The most optimistic I've been about a season since 2007

[ufcrules1]

I'm not predicting anything, instead I will give it a "wait and see" approach. I do feel better about our team this year as opposed to last but I think that is normal considering we got some upgraded players and are healthy for the most part. This team has been a HUGE failure for the last 18 years and there is a reason for that and for me expect that to change this system would be silly. I say 8-8 until they show us what they got in a few regular season games.

 

[TNCowboy]

I can only laugh at people blaming last year on health. A lot of players will get hurt again this year. It's football.

Few teams had more of their best players on the field at the end of last year than Dallas did. Sean Lee being injured is the norm, not the exception.

Thinking this is anything more than a .500 team is being overly optimistic. The OL is still awful. Romo, Witten, and Ware are another year older. Jerry Jones is still running the show, and Jason Garrett is still on the sideline. Very little has changed. We've seen this act for several years now, no reason to think it's suddenly going to be fresh and different.

The only hope this team has of being a playoff team is if the rest of the division is once again awful.

 

[Mansta54]

Blah Blah Blah!!!! You sound miserable. Find another team to pull for and cheer yourself up. Smh!!!

 

[NickZepp]

I'm in the same boat. Wasn't old enough to appreciate our 90s squads. But i sure as hell have tasted the heartache and stomached the bitter disappointment since.

Enough is enough.

Were some of you even young enough to remember the early 2000s teams or the 2010 team that gave up on their coach? I haven't seen that since Garrett took over. I've seen some bad luck in close games, some teams that aren't quite polished in areas. We haven't really had the talent the last few years. Last year was actually a year that made me optimistic for this year. I expected 6-10, 7-9 because of a tough schedule, and we just didn't have the line play IMO. If you told me going in that 3/4ths of our defense and some key offensive players would miss time all during the season for injuries, I would have said we may win 3 or 4 games at best. We won 8 games last year. If we are just a little healthy this year particularly at key positions playoffs are easily gonna happen for the Boys.

And people that think we haven't improved our players or coaches just haven't followed the Cowboys this offseason.

 

[ufcrules1]

I've seen some bad luck

No, you didn't see bad luck. Bad luck can't explain 17+ season of being bad. You saw poor play, poor coaching, country club atmosphere, undisciplined players, and a lack of leadership. To the untrained eye that looks like bad luck, but I can assure you it isn't.

The good news is we have purged this team of a lot of the country club type players.. Sensablo, Spears, Ogletree, Felix, Newman, Jenkins, Williams, and several others. And we are starting to get a better group of players and the coaching is starting to catch on (Benched Murray the other day). Marinelli has this defense desperately looking for turnovers on EVERY play. We never had that in the past.

I was at that game and was thinking Murray got hurt. I just couldn't figure why they took him out so early in the game. Then when I saw him come in the game at the end I was even more confused. The thought NEVER crossed my mind he was benched for fumbling. What does that tell you about our past?

Anyway, I am cautiously optimistic but it will be a wait and see for me.

 

[NickZepp]

I was referring more to the last few years not all of those 17 years.

 

[Clove]

The thing is, and I'm one of the most negative posters around after a failure season, but when the new season starts, we're so hungry for football and a fresh start, you can't help but to be not only happy, ecstatic, but optimistic as well.

 

[Idgit]

I'm cautionlessly optimistic. If I end up disappointed again, I'll find a way to deal with it since it's only a game and everything. But the roster is nearly as strong as any roster in the NFC. We're certainly good enough to compete for the postseason, and there's 17 weeks of changes that are going to happen to each team between now and then. There's not telling what injuries and performance throughout the year are going to do to Dallas or to other good teams. We just don't have enough information to know in advance, so why not hope things work out well for us?

I also think, if we're not as good a team as we want to be again this season, it's going to be because of our pass defense and not because of our interior OL injuries.

 

[ufcrules1]

I was referring more to the last few years not all of those 17 years.

Yeah, same goes for the last few seasons too. Not bad luck.. but everything else I mentioned. Just my educated opinion...

 

[ClarenceDarrow]

Yeah, if you don't get irrationally optimistic at the end of August, I feel sorry for you. We've got zero losses right now and are tied for first in the NFC East/NFC/NFL.

 

[Idgit]

I was referring more to the last few years not all of those 17 years.

We weren't bad all of those 17 years, either, but it's easier to lump all of them together if repeating that depressing mantra is what one wants to believe.

 

[iceman117]

And even with all of that that said..this team still had a chance at the playoffs with about 5 mins left in the last game of the season. But I guess Bruce Carter or Sean Lee would've made sure that play didnt happen.

You sound bitter and have every right to be, but the truth is this team is much improved. They will need a couple of balls to bounce their way but I think it's an 11 or possibly even a 12 will team with some luck and health.... The roster is very good, and we finally have a great coaching staff.... Get excited about it and stop being a scab

 

[The Natural]

You sound bitter and have every right to be, but the truth is this team is much improved. They will need a couple of balls to bounce their way but I think it's an 11 or possibly even a 12 will team with some luck and health.... The roster is very good, and we finally have a great coaching staff.... Get excited about it and stop being a scab

I said the same thing in the official W/L prediction thread. No need to overreact and get sassy buddy. I'll apply foot to arse.

 

[CATCH17]

I can only laugh at people blaming last year on health. A lot of players will get hurt again this year. It's football.

Few teams had more of their best players on the field at the end of last year than Dallas did. Sean Lee being injured is the norm, not the exception.

