Playoff losses provide lessons about where your team needs to get better - except here

Bobhaze

Staff member
Messages
18,571
Reaction score
73,269
CowboysZone ULTIMATE Fan
The ultimate judge of any pro football team in a season is what that team does in the playoffs. Playoff wins reinforce the good things about your team. Playoff losses provide the opportunity to dissect what your team lacks. The best GMs take that loss, look at what the opponent was successful at exploiting, what their team could and could not do, and find ways to address that in the off-season.

What is so frustrating about this arrogant, unaccountable 82 year old GM in Dallas is his inability (or refusal) to dissect his team critically after a playoff loss and find serious ways to improve in the off-season. How many times have we heard JJ or his entitled son say that all they needed was some luck or the ball to bounce our way? What a crock.

LOOK AT THE RECENT PLAYOFF LOSSES AND WHAT THEY SHOWED ABOUT US
  • 2018- Lost to the LA Rams 30-22 in the divisional round and the biggest lesson was clear- the Cowboys gave up 273 yards rushing. They got trucked and were physically dominated. Dak actually played well, throwing a TD and no picks. but the defense was overwhelmed. We got sacked once, did not sack them at all.
  • 2021- Lost to the SF 49ers 23-16 in the divisional round and there were two huge problems: 1. (Surprise!) The inability to stop the run, giving up 170 yards on the ground and 2. Set a record with the number of penalties - 14 penalties for 89 yards! This included 7 pre-snap penalties. Again they got physically dominated. Dak was just ok, throwing a TD but had one pick. Dak was sacked 5 times, we got zero sacks against a statue QB Jimmy Garropolo.
  • 2022- Lost again to the niners in the divisional round 19-12. A game where Dak was bad, throwing 2 picks, and the niners once again out-physicaled us. Their defense smothered us, holding us to 76 yards rushing and we had 7 costly penalties.
  • 2023- Lost 48-32 at home in the wild card round. A complete embarrassment from the opening kickoff. Dak was terrible again, throwing two costly picks in the first half including a pick 6, we got physically manhandled by the 7th seed packers. Dak was sacked 4 times and we never sacked Jordan Love once. They rushed for nearly 150 yards and completely dominated us physically.
So what were the common problems in all 4 of those playoff losses?
  • This team gets physically whipped by playoff teams. It’s obvious. The playoffs show which teams are physical and the Cowboys are always getting whipped in the physical battle. Every single time.
  • This team cannot stop the run. It’s so obvious, there’s no need to discuss.
  • In the last 4 playoff losses, the Cowboys have 2 sacks against the opponents QB…2. And the Cowboys QB has been sacked 12 times.
  • If Dak Prescott is going to have success in the playoffs, he needs a running game. In the two wins Dak has in the playoffs, here are the rushing totals:
    • WC win 24-22 vs Sea in 2018- Cowboys rushed for 164 yards. Dak had 2 TDs, no picks.
    • WC win 31-14 vs Tampa in 2022- Cowboys rushed for 137 yards. Dak had 4 TDs, no picks.
    • In all the playoff losses Dak has been the QB, the team cannot run the ball. When he has no running game, it all falls to Dak.
  • Penalties - An ongoing problem under Big Mac that never seems to get addressed.
So with all these clear deficiencies- getting physically whipped by playoff opponents, inability to stop the run, your highly paid QB needs a running game to be effective (most QBs do), and your team is so undisciplined in the playoffs, they average double double digit penalties…

And what does this GM learn from all this? We just need to get lucky?
 

Bobhaze

Staff member
Messages
18,571
Reaction score
73,269
CowboysZone ULTIMATE Fan
I want to know what we did in the off-season to fix these issues
Almost nothing. How did our GM address the need for this team to get more physical in the trenches on both sides of the ball? What absolutely jumped out at me in the last 4 playoff losses: We have been sacked 12 times, while only sacking the opponent 2 times! The trenches is where we are getting trucked.
 

