CFZ This team has done some good things. What it should do now to take the next step

[fivetwos]

That is the common mistake. When people think it’s all about qb play. The rest of the team is more important by far.

You need a championship roster so your qb has to do as little as possible.

Having an elite qb allows you to win one with a little lessor team. But you still need a great team.

We don’t have the team to win without an elite qb. Need to keep getting better.

I actually like the last few years we’re cowboys have not “gone for it”. We weren’t ready. Now and in the next two years is the time. We must spend now to win.

I don’t disagree with any of that.

Bottom line is we need a better run game and/or Prescott needs to be reeled in.

Gut feeling tells me MM knows this is and is going to do his best to fix it. I just wonder if Dak himself can adjust to playing a different way.

 

[Rockport]

Whatever any Cowboys fan may feel after another disappointing end to a season, this team has done some very good things in the last five years. Here’s a quick review of the positives:

• Making the playoffs in back to back years for the first time in 15 years
• Making the playoffs in 3 of the last 5 seasons, going 2-2.
• Won a road playoff game for the first time in 30 seasons.
• Drafts have improved the last 5 years, giving us 13 of our 22 starters from the last 5 drafts.
• We improved our defense from the worst in team history to one of the best in the NFL in 2 years.
• Hired a real NFL head coach. Whatever you think of Mike McCarthy, he’s way better than Jason Garrett who apparently can’t get a head coaching job at any level.

BUT…let’s also put this in context with some of this organization’s BAD habits and results the last three decades.

• Since our last SB appearance in the 1995 season, the Cowboys have made the playoffs only 12 of the last 27 seasons (about 40%)
• In the first 36 seasons of Cowboys football, the team won 31 playoff games. In the last 27, they have won 5.
• Two of the team’s biggest division rivals have been to 5 Super Bowls with 4 different head coaches and 4 different QBs since the Cowboys last won a divisional playoff game.
• Teams winning conference championships and SBs tend to be more aggressive these days.

So…what must this organization do NOW to take the next step to more seriously pursue a championship?

• If this organization feel like it is CLOSE to a championship, it MUST be willing to to take some risks in Free Agency, and not act like the “future cap“ is their master. The draft alone is no longer enough.
• We should pursue 2 impactful FAs at certain key positions where our weaknesses are clear. Such as interior DLinemen, OL, maybe WR.
• Be more open to making impactful trades too.
• Go for it now if you’re close. Makes zero sense not to!

Bottom Line: If this front office feels we’re really close to a championship they should GO FOR IT!!! Why wouldn’t you? If they don’t feel we are close, ok…then be conservative. If we keep doing what we’ve been doing, why are we going to get better results?

I honestly believe this off-season will determine if we make the playoffs for the third straight year or fall back to the old habits of making the playoffs 40% of the time.

WR is definitely #1 upgrade position IMHO. Can’t win without at least 2 great receivers no matter how good your defense is.

 

[Rockport]

Define anyone? The blind homers do. It would take everything, and I mean everything going perfectly with the current QB to go any further in the playoffs. But hey i just watched a 30 for 30 with the 2000 Ravens winning it all with Dilfer. Of course they had a generational defense and Art Modell knowing his place. We dont have that.

Bu bye bye.

 

[Rockport]

Does anyone really believe we are "close"?
I mean "close" as in we could of won it all this year but just got unlucky?
Or "close" as we are one or two players away and there is a realistic path to address?
Cause you can't blame the FO if they answer "no" to the above questions.
Our deficiencies aren't easily fixed. At least not to the level of winning a championship.

Sure they are. Get better receivers, upgrade both lines and it’s SB time.

 

[RS12]

Bu bye bye.

Cool. You learned to mouth breath and type at time. We are proud of you.

 

[Rockport]

Cool. You learned to mouth breath and type at time. We are proud of you.

Bu bye bye

 

[cald0d30s0]

Sell the team and get a real GM.

 

[CowboyRoy]

I don’t disagree with any of that.

Bottom line is we need a better run game and/or Prescott needs to be reeled in.

Gut feeling tells me MM knows this is and is going to do his best to fix it. I just wonder if Dak himself can adjust to playing a different way.

Par usual, you are too hyper focused on the QB.

Reel him in? How overly dramatic.

Niners were the best defense in the NFL. Really not that concerned that they completely shut down our offense including Dak. Dak is not anything close to our biggest problem. Dak is what he is. Picks have never been an issue until this year so Im really not worried about it at this point.

We need to focus on continue to improve the Oline, revamp the running backs and get another passing weapon. Continue to strengthen the defense. In other words.........................Give Dak what both Purdy and Hurts have. Give him what Aikman had. Give him what Stafford had, ect.....ect.....

If you dont have an elite QB, then you need a complete team.

 

[raven55]

dream on and ask the wizard of oz for a gm not a pretend one that is a fan of the idiot guide to football

 

[fivetwos]

Par usual, you are too hyper focused on the QB.