Thinking this is anything more than a .500 team is being overly optimistic. The OL is still awful. Romo, Witten, and Ware are another year older. Jerry Jones is still running the show, and Jason Garrett is still on the sideline. Very little has changed. We've seen this act for several years now, no reason to think it's suddenly going to be fresh and different.

The only hope this team has of being a playoff team is if the rest of the division is once again awful.

Im not going to put it all on health but our defense was completely decimated. It's hard to look past that.

With that said I still put a lot of last season on just bad coaching. Glad Garrett is finally not calling plays and im glad we're using the Zone scheme instead of trying to win 1 on 1 battles with terrible OL Personel.

 

[iceman117]

I said the same thing in the official W/L prediction thread. No need to overreact and get sassy buddy. I'll apply foot to arse.

Sassy??lol, I doubt your putting your foot anywhere by me using words like "sassy"

 

[TwoDeep3]

We weren't bad all of those 17 years, either, but it's easier to lump all of them together if repeating that depressing mantra is what one wants to believe.

2012 8-8-0 3rd -- NFC East -- Jason Garrett

2011 8-8-0 T2nd -- NFC East -- Jason Garrett

2010 6-10-0 T3rd -- NFC East -- Wade Phillips,Jason Garrett

2009 11-5-0 1st -- NFC East 1-1 Lost Divisional Playoffs Wade Phillips

2008 9-7-0 3rd -- NFC East -- Wade Phillips

2007 13-3-0 1st -- NFC East 0-1 - Lost Divisional Playoffs Wade Phillips

2006 9-7-0 2nd -- NFC East 0-1 - Lost Wild Card Playoffs Bill Parcells

2005 9-7-0 3rd -- NFC East -- Bill Parcells

2004 6-10-0 T2nd -- NFC East -- Bill Parcells

2003 10-6-0 2nd -- NFC East 0-1 - Lost Wild Card Playoffs Bill Parcells

2002 5-11-0 4th -- NFC East -- Dave Campo

2001 5-11-0 5th -- NFC East -- Dave Campo

2000 5-11-0 4th -- NFC East -- Dave Campo

1999 8-8-0 2nd -- NFC East 0-1 - Lost Wild Card Playoffs Chan Gailey

1998 10-6-0 1st -- NFC East 0-1 - Lost Wild Card Playoffs Chan Gailey

1997 6-10-0 4th -- NFC East -- Barry Switzer

1996 10-6-0 1st -- NFC East 1-1 - Lost Divisional Playoffs Barry Switzer

Yes, I feel so much better now seeing they weren't so bad all those years in a row.

 

[OhSnap]

Can't put any losses last year on health. They choked a game against the Giants and did the same vs. Baltimore and NO. The only teams that flat out beat them last year were the Commanders (twice), Chicago, Seahawks, and Falcons. 3 of those games were not even close.

Thats dumb. If healthy first stringers don't impact the outcomes of games then why do starters get paid more? If the injuries to the O-line that kept them from practicing together all summer doesn't effect the season they why do teams practice?

 

[17yearsandcounting]

Some of you are gluttons for punishment who never learn. Big question marks on both lines, a new defensive system, a new offensive play caller, our best players on the wrong side of 30 or injury prone and still the same doofus making time management decisions. But yeah, Super Bowl caliber team here.

 

[The Natural]

Sassy??lol, I doubt your putting your foot anywhere by me using words like "sassy"

It's a family friendly site so I'm gonna respect the rules. If you see me on the streets I'll say something else to you.

 

[Idgit]

2012 8-8-0 3rd -- NFC East -- Jason Garrett

2011 8-8-0 T2nd -- NFC East -- Jason Garrett

2010 6-10-0 T3rd -- NFC East -- Wade Phillips,Jason Garrett

2009 11-5-0 1st -- NFC East 1-1 Lost Divisional Playoffs Wade Phillips

2008 9-7-0 3rd -- NFC East -- Wade Phillips

2007 13-3-0 1st -- NFC East 0-1 - Lost Divisional Playoffs Wade Phillips

2006 9-7-0 2nd -- NFC East 0-1 - Lost Wild Card Playoffs Bill Parcells

2005 9-7-0 3rd -- NFC East -- Bill Parcells

2004 6-10-0 T2nd -- NFC East -- Bill Parcells

2003 10-6-0 2nd -- NFC East 0-1 - Lost Wild Card Playoffs Bill Parcells

2002 5-11-0 4th -- NFC East -- Dave Campo

2001 5-11-0 5th -- NFC East -- Dave Campo

2000 5-11-0 4th -- NFC East -- Dave Campo

1999 8-8-0 2nd -- NFC East 0-1 - Lost Wild Card Playoffs Chan Gailey

1998 10-6-0 1st -- NFC East 0-1 - Lost Wild Card Playoffs Chan Gailey

1997 6-10-0 4th -- NFC East -- Barry Switzer

1996 10-6-0 1st -- NFC East 1-1 - Lost Divisional Playoffs Barry Switzer

Yes, I feel so much better now seeing they weren't so bad all those years in a row.

Remember, TwoDeep, the hurdle I have to clear here is 'we weren't bad all of those 17 years.' That's not a high hurdle. Your own data shows 7 playoff teams in those years. Six, if you go up to 2012 and knock off 1996.

It's one thing to feel bad about the 17 year stretch if you want to. It's another to overlook the playoff appearances entirely just because one is trying to exaggerate a point.