People are talking about everything but what actually happened on the field

[DallasEast]

Good thread, compelling argument. Like you said, measuring the effect of the off-the-field drama on the on-the-field play is impossible. Injuries, obviously, played a significant role in the decline of the Cowboys this season.

However, we can't ignore the fact that there is blame to be assigned outside of poor execution and the lack of ability thereof due to physical impairments. Football is played as much as on the field as it is in the head. And when the head is filled with doubts about team members, coaches, and the plays being called, execution will suffer.

It is my hope in 2009 that the players of this team make an internal pact: Let there play do all the talking! I say this with T.O., Romo, Crayton, Roy Williams, etc. in mind. I don't want to hear about hopes to do better. I don't want to hear national verbalized committments to be a better leader, player, person, etc. I want them to show me. Period.

That, IMHO, would solve alot of the Cowboys problems. "Shut up and play!" That should replace the ******** "Finish" motto. That should be posted on the halls leading to the field, on every locker, on every bulletin board, on the inside of every face mask!

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...5Countem5, where are you???

 

[AMERICAS_FAN]

Certainly, Jerry Jones is responsible for what's right or wrong with his franchise, but that doesn't absolve Terrell Owens for what he has done or will do also. Jones has been rightfully or wrongfully accused of being a puppeteer, but let's be real here. Terrell Owens is the ultimate free thinker. No one is pulling his strings.

So the Devil wants to you think, about every self-destructive human being who wasted the gifts they were given throoghout humanity's course.

 

[DallasEast]

So the Devil wants to you think, about every self-destructive human being who wasted the gifts they were given throoghout humanity's course.

Now, Satan's behind Terrell Owens acting like Terrell Owens?

You're kidding, right?

 

[sonnyboy]

Good OP and good thread.

I agree with a lot of what you're saying. As far as the PBers. To the victor go the spoils (13 wins), especially with Cowboys. We'll get an extra invite or two because of the fan base, but we're not alone. Packer and Steeler fans are just as guilty.

As you said, most of the invites were deserving in 2007.

More reason for optimism with this team than concern. We need changes no doubt.

Work ethic, accountability, team unity. It has to start from the top down. Not saying it'll be easy or that I'm certain it will.

Outside of that, the talent's here. Just because the team underachieved doesn't mean it was over rated and here's why.

The 2008 Cowboys had more talent than the 2007 Cowboys yet won 4 less games.

The 13 win 2007 Cowboys lacked quality cover CB's outside of Newman, a legit threat opposite Owens and speed out of the backfield.

The 2008 Cowboys addressed these needs in a big way.

So what happened. A few things.

1) The 2007 Cowboys were coming off 9-7 and a disappointing first rd play-off exit. They were playing for a new HC and not only worked hard to impress the new regime, but approched the 2007 as a 9-7 club with no guarantees.
No sense of postseason entitlement. No feeling that "hey we're the best team, we just have to prove it in the post-season when it counts".
That team worked harder and had more to prove.

2) Injuries. I know all teams have them, but we seemed to not only have more than our fair share, but they seemed to be all happening at once. I believe our depleted roster over the first 4-6 weeks kinda shell schocked the staff. Hey these guys are dropping like flies, if we don't ease up, we won't be able to field a team.
That lead to a softening of an already soft work schedule and we lost our edge! That may have been our ultimate demise.

So the good news is that this team is more talented than the 2007 team and coming off a 9-7 record, should also have the necessary intensity to succeed in 2009.

 

[Woods]

IMO, I'd have to say the single biggest personnel/coaching mistake (whatever you want to call it) was the coaching staff not recognizing that B Johnson's QBing days were over.

Nearly everyone on this Board felt - going into last season and the pre-season - that if Romo was injured any period of time we were in big trouble.

It was even clear during the TC that B Johnson didn't have the same abilities any more. (Heck, even the Cowboys beat writers were referring to BJ as "check down Johnson".)

It was a big gamble on the Cowboys to have B Johnson back last season, and it cost the team dearly.

I think the 2nd thing that was most detrimental to the team from a coaching standpoint last season was the inconsistent play of the STs.

STs cost us vs. the Cards and vs. the Steelers at the very least.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Not a bad post, DuaneTaber.

