Thoughts about regular season!

[Stsinaz12]

DEFENSE
- We’re still an average run defense that still has it’s issues vs running QBs. Quinn has not yet fixed this. How much is it players vs scheme? .. but it appears to be Both.
But no DC, from Marineli, Nolan to Quinn has solved our run defense yet.

- Something is wrong with this pass rush.
Parsons, Dlaw, Armstrong, Fowler, Williams, Osa, .Are we that worn down physically ..or is it a scheme change ?
but 2nd half of season, it really has dropped off big time..!
Parsons is even having his issues vs average OTs. Suggests he is really physically worn down despite his die hard effort.

- If we've had to sacrifice pass rush for better run defense, t- then that’s not a good scheme overall, imo. That sounds like a one track pony scheme.
This is another reason why I’m cheerleading for Vic Fangio ' when' Quinn becomes HC elsewhere.

- Golston had 11 tackles, dunno how many at the line vs downfield, but when a DL has double digit tackles, he’s in on action. But overall we're not getting plus from DTs..

- Coaches decided to chance CB McMullen, who was burnt repeatedly. .. coaches decided to inactive Israel M. for Coyle .. who had made mistakes ..
- We are getting too many draftees that are not being trusted .. McMullen instead of Wright ?
- Rookie Williams had a sack but as a group just not enuff

- Backup QBs just not bothered by our defense - Houston Mils/Dressel, ..Ginshew, Dobbs,.. now Howell. - We make 'em look far better than they are.
- LB Clark has been average past few games, why is Clark covering WRs underneath instead of DBs ? ..Barr is so slow and very average.
- Very average LB unit and zero depth. Cox typical JAG,.. he thinly looks like a CB instead of a LB

- why did we not have Diggs shadowing WR McLaurin, where ever he lines up on outside ? Fear of busted coverage ?
Having burnt and struggling McMullen instead of Wright means they still don't trust the 3rd rd draftee, imo.

SPECIAL TEAMS
- Bones Special teams unit is usually solid; one of the better in NFL … bu this is easily his unit worst game this year. Another bobbled fumble by Turpin. Extra point misses.
Anger flat dropping a punt, effective returns by Wash,.. big penalty on Coyle on a PR. Next year Goodwin is off this team. Nuthin' exceptional about his coverages, imo.

MM directed Moore to be bland. He told the starters play a half and a series and I will get you out BUT this is the NFL and the teams are so close now that if you take your foot off the gas even a little you can have this type of performance. This had a preseason type feel. Remember Brad Sham said they would be trying things and remember coming out of half they said they wanted to pull players. It didnt workout like that. MM wanted tbay and he got them now prepare for it. You better have some changeups like moving Micah around AND up the middle hitting the weakest link. Tom Brady needs to have someone in his face just watch cinnci and the saints game. Hit their weakest links on D too.

 

[quickccc]

-Dak cannot carry this team through his arm, he needs a balanced attack to be effective.
-WR positional group is very average outside of Lamb. Why so many targets to Noah, Gallup is also getting no separation, but Noah is better at attacking the football. This is a big need in the offseason.
-Will the front office have the guts to release a few veterans who aren't playing up to their contracts: Zeke? Tyron? Shultz?

- Noah is a 4th or 5th WR type.- Has inconsistent hands, average run after catch, and has separation issues. Staff was really counting on Washington/Tolbert to be more significant
factors before the season- that vastly bombed and no choice but Noah.

- True, Dak is not an elite passer (imo) and he clearly runs best when we run well. But he only has Lamb and Hilton as WR weapons right now. and i think T.Y works best
in certain packages and occasions. Cannot wear him out on a down by down basis.
Every top QB seems to have more than one viable WR target;
- Burrows with Higgins, Boyd along with Chase, ...
- Josh Allen with Davis, Gage,etc along with S. Diggs.
- Cousins has Thielen, Osborn and trade for pro bowl TE Hockenson.
Successful passing Teams always trying to add various, viable receiving weapons for their QB - Dak won't/should not get any different.

- Schultz will be UFA not a cut release, Either re-sign to a B-tier contract, overpay him or we let him walk and we go with Ferguson/Hendershott, etc. group.

 

[IslandCowboy]

STOP MAKING EXCUSES. YOU ARE THE PROBLEM.

 

[Cowboyny]

- Noah is a 4th or 5th WR type.- Has inconsistent hands, average run after catch, and has separation issues. Staff was really counting on Washington/Tolbert to be more significant
factors before the season- that vastly bombed and no choice but Noah.