Coogiguy03

Well-Known Member
Messages
26,346
Reaction score
22,314
CowboysZone LOYAL Fan
Almost nothing. How did our GM address the need for this team to get more physical in the trenches on both sides of the ball? What absolutely jumped out at me in the last 4 playoff losses: We have been sacked 12 times, while only sacking the opponent 2 times! The trenches is where we are getting trucked.
Haze that's a great great stat, wow mind blowing!!!!! I hope someone has the guts enough to tell him this, and it's just JERRY being Jerry. Everything good thing starts up front with the trenches!!!
 

phildadon86

Well-Known Member
Messages
22,535
Reaction score
32,302
The ultimate judge of any pro football team in a season is what that team does in the playoffs. Playoff wins reinforce the good things about your team. Playoff losses provide the opportunity to dissect what your team lacks. The best GMs take that loss, look at what the opponent was successful at exploiting, what their team could and could not do, and find ways to address that in the off-season.

What is so frustrating about this arrogant, unaccountable 82 year old GM in Dallas is his inability (or refusal) to dissect his team critically after a playoff loss and find serious ways to improve in the off-season. How many times have we heard JJ or his entitled son say that all they needed was some luck or the ball to bounce our way? What a crock.

LOOK AT THE RECENT PLAYOFF LOSSES AND WHAT THEY SHOWED ABOUT US
  • 2018- Lost to the LA Rams 30-22 in the divisional round and the biggest lesson was clear- the Cowboys gave up 273 yards rushing. They got trucked and were physically dominated. Dak actually played well, throwing a TD and no picks. but the defense was overwhelmed. We got sacked once, did not sack them at all.
  • 2021- Lost to the SF 49ers 23-16 in the divisional round and there were two huge problems: 1. (Surprise!) The inability to stop the run, giving up 170 yards on the ground and 2. Set a record with the number of penalties - 14 penalties for 89 yards! This included 7 pre-snap penalties. Again they got physically dominated. Dak was just ok, throwing a TD but had one pick. Dak was sacked 5 times, we got zero sacks against a statue QB Jimmy Garropolo.
  • 2022- Lost again to the niners in the divisional round 19-12. A game where Dak was bad, throwing 2 picks, and the niners once again out-physicaled us. Their defense smothered us, holding us to 76 yards rushing and we had 7 costly penalties.
  • 2023- Lost 48-32 at home in the wild card round. A complete embarrassment from the opening kickoff. Dak was terrible again, throwing two costly picks in the first half including a pick 6, we got physically manhandled by the 7th seed packers. Dak was sacked 4 times and we never sacked Jordan Love once. They rushed for nearly 150 yards and completely dominated us physically.
So what were the common problems in all 4 of those playoff losses?
  • This team gets physically whipped by playoff teams. It’s obvious. The playoffs show which teams are physical and the Cowboys are always getting whipped in the physical battle. Every single time.
  • This team cannot stop the run. It’s so obvious, there’s no need to discuss.
  • In the last 4 playoff losses, the Cowboys have 2 sacks against the opponents QB…2. And the Cowboys QB has been sacked 12 times.
  • If Dak Prescott is going to have success in the playoffs, he needs a running game. In the two wins Dak has in the playoffs, here are the rushing totals:
    • WC win 24-22 vs Sea in 2018- Cowboys rushed for 164 yards. Dak had 2 TDs, no picks.
    • WC win 31-14 vs Tampa in 2022- Cowboys rushed for 137 yards. Dak had 4 TDs, no picks.
    • In all the playoff losses Dak has been the QB, the team cannot run the ball. When he has no running game, it all falls to Dak.
  • Penalties - An ongoing problem under Big Mac that never seems to get addressed.
So with all these clear deficiencies- getting physically whipped by playoff opponents, inability to stop the run, your highly paid QB needs a running game to be effective (most QBs do), and your team is so undisciplined in the playoffs, they average double double digit penalties…

And what does this GM learn from all this? We just need to get lucky?
Going back to 2016. I am still trying to figure out why the coaching staff got cute in that game.

They beat the snot out of GB earlier in the season relying on Zeke. They come out in the playoffs throwing the ball like Zeke was not on the team.

