This is really sinking in now

[Venger]

It sunk in with me after we mailed in the season finale that there wasn't anything special or different about this team, especially blowing an opportunity at a franchise record 14 wins. Any team that's special and is on a mission doesn't mail in games regardless if they're meaningless.

I do think that knowing we had a bye week that going into Philadelphia without a plan to win is an attitude that carries over. I despise playing a game not to win. I think a rookie needs every snap to get better, I'd have played Dak the entire first half and Romo the entire second. Not because Dak didn't need it or we didn't want to win but because I did want to win AND get Romo up to speed in case Dak got hurt during the playoff run. Instead, we lollygagged around the field... you know what that makes us...

 

[Vintage]

This is partially accurate. A lot of people bought into the special angle and figured destiny was involved. People even started talking themselves into the concept that this was a winning defense late in the season.

I somehow am imagining Parcells saying to our fan base "you've been sucked" after this game.

 

[SSWilliams31]

I really believe this team will be in the playoffs next year with possibly a first round bye, what makes me sad/mad is that I have to wait a whole year till January of 2018 to see if this team is any different than previous teams.

 

[SDCowboy]

"This team is young and special"

We've been saying this for years

Eh, not quite. A team is really the age of the franchise QB (if they have one) in today's league. Now the franchise is 23 instead of almost 37. This is truly an extremely young and talented team on offense, between Dak, Zeke and the oline.

 

[jwitten82]

Eh, not quite. A team is really the age of the franchise QB (if they have one) in today's league. Now the franchise is 23 instead of almost 37. This is truly an extremely young and talented team on offense, between Dak, Zeke and the oline.

We said it in 2007, and at that team had a franchise qb, Witten was younger, and also had a prime Demarcus Ware. So what makes this team different?

 

[THEHEREAFTER]

I feel like I've been tricked, I thought this team was different, special...I've been bleeding blue and silver since 94, just more of the same. This one hurt almost as much as losing to the 49ers my first year as a fan. Just had to vent a little, thanks if you read this all the way through and as always go Cowboys, I just can't quit this team.

I like your handle. Fitting. The players are hurting. Fans are disappointed. It's sports. If you're a fan-- it's who you are... there's no divorce.

 

[SDCowboy]

We said it in 2007, and at that team had a franchise qb, Witten was younger, and also had a prime Demarcus Ware. So what makes this team different?

And that's a fair point. I feel this team is different than that one, though. Time will tell.

 

[negativecreep]

I like your handle. Fitting. The players are hurting. Fans are disappointed. It's sports. If you're a fan-- it's who you are... there's no divorce.

Hmmm...not sure how to take that, I'll be a Cowboys fan until I'm dead. I'm not THAT negative or THAT much of a creep, it's just one of my favorite songs....your handle fits well also, especially today.

 

[Alexander]

Really. That is what you got out of this? Please.

The people suggesting this is over because this team did not win this year are mistaken. I see this more like the 91 season heading into 92.

That was also a very very different era.

Those Cowboys could keep the talent they wanted and build on top of that.

They did not have to worry about a veteran QB sucking up a huge portion of cap space not to mention a cluster of players that played over 60 percent of the snaps on the team being free agents.

There are some good building blocks with the past draft, but keeping what we want and also fortifying it is not going to be easy. They will have to hit on the draft once more. It is very easy to see this team taking a step back next season.

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

One would think that this young team has promise and the future looks really bright. However too many of the old cogs are still involved to believe it will be any different, ie. Jerry and JG, etc. How you squander another 1st seed is beyond me. 2-8 in playoff games in the past 21 years, and 0-5 in the divisional round folks!!!

"This whole thing...... FUDGING SUCKS"

 

[Aven8]

"This whole thing...... FUDGING SUCKS"

Love it! Tango and Cash!

 

[Joe Realist]

This team is special.

review the 1991 Cowboys, and their loss to Detroit and the 1992 off season just before the first Super Bowl. What did they do?

They added Charles Haley. Who, I might add, had six sacks that year and four the next. But his leadership made a huge difference.

http://www.jt-sw.com/football/pro/players.nsf/ID/06760039

That is nice, but does not mean history will repeat. I wish regular season kept going.....

 

[starcity214]

Eh, not quite. A team is really the age of the franchise QB (if they have one) in today's league. Now the franchise is 23 instead of almost 37. This is truly an extremely young and talented team on offense, between Dak, Zeke and the oline.