- True, Dak is not an elite passer (imo) and he clearly runs best when we run well. But he only has Lamb and Hilton as WR weapons right now. and i think T.Y works best
in certain packages and occasions. Cannot wear him out on a down by down basis.
Every top QB seems to have more than one viable WR target;
- Burrows with Higgins, Boyd along with Chase, ...
- Josh Allen with Davis, Gage,etc along with S. Diggs.
- Cousins has Thielen, Osborn and trade for pro bowl TE Hockenson.
Successful passing Teams always trying to add various, viable receiving weapons for their QB - Dak won't/should not get any different.

- Schultz will be UFA not a cut release, Either re-sign to a B-tier contract, overpay him or we let him walk and we go with Ferguson/Hendershott, etc. group.

Been saying throughout the season, really need more explosive receivers, where Brown has become the team's #2 receiver before the Hilton signing. If we would of thought that at the start of the year, we would all expected the team passing attack to be close to the bottom. I'm in agreement letting Shultz walk, but they have to add more explosive talent to the group next season. What they can do now, is hope Hilton can become a bigger factor in the postseason and not relying on Dak to throw into tight windows for both Brown/Gallup along with being a legitimate deep threat.

 

[grgnfg420]

Seems like dak is the only thing bringing the team down.

He does have a positive impact at times but he’s usually the sole reason we lose games

 

[Motorola]

Was it 'Reality' and/or 'DandyDon52' that created the 2022 season predicted record poll(s)?
I think I might have missed the deadline to post in 2022...or 2021.
Would be interesting to see which CZers struck twice...came closest to hitting 12-5 both times.

 

[quickccc]

Been saying throughout the season, really need more explosive receivers, where Brown has become the team's #2 receiver before the Hilton signing. If we would of thought that at the start of the year, we would all expected the team passing attack to be close to the bottom. I'm in agreement letting Shultz walk, but they have to add more explosive talent to the group next season. What they can do now, is hope Hilton can become a bigger factor in the postseason and not relying on Dak to throw into tight windows for both Brown/Gallup along with being a legitimate deep threat.

- Stephen Jones simply does not believe in major trades or big vet FA signees to significantly add and impact the current roster. He'll maintain gambling purely on draft core and cheap bargain based vets
(ala dante fowler, james washington, anthony barr) and hope to luckily hit big with gem finds (ala Jayvon Kearse)

- Philly made the big trade play for CB Darius Slay and WR AJ Brown,.
- Philly also made the key FA signees for starters safety Chauncey Johnson,..LB Hasson Reddick,...James Bradley 'Joseph and Suh. ..
- to add with key draftees Hurts, Sanders, Goedert, Devontae, Davis .. ...and leftovers like Graham, Hargrove.

-The Amari Cooper trade was the only high risk reward trade he was forced to make because we had virtually zero at WR that year (Gallup was a raw rookie)
and then there's just the DE Robert Quinn late round pick trade that panned well for a couple of years.
But can we name any others ?

 

[visionary]

Thanks for Sharing. ..

- What is about " Grass Fields " that we seem not to play well.. play underachieving lackluster .. we are 1-4 on grass field on the road this year.
. Tenn being only win on grass. - Philly, Green Bay, Jax and now Wash have been grass field losses.

- Sorry but tired of hearing the Amari Cooper excuses. He was a Disappearing act that became an internal cancer that wasn’t worth that 20+ million per year with Cowboys.
Cannot keep using him as a crutch.
The big issues was team heavily dependent on Tolbert and Washington, two useless JAGs. - and I too would not have given Cedrick Wilson that big Dolphins contract either.
Very little impact with Fins in '22.

- Lamb and Hilton has to be the targets – overall we lack speed to separate, go deep, and Moore cannot seem to scheme WRs open.
Why does Kellen seem to struggle more on the road.. than at home ?

- Maybe just me,.. Or why am I not seeing Dak talking to McCarthy as I do with Mahomes talking to Andy Reid on sidelines ?
Seems like such a separated OC/Dak vs HC McCarthy...

Because McCarthy wouldn’t know what to tell Dak and even if he did, Dak wouldn’t know what to with it

 

[Cowboyny]

- Stephen Jones simply does not believe in major trades or big vet FA signees to significantly add and impact the current roster. He'll maintain gambling purely on draft core and cheap bargain based vets
(ala dante fowler, james washington, anthony barr) and hope to luckily hit big with gem finds (ala Jayvon Kearse)

- Philly made the big trade play for CB Darius Slay and WR AJ Brown,.
- Philly also made the key FA signees for starters safety Chauncey Johnson,..LB Hasson Reddick,...James Bradley 'Joseph and Suh. ..
- to add with key draftees Hurts, Sanders, Goedert, Devontae, Davis .. ...and leftovers like Graham, Hargrove.

