The One Cowboy Ex-Player You Find It Hard to Forgive

[fivetwos]

Not that any ex-Cowboy player can only find redemption in my forgiveness, but there are those guys that really could have changed history by one routine play. There are those that were just in the wrong place at the wrong time with enough frequency that they destroyed a season.

The infamous include guys like Jackie Smith.....Phil Pozderic.....Craig Morton.....Joseph Randle......Chaz Green.....Dwayne Goodrich.......Babe Laufenberg.......


Which player is responsible for the gut wrenching loss or wasted season you can never forget? Here are my top 3.

Super Bowl 5 - Craig Morton, pathetic. 12-26-127-1TD-3INT....The 127 yards passing was actually his best performance of the three playoff games that postseason. He could throw long but he had zero touch and absolute zero escapability

Super Bowl 13 - Jackie Smith, no explanation needed.

1990 season - Babe Laufenberg. The Cowboys had their own destiny in their hands when they peaked late in the 1990 season, Jimmy Johnson and Jerry Jones's second.

They were on a four game winning streak when they faced the Eagles in game #15. They hit Aikman hard early in the first quarter and he was out. Enter Laufenberg who produced an 8.8 passer rating with a 36% completion rate. The defense held the Eagles to 10 offensive points when Laufenberg saved the worse for last with a pick six.

But this isn't the game that earned him notoriety. The Cowboys still would have clinched a playoff spot with a victory in game #16 against the 4-11 Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons defensive gameplan was simple, load the box against rookie RB Emmitt Smith. Laufenberg took advantage of the Falcons keying on Smith by delivering a 38.4 passer rating including 2 INT's the last one shockingly in the area of Deion Sanders. He returned it 61 yards for a TD. The Cowboys defense held the Falcons to 17 points but the Falcons shut out the Cowboys until the final minutes of the game.

Great post and question.

So great I want to think about it before responding.

I find it easy to hold grudges lol!

I assume Jerry isnt part of it, because until the day comes when he takes his billions, buys a time machine, and buys us all at least a decade of his 25 year experiment on our tab as of it were a round of beers at a bar, he will never be forgiven.

I'll get back to you!


Edit.....that Laufenberg game was the last (12/30/90) was the last I didnt either attend or watch live one way or another. I recall seeing highlights, and it was muddy somewhat, and I cant find a thing on it on youtube.

I'm a bit proud of the streak, but maybe some of you could put that to shame, especially locals.

 

[SteveTheCowboy]

Tony Romo....I love all that he did for us during his career at QB, but he single-handedly lost the playoff game vs Seattle by fumbling a perfect snap on the FG chip shot. How many perfect snaps out of thousands over the years in the NFL have you seen outright dropped by the holder? UGH!

That was a heartbreaker. But I forgive him for it. You are telling me.....that when he started at QB...there was NOBODY else on the team to go out and hold? What starting QB holds for FG's?

Stupid! That is a coaching error for me. Get your QB on the sidelines and under the headphones. Someone else can hold the dman snap.

Murray's GB fumble for me. Although it wasn't a final game-winning/losing play....I felt we had seized momentum.....about to go up and just bust QB in the chops. Fumbled away, GB scores, then scores again to open the 2nd half.
It completely changed the game. He was in open field and got surprised....just not putting the rock away.

Jackie Smith a close 2nd. I think I actually DID bawl on that one!

 

[glimmerman]

Yep.

This one is easy for me. That 2007 team is the best Cowboys team since 1995 and it’s not even close. Crayton blew that game for the team, a year I am certain that we would have gone to and possibly won the Super Bowl.

If you’ll remember, the Pats ended our unbeaten streak that year but the post game was full of “we’ll see you in the Super Bowl”. Crayton cheated us out of that Super Bowl.

For those of you who don’t remember how close we were, and who can stomach it:

He also dropped a pass that was a TD. No one around him and he drops it..

 

[BotchedLobotomy]

I have NEVER forgiven T.O. for this. He is my most hated ex Cowboy. I despised every day he wore the uniform. George Teague only played 1 season for us, but his reaction to this desecration has placed him as one of my favorite ex Cowboys players.

 

[TWOK11]

Patrick Crayton

This is the correct answer

He single-handily cost us a trip to the SB in 2007

 

[Cowboysheelsreds053]

Septien but for terrible off the field stuff.

E. Williams for getting in a car wreck.

The BIG E was the S--- before that accident. John Madden loved him some EW.

