Still the team to beat, amazingly

[foofighters]

this team is done this year they will be lucky to win 6 games they do much talking the coaching is soft in camp they should of been tougher was camp cup cake they are paying the price now

Ever heard of the CBA?

 

[tyke1doe]

IMO...the Giants are the team to beat. We are done unless Dez comes back healthy, and I'm not expecting that.
I don't blame anyone; when you pay superstars like Romo and Dez super star money and lose them both at the same time, you can't really expect the supporting cast to step up. Cassel has a noodle arm and made very questionable decisions. Things opened up a little vs. the Giants, but how much of that was the move from Weeden to Cassel and how much was the fact that the Giants have a terrible defense with no pass rush and a depleted secondary?

We don't stink; we just stink without our superstars on offense. WE won't win a single game until Dez returns healthy, and we won't compete with good teams until both he and Romo are back. Should be a fun draft this year, though

While I'm almost at the point of hopeless, I do think we may be still in it. But it's hard for me to be encouraged when we lose winnable games. We should be 5-1 even without Romo.

Second, I wonder how much pressure we'll be putting on Romo when he returns. I'm sure he can handle it, but I wonder if he presses too much knowing that he's the one who has to rescue the Cowboys season.

Third, if this, indeed, is the year we tank, I'm looking forward to the draft. I think when healthy this team is a Super Bowl contender. I think this defense will play differently and better with a healthy Romo and Dez. But if we don't get it together this year, a strong draft awaits us. We could get a young quarterback, a stud running back, a plug-and-play DT or a good corner in this draft. And you put that with what we already have, I still think we'll make the Super Bowl within a two-to-three year window if Romo stays healthy, and we add even better players.

 

[foofighters]

You assume a well oiled machine when Romo returns, if there is a season to save. Everything would have to go right, and that usually doesnt happen.

The threat of Romo alone, will make safety's play back. They won't be able to load the box as much which will help our run game.

 

[tyke1doe]

Dallas can still win the division... but their margin for error grows remarkably thin.

With the hot mess they've had at QB the past 4 games, I can't see them as the team to beat, but if they happen to steal a couple of the next 3 games before Romo comes back, they could evolve into that team by the end of the season.

They have the defense to do it (finally)... they just have to start scoring some points and winning the turnover battle... and therein lies the rub.

There were some very positive signs from yesterday's game though: The OL and run game looked probably better than last year's, considering the passing game wasn't backing the Giants up at all... and the time of possession was slanted heavily in Dallas' favor. Without the bonehead INT's, that game is easily in the Cowboys favor.

That offense, along with the excellent Dallas defense can win some games. Just have to limit the mistakes. Throw in that this was Cassel's first ever game for this team and his first on any team since last year and you can expect some improvement in the next game or so.

It isn't going to be easy... but it is possible.

Great post.

 

[Kaiser]

Dallas can still win the division... but their margin for error grows remarkably thin.

I agree, we can still win the Division mostly because NY and Washington suck. Dez will be back next week, and even if he is at 70% it will still have a ripple effect. It makes the passing game much better, which makes the run game better, which makes the defense better because they aren't on the field as much.

In the NFL teams that have a visible weakness are exploited and destroyed - which happened when we had no passing game. Dez back on the field, even less than 100%, changes all that.

 

[ActualCowboysFan]

this team and and org are really good at excuse I have heard every one you can hear over the last 20 years

You are a poet blue.

 

[Junglist]

Hopefully I can break even with the rest of my tickets.

 

[Idgit]

Dallas can still win the division... but their margin for error grows remarkably thin.

With the hot mess they've had at QB the past 4 games, I can't see them as the team to beat, but if they happen to steal a couple of the next 3 games before Romo comes back, they could evolve into that team by the end of the season.

They have the defense to do it (finally)... they just have to start scoring some points and winning the turnover battle... and therein lies the rub.

