The dichotomy of being a 11-12 win team and bombing in the playoffs

[boysfanperiod]

They lost a home playoff game to Jake Plummer in 98. Arizona was supposed to always be easy but rarely was.

That was when we started the slide. We also lost to the "new" Carolina Panthers.

 

[OGSixshooter]

Creative Destruction. Cut Bait. There’s a million in one southern axiomatic expressions I could insert here…but the greatest coaching job I ever saw outside of Jimmy was Mark Levy taking the Bills to 4 SBs straight…losing and coming back…losing and coming back. McCarthy ain’t no Mark Levy…this team will collapse at the first sight of adversity because he’s mentally soft and the team is mentally soft. Time is not fixing this. If Jerry “gets” this …he will cut bait and move on. If he does not…for whatever reason…we are stuck.

 

[Kingofholland]

Seriously, fixing this can't be that easy.

If they're bad, it's actually pretty easy. But they keep getting 11-12 regular season wins and a postseason appearance out of these players and more importantly, coaching under MM and his staff. Granted, they're beating teams they should be beating, but they want a few against some tough teams too (see Detroit).

So we can't completely blame the culture, because how else are they winning divisions or wild card berths the past few years if the 'culture' were that bad, or the team was that soft? Dak is a 10 to 15 ranked quarterback in the NFL; he is who he is, and I think Dallas is getting the most out of them during the regular season.

So why then the complete implosion during the playoffs? Why can't this team, especially the coaching staff, turn it up a notch like others can in the post season? That's the question. They have no problem getting there; more than half the league has a problem getting into the postseason.

What's missing and how do you fix it WHILE KEEPING THE 11-12 WINS EACH YEAR?

I honestly think this is why Jerry, Stephen, and Co. are struggling with this.

I think it comes down to nerves and the mindset of the players. All they hear about is the early playoff exits and somehow the team collectively plays the worst game of the season with the added pressure.

The other part is coaching matters, we tend to hang our hat on the regular season and go into it with a flawed gameplan while the opposing team studies our tendencies hard and switches it up. Talent often prevails, but inferior coaching can take away that edge.

 

[diamonddelts]

We are getting the brakes beat off us in the post season every year, and every time Jerry waits, lets the dust settle, then he does his rah rah ah shucks schtick to the fan or anyone that will listen...then he tells us we are a SB team and he starts selling that crap to us. He is promoting the team because the draft is coming. The combine first...so he takes a mini vacation after we get boat raced, lets the fans calm down, then he tries to pump up the team again . We have seen this year after year. He luvs status quo. It makes him money. Any press is great press in his view. That said, I hope we get wildcat Jerry and he fires MM and the staff. A message must be sent loud and clear that its a new day in Dallas. But again, thats not Jerry's recent history.

Nothing will happen net year. Same old ish.

 

[Clove]

Both players who had Victory parties planned after the game need to be cut immediately. And that goes for everyone else during the game showing minimal effort. I would also trade parsons, lamb, and whoever else I could. If they aren't going to get past the first round then what's the point of keeping anybody? Just clean house and send a message. We can't afford to pay all these guys anyway. Dak also needs to be cut after June 1st.

Jerry needs to show the fans that he serious. Sticking with this same team is going to be worse than going 5 and 11 with a rebuilding roster.

I don't like the party stuff but they were out schemed. That's on the coaches and Dak. The coaches especially DQ totally choked. 6 dbs to stop the run is unforgivable.

 

[MojaveJT]

Easy. Almost half the wins are from NFCE rivals. This year especially with the easy schedule then exposed in the playoffs by an actual playoff contender.

The writing was on the wall all season but a lot of people ignored it.

 

[sbark]

To answer my own question...

Dallas's regular season record over the last two years is probably been inflated by the dumpster fires that are the Washington and New York Giants franchises. If they're in the AFC North for example, I doubt they win 11 to all games.

Problem is they end up picking in bottom 25% of the draft yr after yr.....and have to play a play a 1st place schedule at least next yr.

 

[DStar22]

Seriously, fixing this can't be that easy.

If they're bad, it's actually pretty easy. But they keep getting 11-12 regular season wins and a postseason appearance out of these players and more importantly, coaching under MM and his staff. Granted, they're beating teams they should be beating, but they want a few against some tough teams too (see Detroit).

