The season that should have been

[DogFace]

Of course it would affect any teams season but not to the extent of falling from 12-4 to 4-12. Although the Cowboys lost Romo and Dez they still had them for parts of the season. Romo played 2 full games and part of 2 other games. One of the worse games the Cowboys played this season vs Carolina Romo started and his poor play greatly contributed to us being blowout. As for Dez he still started 9 games this season and despite him being healthy during most of the opener he didn't play all that well. Several teams lost their starting QB this season and still made the playoffs. AJ McCarron played in 7 games for Cinn starting 3 of them and they still made the playoffs.

Roethlisberger missed time this season with the Steelers using 2 backups and they still made the playoffs. Houston had a worse QB situation than the Cowboys playing with 3 scrubs and were led to 2 important wins by Brandon Weeden who didn't win a single game in Dallas but was able to help the Texans make the playoffs. Look at Denver Brock Osweiler started 7 games for an injured Peyton Manning and the Broncos are in the SB. Manning not only missed a good portion of the season he had a rotten season with only 9 TD's, 17 INTs and a passer rating of 67.9.

Most of his stats were worse than the stats of the QBs we used this season but it didn't stop the Broncos from having a solid year and the opportunity to win a championship. All this teams I mentioned had other injuries besides losing their QBs for part of the season and it didn't result in a 4-12 season. Cam lost his #1 receiver prior to the season and he still had an MVP year and the Panthers are in the SB with a 17-1 record. I got some bad news for you and many others the Cowboys issues were a lot deeper this season than the injuries to Romo and Dez.

The stealers didn't lose Brown and they lost Ben for a few games. Texas losing a crappy starting Qb is different from us losing a top five Qb from the year before. Panthers are better. Dez was obviously only healthy for one game.

You and the others can feel however you want. If you want to think we're a terrible team or what ever I honestly do not mind. It's not important what many of you think. To anyone. I guess we'll see next year when we have those players back. We'll find out if they could've been the difference in many of our close losses.

 

[CowboyRoy]

If we would've won more you would've cried incessantly about Joe we're a 500 team and can't get the draft picks you want. The staff was exposed. We still have a very good team and we will do well. The betting lines reflect reasonable people's opinions. Not spoiled crybabies' positions.

Spoiled Cry babies? LOL You have to be joking me. Is it too much to ask that team make have more than two playoff wins in 20 years?

If your satisfied, that is all up to you my low standard buddy. I reserve the right to be completely dissatisfied with the current regime.

If your not crying, then like I said, you simply dont care enough.

 

[CowboyRoy]

Your whiney overly negative attitude that's as predictable as comical.
What was your attitude during the win streak of 2014? Attitude before the Seattle game? Playoff game 1? 2?

We just went 4-12 buddy. What is there to be positive about? Did you simply gloss over the season drunk or something?

I definitely wish I could be as care free and unemotional as you are about total ineptitude. Ignorance is surely bliss. Throw all the congratulations parties you feel you need to while the grown ups talk reality.

 

[CowboyRoy]

These "you're not a true fan" arguments never get old.

LOL........If your not completely smitten about going 4-12 you are a horrible fan. LOL

It really never does get old.

 

[CowboyRoy]

Dunbar was not 3rd/4th string. Dunbar played a unique position in this offense, and he was the only one capable. Before he was injured, he w the most dynamic offensive weapon on the team. When he went down, he was the Cowboys leading receiver, not only in receptions (23 in 3 games), but in receiving yardage (215) and YPC (10.2).

His loss was a lot more impactful than any of you would admit.

Very true. But you have to ask why the Cowboy would rely on a guy that has gotten hurt every year before game 4 and been out for the season practically every year. And they will probably do it again. A fools errand no more than relying on Romo to stay healthy at this point.

Jerry was just quoted last night as saying that he feels no need to draft a QB because Romo is good for another 3-5 years. This franchise is being run by dreamers, not football minds.

 

[DogFace]

Spoiled Cry babies? LOL You have to be joking me. Is it too much to ask that team make have more than two playoff wins in 20 years?

If your satisfied, that is all up to you my low standard buddy. I reserve the right to be completely dissatisfied with the current regime.

If your not crying, then like I said, you simply dont care enough.

Easy tiger, don't get upset with me please. Take a deep breath and compose yourself.

 

[DogFace]

We just went 4-12 buddy. What is there to be positive about? Did you simply gloss over the season drunk or something?

I definitely wish I could be as care free and unemotional as you are about total ineptitude. Ignorance is surely bliss. Throw all the congratulations parties you feel you need to while the grown ups talk reality.

Ok. Ok I'm sorry. Just relax. I didn't mean to upset you so. It's ok. Or it's not. Whatever makes you happy honey.

