The Cost of Meaningless Close Wins

[lk8701]

The Cowboys should have lost their games against Atlanta (week 2), the Giants (week 5), and the Vikings (week 11). The Cowboys could of had the 3rd overall pick. They could have received the same haul the Dolphins did for the 3rd pick. In this scenario Surtain or Horn would likely be available at 12. Plus they would have 2 extra 1st round picks + an extra 3rd round pick in the future. They could have also selected a QB at 3 and trade Dak. A ridiculous botched onside kick + signing Andy Dalton cost this franchise for years to come.

 

[Thrill99]

This is what I argue about with people all the time. Winning games when you know you don't have a chance to win a championship is useless. Many argue that it builds a winning attitude. Well, it doesn't. What happens this year will have little to no effect on next year. Each year is totally different, not like it was back before free agency. Teams have huge turnover every year. Just look at the years when we had success and then the subsequent year - no bearing on each other. Go no further than 2016 and 2017.

 

[CATCH17]

The Cowboys should have lost their games against Atlanta (week 2), the Giants (week 5), and the Vikings (week 11). The Cowboys could of had the 3rd overall pick. They could have received the same haul the Dolphins did for the 3rd pick. In this scenario Surtain or Horn would likely be available at 12. Plus they would have 2 extra 1st round picks + an extra 3rd round pick in the future. They could have also selected a QB at 3 and trade Dak. A ridiculous botched onside kick + signing Andy Dalton cost this franchise for years to come.

It's not that they won. It's that they tried their absolute best to win against teams that couldn't care less.

 

[GMO415]

Cowboys are in the win business. They don't take the field to lose.

 

[Ranched]

Here’s the problem w/tanking in order to better your chances in the draft. To start, no coach/general manager would ever be able to effectively instruct a group of professional athletes to intentionally lose a game while still preserving his ability to ever teach the importance of winning, never giving up or giving your all.

If a coach did encourage his players not to try or go all out for a particular game, he would be heading down a slippery slope, one that potentially cannot reversed.

 

[CATCH17]

Here’s the problem w/tanking in order to better your chances in the draft. To start, no coach/general manager would ever be able to effectively instruct a group of professional athletes to intentionally lose a game while still preserving his ability to ever teach the importance of winning, never giving up or giving your all.

If a coach did encourage his players not to try or go all out for a particular game, he would be heading down a slippery slope, one that potentially cannot reversed.

That's why you start benching guys and giving players who aren't good opportunities.

Maybe get a little more aggressive with some of your defensive schemes and see if you give up a extra big play or 2.

 

[lk8701]

Here’s the problem w/tanking in order to better your chances in the draft. To start, no coach/general manager would ever be able to effectively instruct a group of professional athletes to intentionally lose a game while still preserving his ability to ever teach the importance of winning, never giving up or giving your all.

If a coach did encourage his players not to try or go all out for a particular game, he would be heading down a slippery slope, one that potentially cannot reversed.

Not outright tanking. Not signing Andy Dalton and trying their best to win with scrub backups might have been enough.

 

[OmerV]

The Cowboys should have lost their games against Atlanta (week 2), the Giants (week 5), and the Vikings (week 11). The Cowboys could of had the 3rd overall pick. They could have received the same haul the Dolphins did for the 3rd pick. In this scenario Surtain or Horn would likely be available at 12. Plus they would have 2 extra 1st round picks + an extra 3rd round pick in the future. They could have also selected a QB at 3 and trade Dak. A ridiculous botched onside kick + signing Andy Dalton cost this franchise for years to come.

Why should the Cowboys have lost those games?

Are you saying they should have known by Week 2 that they wouldn't win the division, so they should have intentionally been tanking from that point on? If so, that's nonsense. You can't breed winning by having the team focus on losing the entire season.

Or are you saying that those were close games that required some things going right for them to win? If so, how does that mean the opposing team should have won? Atlanta couldn't hold a lead, and screwed up on the onside kick, so why should the Falcons have won? And the Giants weren't able to take advantage once Dak got injured, and the Cowboys had 102 more yards of total offense than the Giants, so how did the Giants deserve to win? Why did the Vikings deserve to win?

 

[KB1122]

You should never sign a good veteran backup quarterback unless you are ready for a Super Bowl run.

 

[KB1122]

Here’s the problem w/tanking in order to better your chances in the draft. To start, no coach/general manager would ever be able to effectively instruct a group of professional athletes to intentionally lose a game while still preserving his ability to ever teach the importance of winning, never giving up or giving your all.

This is the excuse that the Cowboys and Dallas media have given for years for not tanking.

Is it working the way we're doing it?

If not tanking and playing to win every game were so important, shouldn't we have won a few Super Bowls by now?

 

[Cowboy4ever]

Any fan that wishes their team loses should be banned from ever watching another game of that team, in any sport.. PERIOD. it's disgusting.

 

[INCowboysFan]

The average NFL career is what, 3 years? Good luck trying to convince those guys to tank. Tanking players will be viewed as losers and nobody will want to touch them in the future. No, players will go out and play hard every game and try to win. That's how they are wired.

 

[Avery]

Jets could have easily tanked the end of last year and snagged Lawrence yet they didn't.

Tanking doesn't happen in the NFL to the degree it happens in the NBA.

 

[blueblood70]

more ignorant idiocy here beating the should have tanked dead horse !!

can we get the flip over it they paly to win every game and if these teams late in the season couldn't beat our third stringers thats on them. Its not like we were playing with a full deck, the opposite..hence we finished 6-10

get over it crybabies'!!

 

[32BellyOption]

So the Cowboys should have lost week two and week five to secure a better draft position? Lmao! Ok.

 

[blueblood70]

So the Cowboys should have lost week two and week five to secure a better draft position? Lmao! Ok.

exactly
fans are insanely ridiculous..we played with backups most of the year and what ask them to play bad or put worse players in, insanity!!thats not sports and thats not what the league expects ..coaches and players play to win games even if it appears they are not..

integrity of the gam holds true, tanking is like throwing a boxing match..

 

[Ranching]

The Cowboys should have lost their games against Atlanta (week 2), the Giants (week 5), and the Vikings (week 11). The Cowboys could of had the 3rd overall pick. They could have received the same haul the Dolphins did for the 3rd pick. In this scenario Surtain or Horn would likely be available at 12. Plus they would have 2 extra 1st round picks + an extra 3rd round pick in the future. They could have also selected a QB at 3 and trade Dak. A ridiculous botched onside kick + signing Andy Dalton cost this franchise for years to come.

No such thing as meaningless wins!!! You must be one of those tank fans! Lol!!!

 

[Ranching]

This is what I argue about with people all the time. Winning games when you know you don't have a chance to win a championship is useless. Many argue that it builds a winning attitude. Well, it doesn't. What happens this year will have little to no effect on next year. Each year is totally different, not like it was back before free agency. Teams have huge turnover every year. Just look at the years when we had success and then the subsequent year - no bearing on each other. Go no further than 2016 and 2017.

Band geek

 

[blueblood70]

Here’s the problem w/tanking in order to better your chances in the draft. To start, no coach/general manager would ever be able to effectively instruct a group of professional athletes to intentionally lose a game while still preserving his ability to ever teach the importance of winning, never giving up or giving your all.

If a coach did encourage his players not to try or go all out for a particular game, he would be heading down a slippery slope, one that potentially cannot reversed.

 

[Ranching]

Any fan that wishes their team loses should be banned from ever watching another game of that team, in any sport.. PERIOD. it's disgusting.

Salud!!!