So we can't completely blame the culture, because how else are they winning divisions or wild card berths the past few years if the 'culture' were that bad, or the team was that soft? Dak is a 10 to 15 ranked quarterback in the NFL; he is who he is, and I think Dallas is getting the most out of them during the regular season.

So why then the complete implosion during the playoffs? Why can't this team, especially the coaching staff, turn it up a notch like others can in the post season? That's the question. They have no problem getting there; more than half the league has a problem getting into the postseason.

What's missing and how do you fix it WHILE KEEPING THE 11-12 WINS EACH YEAR?

I honestly think this is why Jerry, Stephen, and Co. are struggling with this.

it is the culture, it explains it easily. they can pick talent but the talent becomes soft and not ready for smash mouth intensity of playoff football. Playoff games are not regular season games. Playoff games everyone (well ALMOST everyone... not us apparently) ramps up the energy levels and attack levels for.

it is the culture that makes them soft.

 

[Beast_from_East]

Seriously, fixing this can't be that easy.

If they're bad, it's actually pretty easy. But they keep getting 11-12 regular season wins and a postseason appearance out of these players and more importantly, coaching under MM and his staff. Granted, they're beating teams they should be beating, but they want a few against some tough teams too (see Detroit).

So we can't completely blame the culture, because how else are they winning divisions or wild card berths the past few years if the 'culture' were that bad, or the team was that soft? Dak is a 10 to 15 ranked quarterback in the NFL; he is who he is, and I think Dallas is getting the most out of them during the regular season.

So why then the complete implosion during the playoffs? Why can't this team, especially the coaching staff, turn it up a notch like others can in the post season? That's the question. They have no problem getting there; more than half the league has a problem getting into the postseason.

What's missing and how do you fix it WHILE KEEPING THE 11-12 WINS EACH YEAR?

I honestly think this is why Jerry, Stephen, and Co. are struggling with this.

We have good regular seasons because:

A. The Giants and Commanders are straight up trash, they are like expansion level bad.......................that is 4 free wins right there.

B. We always split with the Eagles, so that is another W pretty much guaranteed each season.................we are at 5 wins now.

C. There are always a couple of rebuilding teams on the schedule, like the Panthers or Titans...................we are at 7 wins now

D. Will McClay does an excellent job drafting (although last year's draft is starting to look like crap now, looking at you Mazi) so we usually have 2-3 games where we just flat out have more talent than our opponent.

That gets you to 9-10 wins and we have yet to even beat a team with a winning record........................win 1 or 2 of those games and you are a 12 win team.

Looks good on paper because the majority of our wins were from beating inferior teams, however there are no inferior teams in the playoffs so that is why we lose.

 

[Cowboysheelsreds058]

They lost a home playoff game to Jake Plummer in 98. Arizona was supposed to always be easy but rarely was.

Beat me too it, yes we had the fans in AZ, but that game was hard for us even with the triplets and don’t even go back in the Roger days with Mel Gray at receiver.

 

[Pola_pe_a]

You guys got the okie doke. Team was playing great ball to end the season I definitely didn’t see that performance coming. Philly has been playing like garbage for two months so that makes it easier.

 

[CowboyinMD]

We have good regular seasons because:

A. The Giants and Commanders are straight up trash, they are like expansion level bad.......................that is 4 free wins right there.

B. We always split with the Eagles, so that is another W pretty much guaranteed each season.................we are at 5 wins now.

C. There are always a couple of rebuilding teams on the schedule, like the Panthers or Titans...................we are at 7 wins now

D. Will McClay does an excellent job drafting (although last year's draft is starting to look like crap now, looking at you Mazi) so we usually have 2-3 games where we just flat out have more talent than our opponent.

That gets you to 9-10 wins and we have yet to even beat a team with a winning record........................win 1 or 2 of those games and you are a 12 win team.

Looks good on paper because the majority of our wins were from beating inferior teams, however there are no inferior teams in the playoffs so that is why we lose.

Well put!

 

[Cowboysheelsreds058]

That was when we started the slide. We also lost to the "new" Carolina Panthers.

We got beat up like h—- that day physically and mentally.