Taking It Over and Doing it for Yourself

[LaTunaNostra]

In Bill's very brief post-game comments yesterday, he made a statement that I found very interesting. It was "At some point in time, you guys got to take over and do it yourself." *as quoted in Spags post game piece, and I'm sure will be quoted elsewhere today.

I listened to the post game and one reporter, sonded like JJT, tried to get Bill to elaborate on it, but BP was in a rush.

The differences between an inconsistent team and a good team, the differences between a pretender and a contender, can't always be determined from statistics - stats are just the quantifier of various tangibles -but those very obvious but less quantifiable qualities are what separate winners from losers.

We know, for example, that yesterday's game demonstrated a stat indicating an pretty great leap forward in execution - no penalties (at least none accepted) - but the question is why?

Why all of a sudden this crucial improvement in penalty yardage lost?

We can't say it was the quality of the competition, despite AZ's record. No PI calls vs receivers the quality of Fitzgerald and Boldin, no (well, no called holding vs Berry and Okeafore...that qualifies in my mind as 'impressive'.

I hope Bill elaborates today on his post game comment.

Watching that game yesterday, I had that "breakthrough" feeling, more so than the more widely acclaimed victory over the Eagles.

If it is true that the team is now better oiled, more confident in it parts and whole, more likely to compensate for its own mistakes, better equipped to make itself accountable, without micromanaging and constant fits and starts.....then that, imo, is an enormous improvement.

This one is not going to be explained solely via stats..it's about spirit, heart, competence, and acountability. It won't be explained by individual performances either.... it's a phenomenon of team building that you see now and again in the NFL...when everything just seems to come together, and you know some essential gap has been bridged.

Bill 'put this one on his players",

and they responded like contenders.

It's a great feeling to be taking into the bye week, for sure.

 

[TruBlueCowboy]

I agree, seems like one of those games that pulls the team together and sets the tone from here on out. Unfortunately, I think the Giants just had the same type of game. Doh! LOL

 

[JakeCamp12]

LaTuna,

I agree with what your saying, but to me the Philly game at Philadelphia will tell me if this team is for real. To win a road game on MNF against the NFC Champion who want revenge, will be a statement game. If they can put the kind of effort into that game as they did against the Cardinals, then I will know that the Tuna has this team's attention.

 

[LaTunaNostra]

Maybe they did TBC... so we just have to outstrip them.

One team building area I think we may be leading is in team unselfishness (altho if anyone can weed or knock it out of individuals, it is Tom Coughlin).

It's not just Bledsoe, who apparently has taken to Bill's attempts to read the field from bottom up, and to throw the rock away when nothing is there...this is so big..that he be willing and able to readjust his game. Not just the receivers, a notorious breed for ego and ball hogging....being willing to share. Really, three 'former number ones', and no grousing?

It's Jason doing more blocking, the dline accepting rotations, the dbs bailing each other out, the vet linemen mentoring the kids....this is a team that really has that element of comradery going. No discipline problems, no tantrums. Accepting their roles.

All players want to be on the field as many snaps as there are.

It's great to see how the coaches have sold the time share.

That's one factor that has to pay off big.

 

[yesfan]

It may not be the same game i grew up with,but
the NFC, is looking like it did.The games coming up
in just our division,are all going to be excellent games
to watch.Who knows,the road to the Super Bowl,might
just come through the NFC east.

 

[SteveOS]

LaTuna,

I agree with what your saying, but to me the Philly game at Philadelphia will tell me if this team is for real. To win a road game on MNF against the NFC Champion who want revenge, will be a statement game. If they can put the kind of effort into that game as they did against the Cardinals, then I will know that the Tuna has this team's attention.

I agree 100%. Sure the Cards are no slouch, but the big Monday nighter at Philly will show us a lot more. Some of those holding calls that went our way against the Cards, won't be called the same way in Philly. The Boys just have to play through them and stay aggressive. If they stay aggressive, I have no doubt they'll win their fair share of games.

 

[Ashwynn]

One team building area I think we may be leading is in team unselfishness .

And pple wanted to trade or cut Ellis and GLover, totally rework our D. This is what you get when you build a team making sure every brick it the exact type and quality you want. Much like the Spurs, build qith quality guys and you will have a team of high quality and unselfish behavior that can over come anything.

This is a lesson for all you that wants all the Obogus, Colemans and Reeves and Jones's out of here. Becareful what you wish for, you just might get it.

 

[JackMagist]

I agree, seems like one of those games that pulls the team together and sets the tone from here on out. Unfortunately, I think the Giants just had the same type of game. Doh! LOL

I'm not so sure that this is what we saw out of NY. There was a lot of emotion up there with Mara's death and a lot of factors that went beyond the team that came into play. It may carry through for a week or two more but I'm not sure that it is the sort of thing that will take them through the season though they could find themselves as a team in the midst of all of this. But IMO their game against the 'Skins was much like our game against the Eagles. Only time will tell.

 

[HDC]

The Cowboys played a very good game on their home field against a competent but weak opponent. An important and positive step. But no more than that. There are still eight, mostly difficult games to handle; a very long season for our young players; and injuries, nagging ones for all and serious ones for some. Let's not declare the millenium just yet.

 

[LaTunaNostra]

The Cowboys played a very good game on their home field against a competent but weak opponent. An important and positive step. But no more than that. There are still eight, mostly difficult games to handle; a very long season for our young players; and injuries, nagging ones for all and serious ones for some. Let's not declare the millenium just yet.

I don't think we're in millenium territory either HDC, just that the team feels like it is finally coming together.