Reel him in? How overly dramatic.

Niners were the best defense in the NFL. Really not that concerned that they completely shut down our offense including Dak. Dak is not anything close to our biggest problem. Dak is what he is. Picks have never been an issue until this year so Im really not worried about it at this point.

We need to focus on continue to improve the Oline, revamp the running backs and get another passing weapon. Continue to strengthen the defense. In other words.........................Give Dak what both Purdy and Hurts have. Give him what Aikman had. Give him what Stafford had, ect.....ect.....

If you dont have an elite QB, then you need a complete team.

We are misunderstanding each other. Everything you are saying you’d do is the same as what I’d do…..what I’m saying is that it may not matter if the QB is going to throw it to the other team repeatedly, and it definitely hasn’t been as much of a problem until recently, but is that a reason to ignore it, and definitively call it a non issue?

He is so inconsistent, there’s no telling what may happen in a given game, so relying on him less than more may not be the worst idea. Building a better team around him is a version of relying on him less, which is version of “reeling him in.” Semantics.

As far as “per usual,” you’re confusing with someone else again. I rarely if ever take part in discussions about that player, and I certainly don’t take part in the personal insult version of it.

 

[RoboQB]

Send a 3rd rd pick to Vegas for Derek Carr.
Give'em Prescott and pay $15M of his salary.
Yep, treat Dak like the Texans treated Brock Osweiler.

 

[Captain43Crash]

jerry thinks all you need is a good to great de or 2, he always thought charles hailey
was what made their defense great.

Charles Haley was the player that put them over the top, but we had very good DT’s too!

 

[CowboyRoy]

We are misunderstanding each other. Everything you are saying you’d do is the same as what I’d do…..what I’m saying is that it may not matter if the QB is going to throw it to the other team repeatedly, and it definitely hasn’t been as much of a problem until recently, but is that a reason to ignore it, and definitively call it a non issue?

He is so inconsistent, there’s no telling what may happen in a given game, so relying on him less than more may not be the worst idea. Building a better team around him is a version of relying on him less, which is version of “reeling him in.” Semantics.

As far as “per usual,” you’re confusing with someone else again. I rarely if ever take part in discussions about that player, and I certainly don’t take part in the personal insult version of it.

See I dont agree that he is so inconsistent. Thats YOUR take.

I understand things like playing the #1 defense matters. Of course your going to be inconsistent playing the #1 defense. Thats football.

Your going to be inconsistent if your Oline is inconsistent and if your featured back is Zeke and your dont know from one game to the next if your going to be able to run the ball.

What Dak gets protection he is consistently great. And consistent doesnt mean every week. QB's have off weeks. All of them.

 

[kskboys]

Charles Haley was the player that put them over the top, but we had very good DT’s too!

Or great.

Casillas was a perennial pro bowler. He put them over the top just as much as Hayley. Lett was majorly disruptive. Jimmie Jones was a fiend off the bench, and could've started for most teams.

The DT position was talented and deep.

 

[kskboys]

Par usual, you are too hyper focused on the QB.

Reel him in? How overly dramatic.

Niners were the best defense in the NFL. Really not that concerned that they completely shut down our offense including Dak. Dak is not anything close to our biggest problem. Dak is what he is. Picks have never been an issue until this year so Im really not worried about it at this point.

We need to focus on continue to improve the Oline, revamp the running backs and get another passing weapon. Continue to strengthen the defense. In other words.........................Give Dak what both Purdy and Hurts have. Give him what Aikman had. Give him what Stafford had, ect.....ect.....

If you dont have an elite QB, then you need a complete team.

Little defensive about Dak.

What he means is that we need to set up the O around Dak's strengths, as opposed to fitting Dak into what we want.

 

[fivetwos]

See I dont agree that he is so inconsistent. Thats YOUR take.

I understand things like playing the #1 defense matters. Of course your going to be inconsistent playing the #1 defense. Thats football.

Your going to be inconsistent if your Oline is inconsistent and if your featured back is Zeke and your dont know from one game to the next if your going to be able to run the ball.

What Dak gets protection he is consistently great. And consistent doesnt mean every week. QB's have off weeks. All of them.

Right, so when he doesn’t have a strong running game, especially against better defenses, he often struggles.

Some people may call that inconsistent. It’s a matter of semantics and it can be called whatever you want for all I care….the results are still what they are.

He needs a better run game, period, so we don’t disagree on much except the wording.

A few things will go a long way there….

Dump Zeke
Draft fresh RB legs
Have a very deep OL
Don’t give 12m+ to a TE that can’t run block
A philosophy that commits to the run

We will probably get about half of those, and therefore actually see a nominal improvement in the run game, and the same from the QB.

Maybe even make an NFCCG, in line with Jerry’s claimed to be preferred ‘baby step’ road to the SB.