Cool...... but an "old" QB without his two best WR (Nelson, Adams) and a WR palying as a RB just beat your "young" QB , RB, and OLINE that was playing against 4th stringers and that had a week off and were at home......let that sink in. If not now, then when will our "young" guys win? you seem to forget that guys like mariotta, derek carr, and Winston are in the league... Dak didn't finish top 10 in ANY category except passer rating. if that is all you have, then put Romo in the Hall of fame because his passer rating is top 5 all time.. I don't understand all this "Dak is the GOAT" talk.. I want to like the guy but people make it hard because they make him out to be Tom brady/Michael vick incarnate when that's just not the case..poor kid will never live up to those expectations..

 

[JoeyBoy718]

By biggest concern is Garrett's lack of courage in playoff games. I don't even care about spiking the ball at the end of the game. What pissed me off was not going for it on 4th and 2 on their 30 on our opening drive. That's what set the tone early. It haunted us for the entire 1st half and then we ran out of time in the 2nd half when we finally starting imposing our will on them. We need a coach we can trust the same way we need a franchise QB we can trust. I trusted Romo in big games and I trust Dak too. Just don't know if I trust the redhead.

 

[JDSmith]

This team is special.

review the 1991 Cowboys, and their loss to Detroit and the 1992 off season just before the first Super Bowl. What did they do?

They added Charles Haley. Who, I might add, had six sacks that year and four the next. But his leadership made a huge difference.

http://www.jt-sw.com/football/pro/players.nsf/ID/06760039

That was before free agency. You could build a team then and keep it together, and you could have depth that simply doesn't exist in today's game. This is a year to year league now, unless you are the Patriots. We're not the Patriots. We had our year, and we blew it - again. Next year we start out at 0 - 0 and who knows? Maybe it will be a 1992 redux, but it's also equally likely that it will be another 2008. In fact the latter is probably more likely.

 

[JDSmith]

The loss feels different for me mainly because it's a QB driven league and Dak played the best playoff game by a rookie in history...possibly the best playoff game by a QB for this team since Aikman.

No disrespect towards Romo, I love the guy, but he had the added pressure of the national media labeling him a choker after the dropped kick and game ending interceptions.

Dak wont have that after this game. His two touchdown passes in the fourth were clutch and he left the field after putting his team in position to tie the game with 30 seconds left. Not a fan in the world can watch his performance in the 4th and call him a choker. We have a QB that will enter next season with unfinished business on his mind and he will be our QB for the best decade at least.

And all of the people claiming the team will be so much better for getting rid of Romo because we can spend the money on the defense will be crying after Dak's third year when, if he's anywhere near as good as most of our fans think, he's going to get 30 million a year. We have maybe 2 more years before we have to pay Dak. He's not going to wait around for the full 4 years of his contract, he's going to get a new contract after 3. So we'd better figure out the defense by tomorrow, because once the OL starts getting their contracts and Dak is up for his we're going to be in serious salary cap trouble. So maybe we'll have Dak for 10 years, but at least 7 of them we'll be paying him top dollar and eating a huge piece of the salary cap in the process.

 

[plymkr]

This team is special.

review the 1991 Cowboys, and their loss to Detroit and the 1992 off season just before the first Super Bowl. What did they do?

They added Charles Haley. Who, I might add, had six sacks that year and four the next. But his leadership made a huge difference.

http://www.jt-sw.com/football/pro/players.nsf/ID/06760039

This year does remind me a lot of the '91 season. We got smashed in the playoffs by Detroit and then got Charles Haley in a trade and Woodson, Kevin Smith and Leon Lett in the draft and just smoked people for the next 4 seasons.

 

[JDSmith]

We said it in 2007, and at that team had a franchise qb, Witten was younger, and also had a prime Demarcus Ware. So what makes this team different?

The only thing that makes this team different is optimism. The same way this team was different all year - all you had to do was read the forums. How many people had such a great feeling about this team and how different it was? How we had some new energy blah blah blah. It all amounted to the same thing as 2007. But hey, at least it 'felt' different.

 

[Satchel89]

One would think that this young team has promise and the future looks really bright. However too many of the old cogs are still involved to believe it will be any different, ie. Jerry and JG, etc. How you squander another 1st seed is beyond me. 2-8 in playoff games in the past 21 years, and 0-5 in the divisional round folks!!![/QUOTE
That's what I keep thinking about. The Cowboys are set up good for the next few years and then I realize they haven't been in an NFC Conference game in 21 years. 2 decades. That's pathetic. I have friends who texted me and said "Your team played a great game." Shut up. Seriously. It was a horrible way to lose a game. They fought so hard to get back in the game and this franchise has proven that they will make the playoffs one year and suck the next. That's what they've been consistent at. Tough day for us fans.

 

[ryanbabs]

It sunk in with me after we mailed in the season finale that there wasn't anything special or different about this team, especially blowing an opportunity at a franchise record 14 wins. Any team that's special and is on a mission doesn't mail in games regardless if they're meaningless.

I agree and I posted at that time that I thought it was a mistake.