Reading too many stories on how Dallas needs to lose

[risco]

We can experience our share of adversity without losing. The Vikings game is a perfect example.

Agree! I felt like something was off the entire game.

 

[Nightman]

Right...but this is only fodder for the regular season. Post-season everyone starts at zero. This team is more mature and less naive than some will acknowledge. They still have that sting from the loss at Green Bay two years ago. I can imagine their disappointment and shock at how it ended...and I'm sure that most haven't forgotten it...perhaps reminded by Garrett, that there is some unfinished business from 2014.

However, there's "some" truth to what Dungy said. Down the stretch in 2006, his Colts had a run defense meltdown on-route to the playoffs (375 rushing yds surrendered at Jacksonville)...and they produced only 24 sacks that season...fewest of any Super Bowl winner in history. They also had probably the worst run defense (173 yds/pg) of any SuperBowl winner...but in the playoffs they kept all teams they faced under 100 yds rushing. It was only in the Superbowl that gave up 111 yds on the ground.

There are no rules or axioms that apply to December football or the playoffs......the Colts have historically wasted so much time resting players, worrying about records, how they were playing....it still came down to beating NE....sometimes the rest helped, sometimes it didn't depending on the outcome

Some teams are hot before a SB run, some back into the playoffs and turn it on
Some cruise into the playoffs and get beat week one, some cruise and win it all

Al Davis had one thing right "Just win, baby"

 

[Nightman]

Agree! I felt like something was off the entire game.

The other team is fighting for their life at Home on National TV.......the talent level between NE and CLE is still small......there are no gimmes in the NFL

 

[joseephuss]

Dungy is going senile. I can't even watch him talk anymore.

The difference is, games we probably should have lost, we ended up winning.

That's a good thing. You can have adversity, and even a bad game, without losing.

It is like the 2005 season for the Colts under Dungy. They started the season 13-0. The really needed to lose a game to improve their team and propel them to a Superbowl. They lost 2 in a row and finished 14-2. Then they lost in the divisional round of the playoffs.

It doesn't take a loss to improve as a team. Lessons can be learned from every game.

 

[Thomas82]

I thought we were going to lose to the Vikings. My feeling was basically that the Cowboys can't keep winning forever (and the Vikings can't keep losing forever). I'd rather the Cowboys win every week, but if we have to lose I sure would rather get it out of the way before the playoffs.

I feel the same way.

 

[THEHEREAFTER]

It is like the 2005 season for the Colts under Dungy. They started the season 13-0. The really needed to lose a game to improve their team and propel them to a Superbowl. They lost 2 in a row and finished 14-2. Then they lost in the divisional round of the playoffs.

It doesn't take a loss to improve as a team. Lessons can be learned from every game.

 

[THEHEREAFTER]

How bout we secure HOA first before all this "need to lose ****?"

 

[Alexander]

If you look back at history, if the end result is the Super Bowl, there is a primitive point to be made.

This if of course if the Cowboys run the table for the remainder of the regular season.

Of the 15-1 or better teams in the post-salary cap era, only one team went on to the Super Bowl.

The others blew through the regular season and eventually met their demise.

2007 - Patriots 16-0; lost SB
1984 - 49ers 15-1; won SB
1985 - Bears 15-1; won SB
1998 - Vikings 15-1; lost NFCC
2004 - Steelers 15-1; lost AFCC
2011 - Packers 15-1; lost NFC Divisional

Of note, the 2004 Steelers look amazingly like this team. Rookie phenom QB. Went on a 14 game tear, squeaked by the Jets in the Divisional and finally were blown out by the Patriots.

If Dallas runs the table and finishes 15-1, they will enter the playoffs with the longest single regular season winning streak in NFL history after the perfect Patriots.

It would be awful to be like the '98 Vikings, '04 Steelers or '11 Packers. Those oh, you remember that good team that didn't make the Super Bowl?

I would gladly take a loss if that is what it took. I am not saying this matters a lot, but there is a bit of historical relevance to the concept. If you want to not only get to, but win the SB, you might be better off having more than one loss heading in. There have been 19 two loss teams, 12 went the SB with 7 winners.

 

[Risen Star]

Well I guess we know Alexander's a Giants fan next Sunday.

 

[Risen Star]

If the Cowboys keep rolling, the season finale will be treated like a preseason game. There's your loss. If they get to 14-1 that game can't mean anything to them. Everything's locked up.