 

[kskboys]

Right, so when he doesn’t have a strong running game, especially against better defenses, he often struggles.

Some people may call that inconsistent. It’s a matter of semantics and it can be called whatever you want for all I care….the results are still what they are.

He needs a better run game, period, so we don’t disagree on much except the wording.

A few things will go a long way there….

Dump Zeke
Draft fresh RB legs
Have a very deep OL
Don’t give 12m+ to a TE that can’t run block
A philosophy that commits to the run

We will probably get about half of those, and therefore actually see a nominal improvement in the run game, and the same from the QB.

Maybe even make an NFCCG, in line with Jerry’s claimed to be preferred ‘baby step’ road to the SB.

Yup. In an nutshell, stop trying to make Dak what you want and start utilizing Dak's strengths.

 

[cnuball21]

Yup. In a nutshell, stop trying to make Dak what you want and start utilizing Dak's strengths.

Aka good coaching…

 

[CowboyRoy]

Right, so when he doesn’t have a strong running game, especially against better defenses, he often struggles.

Some people may call that inconsistent. It’s a matter of semantics and it can be called whatever you want for all I care….the results are still what they are.

He needs a better run game, period, so we don’t disagree on much except the wording.

A few things will go a long way there….

Dump Zeke
Draft fresh RB legs
Have a very deep OL
Don’t give 12m+ to a TE that can’t run block
A philosophy that commits to the run

We will probably get about half of those, and therefore actually see a nominal improvement in the run game, and the same from the QB.

Maybe even make an NFCCG, in line with Jerry’s claimed to be preferred ‘baby step’ road to the SB.

Most or nearly all QB's struggle. Its not a Dak thing, its a QB and football thing. Thats my point.

MOST QB's need a better run game. Allen needs a better one. Brady needed one. Only guy that can go nuts consistently without a run game is Mahomes. Or Brady in his prime.

 

[Whyjerry]

Whatever any Cowboys fan may feel after another disappointing end to a season, this team has done some very good things in the last five years. Here’s a quick review of the positives:

• Making the playoffs in back to back years for the first time in 15 years
• Making the playoffs in 3 of the last 5 seasons, going 2-2.
• Won a road playoff game for the first time in 30 seasons.
• Drafts have improved the last 5 years, giving us 13 of our 22 starters from the last 5 drafts.
• We improved our defense from the worst in team history to one of the best in the NFL in 2 years.
• Hired a real NFL head coach. Whatever you think of Mike McCarthy, he’s way better than Jason Garrett who apparently can’t get a head coaching job at any level.

BUT…let’s also put this in context with some of this organization’s BAD habits and results the last three decades.

• Since our last SB appearance in the 1995 season, the Cowboys have made the playoffs only 12 of the last 27 seasons (about 40%)
• In the first 36 seasons of Cowboys football, the team won 31 playoff games. In the last 27, they have won 5.
• Two of the team’s biggest division rivals have been to 5 Super Bowls with 4 different head coaches and 4 different QBs since the Cowboys last won a divisional playoff game.
• Teams winning conference championships and SBs tend to be more aggressive these days.

So…what must this organization do NOW to take the next step to more seriously pursue a championship?

• If this organization feel like it is CLOSE to a championship, it MUST be willing to to take some risks in Free Agency, and not act like the “future cap“ is their master. The draft alone is no longer enough.
• We should pursue 2 impactful FAs at certain key positions where our weaknesses are clear. Such as interior DLinemen, OL, maybe WR.
• Be more open to making impactful trades too.
• Go for it now if you’re close. Makes zero sense not to!

Bottom Line: If this front office feels we’re really close to a championship they should GO FOR IT!!! Why wouldn’t you? If they don’t feel we are close, ok…then be conservative. If we keep doing what we’ve been doing, why are we going to get better results?

I honestly believe this off-season will determine if we make the playoffs for the third straight year or fall back to the old habits of making the playoffs 40% of the time.

Good old Bob making sense of it all. Listen the Garrett years were a waste. That coach was never winning a big game. Ever. Big Mike has had back to back 12 win seasons. Defense looks stout. A VERY good draft last season. If I was running things:

1. Cut Zeke
2. Offer Diggs a decent deal, not top of the line. If he takes it great, if not trade him.
3. Sign McGovern and Watkins. Sign Steele and Wilson now also. All other FAs can go. That includes LVE who I think stinks. Schultz can also leave.
4. Make splash signing with Payne. Also add Marvin Jones and Devin Bush.
5. If I trade Diggs sign Jonathan Jones as a vet CB.
6. Ask Jason Peters nicely to come back. Like really nicely.
7. Draft CB, LB, WR, TE, OL and RB in no order but get a CB, WR, and RB that can contribute year 1.
8. Draft a QB in the mid rounds and try to develp them. Maybe get lucky. Tyler Heinicke is the new backup.
9. Next year make QB the focus of the draft.
10. Pray