Tanking would have been the right strategy

[Aviano90]

Players and plays with the intent to lose the football game.

Subbing to keep players healthy is NOT tanking.

Is that clear enough?

But people have been offering strategies without the players intending to lose games. For example, playing Zeke less so he isn't taking so much abuse in a lost season.

 

[robertfchew]

x 100

We should never, ever, say Cowboys have the smartest fans in the NFL....

smartest no but definitely the best. 25 years of dog feces and were still all here and its nationwide

 

[robertfchew]

I've changed my mind on this to a point. I was all for trying to win every game to try and build for 2021. But that was if we were bringing back the same defensive philosophy and coaches. We are not carrying any momentum over. Philadelphia being ahead of us is a big disadvantage also

they arent the best at drafting either so I wouldn't worry about them.

 

[kskboys]

Usually. But, if this is about tanking, I'm not in favor.

Would you have been against trading Aldon Smith for a 1st?

 

[Pantone282C]

Would you have been against trading Aldon Smith for a 1st?

Why, no!

 

[5Stars]

x 100

We should never, ever, say Cowboys have the smartest fans in the NFL....

 

[kskboys]

Why, no!

Then you're not against tanking!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Pantone282C]

Then you're not against tanking!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Voila! I'll have pretzels with my beer!

 

[plasticman]

I think teams that tank lack character. A team that doesn’t play to win with every fiber of their being will fail because winning obviously isn’t important enough.

When a team doesn’t play to win they lose out on the discovery of impact players that are only revealed through adversity.

what if the Cowboys decided to tank in 2016 after Romo went down? They were forced to start a rookie 4th round pick. Wouldn’t that have been the best time to tank?

Or maybe 2006. When Bledsoe was struggling and the team was at .500, shouldn’t they have tanked to get that high #1. All they had left was some rookie free agent that didn’t throw a single pass in three seasons.

Perhaps the Cowboys should have tanked in ‘75. Everybody expected a long rebuilding process after missing the playoffs in ‘74 along with the mass exit of veterans that won the Super Bowl in 1971. After all, what can you expect from a team with 12 rookies expected to get significant playing time.

If at first you don’t succeed.....become pathetic enough to be given extra advantages in the drafting and scheduling.

 

[SteveTheCowboy]

But people have been offering strategies without the players intending to lose games. For example, playing Zeke less so he isn't taking so much abuse in a lost season.

Again I tell you...that isn't "tanking". If it's for players health or longevity....that is ...well what it is. You certainly could do that under the guise of tanking of course.

It's also a lie. Nobody said that. They said he sucked and was ineffective.

 

[Aviano90]

Again I tell you...that isn't "tanking". If it's for players health or longevity....that is ...well what it is. You certainly could do that under the guise of tanking of course.

It's also a lie. Nobody said that. They said he sucked and was ineffective.

Well, he did suck and was ineffective. It is also true that sitting him to save wear and tear since it would be stupid to get out if his ridiculous contract would have been beneficial for the long term.

 

[RonnieT24]

Well, he did suck and was ineffective. It is also true that sitting him to save wear and tear since it would be stupid to get out if his ridiculous contract would have been beneficial for the long term.

Playing behind that horrid line and having to fight off multiple dudes just to get back to the line of scrimmage took a huge physical toll on Zeke. He played through two significant injuries that we know about this season.. the hamstring and the calf. Both are kind of important for a running back. But he soldiered on. It would have been easy for him to sit out 4-5 games and heal up completely.. and maybe that would have been the better move for him and the team. I don't know.. But I do know that competitors want to compete.. They want to be out there trying to help their team win. Whether Zeke is able to return to elite form next season remains to be seen.. but I am not one to bang on guys who play through injuries even if it negatively impacts their effectiveness. It's up to the coaches to determine if one guy at 75% is better than the other guy at 100. Players are gonna try to play no matter what if they're worth anything at all. It's a positive trait IMHO.. Remember Dak trying to bang his dislocated ankle back into place? That's what you want on your team.. at least it's what I want on my team.. Not guys who miss games cause they have a damn hangnail. For all of his "splash" plays in most games this season Pollard averaged fewer yards per carry than Zeke did.. so maybe the coaches were right to play a banged up Zeke over a healthy Pollard?

 

[ICP]

I tbu k most of us knew Taki g was the way to go and also that teams don't really do that. The real problem is Jerry and always wi be unt he's gone

 

[Motorola]

This tanking debate has run its course...put it to bed.
Off-season on the horizon- hopefully the team makes the best decisions to become playoff competitive over the next 2-3 seasons.

 

[Aviano90]

Playing behind that horrid line and having to fight off multiple dudes just to get back to the line of scrimmage took a huge physical toll on Zeke. He played through two significant injuries that we know about this season.. the hamstring and the calf. Both are kind of important for a running back. But he soldiered on. It would have been easy for him to sit out 4-5 games and heal up completely.. and maybe that would have been the better move for him and the team. I don't know.. But I do know that competitors want to compete.. They want to be out there trying to help their team win. Whether Zeke is able to return to elite form next season remains to be seen.. but I am not one to bang on guys who play through injuries even if it negatively impacts their effectiveness. It's up to the coaches to determine if one guy at 75% is better than the other guy at 100. Players are gonna try to play no matter what if they're worth anything at all. It's a positive trait IMHO.. Remember Dak trying to bang his dislocated ankle back into place? That's what you want on your team.. at least it's what I want on my team.. Not guys who miss games cause they have a damn hangnail. For all of his "splash" plays in most games this season Pollard averaged fewer yards per carry than Zeke did.. so maybe the coaches were right to play a banged up Zeke over a healthy Pollard?

Yes Ronnie the coaches and, more importantly, you were right. Zeke is better than Pollard.

The sad thing is, we used to argue if Zeke was the best RB in the league and now we argue if he is the best RB on the team. Not good for Zeke. It’s actually pretty embarrassing.

 

[kskboys]

I think teams that tank lack character. A team that doesn’t play to win with every fiber of their being will fail because winning obviously isn’t important enough.

When a team doesn’t play to win they lose out on the discovery of impact players that are only revealed through adversity.

what if the Cowboys decided to tank in 2016 after Romo went down? They were forced to start a rookie 4th round pick. Wouldn’t that have been the best time to tank?

Or maybe 2006. When Bledsoe was struggling and the team was at .500, shouldn’t they have tanked to get that high #1. All they had left was some rookie free agent that didn’t throw a single pass in three seasons.

Perhaps the Cowboys should have tanked in ‘75. Everybody expected a long rebuilding process after missing the playoffs in ‘74 along with the mass exit of veterans that won the Super Bowl in 1971. After all, what can you expect from a team with 12 rookies expected to get significant playing time.

If at first you don’t succeed.....become pathetic enough to be given extra advantages in the drafting and scheduling.

Absolutely no one has said the players shouldn't play to win.

You guys are arguing against nobody.

I have yet to see a good argument against NFL tanking, which is trading away players for draft picks. MIA just got done doing it and is reaping really nice rewards. Jets are in the process. If you it right, it works great. MIA shows none of those character issues you are speaking of. That is a fan myth.

Teams who lack character do so due to weak leadership, too many bad apples, poor coaching, stuff like that.