 

[TWOK11]

Yep.

This one is easy for me. That 2007 team is the best Cowboys team since 1995 and it’s not even close. Crayton blew that game for the team, a year I am certain that we would have gone to and possibly won the Super Bowl.

If you’ll remember, the Pats ended our unbeaten streak that year but the post game was full of “we’ll see you in the Super Bowl”. Crayton cheated us out of that Super Bowl.

For those of you who don’t remember how close we were, and who can stomach it:

Not only this play, but the drop on what would have been an 80 yard catch and run TD on 3rd down earlier in the 4th quarter.

 

[Cowboysheelsreds053]

Super Bowl 5 - Craig Morton, pathetic.......Funny you dont blame landry at all, he is the one who picked the starting qb is he not??
Super Bowl 13 - Jackie Smith ........would have to watch the game again to comment on this.
1990 season - Babe Laufenberg...... again it is on Jimmy for having babe as the bkup

Jackie Smith did something to Tom Landry I had never seen before, change his facial expression on the sidelines after that dropped TD pass.

 

[McKDaddy]

Jason Garrett. If he was never a backup with the team we wouldn’t of had to endure a decade of his bs

Oh my. I think we have a winner. Way to think thru the problem & get to the root cause.

 

[Rockport]

TO - He destroyed the locker room chemistry.

 

[rnr_honeybadger]

I don’t think I can forgive Owens for his running to the star at mid field to showboat. Even though he did play for us afterwards.

 

[Qcard]

Not that any ex-Cowboy player can only find redemption in my forgiveness, but there are those guys that really could have changed history by one routine play. There are those that were just in the wrong place at the wrong time with enough frequency that they destroyed a season.

The infamous include guys like Jackie Smith.....Phil Pozderic.....Craig Morton.....Joseph Randle......Chaz Green.....Dwayne Goodrich.......Babe Laufenberg.......


Which player is responsible for the gut wrenching loss or wasted season you can never forget? Here are my top 3.

Super Bowl 5 - Craig Morton, pathetic. 12-26-127-1TD-3INT....The 127 yards passing was actually his best performance of the three playoff games that postseason. He could throw long but he had zero touch and absolute zero escapability

Super Bowl 13 - Jackie Smith, no explanation needed.

1990 season - Babe Laufenberg. The Cowboys had their own destiny in their hands when they peaked late in the 1990 season, Jimmy Johnson and Jerry Jones's second.

They were on a four game winning streak when they faced the Eagles in game #15. They hit Aikman hard early in the first quarter and he was out. Enter Laufenberg who produced an 8.8 passer rating with a 36% completion rate. The defense held the Eagles to 10 offensive points when Laufenberg saved the worse for last with a pick six.

But this isn't the game that earned him notoriety. The Cowboys still would have clinched a playoff spot with a victory in game #16 against the 4-11 Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons defensive gameplan was simple, load the box against rookie RB Emmitt Smith. Laufenberg took advantage of the Falcons keying on Smith by delivering a 38.4 passer rating including 2 INT's the last one shockingly in the area of Deion Sanders. He returned it 61 yards for a TD. The Cowboys defense held the Falcons to 17 points but the Falcons shut out the Cowboys until the final minutes of the game.

Tony Romo

1. Fumbled Parcells into retirement

2. Cabo Gate plus let Crayton take blame for a game in which he forced last INT to RW McQuarters immediately after Crayton play

3. Dez caught it....Great QBs overcome bad times eventually....

4. Off-season pathetic Football exercise and conditioning program....Golf ?!!

I still Love Romo though kept us relevant

 

[glimmerman]

Septein and I believe didnt Hollywood Henderson finds his way off the field over stupid things. And Irving.

 

[McKDaddy]

Lot of great answers. I can forgive players for a bad play or bad day as long as I see the effort & the desire to win. The player that instantly comes to mind for me can't be directly linked to any one play. His sins were that A) he began to think he was the next Deion B) his attitude & effort went to ****. and C) this continued for years.

Terrence Newman. He was great his first 4 or 5 years. But he got full of himself & started trying to emulate Deion and receivers made him pay. Then something happened to his effort. Don't know if it was an issue with coach(s), organization or if he just got spoiled as a professional athlete.