That disjointed, disconnected nagging lack of cohesion.. which imo was the biggest plague of last season, the 'not getting it', the stumbling indecision ...it's not rivetingly apparent anymore.

Sure, there will be setbacks, but the mix seems right now, be it the vets and youth or the rotations...the team no longer feels like a sum its part, but a unit. And all last year and half of this, the glaring lack of coherence was there.

Sometimes things just 'click' for a team, I saw it last with the Pats in mid 2001. And no I am not predicting a ring this year...but step by step the team jas been cohesing, and soonr or later one small step forward feels like a giant leap.

I really think this team has crossed the bridge.

 

[TheHustler]

Watching that game yesterday, I had that "breakthrough" feeling, more so than the more widely acclaimed victory over the Eagles.

I hope you are right.

 

[Mike 1967]

In Bill's very brief post-game comments yesterday, he made a statement that I found very interesting. It was "At some point in time, you guys got to take over and do it yourself." *as quoted in Spags post game piece, and I'm sure will be quoted elsewhere today.

I listened to the post game and one reporter, sonded like JJT, tried to get Bill to elaborate on it, but BP was in a rush.

The differences between an inconsistent team and a good team, the differences between a pretender and a contender, can't always be determined from statistics - stats are just the quantifier of various tangibles -but those very obvious but less quantifiable qualities are what separate winners from losers.

We know, for example, that yesterday's game demonstrated a stat indicating an pretty great leap forward in execution - no penalties (at least none accepted) - but the question is why?

Why all of a sudden this crucial improvement in penalty yardage lost?

We can't say it was the quality of the competition, despite AZ's record. No PI calls vs receivers the quality of Fitzgerald and Boldin, no (well, no called holding vs Berry and Okeafore...that qualifies in my mind as 'impressive'.

I hope Bill elaborates today on his post game comment.

Watching that game yesterday, I had that "breakthrough" feeling, more so than the more widely acclaimed victory over the Eagles.

If it is true that the team is now better oiled, more confident in it parts and whole, more likely to compensate for its own mistakes, better equipped to make itself accountable, without micromanaging and constant fits and starts.....then that, imo, is an enormous improvement.

This one is not going to be explained solely via stats..it's about spirit, heart, competence, and acountability. It won't be explained by individual performances either.... it's a phenomenon of team building that you see now and again in the NFL...when everything just seems to come together, and you know some essential gap has been bridged.

Bill 'put this one on his players",

and they responded like contenders.

It's a great feeling to be taking into the bye week, for sure.

Your post makes me think of my other team.....the Longhorns.

These guys were getting stomped during the first half but they came out loose and confident in the second half. There is an intangible on that team that has not been there in past memory. They just seem to have a very special chemistry. Hopefully we are seeing the makings of that in Dallas.

I definitely like the individual character of most of the players that make up this team. I just don't see a lot of me guys on this team.

 

[LaTunaNostra]

I hope you are right.

Hustler, the only thing that will make me satisfied with this season is playoff wins. I sure don't expect the Bowl this year, but it's very feasible we can get deep into the playoffs.

I don't care who goes to the Pro Bowl, who earns a fat contact extension, what individual has fantasy football leading stats.....Bill has been here too long now not to have brought his new team at least one playoff win.

No individual accolades will do it....gotta be the playoffs and some measure of success in them this year. Too much work has gone into the rebuilding of the team not to reap some results now.

I don't know about you, but I will find it pretty crushing not to get it. I thought in the summer and right up to a week or so ago this was 9-7 team. But now I think it can do better than that.

 

[Redball Express]

I think you have to be cautious about getting too fired up about a game played against the CARDS. That team has tremendous problems.

As for the lack of penalties, I find that the number of penalties incurred is usually proportional to the degree of talent of the other team.

Teams that matchup well or even overwhelm you at certain positions tend to force lesser players to lose composure and make mistakes that end up being penalties called.

Teams like the CARDS don't matchup with us at this point. So we dominate more without struggling and causing breakdowns drawing penalties. The exact opposite of this CARDS game was the game against the Seahawks.

I saw so many penalties called that were mostly the result of players struggling to matchup and making mistakes at crucial times for penalties that negated big gains or 1st downs.

So I'd consider the CARDS game not to be a renaissance of 'getting it' but rather a break from having to play teams that are our equal as we have the whole first half of the year.

Other than the Iggles game, you could slip a piece of paper b/w us and any team we have played..the difference has been that slim.

we'll see.

parcellswaterboy

 

[dwmyers]

I think you have to be cautious about getting too fired up about a game played against the CARDS. That team has tremendous problems.

They also have a defense that is comparable to the Carolina Panthers at present. Don't believe me? Check the stats at nfl.com.

Their weakness is offense. The defense we faced was a pretty good one.

David.

 

[Cbz40]

Maybe they did TBC... so we just have to outstrip them.

One team building area I think we may be leading is in team unselfishness (altho if anyone can weed or knock it out of individuals, it is Tom Coughlin).

It's not just Bledsoe, who apparently has taken to Bill's attempts to read the field from bottom up, and to throw the rock away when nothing is there...this is so big..that he be willing and able to readjust his game. Not just the receivers, a notorious breed for ego and ball hogging....being willing to share. Really, three 'former number ones', and no grousing?

It's Jason doing more blocking, the dline accepting rotations, the dbs bailing each other out, the vet linemen mentoring the kids....this is a team that really has that element of comradery going. No discipline problems, no tantrums. Accepting their roles.

All players want to be on the field as many snaps as there are.

It's great to see how the coaches have sold the time share.

That's one factor that has to pay off big.

Well said LTN........I cetainly like what I am seeing.

There are certainly alot of players contributing each and every week and this is good.