The last Cowboys HC to lead us to back to back playoff seasons

[Motorola]

Jazz, I do feel we are not quite as good as last year.
We lost several starters from last year.
We are still a good team, but I think it's gonna be a dogfight with the egirls this year for the division.

Opinions surfacing that Washington will leap forward and be in contention as well (getting injured players back, somewhat favorable 2022 draft rating, Wentz the starter at QB).

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

Q: So who was the last Cowboys HC to engineer back to back playoff seasons?
A: Chan Gailey. 1998-1999.

I would have never guessed it was Chan Gailey, the only Cowboys HC who made the playoffs every single year he was HC…oops…only here two years. And he was fired after those two years.

Among the many bad habits our Cowboys need to break is its inability to have back to back playoff seasons. The last time we had back to back playoff seasons was 2006-2007. The 06 season under Parcells, 07 under Wade Phillips.

As a bonus question…
Q: Who was the last Cowboys HC to lead us to back to back division championships?
A: Barry Switzer. 1994-1995.

It’s time for this organization to stop floundering from year to year. One of the biggest questions going into this season in my mind will be whether or not we can break this cycle.

That is really sad.

 

[Motorola]

I was all for bringing Chan on board, too, at the time. But most Cowboys fans never really liked him, and that played a big part in why he was only here two years. That, and the fact everyone, including the ownership, was so spoiled about winning.

Add to that - most Cowboys fans were in denial that the team was in decline with aging veterans, the coaching = Switzer, and falling short to improving player talent\ability through FA & draft.

 

[Hagman]

Will we make it back to the playoffs again this year? There is an increased chance of that just because the league expanded the number of playoff teams to seven in each conference last year. Just under 44% of the teams in each conference now will make it.

But are we a better, more talented team that can advance once we reach the playoffs? Unless we have a few miracle rookies come through a la the Dirty Dozen of 1975, no.

 

[fivetwos]

Q: So who was the last Cowboys HC to engineer back to back playoff seasons?
A: Chan Gailey. 1998-1999.

I would have never guessed it was Chan Gailey, the only Cowboys HC who made the playoffs every single year he was HC…oops…only here two years. And he was fired after those two years.

Among the many bad habits our Cowboys need to break is its inability to have back to back playoff seasons. The last time we had back to back playoff seasons was 2006-2007. The 06 season under Parcells, 07 under Wade Phillips.

As a bonus question…
Q: Who was the last Cowboys HC to lead us to back to back division championships?
A: Barry Switzer. 1994-1995.

It’s time for this organization to stop floundering from year to year. One of the biggest questions going into this season in my mind will be whether or not we can break this cycle.

Jerry has said one of his bigger mistakes was giving up on Gailey too soon.

That says plenty, considering they lost Aikman out of nowhere. Vince Lombardi couldn't have won with those 2000-2002 teams.

And he thinks keeping Gailey would have mattered. THAT vs some of his other ego driven decisions screams unreal cluelessness.

It's also probably part of why Garrett got to fail repeatedly for way too long.

But that's Jerry.....double and triple down on dumb.

 

[plymkr]

Jazz, I do feel we are not quite as good as last year.
We lost several starters from last year.
We are still a good team, but I think it's gonna be a dogfight with the egirls this year for the division.

I feel if we stay healthy we're still the most talented team in the division. The Egirls and Commanders improved but we really beat the brakes off those guys last year. I agree with you we're not as good as last year but we're still pretty good if healthy. Wentz scares me tho. It'll be more of a dogfight but I still feel we're the top dog.

 

[plymkr]

Yes, I agree, just mentioned it could be a factor, a small one at that.

Yes definitely a factor. Playing tougher teams is always there. I agree it's a factor and a small one. Hopefully this year we break the cycle. I feel we will.

 

[Bobhaze]

Jerry has said one of his bigger mistakes was giving up on Gailey too soon.

That says plenty, considering they lost Aikman out of nowhere. Vince Lombardi couldn't have won with those 2000-2002 teams.

And he thinks keeping Gailey would have mattered. THAT vs some of his other ego driven decisions screams unreal cluelessness.

It's also probably part of why Garrett got to fail repeatedly for way too long.

But that's Jerry.....double and triple down on dumb.

You make an astute point about JJ admitting he fired Chan the man too soon. Because he admitted it when he was in the midst of his ten year commitment to Garrett who made the playoffs only 3 times in ten seasons. Jerry made the rare admission of a mistake only to commit an even worse one. That’s what drives me crazy…JJ does not seem to learn much from his rarely admitted mistakes.

 

[Motorola]

Will we make it back to the playoffs again this year? There is an increased chance of that just because the league expanded the number of playoff teams to seven in each conference last year. Just under 44% of the teams in each conference now will make it.

But are we a better, more talented team that can advance once we reach the playoffs? Unless we have a few miracle rookies come through a la the Dirty Dozen of 1975, no.

I think the Cowboys can.
Better QB / defense (despite losing Gregory) equal to PHL & WAS / OLine performance is the unknown - but I think they will be up to the task and perform adequately.

 

[Hagman]

I think the Cowboys can.
Better QB / defense (despite losing Gregory) equal to PHL & WAS / OLine performance is the unknown - but I think they will be up to the task and perform adequately.