There were some very positive signs from yesterday's game though: The OL and run game looked probably better than last year's, considering the passing game wasn't backing the Giants up at all... and the time of possession was slanted heavily in Dallas' favor. Without the bonehead INT's, that game is easily in the Cowboys favor.

That offense, along with the excellent Dallas defense can win some games. Just have to limit the mistakes. Throw in that this was Cassel's first ever game for this team and his first on any team since last year and you can expect some improvement in the next game or so.

It isn't going to be easy... but it is possible.

We're dead last in the league in TO differential, at -9. We're last in takeaways, with 3, and we're 7th in giveaways, with 12. It's kind of a no-brainer why we're losing right now. Question is, how do we change it up? Being more aggressive downfield on offense is great, if you can avoid the big mistakes, which we didn't. And the defense can't get them back for you once you cough it up. Throw in the defensive score and the special teams score, and we really had no business being in that NY game at all. It's kind of crazy that we even had an outside chance of sweeping them this season given all the probabilities stacked up against it.

I wish I felt like we were going to start playing better coverage on Teams this week. Or I could think if a way for us to start getting TOs on defense that didn't mean playing more zone coverage. I don't understand why we're not getting the takeaways, but it's getting ridiculous.

 

[bayeslife]

We are in last place and couldn't beat a Giants team that got throttled by Philly. No we are not the team to beat.

 

[RonSpringsdaman20]

We'll most likely be 2-7 when Romo gets back so it won't much matter.

I like your post a lot, so when I read this from you... a little more air goes out the football.

 

[DoomsDayD]

Is this year 6 of the rebuild master plan ... meanwhile, Atlanta turned it around quickly with head coach in year 1 there, Minnesota year 2 of Zimmer, look at San Francisco when Harbaugh was there and many more examples ... and I was totally disgusted as a fan after that 100 yard KO return and all our head coach does is clap, really, that was ridiculous.

Give it a few more years...ROMO is still young and healthy!!!!

 

[Bleu Star]

Fortunately, despite all the misfortune and calamity.

A win yesterday would have put Dallas alone in first place. The loss put them alone in last. Ladies and gentlemen, your NFC East...

This division looks like a bucket of something a cat threw up. That was the absolute best game the Giants are capable of. The Eagles are a healthy hot mess of ineptitude. The Commanders are still the dysfunctional Keystone Cops they always are.

If Dallas was healthy, they'd almost have this division wrapped up by now. But "if" never listens to reality, as we all know.

Unlike the other East teams, we know this isn't the Dallas Cowboys. There are at least two more gears for this team to go to, eventually, when the best two players on the roster return. Some plays are getting made, but not enough, and especially not enough to eliminate the mistakes by those who aren't supposed to matter. Turnovers remain a frustratingly one-way street. Every penalty or mistake is making twice the dent they would if all hands were on deck.

Still, I remain impatiently optimistic through this grueling wait, although the mulligans are running thin.

At least Cassell is significantly better than Weeden, particularly when you consider he just got here. He should only improve as we go as he gets more comfortable with his team and playbook, even with the Seattle defense next up. At least he's not afraid to play quarterback, unlike Weeden, who would probably cry, literally, if he played against Seattle this week. Good gosh, he's a chicken you-know-what.

Dez is soon to arrive. Hopefully Seattle, but if not, by Philadelphia. That should make the entire passing game better, which should then feed this resurgent running game we saw yesterday. The Eagles game looks winnable, as does Tampa. And lest we forget, the Seahawks are 2-4, too, and they're actually healthy. That's not as impossible as it sounds.

Marinelli's defense has its parts now (although Ro McClain looked awful yesterday), and I fully expect this turnover outage to restore itself soon. It just doesn't make sense, and football tends to finds its way to an even level if the talent is on hand. This has to turn Dallas' way soon defensively.

Lastly, Romo is three games away. What will be left when he gets here? What will the division standings look like? Will 8 wins win the division or will it take 9? Nobody's winning 10 unless Dallas suddenly goes on a roll.

