The day after...

[ethiostar]

Last night i really didn't want to discuss the game or the state of the team because i was not rational. There was a lot of emotion and i couldn't think straight. i tried to go to sleep but i couldn't and i couldn't stand to watch any of the postgame shows or any sport channels. it was just unbearable and a little unreal to me.

I woke up this morning hoping that it was a nightmare and that it was still sunday but no such luck. Reality can be such a biliach sometimes.

After thinking about the team, not just last night but the team as a whole and the entire season i'm begining to feel a little better. The loss last night was devestating thats for sure and it's very hard to find anything positive after such an ugly performance. The team looked very young, inexperienced, undiciplined and lacked the killer instincts that most elite teams often exhibit, especially in the playoffs......................

We also know last season ended in a similar fashion. Playing a Seahawks team with CBs off the street we couldn't exploit thier weakness and we couldn't finish the game when we had the chance. Last night we played a Giants team with similar problems at CB and again we couldn't take advantage. Our OL failed to protect the QB in the second half and Romo didn't have the time to throw the ball. Crayton dropped crucial passes, Romo couldn't throw the ball away, the running game was almost non-existant in the 2nd half, Reeves got abused, etc.............

While we should expect some changes, we should try and keep in mind that this team is VERY young overall. It has a new HC, DC, and OC. Although they are still playing a 3-4, they are playing a different version of it. Our OC is VERY young. Our QB hasn't played 2 full seasons yet.

As much as i was devastated about the loss last night and the way we lost the game, it is not unreasonable to expect some growing pains for such a young team going through a lot of changes on both sides of the ball. This type of experience is what builds a championship caliber team. A team that is able to limit thier mistakes and overcome them when they do make mistakes. A team that is confident but without an overinflated sense of self. A team that knows to FINISH opponents when they have the chance.

Sorry for my soap box but i needed to say something. It is doom and gloom around Cowboys nation now but this too shall pass. This team will mature from it and will become a stronger team becasue of it. We have most of the nucleus put in place and they are young (Romo, MBIII, Witten, Ware, Spencer, TNew, B. James, Canty, Ratliff, folk), we have some quality veterans (Ellis, TO, Fergeson). With some additions at certain positions i.e. CB, WR, and RB, this team is poised to contend for years to come.

 

[WoodysGirl]

Very fair post...

Some might say homerish, but I think it's important to acknowledge a tough loss while knowing this team still has alot of potential and room to grow.

 

[ethiostar]

Very fair post...

Some might say homerish, but I think it's important to acknowledge a tough loss while knowing this team still has alot of potential and room to grow.

Thanks WG,.......... i expect to be labled a 'homer', which is fine with me. Although, i have never been mistaken for a 'blind homer' before. I love my Cowboys, don't get me wrong, but i am as realistic as they come.

 

[WoodysGirl]

Thanks WG,.......... i expect to be labled a 'homer', which is fine with me. Although, i have never been mistaken for a 'blind homer' before. I love my Cowboys, don't get me wrong, but i am as realistic as they come.

Not suggesting you're a homer. Just saying right now, folks are very angry about the loss and any post remotely positive will probably be met with a huge amount of disdain.

Fans just need a cooling off period.

 

[ethiostar]

Not suggesting you're a homer. Just saying right now, folks are very angry about the loss and any post remotely positive will probably be met with a huge amount of disdain.

Fans just need a cooling off period.

I know you weren't WG.

I know fans need to vent right now and god knows there are enough threads on this forum for that.

But i needed to move away from it and in order to do that i needed to see the positives and place the loss within the context of where the team is right now. Not to make excuses but the Steelers, the Colts, etc.... had to go through the same learning curves (growing pains) before they won thier SBs.

 

[THUMPER]

I was going to post something very similar. I was on suicide watch last night but I am a little more calm today and thinking about the entire season, not just yesterday, I am still very encouraged by this team.

For the first 13 weeks of the season we were the 2nd best team in football. After we beat the Packers and pretty much locked up home field throughout, we played as if we had nothing more to play for. We were 11-1 after that game with no one left to really challenge us the rest of the way. We played poorly though against teams we should have dominated (Lions, Eagles, Panthers, & Commanders). I believe this is due to a lack of motivation more than anything else.