 

[CowboyRoy]

Ok. Ok I'm sorry. Just relax. I didn't mean to upset you so. It's ok. Or it's not. Whatever makes you happy honey.

Shirly you cant be serious!!! And stop calling me shirley!!

Hey, if your tickled pink at going 4-12, who am I to interrupt your celebration. By all means keep cheering.

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

Hey I am just thrilled the Pats, Steelers, and Pack didn't make it to the big dance. With that the Panthers are the best team this year and it the SB has the making of a blowout.

Agreed.

I know too many annoying Broncos fans... So one more to go to complete that list. Lol



To the OP.

I feel there is an alternate universe where this season went better for us.

"The season that should have been"

In that alt verse we win SB 50.... Again, glad pats ain't in it. Lol

 

[DogFace]

Shirly you cant be serious!!! And stop calling me shirley!!

Hey, if your tickled pink at going 4-12, who am I to interrupt your celebration. By all means keep cheering.

Thanks

 

[KJJ]

Dez was healthy for basically one half of the opener. After that he was never close to 100% once he returned. You can point to AJ McCarron, Landry Jones, Brock Osweiler, and Brandon Weeden (Houston version) all you want, but you also must acknowledge that AJ Green, Antonio Brown, DeMaryus Thomas, and Deandre Hopkins were still on the field. Comparing those situations to Dallas' is ludicrous. Dallas didn't have that luxury when Romo went down, and unfortunately, Dez was never the same.

Dez didn't do very much when he was healthy most of Romo's passes in the opener were going to the backs. It took a clock management gaffe by the Giants for the Cowboys to pull that game out and in no game this season were they as healthy as they were in the opener. All those teams I mentioned lost their QBs and had other injuries but still made the playoffs. The Steelers not only lost Roethoslberger for 4 full games they also lost their lead back Bell for 10 games and still made the playoffs. Peyton Manning missed a number of games and played hurt most of the season and Denver is in the SB. Houston never played a single game with a franchise QB because they don't have one.

Had the Cowboys had their QB situation they would have likely gone 1-15. A good, solid team isn't going to fall to 4-12 losing their starting QB and lead receiver. It would certainly lead to some issues but solid, well coached teams are able to scratch out several wins and still manage a respectable season. Players step up on well coached teams and are able to hang in despite injuries there's examples every year of key players going down and their teams hanging in.

 

[KJJ]

The stealers didn't lose Brown and they lost Ben for a few games. Texas losing a crappy starting Qb is different from us losing a top five Qb from the year before. Panthers are better. Dez was obviously only healthy for one game.

You and the others can feel however you want. If you want to think we're a terrible team or what ever I honestly do not mind. It's not important what many of you think. To anyone. I guess we'll see next year when we have those players back. We'll find out if they could've been the difference in many of our close losses.

The Steelers didn't lose Brown but they lost Bell for 10 games and Roethlisberger for 4 games that would have derailed our 2014 season because Romo and Murray were our offense and our MVP's that season. Other teams lose their QB for a few games and another key player and can still manage to hang in and win a few games but not the Cowboys because they don't have a good team and aren't well coached. The Cowboys went 1-10 with a couple of veteran QBs that have won more than 35 games between them. Weeden never won a game in Dallas but caught on with Houston well into the season and helped them to a couple of important wins.

On opening day the Cowboys were a healthy team and were practically handed a win by what ended up being a bad Giants team. If it wasn't for their huge clock management gaffe in the final minutes the Cowboys would have started the season 0-1. This was an 8-8 team WITH Romo and a healthy Dez. On opening day the Cowboys looked just like they did during those 8-8 seasons with Romo having to win games. The lack of a consistent running game put the load right back on his shoulders which contributed to him being injured.

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

As I watch my home town Panthers steamroll their way to the SB with a 17-1 record, I can't help but get a sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach. This was supposed to be the Cowboys victory today (am I the only one who feels that way?).

At the end of last season, this is exactly what I envisioned for my beloved Cowboys. It was supposed to be our return to the glory days....our return to our rightful spot as a contender. 2014 was our warmup to the SB...it was the Cowboys announcing to the rest of the league we have arrived, just like that 1991 season. We had our triplets, we finally addressed our OL creating what was being described as what could become one of the best OL in history. We had a coach who appeared to have finally benefited from his on the job training and the light bulb finally went off in his head. We were using downhill running to setup the pass and finish off games when we had the lead. We had Pro Bowl talent at all of the offensive skill positions in Romo, Dez, Witten, Murray. The Defense still needed help but it appeared it was on its way. Sean Lee, RoMac and Hitchens as our starting LBs seemed to be the equivalent of our OL. our DE was improving with Hardy signing, D Law getting another year in offseason program and T Crawford coming off an impressive year. Finally we still needed some help in backfield , but Scandrick was impressive and if we solidified our DL with the promise at LB and a solid defensive draft, this defense could only get better. Everything pointed to our return to SB glory. Romo was going to be the League and SB MVP, and the new Dallas Dynasty was starting in 2015.

