Reasons to be positive for 2013
- Thread starter Romonater
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I like that we switched defenses in what looks like an obvious attempt to increase takeaways.
And we addressed our red zone issues with Escobar, and got that extra wide out to give us the matchup we want with Miles in the slot. That third WR role hurt us more than it should have early last season.
And I think, no matter what else we might do with personnel, we're likely to be more stable along the OL and can hopefully get and keep players some time working together in their appropriate positions.
And we addressed our red zone issues with Escobar, and got that extra wide out to give us the matchup we want with Miles in the slot. That third WR role hurt us more than it should have early last season.
And I think, no matter what else we might do with personnel, we're likely to be more stable along the OL and can hopefully get and keep players some time working together in their appropriate positions.
DFWJC
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A few positives:
Defense
But there is HUGE room for upgrade this year.
Defense
- Sean Lee is back after missing almost all of last season
- Bruce Carter is back after missing about 1/2 of last season
- Barry Chruch is back after missing all of last season
- Demarcus Ware comes back healthy after playing with one armthe second half of last season
- Jay Ratliff comes back healthy after being hurt (but playing some) much of last season
- Mo Caliborne settled in late last season, so should have a much better season
- Tyron Crawford will contribute more in year two
- Justin Durant is an upgrade
- Better depth overall, imo
- Added Kiffin and Marinelli. The scheme is easier and should cut down on massive breakdowns.
- Kiff and Marinelli also are locker room upgrades, imo. Less undermining of the HC.
- Dez' route running improved and he broke out the 2nd half of last year. Romo trusted him more. A full season of that would be lethal.
- A healthy Murray
- A solid all-around rookie R, Joseph Randle
- Travis Frederick will be an upgrade wherever he starts
- A second off season to allow Callahan to coach his oline techniques
- Dwayne Harris earned Romo's and finally Garrett's trust and improved the WR staff's lower end.
- Rookie Terrence Williams will have growing pains but at least gives the offense an option to keep the deep safeties honest. By late season...look out.
- Rookie Escobar could updrage the redzone offense by mid-season
- Romo will have even more say in the offensive scheme.
- Harris broke out as a punt returner, but may still have competition--whcih is good.
- Rookies Webb, Holoman, and Wilcox will all upgreade the ST units.
- Returning one the leagues best place kickers
But there is HUGE room for upgrade this year.
anj113
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gmoney112;5079137 said:
yeah thats a great way to run a franchise.. Instead of actually fixing an awful O-Line, we will leave it alone because it cant get any worse than last year... Cowboy fans are so delusional..
IF IF this and that, and IF this and that happens, we go 13-3... IT does NOT and NEVER works out that way. We just arent a very good football team.
Eskimo
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DFWJC;5079401 said:
Good list. I like this post.
People always want to talk about what could go wrong but we have to remind ourselves about what could go right.
What was the impact of losing 4 Centers in TC last year (Costa, Killer, Nagy, Bern)? Has that ever happened before? We got Bern back towards the end of preseason but on weak legs because of the two operations. Livings was also banged up all last year with a hamstring issue early and then a knee issue later. We lost nearly the entire middle of the defense by the end of the year (Lee, Carter, Rat, Brent, Church, OScan, Peprah, Frampton, Lemon, Sims). We lost all the guys at positions and brought guys off the street only to lose them to injury. It was a brutal year and we still managed 8-8 and almost made the playoffs.
The thing that gives me more optimism than anything else is the team's spirit. This 2012 team played hard and never gave up in games. They just kept charging right back into things game after game after game. When someone went down we didn't whine - the next guy came in and competed the best that he could. It would have been real easy to give up in games like the second Giants game and the first Skins game or the Cinci game but they didn't and made a game out of all of them. They were a missed FGA away from beating the SB champs on the road. They nearly beat the defending champs twice.
I think the biggest difference this year is the OL is going to be a lot better because Tyron is going to be much better in his second year at LT, TFred is going to give a big boost to the running game from his strength at the point of attack, Parnell is going to surprise everyone and we will get better play out of OG even if it ends up being the same guys with just some better health. Defensively a healthy Ware, Rat, Lee, Carter and Chruch will make the crew better. Then add in the defensive masterminds of Kiffen and Marinelli and I think they will massively upgrade our results without massively needing to spend money and change our roster. I really look forward to seeing what they can do with guys like Lissemore, Crawford and Price who fit the new defense better.
I think it is going to be a good year for us. I'm thinking 10-6 and then a chance to go on a run in the playoffs if we are healthy and the OL and new defense gel in the second half of the season.
Doomsday101
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Romonater;5079094 said:
The big step that Dez showed in the 2nd half of last season
Harris who came on strong in the 2nd half as well as produced good results in the return game
A defense decimated with injury should be healthy heading into camp
2 very good coaches on defense in Kiffin and Marinelli who have produced very good results in working together.
With camp still a couple months away hopefully a couple more moves to help create positive results for 2013