The searing image of his total lack of commitment to team was against the Vikings in the playoffs (2009). Team is struggling all day to find rythm on offense but yet we keep managing to find ways to stay in the game thru the first three quarters. We get the Vikings into 3rd and long. They complete a short pass & another defender stands the guy up 4-5 yards short of the first down. Newman is a few yards away. All he has to do is come in with any force and help drive the guy back or down. Instead he lolly gags coming over & when he gets there he does nothing. The guy ends up getting the first down. This wasn't his only lack of effort play that day but the one i most vividly remember. We might not have won but if we had made those stops maybe our offense finds something. Certainly, you always wanted to keep the game close because you know Favre will throw it to your team if you give him a chance.

I knew i was done with him after that game. I know he seemed to resurrect his career after getting cut by Dallas but my stomach still churns anytime i think of him.

 

[Whyjerry]

Tony Romo - I just think he never reached his potential. The guy could play. The Mexico thing. The conditioning. His lack of leadership. The blow ups in big moments.

Not all his fault but I think he was good but could have been great.

 

[Ranched]

This one is easy for me. That 2007 team is the best Cowboys team since 1995 and it’s not even close. Crayton blew that game for the team, a year I am certain that we would have gone to and possibly won the Super Bowl

I recall that game as it was yesterday. Romo's look on his face said it all. Crayton, who started the war of words during the week, calling out Brandon Jacobs in particular, had two huge drops and muffed a punt in the Boys' four point loss.

I think Romo re-injured his thumb in that game as well. Makes one wonder had Dallas advanced, would Romo have sat out in Green Bay?!

 

[sean10mm]

Terrence Newman was a good player people hated for not being a great player. That's a common disease among post-1996 Cowboys fans. I never had any real beef with him honestly or understood the hate. It reeked of "I decided the guy is a bum so I'll start fishing for reasons to hate him." Kind of like how people dogged Ware late in his Cowboys career, only for him to play well and get a ring elsewhere.

I put Crayton on the sh list more than anybody because he ran his mouth a lot like a cut-rate TO and then choked in games. At least with TO you can say he was an overpowering talent who played hard - look at his Super Bowl performance where he gutted out a major injury and the Patriots still couldn't guard him. Even if he was a long term liability, on game day TO would fight for the ball at least.

Maybe I'm weird, but I usually don't hold single plays against guys that much. The Jackie Smith drop was really egregious though so I get why it lives in infamy. The Romo bad snap sucked, but ultimately you're dogging a quarterback over a decade later for being a holder which is just weird as hell.

Tony Romo - I just think he never reached his potential. The guy could play. The Mexico thing. The conditioning. His lack of leadership. The blow ups in big moments.

Not all his fault but I think he was good but could have been great.

Quarterbacks don't develop in a vacuum. He spent most of his career being "developed" by bums that the fanbase rightly despises for constantly wasting talent. It's not a coincidence that Tom Brady developed like he did when he was coached up by the best to ever stand on the sidelines.

It's almost like there's a cause-effect relationship there.

 

[rags]

Jackie Smith.

 

[Whyjerry]

Terrence Newman was a good player people hated for not being a great player. That's a common disease among post-1996 Cowboys fans. I never had any real beef with him honestly or understood the hate. It reeked of "I decided the guy is a bum so I'll start fishing for reasons to hate him." Kind of like how people dogged Ware late in his Cowboys career, only for him to play well and get a ring elsewhere.

I put Crayton on the sh list more than anybody because he ran his mouth a lot like a cut-rate TO and then choked in games. At least with TO you can say he was an overpowering talent who played hard - look at his Super Bowl performance where he gutted out a major injury and the Patriots still couldn't guard him. Even if he was a long term liability, on game day TO would fight for the ball at least.

Maybe I'm weird, but I usually don't hold single plays against guys that much. The Jackie Smith drop was really egregious though so I get why it lives in infamy. The Romo bad snap sucked, but ultimately you're dogging a quarterback over a decade later for being a holder which is just weird as hell.



Quarterbacks don't develop in a vacuum. He spent most of his career being "developed" by bums that the fanbase rightly despises for constantly wasting talent. It's not a coincidence that Tom Brady developed like he did when he was coached up by the best to ever stand on the sidelines.

It's almost like there's a cause-effect relationship there.

Tony shares the blame. Do you think he had Brady’s leadership or work ethic?

 

[blueblood70]

Jackie Smith (even though I wasn’t alive) or Dez in Green Bay.

umm dez caught it... the refs not player and those dont count..