The Patriots are a much more mature team than we are and know what it takes to stay motivated even when there is little left to play for.

I also think that the distractions of assistant coaches interviewing with other teams, the media circus surrounding Romo's trip to Mexico, and just having so much time off worked against us and our lack of maturity showed yesterday.

The Giants came out fired up and ready to play while we looked as if we simply expected to show up and win. We have an immensely talented team and we should win these games easily but it still requires us to play hard every down. Owens dropped an easy pass, Crayton dropped a couple of passes, Glenn is slipping around out there, the defense is missing tackles, the O-Line is not finishing off their blocks and playing without any passion, etc.

We just seemed to play without any real sense of urgency. The worst part of all this is that we have seen it all before.

In 1968 we were the most talented team in football and should have blown through the playoffs on our way to our first SB win. The Packers were no longer a top team and all we had to do was beat the Browns which we had done in previous playoff games, but we came our flat against them and got our heads handed to us.

In 1991, the same thing happened after we beat the Bears in the first round and came out flat against the Lions. They just dominated us in areas we had been strong in previously.

The same things happened in those two games that happened yesterday: dropped passes, stupid penalties, missed tackles, poor blocking, and just an overall lack of passion.

The good thing about those other two teams is that we came back to win later on. In the case of the late 60s team it was a few years before we got it together and crushed the Dolphins in 1971. In 1992 we came out with a renewed sense of fire and purpose and beat the media favorite 49ERs on our way to a SB win over the Bills.

No one in 1969 was calling for Tom Landry's job, at least not that I remember, but he was in the same boat Wade Phillips is now, being told he couldn't win the big games. Eventually, he was able to get the right players to fit his schemes and we had a lot of success under him, in case any of you had forgotten that.

Our team was phenomenal this season and that shouldn't be lost in the disappointment we all feel right now. We will be back next year and with something to prove. There will be some changes among the players and coaches but we have a dozen Pro-Bowlers on this team and went 13-3. Other teams have had great season's only to see them end early in the playoffs.

This was Wade's first year here, Garrett's first season as a coordinator, Romo's first full season, Barber is now starting, the defense is beginning to round out with quality players at most positions, the O-Line played very well for most of the year. We have a lot to look forward to folks and we should only get better.

For me, the 2007 season is over and I am looking forward to the start of FA and the draft. I expect the Patriots to go all the way and at least we won't have to hear about the stinking 1972 Dolphins anymore.

We are going all the way in 2008, you can book it now!

 

[Bach]

In 1991, the same thing happened after we beat the Bears in the first round and came out flat against the Lions. They just dominated us in areas we had been strong in previously.

The same things happened in those two games that happened yesterday: dropped passes, stupid penalties, missed tackles, poor blocking, and just an overall lack of passion.

In '91 we had a coach who took a team from 1-15 two years earlier to 11-5. We went and won a wildcard game in Chicago, our first playoff game since '85.

That '91 team could beat the crap out of this '07 team. We've now been 11 years without a playoff win and wasted a 12-1 start, finishing with 3 losses on our last 4 games.

No comparison.

 

[Nav22]

Success this year guarantees NOTHING next year. Six of the 12 playoff teams from 2006 didn't make it back. Four of the 8 division winners from 2006 didn't even make the playoffs this year. So I don't take consolation from our 13 wins. There's 1 winner and 31 losers every year. And there's too much parity to think we'll automatically be back in the playoffs next year.

What I WILL take a microscopic piece of consolation from, however, is the reality that I don't think anybody was beating New England this year anyways. I'd have loved another shot at them in the Super Bowl, but I'd be lying if I said I'd like our chances. That team is just too good, and the Lombardi will be theirs.

Now, if the Chargers somehow pull the absurd upset next week and knock them off? I'll cry.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Last night i really didn't want to discuss the game or the state of the team because i was not rational. There was a lot of emotion and i couldn't think straight. i tried to go to sleep but i couldn't and i couldn't stand to watch any of the postgame shows or any sport channels. it was just unbearable and a little unreal to me.