The others in this division don't have a Dez and Romo on the way. They are what they are already, 8-8 teams at best. As bad as it's been for Dallas, the Cowboys are only 1.5 games out of first place. This is not time to panic, though it darn sure feels like it. Sheesh.

This will either be a season to remember for all time, or a cataclysmic crash of the highest of hopes. That happens when elite QBs go down, but it stings just the same.

Thankfully, the football gods hocked a loogie on this division, and hope remains real and possible.

So there's that.

I like our chances against anyone in the NFL when we are at full strength. The key is not completely bombing the rest of these games until we get there.

The Cassel/Collins /Michael changes all brought positivity. As much as people want to get all over Cassel, he actually did pretty well for someone that most likely only still has about 80% of the offense down. Now he gets to sit down all week between practices and review/critique actual game footage of his performance within our system. That's invaluable. I like our chances to get better with this format in place (and a new lead dog in place at RB). Never have been impressed with Randle as a lead dog. He is the quintessential change of pace back.

 

[CyberB0b]

2-4. in contention for the #1 draft pick, and we are the team to beat. Wow.

 

[JoeyBoy718]

You assume a well oiled machine when Romo returns, if there is a season to save. Everything would have to go right, and that usually doesnt happen.

Yep. We barely beat these awful Giants with Romo. And our offense with Romo got shut down by Philly in game 2. My point is our offense had problems even with Romo and Dez. And our defense had problems even with Hardy, Gregory, Lee and McClain. You have to be flawless to go 7-0 against Miami, Washington twice, Jets, Buffalo, Panthers and Packers. New England would struggle and they've been mistake-free as usual. Talent has never been our issue. We've always had talent. Our issue has been mistakes. It's like we're cursed. Late game INTs, fumbles by WRs and RBs, mishaps by special teams, defensive collapses. We've been doing it for over a decade. You don't win in the playoffs making mistakes and you don't go 7-0 against that schedule (see above) making mistakes.

 

[erod]

Dallas is 0-4 without Romo. If we had won ONE game it might look more plausible.

And if Weeden were still at QB, the Cowboys might be cooked.

They really need to get 2 of the next 3, I agree. But don't be surprised if he rest of the division has losing records as well.

 

[RonSpringsdaman20]

2-4. in contention for the #1 draft pick, and we are the team to beat. Wow.

lol...

 

[erod]

This is it. This is the Dallas Cowboys....This is what they are.

No Romo or Dez. And this is what they are?

 

[Idgit]

2-4. in contention for the #1 draft pick, and we are the team to beat. Wow.

Crazy thing is (and we're obviously *not* the team to beat in the NFCE right now), but we really aren't that far out of it, despite all the negative plays. The East is really just dreadful this season. And that Giants team we rolled over for yesterday is not good. They can't get any pressure at all, and they can't threaten you downfield with any consistency. They're capable of getitng hot, and playing better, but they're not a good team, either. And PHI and WAS are in just as much trouble as we're in, or close to it, without the benefit of the two all-pro's returning.

It's a weird season. And not in a good way.

 

[Joe Realist]

The season is over in 2 weeks

 

[RonSpringsdaman20]

Yep. We barely beat these awful Giants with Romo. And our offense with Romo got shut down by Philly in game 2. My point is our offense had problems even with Romo and Dez. And our defense had problems even with Hardy, Gregory, Lee and McClain. You have to be flawless to go 7-0 against Miami, Washington twice, Jets, Buffalo, Panthers and Packers. New England would struggle and they've been mistake-free as usual. Talent has never been our issue. We've always had talent. Our issue has been mistakes. It's like we're cursed. Late game INTs, fumbles by WRs and RBs, mishaps by special teams, defensive collapses. We've been doing it for over a decade. You don't win in the playoffs making mistakes and you don't go 7-0 against that schedule (see above) making mistakes.

exactly. we have a lot of things to fix besides just getting romo, & dez back.