iceberg
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so we sit here at 5-1 with many fans disappointed we're not 6-0 and defeated the patriots. in retrospect, while beating the pats would have been fantastic, i think many of us knew we're not in that category just yet. we are, however, the only team to be ahead of the patriots in the 2nd half. usually when we hit our stride in the 2nd 1/2 is when we go crazy. we made a push in that direction but in the end, penalties killed us.
while it's in vogue for some to complain that the evil refs just love the pats, *we're* still committing these penalties and the refs are simply calling them. while going through newsgroups, i did see one poster actually say the holding call on kosier he TIVO'd 6 times and couldn't see where holding was justified. this is an example of blind homerism at it's fines. kosier had his man in a bear hug around the waiste and was bringin him down. it couldn't be more blatant if he wore an IM HOLDING sign. it's amazing what some people will let themselves see. this is not to say there were no questionable calls in the game, but it is to say the cowboys lost regardless and needs to work on their focus and quit hurting themselves on every good play.
that was the key to the game. too many times we had that special play to get us out of trouble and there would be a holding call, or a motion penalty and the like. ovecoming a team like the patriots is hard enough without havnig to overcome yourself as well.
last night we saw a team that has a legitimate shot at going 16-0 in the patriots. they are simply that good. why they would have ever felt the need to 'cheat' i may never understand. but tom brady has some legitimate weapons now in moss, welker and stallworth and hitting close to 80% completion rate. he's on pace to have one of the greatest qb seasons of all time.
and we've found out we've still got some work to do.
this after all is what the pats game really was. outside our conference so a loss isn't critical. small consolation, i know but it told us where we are overall. my biggest gripe is the patriots still throwing and brady still in so late in the game. the last td wasn't necessary but we kept calling time out, almost asking for it. in the end rest assured we're a good team. we faced the team of the decade and we did as much to hurt ourselves as they did to beat us but in the end, they did. whiners will sit and blame the refs or scream "bellicheat" as if anyone cares, but that won't fix this team.
so where do we go from here?
mental mistakes will be punished. you hold and get called for it, i see some windsprints in your future after practice. i see $500 going into a general fund with it going up $250 every time you do it again. use the $ to fund a kids football camp, charity, buy tickets for kids who can't otherwise go - put it to good use but penalize those who can't seem to stop committing penalties. but make these players think about somehow and ensure NOT making these mistakes is always on their mind.
let's do what we can to get free and martin some time. even more to mcquistian. flo is going to likely command high $ out there i'm not sold on him any longer. the OL has come a long way since the bledsoe days but run blocking needs to improve if we're to no longer be a 1-trick pony with romo.
with cleveland winning, the MOB (mcfadden or bust) crowd has gotten quiet. THANK GOD. not to say mcfadden isnt a good player but CB and WR are of bigger need and the cost keeps going up with every cleveland win. so we expand options and FINALLY can look at other players and potential without being MOBbed.
which brings up our secondary. one game againt someone like the pats doesn't tell the whole story but as long as a team is out there like the pats, we'd better do what we can to have a secondary second to none. watkins needs to step up or be victim to the fun 3 year plan and get him out of here. hamlin has been doing well for us and roy, well he will always be roy for the good and the bad of it.
nate jones is a 4th stringer and this is likely the best we can expect from him so he'll eventually fall away in roster churning. we need henry back and reeves still needs more time. thank god newman is back.
positives from the game:
ellis is back and his sack led to a TD which kept us in the game at the 1/2.
marion is showing he has the heart to pick up his teammates and he will slap down a stifarm w/o hesitation.
crayton continues to improve his game. an early on 1 handed try fell short of smart, but he recovered well for the day.
wittin will get involved sooner or later.
we're 5-1 baby. when the season started who'd NOT be happy to hear that would be our record?
negatives
run blocking needs some love and improvement
mental mistakes have GOT to be cut down
romo needs to quit making wittin so "obvious" a target.
secondary needs some help. even w/a good rush brady still picked it apart.
in all this game was a step forward, even in a loss. we have a much better idea of who we are and what we need to do to get it to the next level. doing it this year may or may not happen but after a decade of disappointment i still believe in this team. i see a lot of good memories on the road ahead and for the first time in an awful long time, post season talk isn't a pipe dream and we do have a team that can make some noise there.
