Shortcomings were clearly on display last night

[Clarkson]

As I've said, I think 3 games in 11 days for both teams evens the playing field, especially against a defensive team.

 

[Clarkson]

I'm not afraid to talk about them.

So brave. My hero.

 

[BourbonBalz]

Who cares what they accomplished the past 11 days? This ain't college basketball. There are no regular season champion trophies. What are they going to do in January?

Well, if they do what they've done in the regular season, they're going to win.

 

[Stash]

I understand complaining after a loss but this team is 11-1. OK the Cowboys didn't play well. No team plays well every week. Seattle only scored 5 points last week. Just don't see all the gloom that some do.

If you want to call it "complaining", that's your prerogative. I see it as valid criticism and legitimate concerns.

I see issues that could have cost this team that game last night. And I worry that if they're not corrected, it will soon cost them one. Maybe as soon as next week.

Fans want to say that "no team is perfect", but somehow take issue and want to blind themselves when these imperfections are pointed out?

 

[Proximo]

So brave. My hero.

Literally LOL'd. Well done.

 

[Dale]

I like Whitehead, too. We need to see how the rest of the season plays out with him. He had a bad game, but he has abilities that others on our team don't. Remember, Zoners, the disaster that was Beasley returning kicks and punts??

I'd like to give him more of a chance.

Yup. And remember, too, Zoners already cut Beasley years ago after being fed up over his couple of fumbles.

Whitehead is essentially a utility/situation guy for us that has played his role pretty well. Remember how key he was to beating Green Bay?

Sorry, but I'm not releasing a role player over one fumbling mistake.

Imagine if Zeke hadn't recovered his own fumble. Oh the rueage!

 

[PA Cowboy Fan]

If you want to call it "complaining", that's your prerogative. I see it as valid criticism and legitimate concerns.

I see issues that could have cost this team that game last night. And I worry that if they're not corrected, it will soon cost them one. Maybe as soon as next week.

Fans want to say that "no team is perfect", but somehow take issue and want to blind themselves when these imperfections are pointed out?

It's one game. The Giants defense is nowhere as good as the Vikings. The Giants struggled with the Browns for most of the game. If the Cowboys don't correct these penalties that will cost them. I'm not worried about the rest. I've seen them win 10 games before last night and was impressed with them.

 

[Stash]

So brave. My hero.

Don't need your validation.

 

[PA Cowboy Fan]

I can't believe it. I've become a homer.

 

[Stash]

It's one game. The Giants defense is nowhere as good as the Vikings. The Giants struggled with the Browns for most of the game. If the Cowboys don't correct these penalties that will cost them. I'm not worried about the rest. I've seen them win 10 games before last night and was impressed with them.

Opinions vary.

 

[Trouty]

Yup. And remember, too, Zoners already cut Beasley years ago after being fed up over his couple of fumbles.

Whitehead is essentially a utility/situation guy for us that has played his role pretty well. Remember how key he was to beating Green Bay?

Sorry, but I'm not releasing a role player over one fumbling mistake.

Imagine if Zeke hadn't recovered his own fumble. Oh the rueage!

Preach, Dale, my brother. Love Whitehead on this squad, we needed a Harris replacement, and it was looking bleak before Lucky arrived.

And yes, he isn't Dwayne, but he's far and away better than any replacement-level player on this squad. A whole lot of knee-jerk in this thread.

 

[Philmonroe]

Agreed- except I'd say it's extremely annoying, in my opinion.

I was trying to be nice to our fellow Boys fans who partake in said behavior. I agree that's why I mainly stay out of game threads unless its something good happening.

I like making fun of players names, and commercials, and the announcers and such during a game. I spend less time getting angry and most of my time just being an idiot. The chats move so fast that you can kind of ignore the angst and try to hang on to the thread of the conversation. And then they're too stupid to go back and read later, which is why I think I don't remember the complaining so much.

When I have to wander into the game threads to moderate, jesus. I can't go in without waders on. If we're losing, even the waders don't help.

Yeah I feel for you having to moderate that minefield lol. It couldn't be me I'd have to use all my sick days up.

 

[Trouty]

Don't need your validation.

Well I'll validate you as a hell of poster, one of the best, for whatever that's worth, Stash

(Just to lighten it up)

 

[Risen Star]

Or Dunbar? Get McFadden out there.

Or you can just leave your best player in the game.

 

[Trouty]

I can't believe it. I've become a homer.

Welcome to the club, PA. Here, have a seat with the rest of us... new arrivals are coming in everyday

(I'm one, too )

 

[Verdict]

If you're not in the game threads, sometimes the posts the first few days after a game are surreal. After 11 straight wins, this is what passes for a loss reaction around hear.

That MIN defense is really good. It showed last night. We were lucky to come out with the win, but it's pretty amazing what this team accomplished the last 11 days. Against some good teams.

I think your post is well reasoned, but I'm just not sure about part of it. If you look at Minnesota's defense I think most would agree that it is, statistically speaking, one of the tougher defenses in the NFL, and most would say top 5. I think the eyeball test also supports that, to an extent.