Garrett teams typically would outsmart themselves.
 

DogFace

Carharris2
Messages
13,585
Reaction score
16,086
The refs bias does play a role in the last 20 years of being one of the most penalized teams to go along with the few very unique ones.

I believe they overcompensate (unconsciously likely) for all the favoritism we get from being the most popular team.

Isn’t why we lost
Isn’t why we’re bad
Just a factor and I’m pretty convinced it’s real.
 

MarcusRock

Well-Known Member
Messages
15,069
Reaction score
17,648
Going back to 2016. I am still trying to figure out why the coaching staff got cute in that game.

They beat the snot out of GB earlier in the season relying on Zeke. They come out in the playoffs throwing the ball like Zeke was not on the team.
What? Zeke rushed for 125 yards in that game on 22 carries (28 for 157 during the regular season game). When you fall behind 21-3, you kinda have to start throwing, don't you?
 

phildadon86

Well-Known Member
Messages
22,535
Reaction score
32,302
What? Zeke rushed for 125 yards in that game on 22 carries (28 for 157 during the regular season game). When you fall behind 21-3, you kinda have to start throwing, don't you?
Stop looking at the box score.

The reason the team was down is because they CAME OUT throwing. Trying to confuse GB and weren't controlling the clock.
 

rags747

Well-Known Member
Messages
8,216
Reaction score
8,689
Huge huge huge mistakes signing Dak to $60m and CeeDee to $33m. Everything was in place to start fresh fresh fresh with cheap contracts on the books. Hell, I still believe that this team would have been more exciting with Lance at QB, something new and different instead of same old same old. We had the chance and blew it!
 

fivetwos

Well-Known Member
Messages
20,902
Reaction score
28,909
The difference in the end is inferior coaching.

How many times after a game have you thought to yourself they were outcoached since Garrett started here, especially in playoff games?

The way the front office wants to leave the roster short they need innovative schemes that can overcome that, but we have the opposite because Jerry has to be the man and take all the credit and he can only attract retreads and people that are happy for the final payday, or happy for the opportunity to begin with. It’s never a sought after candidate with options.

How many head coaches (and even assistants) left here and never held that position again elsewhere over the last 15-20 years?
 

Aven8

Well-Known Member
Messages
29,061
Reaction score
45,869
Almost nothing. How did our GM address the need for this team to get more physical in the trenches on both sides of the ball? What absolutely jumped out at me in the last 4 playoff losses: We have been sacked 12 times, while only sacking the opponent 2 times! The trenches is where we are getting trucked.
To be fair they used their last two first round picks on trench players, Mazi and Guyton. They also got another one in BeBee in the 3rd. Unfortunately picking late in the 1st has not given us the “quality” or ready to play that generally comes with a 1st round pick. KC also drafted Kingsley Sumatia right after us and have already benched him as he’s not ready.

The running back room is an epic disaster.
 

fivetwos

Well-Known Member
Messages
20,902
Reaction score
28,909
To be fair they used their last two first round picks on trench players, Mazi and Guyton. They also got another one in BeBee in the 3rd. Unfortunately picking late in the 1st has not given us the “quality” or ready to play that generally comes with a 1st round pick. KC also drafted Kingsley Sumatia right after us and have already benched him as he’s not ready.

The running back room is an epic disaster.
Yes.

As I’ve been saying, the system is set up so as to not have sustained success. Regular season anyway.

You can’t rely on the draft only no matter what, but especially when you’re picking late in a not so deep draft. You cannot expect immediate help at all, and hammers home the point of taking your shot while within a window to win.

These two don’t get that and figure they can outsmart the system and never have a down period just because they avoid free agency.

I think this season more than proves that point.
 

charron

Well-Known Member
Messages
14,470
Reaction score
14,855
CowboysZone LOYAL Fan
But we did get better.

Gave up 273 rushing yards
then only gave up 170 rushing yards
finally gave up only 150 rushing yards

Jerry will say that's improving.
 
Top