Then the bus started creaking. We didn't resign Murray, While not happy, many of us thought it was the right move to not match the eagles offer. We could surely find another back to run behind this OL....shoot, there was probably 500 backs who gain 1500 yards behind this OL - right?!?!? Then another creak, Callahan signs with the skins. That's OK, this OL filled with first rounder’s was so good we didn't need Callahan. Plus we just had THE...BEST...DRAFT....EVER....Three first rounder’s in our first three picks including another consensus first rounder (even if he wasn't even drafted) for the OL guaranteed SB am I right?!?!? Then it started to happen...cracks in the body, Scandrick out for the season, Dez holding out and getting hammy issues in training camp, Greg Hardy is the worst criminal in football noise, RoMac suspended for violating the substance abuse policy even our second round pick gets the kiss of death high ankle sprain. Of course this all sucked, but it was only speed bumps on our way to the SB....at least that was what I believed and that is what I told anybody who would listen. This team is too good from top to bottom and the NFC East sucked The Skins suck as they normally do. Chip Kelly did his best to destroy his team to prove that his system didn't need players to succeed, but we all knew his team would go down faster than the titanic. the NYG were finally realizing that Eli was a product of their great defenses, and oh, by the way, they no longer have a great defense. This was the year we were going to seal the NFC East crown by week 12.

And then, the first wheel falls off. We are sitting at 1-0 but Dez breaks his foot. This is bad, but, at least we still have Romo...this is a slight inconvenience, it may even cost us 14-2, 15-1 season. The good news, is we have a head coach that got all of his RKG that have the right mental mindset to overcome this type of adversity and again, we at least still have Romo. Then on our way to a very shaky 2-0, the unthinkable happens....Romo goes down (I am still shuddering from the thought of it). In the immortal words of the marine in Aliens 3 "That's it, game over dude!). but wait, what's this, our players will defy medical logic and we will get them both back and we only have to win 2-3 games out of 7 to still have a chance to win the NFC East and go into the playoffs with a winning streak that will carry us into the SB?? Is it possible we can still salvage this season??? of course not....the football gods no longer look favorably at this franchise. We go 1-7 and the GM and his assistant GM son failed us with the crap they hired as backup QBs and the Head coach proved he still doesn't know anything about coaching football (we also learned who the real offensive coach was and he was out for 10 weeks with a broken collarbone). Garrett proved over 12 games this year, that he could not coach his way out of a paper bag and the 4 games he won were in spite of him.

THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE OUR YEAR!!! And the GM, and the coaches (every last one of them) and the backup QBs, and the football gods who forsake us ruined it. The year the panthers had was the year we were supposed to have. Everything pointed to that in May 2015...the only question mark was the RB position and we could overcome that....well, it is amazing how far this team has fallen...from SB aspirations to picking fourth in the upcoming draft. This has got to be the worst season ever in the 42 years that I have been a fan of the Cowboys. I will be depressed watching the panthers play thinking about what could have been.

end rant/

Suppose all our ailments were suddenly to vanish.
We'd still end up with a QB who, statistically, is bound to choke in the games leading up to a playoff or choke in the playoffs. A QB with TWO playoff career wins.
Statistically brilliant but nowhere the leader that takes a team deep into the playoffs, much less to the first playoff game.That is his phyric victory: Great stats, poor outcomes.
If I sound bitter it is because I am.

 

[KJJ]

There is no way the 2014 Cowboys, with the slightly improved 2015 Cowboy's defense would have beaten the Panthers.

We definitely would have given them a tough game but the defense would have to be more than "slightly" improved to contain Cam and their offense. Even last season the Cowboys took a real thumping to Philly on Thanksgiving and we had to hang on for dear life in the second game after jumping on them early. Our D only produced 27 sacks in 2014 and to affect Cam you have to be able to mount a strong pass rush. Denver has a shot to beat them in the SB because they have the top defense in the league with several players who can get to the QB.

I could see Cam having a rough go against their defense not saying he will but if Denver can contain their running game and put the game on Cam's shoulders Carolina could have their hands full. Anyone who's handing the Panthers that game better think again. They have the edge because Cam is having a great year but he's not going to be able to win that game on his own.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

Wait until preseason and see how most are picking us to win the East.

Probably by default lol.

 

[KJJ]

Wait until preseason and see how most are picking us to win the East.

When they pick us to win anything that usually spells doom. The Cowboys tend to perform better when it's them against the world. You would have to go back a ways to find a season where most were picking us to win the East and we did.