 

[DallasEast]

Not a bad post, DuaneTaber.

You forgot the "i".

 

[Shake_Tiller]

You forgot the "i".

i before e except... in Owens' case, before anything at all.

 

[Bleu Star]

Wow. Excellent read and spot on! Thanks for laying it out there.

 

[satam55]

I just find it really funny that fans and media alike are focusing so heavily on the extracurricular stuff and not on what went wrong during the actual games.

Every day it's something about T.O.'s mouth, or Romo's lack of work ethic and leadership, or Jerry's meddlesome ways, or Wade's lack of leadership, or locker room chemistry, or team leadership, or some other intangible element.

What about what actually happened on the field? Isn't that whats wins and loses games?

I couldn't care less about all this other junk. I watch that first Commanders game and I notice that the team was manhandled on both sides of the line of scrimmage. Maybe better chemistry is the answer to that?

When I watch the Rams game, I see Brad Johnson throwing 2 yard passes into heavy traffic on 3rd and 12. Is the solution to that better leadership?

I don't know, maybe if T.O. stops talking to the press we'll be able to stop a team like the Ravens from breaking long runs for touchdowns when we're only down by 2. If only Jerry Jones wasn't all over the place, maybe players could hold and shed blocks, and wrap up on their tackles.

I'll tell you why I think we had such a bad year: We just weren't as good as we thought we were.

13 Pro Bowlers from 2007, but who were those "Pro Bowlers," exactly? Ken Hamlin and Roy Williams were two of them. Neither of those guys is anywhere near what you'd call "Pro Bowl caliber," and didn't really deserve to go in 2007.

Now we're down to 11. But wait, Nick Folk is a kicker. Not to say they're not important, but it's a little different than having a skill position player as a Pro Bowler, isn't it?

Now we're down to 10. But wait, remember that Greg Ellis, who had never made a Pro Bowl before, was in last year as a replacement player because he came on as a 3rd down rush player. He's not exactly what you'd call a true Pro Bowler either.

That leaves the following 9 guys:

Tony Romo...missed 3 games, collapsed by the end of the year
Marion Barber...dislocated pinky toe...ineffective down the stretch
Terrell Owens...rendered useless when Brad Johnson was QB
Jason Witten...broken rib, sprained ankle down the stretch
Flozell Adams...usual inconsistent self
Leonard Davis...Solid
Andre Gurode...Underwhelming
DeMarcus Ware...DPOY-caliber season
Terrence Newman...significant injury at beginning of year, up and down when healthy

This team's "talent" is largely smoke and mirrors. Half of these Pro Bowlers you can't even rely on to play well, much less exceptionally well. Of the guys you can count on, only three (Witten, Owens, Ware) were healthy enough to play at a consistently high level.

But I don't know, maybe I'm a fool for thinking we're looking for answers in all the wrong places. Maybe extracurricular junk is what actually wins and loses games.

I 100% agree! I was saying that all-season Long!

 

[Thick 'N Hearty]

I just find it really funny that fans and media alike are focusing so heavily on the extracurricular stuff and not on what went wrong during the actual games.

Every day it's something about T.O.'s mouth, or Romo's lack of work ethic and leadership, or Jerry's meddlesome ways, or Wade's lack of leadership, or locker room chemistry, or team leadership, or some other intangible element.

What about what actually happened on the field? Isn't that whats wins and loses games?

I couldn't care less about all this other junk. I watch that first Commanders game and I notice that the team was manhandled on both sides of the line of scrimmage. Maybe better chemistry is the answer to that?

When I watch the Rams game, I see Brad Johnson throwing 2 yard passes into heavy traffic on 3rd and 12. Is the solution to that better leadership?

I don't know, maybe if T.O. stops talking to the press we'll be able to stop a team like the Ravens from breaking long runs for touchdowns when we're only down by 2. If only Jerry Jones wasn't all over the place, maybe players could hold and shed blocks, and wrap up on their tackles.

I'll tell you why I think we had such a bad year: We just weren't as good as we thought we were.

13 Pro Bowlers from 2007, but who were those "Pro Bowlers," exactly? Ken Hamlin and Roy Williams were two of them. Neither of those guys is anywhere near what you'd call "Pro Bowl caliber," and didn't really deserve to go in 2007.