I woke up this morning hoping that it was a nightmare and that it was still sunday but no such luck. Reality can be such a biliach sometimes.

After thinking about the team, not just last night but the team as a whole and the entire season i'm begining to feel a little better. The loss last night was devestating thats for sure and it's very hard to find anything positive after such an ugly performance. The team looked very young, inexperienced, undiciplined and lacked the killer instincts that most elite teams often exhibit, especially in the playoffs......................

We also know last season ended in a similar fashion. Playing a Seahawks team with CBs off the street we couldn't exploit thier weakness and we couldn't finish the game when we had the chance. Last night we played a Giants team with similar problems at CB and again we couldn't take advantage. Our OL failed to protect the QB in the second half and Romo didn't have the time to throw the ball. Crayton dropped crucial passes, Romo couldn't throw the ball away, the running game was almost non-existant in the 2nd half, Reeves got abused, etc.............

While we should expect some changes, we should try and keep in mind that this team is VERY young overall. It has a new HC, DC, and OC. Although they are still playing a 3-4, they are playing a different version of it. Our OC is VERY young. Our QB hasn't played 2 full seasons yet.

As much as i was devastated about the loss last night and the way we lost the game, it is not unreasonable to expect some growing pains for such a young team going through a lot of changes on both sides of the ball. This type of experience is what builds a championship caliber team. A team that is able to limit thier mistakes and overcome them when they do make mistakes. A team that is confident but without an overinflated sense of self. A team that knows to FINISH opponents when they have the chance.

Sorry for my soap box but i needed to say something. It is doom and gloom around Cowboys nation now but this too shall pass. This team will mature from it and will become a stronger team becasue of it. We have most of the nucleus put in place and they are young (Romo, MBIII, Witten, Ware, Spencer, TNew, B. James, Canty, Ratliff, folk), we have some quality veterans (Ellis, TO, Fergeson). With some additions at certain positions i.e. CB, WR, and RB, this team is poised to contend for years to come.

Good post.

And there's nothing "homerish" about it. Screw that faction of fans that think the more gloom and doom you are, and the more you ***** and moan, the cooler you are. They are idiots.

I really don't understand all the irrationality I see from people I know are grown adults. Kids who grew up in and only knew our 90s success when we won everything? Maybe they had a skewed vision of what reality really is. But the more mature people know that just because you unexpectedly lose a playoff game, you don't fire the head coach, the QB, the owner, the GM, and everyone else. My God, some people act like they wish an impulsive child like Danny Snyder owned this team.

Truth is, losing sucks and it's a shame the season is already over. But this is a pretty good team and barring a Romo collapse, there's no reason we shouldn't be good again next year. You just have to make smart personnel decisions and keep fighting each year until things go your way.

 

[romomania]

i threw my roy williams jersey in the fireplace right after that last play....i dunno just thought id mention that. its just a game but it would be nice to see a good cowboy team that can win a freakin playoff game. im 20 so it would practically be a first for me

 

[Bach]

What I WILL take a microscopic piece of consolation from, however, is the reality that I don't think anybody was beating New England this year anyways. I'd have loved another shot at them in the Super Bowl, but I'd be lying if I said I'd like our chances. That team is just too good, and the Lombardi will be theirs.

Now, if the Chargers somehow pull the absurd upset next week and knock them off? I'll cry.

There's no way we should've lost yesterday, but I think it'd take some divine intervention for the Pats not to win it all.

I'd be more sick if the NFC was the strongest conference right now and we'd just thrown it all away.

 

[SacredStar]

Next year we go 14-2 and win a playoff game.

Baby steps, but I'm confident we achieve our goal shortly.

 

[boba5555]

I woke up this morning hoping that it was a nightmare and that it was still sunday but no such luck.

me too

great post btw.

 

[ethiostar]

me too

great post btw.

Reality has a way of smacking you in the face sometimes, doesn't it?

How they respond from this defeat will either make or break this team. I just hope its the former and they become stronger from it.

