Philadelphia Eagles Examiner: No, the Cowboys don't appear to be going away

[ladiewolve]

It's nice to fly under the radar.

After the last couple of off seasons especially.

No drama suits me just fine.

I Agree :starspin

 

[sonnyboy]

Most of the preseason views of the Cowboys are going to weight heavily our finish and TO's departure.

It's easy to write this team off as a serious contender at a passing glance.


I actually believe there are a few more reasons to be optimistic about 2009 than 2008.

We have more "givens " with our 2009 defense. I expect it to significantly outperform the 2008 defense.

1) Jenkins, Scandrick, Sensabaugh, Spencer and Brookings > Henry, Jones, Williams, Ellis and Thomas.

2) Ratliff is an All-Pro NT. We didn't know this at the start of 2008.

3) Defense improved significantly when Wade took over the DC role. It's his true calling and now we get him in this rolew for 16 weeks.

 

[jterrell]

Anyone in philthy that doesn't believe the Cowboys will be a contender is a typical philthy stupid homer.

tell that to local mediots who continue to peg them as a .500 team.

i can see some concerns but if you look at last season and only see 44-6 you are not intelligent enough to offer sports opinions.

 

[jterrell]

Most of the preseason views of the Cowboys are going to weight heavily our finish and TO's departure.

It's easy to write this team off as a serious contender at a passing glance.


I actually believe there are a few more reasons to be optimistic about 2009 than 2008.

We have more "givens " with our 2009 defense. I expect it to significantly outperform the 2008 defense.

1) Jenkins, Scandrick, Sensabaugh, Spencer and Brookings > Henry, Jones, Williams, Ellis and Thomas.

2) Ratliff is an All-Pro NT. We didn't know this at the start of 2008.

3) Defense improved significantly when Wade took over the DC role. It's his true calling and now we get him in this rolew for 16 weeks.

I think the two biggest reasons are absent from your list.

1) Much easier schedule. Dallas played a laundry list of playoff teams last year including the championship game teams sans Tennessee fort a total of 4 games against the final 4.

2) Tony Romo has proven fairly resilient but last year he was banged up a large part of the year even when he wasn't totally out. This year we have a legit backup who could spell him if he gets banged up before he is out a month or playing awful because he shouldn't be in there.

2a) Injuries part 2...Felix Jones looked awfully dang good last year and he gave the offense a dimension it lacked with T.O. getting older. We forget how few games he got in last season. Add in a healthier Barber who should be rested more often now with TWO legit backups on the roster and the very solid running of Tashard Choice who may have the best vision on the team and that adds up to better running and passing.

 

[DallasEast]

Good point.

On another note, does anyone else think it's strange that some people are acting like that 44-6 game is the be-all and end-all? Do people really think that just because that was the last game of the year, it means we're going to play every game like that?

:signmast:

tell that to local mediots who continue to peg them as a .500 team.

i can see some concerns but if you look at last season and only see 44-6 you are not intelligent enough to offer sports opinions.

 

[Hostile]

I think Philly's window of opportunity is coming to a close. They lost the emotional leader of their Defense and probably the best DC in the NFL. Remember when we lost Woodson? Similar impact expected in Philly. McNabb finally has WRs to throw to but their best weapon is Westbrook and once again he seems delicate. The window isn't closed, but it is moving in that direction for them.

Our window is still opening up. The Giants window is still opening up. I think the division will be between Dallas and the Giants this year. Young teams with emerging QBs and solid casts around them.

The Commanders? They can't find the window though I do applaud their off season focus on D. I just don't fear mediocre QB led teams.

 

[dbair1967]

I think this writer is wrong. With that butt-whipping the Boys are having to re-examine and redesign themselves. I don't believe for a minute that this team can just start with a clean slate and believe they are even in the top 20 teams of the NFL. They will have to do it the hard way, to convince me, and show me something on the field. Of course, I am a Cowboy fan, and a good start will get my hopes up! Still I am saying the very best this team will do this year is 9-7, but more than likely 1 or 2 wins less. Sure hope, I am wrong, but I have been a fan from at least 62 (can't remember watching them in 60 or 61).

Yeah, teams never have turn arounds from one season to the next do they?

 

[bayeslife]

Yeah, teams never have turn arounds from one season to the next do they?

We should tell the Dolphins of last year to go pack it up, they don't have a chance.

 

[peplaw06]

I think this writer is wrong. With that butt-whipping the Boys are having to re-examine and redesign themselves. I don't believe for a minute that this team can just start with a clean slate and believe they are even in the top 20 teams of the NFL. They will have to do it the hard way, to convince me, and show me something on the field. Of course, I am a Cowboy fan, and a good start will get my hopes up! Still I am saying the very best this team will do this year is 9-7, but more than likely 1 or 2 wins less. Sure hope, I am wrong, but I have been a fan from at least 62 (can't remember watching them in 60 or 61).

This and a username of "fan62"??

Sounds like you're trying to convince someone.

 

[VACowboy]

I think the Cowboys' 2009 success depends on the OL.

 

[Future]

People are really undervalueing the talent on this team. Just because we lost T.O. doesn't mean there isn't talent. They haven't gone from being regarded as the most talented team in the NFC maybe the NFL to being a bunch of schmoes. This team is still the most talented in the East, and should win it because the Giants and Eagles aren't going to be nearly as good as people think imo. The "Beast" is really down this year...except for Dallas.

 

[Phoenix-Talon]

One Eagles Fan Perspective: each new regular season brings with it new hope for each team to do better than the previous year. Regardless of How you see things or what your twist on any given team is, right now we can only draw our conclusions on draft/trade acquisitions.

