. Pats are a vet team who has been in these big games for the last 6 years and have had great success so it is not a big surprise that they played as well as they did.

 

[THUMPER]

I think so as well. Right now we have way too many around here going overboard with comment. We faced a damn good team and just showed more work is needed but we are still a pretty good team in our own right and should continue to improve. Pats are a vet team who has been in these big games for the last 6 years and have had great success so it is not a big surprise that they played as well as they did.

In 1992 we got stomped in week-4 by the Eagles 31-7. The Eagles were a very good, veteran team who didn't make many mistakes while we were the youngest team in the league and committed a ton of penalties and turnovers.

Aikman completed 50% of his passes and threw 3 INTs, finishing with a 47.7 QB rating for the game. He was also sacked 4 times. Emmitt had 67 yards on 19 carries and zero TDs.

The point is that we were a young team who was on its way up and ran into a veteran team who didn't make mistakes and forced us into a ton of them. Sounds just like yesterday's game to me. It also encourages me to believe that just like in 1992, by seasons' end we will be on our way to another Lombardi Trophy!

 

[Doomsday]

One key missed tackle was on the 3rd and inches. We hit the RB in the backfield and should've stopped him for a loss, instead he slips out and makes it a 4th and inches which Brady did a QB sneak for. If we make that tackle NE kicks the FG, instead we miss it, and they score a TD a few plays later....

That was a big miss.

 

[Doomsday101]

In 1992 we got stomped in week-4 by the Eagles 31-7. The Eagles were a very good, veteran team who didn't make many mistakes while we were the youngest team in the league and committed a ton of penalties and turnovers.

Aikman completed 50% of his passes and threw 3 INTs, finishing with a 47.7 QB rating for the game. He was also sacked 4 times. Emmitt had 67 yards on 19 carries and zero TDs.

The point is that we were a young team who was on its way up and ran into a veteran team who didn't make mistakes and forced us into a ton of them. Sounds just like yesterday's game to me. It also encourages me to believe that just like in 1992, by seasons' end we will be on our way to another Lombardi Trophy!

I hope we can make it all the way and this 1 game is not going to dampen my enthusiaum about this team. Cowboys saw 1st hand yesterday what they need to do to get to the next level. I don't think we are far off.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

In 1992 we got stomped in week-4 by the Eagles 31-7. The Eagles were a very good, veteran team who didn't make many mistakes while we were the youngest team in the league and committed a ton of penalties and turnovers.

Aikman completed 50% of his passes and threw 3 INTs, finishing with a 47.7 QB rating for the game. He was also sacked 4 times. Emmitt had 67 yards on 19 carries and zero TDs.

The point is that we were a young team who was on its way up and ran into a veteran team who didn't make mistakes and forced us into a ton of them. Sounds just like yesterday's game to me. It also encourages me to believe that just like in 1992, by seasons' end we will be on our way to another Lombardi Trophy!

Gotta like this post.

 

[Aikbach]

This loss boiled down to missed opportunities, untimely penalties and a handful of instances of putrid officiating.

Dallas can correct two of the three.

 

[Mr Cowboy]

Great teams start and finish strong. So far this year we have had horrible starts. That has to stop real soon. Once we do that, teams will be chasing us, and not us chasing them. There was an artivle recently saying that our slow starts were going to hurt us eventually. It killed us yesterday.

 

[THUMPER]

I hope we can make it all the way and this 1 game is not going to dampen my enthusiaum about this team. Cowboys saw 1st hand yesterday what they need to do to get to the next level. I don't think we are far off.

One of the things that reminds this team of our 1992 team is the enthusiasm and fun that they are having. That '92 team was a fun group with Irvin, Emmitt, Kenny Gant, and a host of others who were always fired up and having fun.

I forgot to mention about that 1992 team was that we met the Eagles again in the playoffs and stomped them 34-10 on our way to beating the Niners and then winning the SB over the Bills. We had only one fumble and 30 yards in penalties in that game. As Emmitt rushed for 114 yards and a TD and Troy completed 60% of his passes, 2 TDs, and zero INTs.

I still have high hopes for this team this year.

 

[Doomsday101]

One of the things that reminds this team of our 1992 team is the enthusiasm and fun that they are having. That '92 team was a fun group with Irvin, Emmitt, Kenny Gant, and a host of others who were always fired up and having fun.

I forgot to mention about that 1992 team was that we met the Eagles again in the playoffs and stomped them 34-10 on our way to beating the Niners and then winning the SB over the Bills. We had only one fumble and 30 yards in penalties in that game. As Emmitt rushed for 114 yards and a TD and Troy completed 60% of his passes, 2 TDs, and zero INTs.

I still have high hopes for this team this year.

Myself which is why I'm not going to sit here hammering this team today. We lost to a very good team and the loss is not coming as a big shock, I think if we clean up our mistakes and learn how to get off to better starts that we will be fine and will give ourselfs a chance to get there in the end. I don't see any need for whole sale changes or any reason to go overboard right now.