SD was 14-2 last year but before losing in the playoffs. I watched thier game yesterday and you can tell that they had been there before. They managed to win that game against the Colts, WITHOUT LT, Rivers, and Gates for the most part. now that doesn't mean they will win it all this year, but thier effort yesterday is a reflection of a battle tested and mature team. I expect the same from the Boys next year.

 

[THUMPER]

Reality has a way of smacking you in the face sometimes, doesn't it?

How they respond from this defeat will either make or break this team. I just hope its the former and they become stronger from it.

SD was 14-2 last year but before losing in the playoffs. I watched thier game yesterday and you can tell that they had been there before. They managed to win that game against the Colts, WITHOUT LT, Rivers, and Gates for the most part. now that doesn't mean they will win it all this year, but thier effort yesterday is a reflection of a battle tested and mature team. I expect the same from the Boys next year.

They showed maturity that we don't have yet.

 

[NextGenBoys]

Last night i really didn't want to discuss the game or the state of the team because i was not rational. There was a lot of emotion and i couldn't think straight. i tried to go to sleep but i couldn't and i couldn't stand to watch any of the postgame shows or any sport channels. it was just unbearable and a little unreal to me.

I woke up this morning hoping that it was a nightmare and that it was still sunday but no such luck. Reality can be such a biliach sometimes.

After thinking about the team, not just last night but the team as a whole and the entire season i'm begining to feel a little better. The loss last night was devestating thats for sure and it's very hard to find anything positive after such an ugly performance. The team looked very young, inexperienced, undiciplined and lacked the killer instincts that most elite teams often exhibit, especially in the playoffs......................

We also know last season ended in a similar fashion. Playing a Seahawks team with CBs off the street we couldn't exploit thier weakness and we couldn't finish the game when we had the chance. Last night we played a Giants team with similar problems at CB and again we couldn't take advantage. Our OL failed to protect the QB in the second half and Romo didn't have the time to throw the ball. Crayton dropped crucial passes, Romo couldn't throw the ball away, the running game was almost non-existant in the 2nd half, Reeves got abused, etc.............

While we should expect some changes, we should try and keep in mind that this team is VERY young overall. It has a new HC, DC, and OC. Although they are still playing a 3-4, they are playing a different version of it. Our OC is VERY young. Our QB hasn't played 2 full seasons yet.

As much as i was devastated about the loss last night and the way we lost the game, it is not unreasonable to expect some growing pains for such a young team going through a lot of changes on both sides of the ball. This type of experience is what builds a championship caliber team. A team that is able to limit thier mistakes and overcome them when they do make mistakes. A team that is confident but without an overinflated sense of self. A team that knows to FINISH opponents when they have the chance.

Sorry for my soap box but i needed to say something. It is doom and gloom around Cowboys nation now but this too shall pass. This team will mature from it and will become a stronger team becasue of it. We have most of the nucleus put in place and they are young (Romo, MBIII, Witten, Ware, Spencer, TNew, B. James, Canty, Ratliff, folk), we have some quality veterans (Ellis, TO, Fergeson). With some additions at certain positions i.e. CB, WR, and RB, this team is poised to contend for years to come.

While this is well thought out, and well put, like Phillips kept saying, we were 13-3. This should have been our season. But we pissed it away. We were 13-3. We may not get another shot like we did this year. We stayed relatively healthy. Yet it was all for none. We were 13-3. It's still really hard to swallow. But thank you for the post.

 

[ethiostar]

While this is well thought out, and well put, like Phillips kept saying, we were 13-3. This should have been our season. But we pissed it away. We were 13-3. We may not get another shot like we did this year. We stayed relatively healthy. Yet it was all for none. We were 13-3. It's still really hard to swallow. But thank you for the post.

Amen to that!

While i agree with you that we had a great shot at it this year and we let it slip away, i don't agree that we may not get another shot. Nothing is guarenteed and we can see that a lot of teams in the playoffs one year are not there in the next. But I believe this team is young and talented enough that they will have a shot for several years to come. They will need to develop the killer instinct like other elite teams and adversities like yesterday hopefully will help with that.

Lets not forget also that this team was very much a team in transtion with a new HC, OC, and DC.

I know, i know it still sux we lost yesterday.