I’m also worried about the quality of our wide receivers, we lost Cooper, Wilson, and will be without Gallup for who knows how long. That plus, as you mentioned, question marks on the OL worry me big time. To overcome these Dak is going to have to go back to running effectively (and to keep from getting killed).

 

[Bobhaze]

I’m also worried about the quality of our wide receivers, we lost Cooper, Wilson, and will be without Gallup for who knows how long. That plus, as you mentioned, question marks on the OL worry me big time. To overcome these Dak is going to have to go back to running effectively (and to keep from getting killed).

If I take off my fan glasses and I’m being as objective as I can, it seems to me that on paper, this team is not better than last year. Now that can change IF a lot of the youngsters surprise and step into roles they did not play last year.

Will the OL be better? Tyron Smith is a year older, La’el Collins is gone, and we are depending on a raw rookie to step in at LG and maybe even LT if Ty Smith is hurt again (he hasn’t played a full season since 2015) So that has to be a huge ?.

Will the receiving corps be as good, better or worse? Cooper is gone, Gallup will miss at least 4-6 games, and we will probably be counting on young guys who either haven’t played much or are rookies.

Hard to see how this offense has improved. Hey maybe I’m wrong and it will. But I have to put the fan glasses back on to believe that right now.

 

[Hagman]

If I take off my fan glasses and I’m being as objective as I can, it seems to me that on paper, this team is not better than last year. Now that can change IF a lot of the youngsters surprise and step into roles they did not play last year.

Will the OL be better? Tyron Smith is a year older, La’el Collins is gone, and we are depending on a raw rookie to step in at LG and maybe even LT if Ty Smith is hurt again (he hasn’t played a full season since 2015) So that has to be a huge ?.

Will the receiving corps be as good, better or worse? Cooper is gone, Gallup will miss at least 4-6 games, and we will probably be counting on young guys who either haven’t played much or are rookies.

Hard to see how this offense has improved. Hey maybe I’m wrong and it will. But I have to put the fan glasses back on to believe that right now.

Your posts are always well reasoned and thought out. But yeah, Those holes in the offensive line are scary, especially when you try to fill one of them with a rookie whose penalty problems in college remind me more of Conner Williams and Phil Pozderic. Add in a weakened receiver core, plus an aging Zeke Elliott….

Playing in a weak division with the expanded playoff format, yeah we could very well make it into the playoffs. But I need some high powered fan trifocals to see is doing much beyond the first round.

 

[Blackrain]

Dak is going to have to be on top of his game he is going to have to run when it's there and make teams account for it.

For any chance of making the playoffs the team is going to have to establish a new level of discipline.
In other words stay ahead of the chains and stop shooting yourself in the foot with pre-snap penalties.

It's a give and take situation DAk has to make quicker decisions and not make the line block as long and the line has to be more disciplined and not ruin his best work with penalties when he completes great passes downfield

 

[plasticman]

Division championships are not an accomplishment, they are a step.

With four teams to a division, teams would get a division championship every four years even if all they did was toss a coin. That's pretty much what the Cowboys have done since their last SB.

 

[Motorola]

I’m also worried about the quality of our wide receivers, we lost Cooper, Wilson, and will be without Gallup for who knows how long. That plus, as you mentioned, question marks on the OL worry me big time. To overcome these Dak is going to have to go back to running effectively (and to keep from getting killed).

Completely forgot about the WR situation.
My 2 cents: If getting rid of Cooper after the 2021 season was the strategy all along - I would have retained Wilson...even if Gallup wasn't injured.

 

[Hagman]

Completely forgot about the WR situation.
My 2 cents: If getting rid of Cooper after the 2021 season was the strategy all along - I would have retained Wilson...even if Gallup wasn't injured.

I think Wilson signed for $22 million with the Dolphins. I liked Wilson, but I don't know if I liked $22 million worth of him. But with contracts exploding the way that they are I don't really understand the dollars involved today.

We need to have CeeDee become a true #1 receiver--which he kind of was last year. If he would just hang on to the dang ball......Then have James Washington step up to be a quality #2 until Tolbert shows talent and learns the ropes, which seems hard for a wide receiver. Then have Ferguson shine at TE as a rookie, with Brown and Fehoko stepping up.

All that could happen, but it's a lot of pieces to fall in place. I hope, but do not expect, to be pleasantly surprised.

 

[john van brocklin]

Yes definitely a factor. Playing tougher teams is always there. I agree it's a factor and a small one. Hopefully this year we break the cycle. I feel we will.

Hopefully you are correct!

 

[john van brocklin]

I feel if we stay healthy we're still the most talented team in the division. The Egirls and Commanders improved but we really beat the brakes off those guys last year. I agree with you we're not as good as last year but we're still pretty good if healthy. Wentz scares me tho. It'll be more of a dogfight but I still feel we're the top dog.

Yep.
We are the class of the division
BUT, it won't be a cakewalk this year

 

[john van brocklin]

Opinions surfacing that Washington will leap forward and be in contention as well (getting injured players back, somewhat favorable 2022 draft rating, Wentz the starter at QB).

Forget the dead skins!!!

 

[Flamma]

As a bonus question…
Q: Who was the last Cowboys HC to lead us to back to back division championships?
A: Barry Switzer. 1994-1995.

And 1996.