Now we're down to 11. But wait, Nick Folk is a kicker. Not to say they're not important, but it's a little different than having a skill position player as a Pro Bowler, isn't it?

Now we're down to 10. But wait, remember that Greg Ellis, who had never made a Pro Bowl before, was in last year as a replacement player because he came on as a 3rd down rush player. He's not exactly what you'd call a true Pro Bowler either.

That leaves the following 9 guys:

Tony Romo...missed 3 games, collapsed by the end of the year
Marion Barber...dislocated pinky toe...ineffective down the stretch
Terrell Owens...rendered useless when Brad Johnson was QB
Jason Witten...broken rib, sprained ankle down the stretch
Flozell Adams...usual inconsistent self
Leonard Davis...Solid
Andre Gurode...Underwhelming
DeMarcus Ware...DPOY-caliber season
Terrence Newman...significant injury at beginning of year, up and down when healthy

This team's "talent" is largely smoke and mirrors. Half of these Pro Bowlers you can't even rely on to play well, much less exceptionally well. Of the guys you can count on, only three (Witten, Owens, Ware) were healthy enough to play at a consistently high level.

But I don't know, maybe I'm a fool for thinking we're looking for answers in all the wrong places. Maybe extracurricular junk is what actually wins and loses games.

Everything you mentioned has a direct effect on what happens on the field. We haven't dismissed it. There's tons of threads about it.

 

[Clove]

We have 20,000 owners and GMs on this board, and none of them know a thing about how to move the football or stop an offense.

Everyone making such a big deal about Bennett making a rap video with cursing in it, Who gives a **** about a 21 year old making a youtube rap video? WTH does that have to do with getting first downs, and scoring touch downs?

Forget about what a guy is doing with his girl friend on the beach, or what party they are at, or what they are wearing, saying, etc. None of that changes the outcome of the game.

Maybe just maybe, we aren't who we thought we were.

 

[Silver N Blue]

well i may not have the "posts" that make you a credited authority here but i am a true cowboys fan of over 30 plus years and this is by far one of the best posts i have read on here since i became a member...this "team" did not play up to expectations not because of all the distractions or continued "questioned" coaching in certain areas but because the "players" as a whole did not bring it every sunday and until this team of players understands they have to show up week in and week out this group of players regardless of the coach will continue to let the fans down...i hope they figure it out soon...

 

[BourbonBalz]

Everyone keeps blaming the coaching staff. They're too soft. They don't instill discipline. They don't do this or that. The one thing I fault the coaching staff with is not being patient with the running game. We gave up on running the ball if we didn't have success almost immediately. Not smart. However, I think most of the problems surround the players. I'm just not sure most of the players on this team are willing to sacrifice their personal numbers and goals for those of the team. They buy into their own media hype. They're fine when everything is going well, but fall apart when faced with adversity. They simply don't have the attitude Super Bowl contenders have. Hell, Parcells couldn't bring it out in them. I'm not sure anyone can.

 

[ScipioCowboy]

I just find it really funny that fans and media alike are focusing so heavily on the extracurricular stuff and not on what went wrong during the actual games.

The reason is simple: "Extracurricular stuff" and game performance are integrally related.

 

[DuaneThomas71]

The reason is simple: "Extracurricular stuff" and game performance are integrally related.

How so? Can you point to a single instance of something going wrong on the field that was caused by extracurricular activity?

If not, it's nothing more than a wacky conspiracy theory.

You might as well blame the ocean currents and declining polar bear populations for the result on the field, because there isn't any evidence to actually directly connect this other stuff to on field performance. Unless you think the team's poor play is somehow "proof" that it caused it, in which case, you'd have to then prove that every team that ever had a "good" season (where you draw the line with that, I don't know) didn't have these issues, or at least, didn't have as many of these issues as teams that didn't have good years.

As long as key players aren't getting suspended for what they do off the field, I don't see why it matters. And if they're not working hard enough or consistently focused on the field, they're probably not very good players to begin with. I didn't see DeMarcus Ware blowing plays or getting eliminated from the game because of this stuff. Same with Jason Witten. I wonder why that is...