I really thought our offensive play calling was pretty suspect last night. I realize when plays don't get positive yardage that they look bad, but I thought conceptually we did a poor job of attacking them.

I think the coaching staff was too unimaginative in their play calling. Having said all of the above, it would have been good enough if we had not had all the penalti and the score might have been more in our favor.

 

[kramskoi]

If you're not in the game threads, sometimes the posts the first few days after a game are surreal. After 11 straight wins, this is what passes for a loss reaction around hear.

That MIN defense is really good. It showed last night. We were lucky to come out with the win, but it's pretty amazing what this team accomplished the last 11 days. Against some good teams.

The view from 30,000 feet is indeed impressive...and if they beat the Giants, they will have consecutively beaten four teams with winning records (at the time they played them)...with three of them road wins (three of them still have winning records to date). They are tied with Seattle at 4-1 in quality stats...so this team is definitely for real, when looking at what they have done over the last twelve weeks. They are indeed the biggest threat to Seattle going forward.

That said...I wouldn't pat them on the back too much after Minnesota. Yes they've been on the bit for 11 days or so, but they are entering the toughest stretch of the schedule. Moreover, NY and Seattle might decide that they are going to push them until the end of the month. Take the win, burn the tape and get ready to punch the Giants in the mouth, especially if they win at Pittsburgh...which hopefully they won't (the consensus opinion).

Last night was a playoff type atmosphere and the Cowboys should do their best to obtain HF throughout the playoffs, which would certainly help the offense avoid some of the pitfalls we saw due to noise.

 

[Sandyf]

Sometimes it seems fans don't think. Sure we have short comings, sure we need to get better players in places of need but every team suffers from the same sort of lesser players. Look at Minnesota, a great defense, probably the best in the NFL considering what they have to content with on offense. They spent the last few drafts and free agency acquiring very good to great defensive players, not so much on offense especially considering how bad Treadwell looked last night.

The off season will bring changes, exactly where is another question. I would like to see if Tapper is a difference maker, maybe Gregory comes back and is a changed person and makes an impact, Smith should provide great help as the MLB and then there is the draft. We can only hope that we do as well with the draft as last year yet on the defensive side of the ball but remember a couple of key items. We haven't and I don't expect us to sign any high price free agent so might dream of something else. In the draft we have gone with the best available player regardless of position for several years now so if a TE or OL or WR are the best when we draft don't expect them to reach for a DE or DT or CB because seriously doubt that happens.

We can complain about Carr but did he allow a TD last night, did Brown and Scandrick play good enough for the win, heck Minnesota had one drive, one that resulted in 6 so the defense did quite well for every other drive. Yes, we need more pressure on the QB but look at the remaining games and tell me which of those O lines are anything close to ours, none of them are. Sorry but the defense is getting it done to help us win. No it isn't great or even very good but good enough works also as long as the offense is clicking and when they aren't like last night the D did step up.

The Boys are making the right decisions when needed and if there was no salary cap then I am sure we would have another Doomsday Defense but the reality is that every team including the Boys are always going to find 5 or 6 guys that need replacing every year.

 

[kramskoi]

I think your post is well reasoned, but I'm just not sure about part of it. If you look at Minnesota's defense I think most would agree that it is, statistically speaking, one of the tougher defenses in the NFL, and most would say top 5. I think the eyeball test also supports that, to an extent.

I really thought our offensive play calling was pretty suspect last night. I realize when plays don't get positive yardage that they look bad, but I thought conceptually we did a poor job of attacking them.

I think the coaching staff was too unimaginative in their play calling. Having said all of the above, it would have been good enough if we had not had all the penalti and the score might have been more in our favor.

Their final scoring drive, which started at their own 46 brought back troubling memories of 2010-2013 Garrett...with his conservative philosophy on the road...and playing not to lose, or limit mistakes. If Dallas had scored a TD instead of a FG, the game would have been over before the theatrics of the final 3 minutes. The question you must ask is if the Cowboys would have scored a TD on that drive if the game was on the line...54 yards is a rather short field for an offense that put up 8 consecutive weeks of +400 yd games.

 

[cowboys1981]

We need to factor in the fact that we played 3 PHYSICAL teams in a short span. I imagine some of these guys were still hurting from the previous two games.

I for one agree on the pass rush situation. Despite that and with the absence of Mo in the secondary we're still finding ways from holding teams to FG. I know people love stats as a reference but I am at the point when a team hits our redone they're more and likely kicking a FG.

Defense makes opportunistic plays, ST does too. Our offense is really consistent and you can't argue that by looking at one game.

Last night Free struggled big time. I think we had to use TEs and RBs to help his side when we could've used those players as check downs. Minnesota is no joke. Their defense is really good. Their LBs did a good job closing lanes and eliminating screens with the way they covered ground.

I love the fact that their pumped up crowd went home wanting the result we netted whether it was ugly or not.