Stars not aligning for Dallas

[nathanlt]

I feel by Sunday night - we will not be happy

Why do you care? You're so pessimistic, you probably don't even think you'll be alive on Sunday.

 

[BotchedLobotomy]

The stars have aligned for this team in the not so distant past and nothing good became of it. Maybe with the stars not aligned, things will work out better.

 

[Hoov]

If the stars don't align, then we're going to have to align them. We've still got a very winnable game in front of us this weekend. Bears weren't going to beat Lions for us, anyway, and I think I"d rather have them bench Cutler and hope for a bounce from the backup.

At the end of the day, we're 10-4. I'm good with that. I can't get too worked up about any of the 4 losses. WAS was obviously the worst collection of talent that we lost to, but the games are about making plays, and they made more plays than we did that day. Same as with the other three losses. Honestly, for me, I think the SF game bothers me more than WAS did. The WAS game got us focusing on handling the interior blitz, which was a weakness that could have gotten us beaten down the road. It's something we had to overcome.

That SF game was just Tony throwing the three first-half picks off of play action. Uncharacteristic, probably related to his injury, and it's one player crimping the entire team's chance to win that important first game of the year. Plus, I live in the Bay Area, and it's ruined my ability to gloat at Christmas parties this season.

If your a Cowboys fan living in another city the worst loss is always when that city's team beats dallas and you have to deal with all the other teams fans.

That's why the Eagles Cowboys games are always the biggest games for me

 

[MRV52]

There seems to be a lot working against our team heading into this weekend's game.

1) Our NFL leading rusher has a broken hand that might cause him to miss a game we need to win against a 10-4 opponent. And on top of that, it's possible that two members of the offensive line that makes this team go will either be sidelined by their ankle injuries or not at full strength.

2) Two of the teams outside of the division we need to lose (Seattle, Detroit) are facing backup QBs with Chicago having benched Cutler and Arizona down to its third-stringer.

3) The foe we're fighting for the division not only faces an easier opponent than us, but the Eagles get to do it against a QB who seems to have lost the organization but is starting by default after Colt McCoy was injured last week.

Those are a lot of odds to overcome, but hopefully Dallas will be able to take care of business this week ... and there's always the possibility in the NFL of a team like Washington pulling off the improbable.

We don't have to worry about stars aligning as destiny is in our hands. We just have to take care of our own business. Injuries are part of the game next man up

 

[Wood]

There seems to be a lot working against our team heading into this weekend's game.

1) Our NFL leading rusher has a broken hand that might cause him to miss a game we need to win against a 10-4 opponent. And on top of that, it's possible that two members of the offensive line that makes this team go will either be sidelined by their ankle injuries or not at full strength.

2) Two of the teams outside of the division we need to lose (Seattle, Detroit) are facing backup QBs with Chicago having benched Cutler and Arizona down to its third-stringer.

3) The foe we're fighting for the division not only faces an easier opponent than us, but the Eagles get to do it against a QB who seems to have lost the organization but is starting by default after Colt McCoy was injured last week.

Those are a lot of odds to overcome, but hopefully Dallas will be able to take care of business this week ... and there's always the possibility in the NFL of a team like Washington pulling off the improbable.

total garbage. If anything things are lining up for Dallas. When the ball dies in middle of air on opening kickoff that allows Dallas to recover in a huge game...things are aligned. Tony Romo is healthy again - aligned. The CB are actually playing better in these critical games - aligned. Indy has not played well last two weeks - aligned.

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

Not sure the stars have aligned for the cowboys all season. Makes it even more remarkable to be in their current position. Win out, win the east. Can't say I saw this happening at the beginning of the year.

I believe Sanchez is 3-3 as eagles starter. Foles probably goes 4-2 or 5-1 in that stretch. Could have spelled our doom.

But it didn't. We are taking care of business.
What else could you ask for at this point?

 

[Stryker44]

If the stars don't align, then we're going to have to align them. We've still got a very winnable game in front of us this weekend. Bears weren't going to beat Lions for us, anyway, and I think I"d rather have them bench Cutler and hope for a bounce from the backup.

At the end of the day, we're 10-4. I'm good with that. I can't get too worked up about any of the 4 losses. WAS was obviously the worst collection of talent that we lost to, but the games are about making plays, and they made more plays than we did that day. Same as with the other three losses. Honestly, for me, I think the SF game bothers me more than WAS did. The WAS game got us focusing on handling the interior blitz, which was a weakness that could have gotten us beaten down the road. It's something we had to overcome.

That SF game was just Tony throwing the three first-half picks off of play action. Uncharacteristic, probably related to his injury, and it's one player crimping the entire team's chance to win that important first game of the year. Plus, I live in the Bay Area, and it's ruined my ability to gloat at Christmas parties this season.

Inferior blitz? You guys can't stop it.

 

[Idgit]

Inferior blitz? You guys can't stop it.