you fall down when you grow up, that's a given. while we found out a lot about this team in a loss, we'll find out even more in how we play the vikings and that rookie they have that's tearing up the field.
while it's in vogue for some to complain that the evil refs just love the pats, *we're* still committing these penalties and the refs are simply calling them. while going through newsgroups, i did see one poster actually say the holding call on kosier he TIVO'd 6 times and couldn't see where holding was justified. this is an example of blind homerism at it's fines. kosier had his man in a bear hug around the waiste and was bringin him down. it couldn't be more blatant if he wore an IM HOLDING sign. it's amazing what some people will let themselves see. this is not to say there were no questionable calls in the game, but it is to say the cowboys lost regardless and needs to work on their focus and quit hurting themselves on every good play.
that was the key to the game. too many times we had that special play to get us out of trouble and there would be a holding call, or a motion penalty and the like. ovecoming a team like the patriots is hard enough without havnig to overcome yourself as well.
last night we saw a team that has a legitimate shot at going 16-0 in the patriots. they are simply that good. why they would have ever felt the need to 'cheat' i may never understand. but tom brady has some legitimate weapons now in moss, welker and stallworth and hitting close to 80% completion rate. he's on pace to have one of the greatest qb seasons of all time.
and we've found out we've still got some work to do.
this after all is what the pats game really was. outside our conference so a loss isn't critical. small consolation, i know but it told us where we are overall. my biggest gripe is the patriots still throwing and brady still in so late in the game. the last td wasn't necessary but we kept calling time out, almost asking for it. in the end rest assured we're a good team. we faced the team of the decade and we did as much to hurt ourselves as they did to beat us but in the end, they did. whiners will sit and blame the refs or scream "bellicheat" as if anyone cares, but that won't fix this team.
so where do we go from here?
mental mistakes will be punished. you hold and get called for it, i see some windsprints in your future after practice. i see $500 going into a general fund with it going up $250 every time you do it again. use the $ to fund a kids football camp, charity, buy tickets for kids who can't otherwise go - put it to good use but penalize those who can't seem to stop committing penalties. but make these players think about somehow and ensure NOT making these mistakes is always on their mind.
let's do what we can to get free and martin some time. even more to mcquistian. flo is going to likely command high $ out there i'm not sold on him any longer. the OL has come a long way since the bledsoe days but run blocking needs to improve if we're to no longer be a 1-trick pony with romo.
with cleveland winning, the MOB (mcfadden or bust) crowd has gotten quiet. THANK GOD. not to say mcfadden isnt a good player but CB and WR are of bigger need and the cost keeps going up with every cleveland win. so we expand options and FINALLY can look at other players and potential without being MOBbed.
which brings up our secondary. one game againt someone like the pats doesn't tell the whole story but as long as a team is out there like the pats, we'd better do what we can to have a secondary second to none. watkins needs to step up or be victim to the fun 3 year plan and get him out of here. hamlin has been doing well for us and roy, well he will always be roy for the good and the bad of it.
nate jones is a 4th stringer and this is likely the best we can expect from him so he'll eventually fall away in roster churning. we need henry back and reeves still needs more time. thank god newman is back.
positives from the game:
ellis is back and his sack led to a TD which kept us in the game at the 1/2.
marion is showing he has the heart to pick up his teammates and he will slap down a stifarm w/o hesitation.
crayton continues to improve his game. an early on 1 handed try fell short of smart, but he recovered well for the day.
wittin will get involved sooner or later.
we're 5-1 baby. when the season started who'd NOT be happy to hear that would be our record?
negatives
run blocking needs some love and improvement
mental mistakes have GOT to be cut down
romo needs to quit making wittin so "obvious" a target.
secondary needs some help. even w/a good rush brady still picked it apart.
in all this game was a step forward, even in a loss. we have a much better idea of who we are and what we need to do to get it to the next level. doing it this year may or may not happen but after a decade of disappointment i still believe in this team. i see a lot of good memories on the road ahead and for the first time in an awful long time, post season talk isn't a pipe dream and we do have a team that can make some noise there.
you fall down when you grow up, that's a given. while we found out a lot about this team in a loss, we'll find out even more in how we play the vikings and that rookie they have that's tearing up the field.
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