Temper expectations

[Reality]

Evolution of a Cowboys game ..

Before we play a team = opponent is true test of how good or bad we are
After we beat a team = opponent was not very good, win means little
After we lose to a team = told you so, we're not very good

 

[Beast_from_East]

Evolution of a Cowboys game ..

Before we play a team = opponent is true test of how good or bad we are
After we beat a team = opponent was not very good, win means little
After we lose to a team = told you so, we're not very good

Normally I would agree with you, but this week is different. When you are playing the World Champs, it is a test of what type of team you are.

If we get totally blown out.............yea, we probably are not as good as our record indicates and we may be a playoff team but not on the same level as Seattle and SF.
If we lose in a close game............we can play with these guys, even though we didn't win you know that you are a pretty good team yourself. Kinda like the Giants losing in week 17 to the undefeated Patriots back in the day.
If we win the game.......................we can honestly start talking about being one of the top teams in the NFL.


So this game is a barometer of where abouts we are as a team. I have heard the players say this and even Garrett mention of it being a "good test" for the team. We will know Sunday night a lot more about how good or not so good this team may be, more so than any other game this season.

 

[Reality]

So this game is a barometer of where abouts we are as a team. I have heard the players say this and even Garrett mention of it being a "good test" for the team. We will know Sunday night a lot more about how good or not so good this team may be, more so than any other game this season.

The same thing was said by the team and the fans about the Saints game, and after the Cowboys won easily, the Saints suddenly aren't very good. Even if the Cowboys beat the Seahawks, people will say the Seahawks are not as good as last year.

Personally, I don't care. I hope we play the worst team in the league every week if it means a win because all that matters is winning games. Teams are judged by what they do or don't do in the playoffs, but you have to get to the playoffs first and you do that by winning as many games as you can during the season. It doesn't matter how easy/hard the games are as long as you win enough of them. If the Cowboys lose to the Seahawks by 30 points or 1 point, it's all the same to me because it's a loss, which in the end, is all that counts or matters.

 

[Irvin88_4life]

I think that we. Media included. Need to temper our expectations. We're off to a great start. But we've lost to the one truly good team we've played. Say what you want, the Saints aren't very good right now.

Love my Cowboys. But I've been hearing way to much super bowl talk.

We didn't lose to the 49ers we have it to them on a silver platter. Basically spotted them 21 points but at least 14 and lost by 11. 4 turnovers will cost any team. We dominated the entire game, just turned the ball over

 

[pgreptom]

No way I'd be talking about Super Bowls right now, but 4-1 over a couple of good teams mean that they DO have what it takes. It's a matter of taking advantage of all opportunities, and stop dropping/fumbling the darn ball.

Amen. I can only imagine the score of the 9ers game if we didn't have 3? turnovers. It's just ridiculous.

 

[rwalters31]

I'm not tempering my expectations at all. Said it after we beat the Saints and I'll say it again: we're gonna crush the Hawks. Not even gonna be close.

Yeah I'm a homer but its watching the momentum of this team, you'd be crazy not to think we have a solid shot at beating Seattle.

Step away from the Cool-Aid! When a very good defense meets a very good offense the defense wins 90% of the time (see last Super Bowl) and this is what the Cowboys face. When a average defense meets a good offense, the defense wares out in the four quarter and this is what the Cowboys will face. The odds of Seattle winning in a beat down is 75%. The odds of Dallas winning by a little is 25%. Go ahead and bet the farm on the Cowboys and we will see where you are Monday.

Having said that GO COWBOYS!
Seatle 28 Cowboys 14

 

[TimHortons]

The Saints have the #1 offense in the NFL.

They're #2 in yards/game and #8 in pts/game
http://espn.go.com/nfl/statistics/team/_/stat/total/sort/totalPoints

 

[kramskoi]

NFL.com is what matters. Same metric they used to call us the worst.

Edit: they're now no. 2 after Thursday's game.

I trust FO more than NFL.com...FO is play by play. The Saints offense is not the same as years previous. The loss of Darren Sproles hurts them, as Brees would always dump it off to him in space under pressure. He gave them back what they lost when Bush left. Moore is gone, Henderson is gone and Meachem has not really been all that effective. Graham and Colston each have a case of the dropsies over the past few weeks. They can put up points yes, but how many did they put up against teams with winning records? At home against Bridgewater and the Vikings, they only put up 20. I would easily take the offenses of Denver, Seattle and Dallas themselves. The Saints play too much chuck-ball, as evidenced by the 57 attempts and 3 INTS Brees put up last week. His play has dropped off this year as well.

 

[kramskoi]

Evolution of a Cowboys game ..