 

[fifaguy]

First it was Michael Irvin last week saying he thinks it would be good for Dallas to lose game and re-focus after pain of that loss. This week its Tony Dungy saying "The worst thing that can happen is winning in December but not playing well. You start believing your team is better than you are."

Articles are coming out basically saying Cowboys will loss to Giants and it will be good thing. I am not sure I agree with this thinking because there is nothing normal about whats going on in Dallas. Rookie QB & RB have never gone on this kind of streak in NFL history. So to speak - we are already off the grid.

No rookie QB has ever started a Super Bowl game. Super Bowls started in 1967 so it will be 50 years this January. Personally, this team has already exceeded all expectations and if they don't reach super bowl I will not be disappointed. Just keep winning and learning because I think we are looking at 12 win team for next few years with multiple shots at super bowl.

Imo the worst thing that can happen in December is to start losing. I'm all for continuing to roll...

 

[Alexander]

If the Cowboys keep rolling, the season finale will be treated like a preseason game. There's your loss. If they get to 14-1 that game can't mean anything to them. Everything's locked up.

I would take that.

 

[ElGatoGrande]

I'm sure the team isn't wasting any time on this psycho-babble, there's no reason for them to feel relaxed after barely winning a lot of these games. They need to work on their execution of plays used against 8 in the box, tight coverages and blitzes,,, like hot reads, draw plays, screens, slants, QB runs, etc.

 

[Risen Star]

I would take that.

The only thing is the Eagles may also have nothing to play for. I would think they wouldn't.

Do we need to start rooting for the Eagles? This stuff gets confusing.

 

[Risen Star]

A good coach makes the team feel like they lost the Vikings game. If you were smelling yourself beforehand you shouldn't be now because you sucked in that game.

Anybody think that's the message Garrett's sending next week?

 

[Alexander]

The only thing is the Eagles may also have nothing to play for. I would think they wouldn't.

Do we need to start rooting for the Eagles? This stuff gets confusing.

Wait, since you dropped the Eagles in there, no. Lose to Tampa or Detroit or something.

 

[Alexander]

A good coach makes the team feel like they lost the Vikings game. If you were smelling yourself beforehand you shouldn't be now because you sucked in that game.

Anybody think that's the message Garrett's sending next week?

If it were Parcells there would be blocks of cheese laying all over the joint.

 

[Risen Star]

The other team is fighting for their life at Home on National TV.......the talent level between NE and CLE is still small......there are no gimmes in the NFL

A lot of truth to that.

I loathe parity.

 

[gmoney112]

If you look back at history, if the end result is the Super Bowl, there is a primitive point to be made.

This if of course if the Cowboys run the table for the remainder of the regular season.

Of the 15-1 or better teams in the post-salary cap era, only one team went on to the Super Bowl.

The others blew through the regular season and eventually met their demise.

2007 - Patriots 16-0; lost SB
1984 - 49ers 15-1; won SB
1985 - Bears 15-1; won SB
1998 - Vikings 15-1; lost NFCC
2004 - Steelers 15-1; lost AFCC
2011 - Packers 15-1; lost NFC Divisional

Of note, the 2004 Steelers look amazingly like this team. Rookie phenom QB. Went on a 14 game tear, squeaked by the Jets in the Divisional and finally were blown out by the Patriots.

If Dallas runs the table and finishes 15-1, they will enter the playoffs with the longest single regular season winning streak in NFL history after the perfect Patriots.

It would be awful to be like the '98 Vikings, '04 Steelers or '11 Packers. Those oh, you remember that good team that didn't make the Super Bowl?

I would gladly take a loss if that is what it took. I am not saying this matters a lot, but there is a bit of historical relevance to the concept. If you want to not only get to, but win the SB, you might be better off having more than one loss heading in. There have been 19 two loss teams, 12 went the SB with 7 winners.

Haha. What a great sample size. 6 whole teams with a 33% success rate.

Correlation isn't causation and anyone trying to find any trend with this sample size is just looking for reasons to complain.

 

[Clove]

To some fans around here, we've already lost like 4 or 5 games already if not for luck. I don't believe in losing, except when you've lost too many, I do believe in tanking to get good players. But when you're on a roll, just keep winning. It's up to other teams to figure out how to beat you.