This team isn't who we thought they were

[LandryFan]

Guess this will be a week of panic posts....
I don't recall some of these concerns during the winning streak being posted. Guess losses bring out the negative nancies to post more....

I can understand some of them, and the concern. But not going into panic mode.
Have you thought that the opponents may just have something to do with the outcome of the plays and the calls.....

Totally agree. Beat Jax, heal up and get some rest, and focus on the next team up. Our schedule, while not easy, is not all that difficult, either. Our Division games, obviously are going to tell the tale.

 

[Doomsday101]

season is far from over to say what this team is or isn't. They are the 2nd youngest team in the league and at times shows it other times they have gone out and done very well. They are 6-3 at this stage and better than some predicted they would be. How they continue to develop over the course of the season will say who they are as a team.

 

[Idgit]

This team is pretty much exactly what we thought it was. We had a poor showing against the Skins and then got beat by a good team without a capable QB. I really don't think there's any greater mystery to it than that. If we play good points defense and control the clock and are effective offensively, we'll win a lot of games. When we don't do those things, we get beat. Being 6-3 is a pretty good measure of this team right now. NFL seasons are long, and the euphoria of a 6 game winning streak shouldn't have confused anybody into thinking winning games in this league is easy.

If we can get by JAX with a hobbled QB, I still like our position a lot for the second half of the season.

 

[jazzcat22]

I've heard players reference adjusting/not adjusting their routes a hundred times already this year.

TWill made pretty nice adjustments a few times, as did Witten. I have not heard players make this comment, other than on a few plays.

 

[perrykemp]

Guess this will be a week of panic posts....
I don't recall some of these concerns during the winning streak being posted. Guess losses bring out the negative nancies to post more....

I can understand some of them, and the concern. But not going into panic mode.
Have you thought that the opponents may just have something to do with the outcome of the plays and the calls.....

Listen, the team is a bona-fide playoff team. No-one should have any doubts about that.

Where I think you are seeing some panic posts is during the midst of the 6 game winning streak many here on CZ bought into the idea that the Cowboys where clearly the best team in the NFL and where basically unstoppable. In other words, expectations sky-rocketed.

Now the team is 6-3 and it's obvious (at least to me) that while there are no dominant teams in the NFC (or NFL really), there are 5-6 teams in the NFC that are roughly (give or take) in the same neighborhood as the Cowboys.

I think those teams are:

• Eagles
• Lions
• Packers
• Seahawks
• Cardinals
• 49ers

Now that I've personally stepped off the ledge and can see the Cowboys aren't clearly the best team in NFL, it almost makes the ride easier for me...

 

[NoLuv4Jerry]

I think when you consider what our record is.....we are ahead of the pace I thought we would be on. But based on how the season has played out...we kind of adjusted our expecations...and find it hard to accept losing to a terrible Commanders team....at home...playing a 3rd string QB. Losing to the BEST team in the NFC with our backup QB is nothing to be ashamed of.

Here is the other thing....we have been turning the ball over ALL year. So we got away with it against bad teams...and it is tending to average out.

More than anything....injuries are starting to mount for us. At this point....10-6 is the best we are going to be able to do...and we will have to hope that will be enough to get in. But I have maintained all along that our running game was masking a lot of issue for this team...and I did not feel our running game would be able to maintain the pace it was on. You need 2 or 3 cabpable RBs in today's NFL...and I don't think this team has more than 1. I still believe this run game...so heavily reliant on 1 guy...will be on fumes by year's end...and it will result in us just missing the playoffs...or being 1 and done.

 

[BoysFan4ever]

Get them out of JerryWorld.

They play better away from the museum.

 

[LandryFan]

TWill made pretty nice adjustments a few times, as did Witten. I have not heard players make this comment, other than on a few plays.

When I said "a hundred times", I was obviously exaggerating, but I get what you're saying. I have, in listening to interviews/reading articles, seen/heard players reference route adjustments a number of times.

 

[coogrfan]

The Cardinals have won games with their 3rd string QB.

Yes they have: the Giants and SF, neither of whom is remotely as good as the team we faced yesterday. In Arizona's lone game this season w/o Palmer vs a quality opponent the Cards got smoked (Denver 41 Ariz 20).