That said, specifically I think the Dallas Cowboys will be just a strong and just a competitive as they have always been against the Eagles and all of their NFC-East rivals. I can't speak for other Eagle fans, but I personally believe that the 44-6 beating last year is In the record books as the worst defeat the Cowboys ever had ...but has absolutely nothing to do with the2 or 3 games they meet with the Eagles in 2009.

Since I'm not a Cowboys fan, I only know a very few things that may impact the team this coming season. However, here are some things that will have an impact on the next Eagles in 2009:

> Brian Dawkins departure medium impact

> "If" Jim Johnson (Eagles Def. Coord.) is out ...significant impact

> Successfull recovery of Brian Westbrook

Note: The Eagles are an improved team from last year.

Any way you spin it, it's going to be a back alley dog fight. I'm looking forward to the games between our two teams. I think it will live up to the traditional meetings between the two teams.

Phoenix-Talon

 

[Sarge]

It's a very tight division from top to bottom. It would surprise very few if either the Giants, Eagles or Cowboys won the East. Best division in football.

 

[burmafrd]

Dawkins loss might be more of a mental and emotional loss then a physical loss. The new guy has got to prove he can make the big plays wehn needed.
The leadership loss=that is a whole other kettle of fish.

Johnson WILL be out part of the season=question is how much and how much energy will he have. Phoenix, Ihave had family go through Chemo and it just absolutely DRAINS you of strength and above all stamina. You are nuts if you think otherwise.

 

[DallasEast]

I can't speak for other Eagle fans, but I personally believe that the 44-6 beating last year is In the record books as the worst defeat the Cowboys ever had...

umm... no.

I will leave it up to someone else to find the exact historical reference, but your assumption is incorrect.

Last season, Philadelphia won soundly in the season finale. However, the 44-6 victory was due in small part to a lackluster effort by Dallas.

No, the worst beating which the Cowboys have ever had to my recollection was at the hands of the Chicago Bears in 1985. Sorry. That's incorrect. It wasn't a beating. It was a beatdown.

That 44-0 loss was a thorough white-washing. We were outcoached, outplayed and outclassed in every aspect by the eventual universally expected Super Bowl champions of that season. That game will forever go down in infamy for me, but the only similarity between it and the game you're attempting to hype is the score itself.

Don't get me wrong. Last season's loss was an embarrassment for Cowboys fans, but was it a humbling, spirit-breaking loss? Nah. It was a huge disappointment, but it was also one which we all saw as a possibility to some degree--large or small.

Nearly 25 years ago, the loss numbed fans to the bone. Last season, both teams belonged on the field, but only one truly desired to extend their season into the playoffs. Over two decades ago, one team didn't even belong on the field with the Bears.

There's a difference.

/end

 

[casmith07]

I think this writer is wrong. With that butt-whipping the Boys are having to re-examine and redesign themselves. I don't believe for a minute that this team can just start with a clean slate and believe they are even in the top 20 teams of the NFL. They will have to do it the hard way, to convince me, and show me something on the field. Of course, I am a Cowboy fan, and a good start will get my hopes up! Still I am saying the very best this team will do this year is 9-7, but more than likely 1 or 2 wins less. Sure hope, I am wrong, but I have been a fan from at least 62 (can't remember watching them in 60 or 61).

this coming from a guy who still has Roy Williams, wearing #31 no less, in his signature? Grain of salt, please.

 

[NeonNinja]

I think this writer is wrong. With that butt-whipping the Boys are having to re-examine and redesign themselves. I don't believe for a minute that this team can just start with a clean slate and believe they are even in the top 20 teams of the NFL. They will have to do it the hard way, to convince me, and show me something on the field. Of course, I am a Cowboy fan, and a good start will get my hopes up! Still I am saying the very best this team will do this year is 9-7, but more than likely 1 or 2 wins less. Sure hope, I am wrong, but I have been a fan from at least 62 (can't remember watching them in 60 or 61).

Seriously?

 

[DallasEast]

One Eagles Fan Perspective

Phoenix-Talon

PS: If you surf back to the forum before 10 pm EST tonight and see this mesage, be sure to give yourself a vote for the Eagles Suck Award for Best Non-Cowboys Fan Poster. Here's the link: http://cowboyszone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=155427

Your vote may help you win in the end, but as of right now, Tom [Giants Fan] is kicking your boo-tay! :

 

[Apollo Creed]

If our offensive line holds up we'll be fine. We're deep enough in other areas to survive, even at WR despite what many believe.

Our defense is going to be a very talented unit next year, I expect a very aggressive and confident unit. Our secondary is heavily upgarded and I think we will force twice as many turnovers next year (literally).

Our special teams will be much improved with Joe D - we drafted and focused heavily on upgrading that unit this offseason.

Our offense will be much healthier, fluid, and more flexible.

I'm pumped. Philly fans are stupid if they think this team doesn't have a chip on their shoulder.

 

[Wayfaring Stranger]

On another note, does anyone else think it's strange that some people are acting like that 44-6 game is the be-all and end-all? Do people really think that just because that was the last game of the year, it means we're going to play every game like that?

To me the Cowboys had already lost that game before it started. They had 2 "win and you're in" chances, blew the first one and got lucky when Tampa lost, which gave them another chance against Philly. The team was fractured internally with the T.O, Witten, Romo flap. Fractured teams don't win in big games, especially late in the season on the road. 2/3 of the running game was out of commission, Barber was just a shell of himself. R11 was just out there, didn't have enough time in to learn and run routes effectively (also injured). The offensive line was lead-legged and had been waring down like clockwork like they do towards the end of every season. Lastly and more importantly, the defenses heart was snatch out, stomped on and left in tatters on the field turf of Texas stadium when they closed down Texas stadium against the Ravens the week before.

None of this is new, but agree that one loss like that in the previous season under those circumstances (which have now been addressed) is not an accurate barometer of this team and this season.