Doctor32
Hi-Definition Warrior
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Do you remember the T-shirt that Bill wore last year in mini-camps and/or training camp that captured the wonderment of our Dallas/Fort Worth media types?
The trumped up motto / mantra / mission statement from Bill & the Players had some ironic significance last year. The team never seemed to fully gel - all units together. Even with the advent of Romo-mania at the midway point, the ugliness of the Defensive demise only brought about more locker room tension and ambiguous finger-pointing through the media. Only once again proving the strength of team chemistry in the NFL is a blaringly audible power chord of a factor in any given team's success or failure - along with a dozen others.
My point:
The impression I get from this team thus far in the season is that they are all in. The Cowboys have proven themselves over four games to be a resilient group - one that can overcome poor play by one unit, repeated mistakes, early turnovers, would-be costly injuries, un-sharp play and any other example of in-game adversity that a team can face. Yet, this group ends up dominating. It's almost like the defense, encouraged by the proven play of the offense, specifically its leader in Romo, is playing up to the challenge because they have each other's back. It started with the Giants game. They're a tight knit group playing for each other and pulling one another through any and all adverse conditions within a game. That wasn't the case so much last year down the stretch against Detroit, Philly, New Orleans and even earlier in 2006 like the season opener in Jacksonville, for example. A dark cloud of "here we go again" would seem to creep in and take hold.
Sunday's infamous snap-over-the-head play by Romo, for me, left a much more defined impression of what this team really is. Not because of Romo's remarkable on-field savviness and moxie, if you will (and yes, that was extremely impressive). But the defense, huddled together looking over printouts and going over details in case the Rams were to get the ball back, to a man, all went to the white of the sidelines waving towels and jumping up and down and pumping their fists for their teammate. And it continued on until Romo scored 5 play later and the celebration and congratulations for Romo came by the defensive team in packs. This is stout evidence to one Joe Average spare-fan observer that this team really does play for each other, they have each other's back, and they are a very tightly knit family.
It's what the preceding head coach couldn't accomplish, but had the goal in mind. I think the 2007 Cowboys took Bill's '06 goal to heart and, to a man, have decided to push all of their chips to the center of the table.
The trumped up motto / mantra / mission statement from Bill & the Players had some ironic significance last year. The team never seemed to fully gel - all units together. Even with the advent of Romo-mania at the midway point, the ugliness of the Defensive demise only brought about more locker room tension and ambiguous finger-pointing through the media. Only once again proving the strength of team chemistry in the NFL is a blaringly audible power chord of a factor in any given team's success or failure - along with a dozen others.
My point:
The impression I get from this team thus far in the season is that they are all in. The Cowboys have proven themselves over four games to be a resilient group - one that can overcome poor play by one unit, repeated mistakes, early turnovers, would-be costly injuries, un-sharp play and any other example of in-game adversity that a team can face. Yet, this group ends up dominating. It's almost like the defense, encouraged by the proven play of the offense, specifically its leader in Romo, is playing up to the challenge because they have each other's back. It started with the Giants game. They're a tight knit group playing for each other and pulling one another through any and all adverse conditions within a game. That wasn't the case so much last year down the stretch against Detroit, Philly, New Orleans and even earlier in 2006 like the season opener in Jacksonville, for example. A dark cloud of "here we go again" would seem to creep in and take hold.
Sunday's infamous snap-over-the-head play by Romo, for me, left a much more defined impression of what this team really is. Not because of Romo's remarkable on-field savviness and moxie, if you will (and yes, that was extremely impressive). But the defense, huddled together looking over printouts and going over details in case the Rams were to get the ball back, to a man, all went to the white of the sidelines waving towels and jumping up and down and pumping their fists for their teammate. And it continued on until Romo scored 5 play later and the celebration and congratulations for Romo came by the defensive team in packs. This is stout evidence to one Joe Average spare-fan observer that this team really does play for each other, they have each other's back, and they are a very tightly knit family.
It's what the preceding head coach couldn't accomplish, but had the goal in mind. I think the 2007 Cowboys took Bill's '06 goal to heart and, to a man, have decided to push all of their chips to the center of the table.