Before we play a team = opponent is true test of how good or bad we are
After we beat a team = opponent was not very good, win means little
After we lose to a team = told you so, we're not very good

The reality is that the Saints have not been good through the first five weeks of this season. I live near New Orleans and I follow the team pretty closely on WWL-870. There is talk of canning Ryan and some disenchantment with Payton as well. This was a team that was supposed to steam-roll this year. They have lost Jairus Byrd for the year and Robinson/White have played horribly in the secondary. Moreover, tackling issues have come to the fore. They made McGlennon look pretty good in the Superdome (250yd/2TD's) before they finally put a 1 win Tampa team away in overtime. It is no wonder that they are a dead last defense, according to FO...They have had one road win over the last 16 games...not a recipe for going anywhere in the playoffs without being the number 1 seed.

Timing accounts for a lot when you play a team. That said, I am not blind to the fact that Dallas dismantled them in a fashion that Payton has but maybe twice experienced in his tenure. They were embarrassed and that type of loss has been shocking to the fans and local media around New Orleans. Rosy dreams for the season have been replaced by sobering realism.

I am enjoying the 'boys being 4-1 but I am not blind to the fact that the defense is still a work in progress and they will face a very stiff test this Sunday at Century Link.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

I think that we. Media included. Need to temper our expectations. We're off to a great start. But we've lost to the one truly good team we've played. Say what you want, the Saints aren't very good right now.

Love my Cowboys. But I've been hearing way to much super bowl talk.

I'll pass on groupthink for setting expectations. Only expectation that I have is that they play hard and play smart. Outcomes take care of themselves.

If you want to be tepid and expect a loss or poor performance then have at it but asking the group to do so as well seems incredibly lame.

 

[Avenger]

I think that we. Media included. Need to temper our expectations. We're off to a great start. But we've lost to the one truly good team we've played. Say what you want, the Saints aren't very good right now.

Love my Cowboys. But I've been hearing way to much super bowl talk.

I've heard no Super Bowl talk... at all.

 

[Fredd]

A few have already said that people's opinions change like the wind based on the team's performance from week-to-week...these next two games should tell us where we stand in the rebuild that Garrett and company have put together...I would expect a competitive game with Seattle whether they win or lose, but beating the Giants the next week is what will tell me if the team is progressing or not...expectations are low for a win @ Seattle (and that would be for any team in the league, not just dallas), so I want to see how the cowboys play this week and next before talking about how far they will get in the playoffs (I think, as long as they don't implode, they make the playoffs as the NFCE representative)

 

[Texas_Pete]

The Saints have the #1 offense in the NFL.

And our much maligned defense put the clamps on them. Shows me that they can rise to the occasion and take on a formidable challenge when healthy. After last season's debacle, this is much needed progress.

 

[DogFace]

I'll pass on groupthink for setting expectations. Only expectation that I have is that they play hard and play smart. Outcomes take care of themselves.

If you want to be tepid and expect a loss or poor performance then have at it but asking the group to do so as well seems incredibly lame.

What a nice way to say that. Thanks

 

[Fletch]

The Saints have the #1 offense in the NFL.

Shhhh!

 

[Gaede]

4 wins in a row is great, no matter who you're playing.

Don't have any grand expectations except that we continue to play well.

 

[Oh_Canada]

Football Outsiders has the Saints at #7... Dallas at 8. I can't even remember the last time I saw a negative number for the defense...always around +10 and outside the top 20...Still better than Rob Ryan's unit in New Orleans, which is currently dead last by a good margin...the only team over +20. The honeymoon with Ryan is over.

Denver 1st
Seattle 2nd
Atlanta 3rd
Cleveland 4th
Green Bay 5th
Cincinnati 6th

Where are all the dudes lamenting the loss of Ryan? Now take four more dlineman from his current group plus two of his starting linebackers to make it an even comparison with what Dallas had to work with last year.

 

[DanteEXT]

Amen. I can only imagine the score of the 9ers game if we didn't have 3? turnovers. It's just ridiculous.

It was 4. And SF defense essentially scored twice on those.

 

[ghst187]

I will agree that the teams we've beaten, frankly are not good teams, including the Saints who have fatal flaws (lost to Browns, should've lost to Tampa). Of course momentum is a crazy woman.

 

[ChooChoo73]

The opportunities to dream big for this team in recent years have diminished around this time of year. It's great to have the team showing well and if it's super bowl a fan is feeling, I say have at it. My doubts about this team and the 8-8s do not cut away at the excitement I feel for them faring better and most importantly, showing an identity. They stick to the identity they are showing, I will be happier even if a 4th straight .500 comes calling.