 

[Fmart322]

You have a good rant going on here, well deserved too.
Unlike you, I wasn't as mad with this season. With Romo going down so early I never got into the season. If anything I'm glad we didn't drag out the season till the end. This team was bad, real bad at QB.
The cowboys have been doing well drafting the past few years, I have faith in that at least. Maybe we'll get a new coach after next season. I really wanted Garrett to work but I just don't see it.

As I watch my home town Panthers steamroll their way to the SB with a 17-1 record, I can't help but get a sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach. This was supposed to be the Cowboys victory today (am I the only one who feels that way?).

At the end of last season, this is exactly what I envisioned for my beloved Cowboys. It was supposed to be our return to the glory days....our return to our rightful spot as a contender. 2014 was our warmup to the SB...it was the Cowboys announcing to the rest of the league we have arrived, just like that 1991 season. We had our triplets, we finally addressed our OL creating what was being described as what could become one of the best OL in history. We had a coach who appeared to have finally benefited from his on the job training and the light bulb finally went off in his head. We were using downhill running to setup the pass and finish off games when we had the lead. We had Pro Bowl talent at all of the offensive skill positions in Romo, Dez, Witten, Murray. The Defense still needed help but it appeared it was on its way. Sean Lee, RoMac and Hitchens as our starting LBs seemed to be the equivalent of our OL. our DE was improving with Hardy signing, D Law getting another year in offseason program and T Crawford coming off an impressive year. Finally we still needed some help in backfield , but Scandrick was impressive and if we solidified our DL with the promise at LB and a solid defensive draft, this defense could only get better. Everything pointed to our return to SB glory. Romo was going to be the League and SB MVP, and the new Dallas Dynasty was starting in 2015.

Then the bus started creaking. We didn't resign Murray, While not happy, many of us thought it was the right move to not match the eagles offer. We could surely find another back to run behind this OL....shoot, there was probably 500 backs who gain 1500 yards behind this OL - right?!?!? Then another creak, Callahan signs with the skins. That's OK, this OL filled with first rounder’s was so good we didn't need Callahan. Plus we just had THE...BEST...DRAFT....EVER....Three first rounder’s in our first three picks including another consensus first rounder (even if he wasn't even drafted) for the OL guaranteed SB am I right?!?!? Then it started to happen...cracks in the body, Scandrick out for the season, Dez holding out and getting hammy issues in training camp, Greg Hardy is the worst criminal in football noise, RoMac suspended for violating the substance abuse policy even our second round pick gets the kiss of death high ankle sprain. Of course this all sucked, but it was only speed bumps on our way to the SB....at least that was what I believed and that is what I told anybody who would listen. This team is too good from top to bottom and the NFC East sucked The Skins suck as they normally do. Chip Kelly did his best to destroy his team to prove that his system didn't need players to succeed, but we all knew his team would go down faster than the titanic. the NYG were finally realizing that Eli was a product of their great defenses, and oh, by the way, they no longer have a great defense. This was the year we were going to seal the NFC East crown by week 12.

And then, the first wheel falls off. We are sitting at 1-0 but Dez breaks his foot. This is bad, but, at least we still have Romo...this is a slight inconvenience, it may even cost us 14-2, 15-1 season. The good news, is we have a head coach that got all of his RKG that have the right mental mindset to overcome this type of adversity and again, we at least still have Romo. Then on our way to a very shaky 2-0, the unthinkable happens....Romo goes down (I am still shuddering from the thought of it). In the immortal words of the marine in Aliens 3 "That's it, game over dude!). but wait, what's this, our players will defy medical logic and we will get them both back and we only have to win 2-3 games out of 7 to still have a chance to win the NFC East and go into the playoffs with a winning streak that will carry us into the SB?? Is it possible we can still salvage this season??? of course not....the football gods no longer look favorably at this franchise. We go 1-7 and the GM and his assistant GM son failed us with the crap they hired as backup QBs and the Head coach proved he still doesn't know anything about coaching football (we also learned who the real offensive coach was and he was out for 10 weeks with a broken collarbone). Garrett proved over 12 games this year, that he could not coach his way out of a paper bag and the 4 games he won were in spite of him.

THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE OUR YEAR!!! And the GM, and the coaches (every last one of them) and the backup QBs, and the football gods who forsake us ruined it. The year the panthers had was the year we were supposed to have. Everything pointed to that in May 2015...the only question mark was the RB position and we could overcome that....well, it is amazing how far this team has fallen...from SB aspirations to picking fourth in the upcoming draft. This has got to be the worst season ever in the 42 years that I have been a fan of the Cowboys. I will be depressed watching the panthers play thinking about what could have been.

end rant/