 

[theogt]

If you would have asked me a month ago if we didn't have our starting QB and we had 3 injured starting O-line, I would have probably told you the offense wouldn't be very good.

So, no, I think this is completed expected given the facts.

 

[khiladi]

Last year, in the Crayton-Holley interview, I read from some people Crayton referenced something about a 'hot read' in a meeting. Supposedly, it was about the WR questioning Garrett about him leaving a man open and unblocked based upon the hot read leaving an open path to Romo. If this is the case and accurate, we still see the same thing. Men are simply running free and against the Commanders, I remember one play where they stacked left and the offense new the blitz was coming but a man was left open. It happens on a regular against this offense and it's one of the reason Romo gets his ribs broken on a regular and hurts his pinky and so on and so forth..

Supposedly, Crayton maintained, I heard, that changing the play-caller won't work, they need to change the offensive coach. I can't listen to the interview at work though.

http://cowboyszone.com/threads/cray...t-sabotaged-wade-phillips-audio.284659/page-6

 

[perrykemp]

Yes they have: the Giants and SF, neither of whom is remotely as good as the team we faced yesterday. In Arizona's lone game this season w/o Palmer vs a quality opponent the Cards got smoked (Denver 41 Ariz 20).

Actually the Cardinals trailed 24-20 @ Denver at the end of the 3rd quarter with a 3rd string QB (Logan Thomas) because Stanton was knocked out before it got away from them.

Really hard to say how they would have gone with Palmer in there.

 

[DOUBLE WING]

Sunday just made the Commanders loss even more painful. I can understand losing to Arizona, especially with Weeden, but Washington was a game we absolutely should have won and simply gave away. Can't do that, especially in a stacked NFC. We should be 7-2 right now.

 

[Doomsday101]

Sunday just made the Commanders loss even more painful. I can understand losing to Arizona, especially with Weeden, but Washington was a game we absolutely should have won and simply gave away. Can't do that, especially in a stacked NFC. We should be 7-2 right now.

I'm sure the 9ers are saying the same thing about the rams game they just lost yesterday.

 

[VACowboy]

I guess it kind of depends who you (rhetorical) thought this team was.

 

[30yrheel]

If we win this weekend and go into the bye at 7-3, and give Romo, Free, Leary, and Co. a chance to rest up, all this wailing will seem a little premature.

If we lose this weekend, well... then you can count me in the "season is over" crowd.

This is correct.

 

[John813]

We're 6-3. How many people expected us to finish 5-11/6-10?
The title is correct though, this team is better than what most expected them to be, so far.
We had two rough weeks, with injuries piling up.

 

[WoodysGirl]

This seems an appropriate thread...because why not?

 

[Stash]

This team is pretty much exactly what we thought it was. We had a poor showing against the Skins and then got beat by a good team without a capable QB. I really don't think there's any greater mystery to it than that. If we play good points defense and control the clock and are effective offensively, we'll win a lot of games. When we don't do those things, we get beat. Being 6-3 is a pretty good measure of this team right now. NFL seasons are long, and the euphoria of a 6 game winning streak shouldn't have confused anybody into thinking winning games in this league is easy.

If we can get by JAX with a hobbled QB, I still like our position a lot for the second half of the season.

I agree with you.

But I can see all sides that are being presented on this topic.

I see the points that the OP was referring to - the defense is playing much better than many if not all of us expected.

And, after "Great Wall" comparisons, the offensive line has struggled a bit and the offense has as a unit. A group that seemed to be hitting on all cylinders at one point, has hit a rough patch -for multiple reasons - these past two weeks.

A two-game losing streak - and losing the starting quarterback - is a decent reason for a bit of panic, but with the starting quarterback and two starting linemen looking to return soon, optimism should balance things out.

If we can manage a win in London, get to 7-3, and get to the bye week and continue to get healthier, we feel good about a strong finish.

If we should lose, panic will set in on a multitude of levels. And then a good amount of that panic might be justified.

 

[boysfanindc]

Sitting currently as a 5 seed, has to be better then what the 5-11/6-10 crowd thought.