I guess we'll see. But that first WAS game exposed us in that regard. We were dealing with it for weeks afterward as other teams tried to exploit it. The Eagles still got pressure double-blitzing the A gap last week, though we managed to burn them on it. I'm sure we get a steady diet of it in week 17 again, too.

But that stuff helps teams in-season. DCs are smart, and they eventually try every way there is to attack you. If you're lucky enough to learn a lesson or two early, and capable enough of making the right adjustments or just learning how to recognize the pressure early, it can really help you down the road. Our OL is pretty good, so we were effective there. We've had less luck trying to manufacture pressure where our DL is suspect, but we're still trying.

 

[ActualCowboysFan]

Inferior blitz? You guys can't stop it.

At least we can read.

 

[Joe Realist]

Why do you care? You're so pessimistic, you probably don't even think you'll be alive on Sunday.

Oh, I'll be alive, just not happy with the results.

A great Christmas gift would be an Eagle loss and Cowboy win - I don't feel it.

 

[tyke1doe]

Did you see that MIN game last week? That was the one I thought might get them, because MIN historically beats the Lions fairly often. They were driving for the go-ahead fg with less than 30 seconds in the game and their replacement back goes down in the middle of the field, a yard short of the first down marker so they can't kill the clock or stop it to move chains. They fritter off 10 seconds and then blow the game on an incompletion. So frustrating.

I saw the game. Saw Teddy Bridgewater throw two consecutive picks after leading the Vikings to a 14-0 lead.

 

[nathanlt]

Oh, I'll be alive, just not happy with the results.

A great Christmas gift would be an Eagle loss and Cowboy win - I don't feel it.

Well, there's a little positivity, even without Kool-Aid. Keep running with that!

 

[Verdict]

I agree that the Commanders' loss could come back and hurt us, but making your own destiny for Dallas could be harder without Free, Martin and Murray (or even with those guys slowed).

It's still on Dallas, but it would be nice if we could have went into this game at full strength or at least with those strengths of the team intact.

We could easily have made do without some other players. These are more difficult to deal with.

Look at it this way ..... even if we were to make Murray inactive, and play Randle in his place, we still should be able to score points. Moreover if Berny and Parnell play in place of Martin and Free, we should theoretically be ok because the Colts really aren't that dominant on the defensive side of the ball. They really aren't dominant on the defensive line, at all. Plus they have already clinched their division. Usually the more desperate team wins, and we need the win a lot more than they do. We should win this game either way.

Keep in mind that Randle, Berny and Parnell are all HEALTHY players which matters a lot this time of year.

 

[KJJ]

Had the Cowboys taken care of business in week 8 at home against a bad Washington team that was playing with their 3rd string QB and who hasn't won a game since they beat the Cowboys the stars would be aligned a lot better right now.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

Dallas just needs to win. I don't care about stars aligning or any of that junk.

Just win.

 

[hornitosmonster]

We control our own destiny? What more do you want.? Talking about Arizona, 11-3 with all their injuries and suspensions. That team has no luck this year but they keep winning.

 

[Hawkeye19]

Actually that would be 7 games in a row.

it would be 6 games in a row.... weeks 16 and 17, wild card game, divisional game, NFC championship game, SB.

 

[jterrell]

Oh, I'll be alive, just not happy with the results.

A great Christmas gift would be an Eagle loss and Cowboy win - I don't feel it.

if you are going for all out bitter you gotta at least understand the best and worst case scenarios.
philly winning out and missing the playoffs(while we get the 1 seed) is the best case scenario.

worst case is we lose 1 game, philly wins out and philly gets it while we sit at home.

long live Opus Dei.

 

[pansophy]

There seems to be a lot working against our team heading into this weekend's game.

1) Our NFL leading rusher has a broken hand that might cause him to miss a game we need to win against a 10-4 opponent. And on top of that, it's possible that two members of the offensive line that makes this team go will either be sidelined by their ankle injuries or not at full strength.

2) Two of the teams outside of the division we need to lose (Seattle, Detroit) are facing backup QBs with Chicago having benched Cutler and Arizona down to its third-stringer.

3) The foe we're fighting for the division not only faces an easier opponent than us, but the Eagles get to do it against a QB who seems to have lost the organization but is starting by default after Colt McCoy was injured last week.

Those are a lot of odds to overcome, but hopefully Dallas will be able to take care of business this week ... and there's always the possibility in the NFL of a team like Washington pulling off the improbable.

I'm less worried about these obstacles and more concerned about the fact that almost all realistic playoff scenerios require us to beat Seattle and Green Bay to get to the super bowl. There really isn't likely that we get an easy path.

 

[cowboys2233]

I'm less worried about these obstacles and more concerned about the fact that almost all realistic playoff scenerios require us to beat Seattle and Green Bay to get to the super bowl. There really isn't likely that we get an easy path.

Then it would stand to reason that almost all realistic playoff scenarios require Seattle and Green Bay to beat us to get to the SB. Tall order.