-The Amari Cooper trade was the only high risk reward trade he was forced to make because we had virtually zero at WR that year (Gallup was a raw rookie)
and then there's just the DE Robert Quinn late round pick trade that panned well for a couple of years.
But can we name any others ?

This is the issue, more so then hiring the right coaching staff. You cannot just expect to use the draft process to successfully build a roster, you need to take advantage of both fa and the trade market. All they do is hand out minimum contracts to washed out veterans hoping to hit lightning in the bottle. They did try to trade for Cooks, but wouldn't give up draft capital. They will continue to stay relevant due to their drafting success, but will rarely contend for a title using this strategy.

 

[Rodney308]

I must surely be missing the preparation, strategy and motivation that this HC brings on gameday.
Situational gaffes, clock management and questionable decision making are constant as well.
Team discipline with regards to penalties is hit or miss.
Yeah, I'm not sure many opponents come out after losing to the Cowboys saying we got out coached.
After 3 years on the job, I still struggle with where most of his actual game plan input comes from in leading up to game day from this coordinator driven team.
Your posts like these are detailed and well thought out.
But this coach was hired because of a SB winning resume and not to win regular season games.
So I believe leaving out the failure of head coaching responsiblities is an extreme oversight.

My .02.

Yeah, but you do have to win regular season games to get to the playoffs with the hopes of winning the Super Bowl. Coaching, in my opinion, is not the problem. Mike McCarthy has been a good coach for the Dallas Cowboys. I would even argue that he was the best available at the time of the hire.

 

[Rodney308]

He did lead the team to back to back playoff's, but you are right, he was brought in to win in the postseason, let's judge him after they get eliminated.

Or, after they win it all.

 

[Rodney308]

Seems like dak is the only thing bringing the team down.

He does have a positive impact at times but he’s usually the sole reason we lose games

The only thing bringing the team down? Dak played horribly on yesterday, but the defense has been missing for a few weeks now. I vehemently disagree.

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

Something is wrong with this team that we can’t see. Parsons body language is awful. Dak is throwing some of the worst passes I have ever seen from him. I am wondering if the players are cracking under the pressure of constantly being the talking point of every sports show. The Cowboys finished 12-5 but the media is constantly asking for more. The team has probably the 12th best roster in the league that gets overrated because of the Cowboys name. The Cowboys will play well next week but I wonder if they can handle the pressure.

Bless their hearts. So much pressure!
I hope their big fat checks relieve some of the pressure that mere mortal such as us never experience.
Poor babes

 

[dware94]

-Considering losing our starting QB for 5 weeks, our LT for the majority of the season and 3 major fa losses, MM & his staff deserve a lot of credit. 12-5 is the same record they had the previous year. I think the Eagles winning the division and having a tremendous year is making many fans think we had a poor season, which isn't the case.

-The front office, not the coaching staff deserves more of the blame for this year's shortcomings. The decision to trade Amari Cooper has really hurt this team, especially with Michael Gallup being a shell of his former self year 1 after tearing his acl. Many are wondering why so many balls going to Noah Brown, Gallup cannot get open where teams are looking to take away Lamb/Shultz in the passing game. They did virtually nothing to fix the team's run defense which is why they got bounced in the playoffs last season.

-Failed draft picks is the main reason why the team has struggled in the 2nd half of the season. Anthony Brown goes down, neither Joseph nor Wright can replace his prior production, both were former top 100 picks. Our young defensive tackles haven't given us any meaningful production despite being all day 2 selections: Hill (Cut), Gallimore, Golston, Osa. At linebacker, team already cut a former 2nd rd pick in Jaylon Smith.

-What went good? Player development. From our two young tackles in Steele/Tyler Smith, Dalton Shultz, Tony Pollard, Cooper Rush to Dorance Armstrong, Javon Kearse, Donovan Wilson. The so called right kind of guys who were willing to work, have really developed nicely.

-Team building primarily through the draft process is extremely challenging. You need to be almost perfect in the draft process. If the front office can start using free agency and the trade market more aggressively, I think it will give them a better chance for success. In my opinion, our current staff is very underrated, where our front office remains the problem.

As we embark on another playoff run, it will be up to the coaches to hide these shortcomings that the front office has created. Can they become successful? Yes, but it is going to take a total team effort.

Good post. I agree that the season was lost in the offseason. Did very little to improve the roster from last season. In an offensive driven league, we regressed badly at WR. I fully expect Bowles to run the same scheme as they did in week 1 which is very similar to what houston and Washington did. Press cover 2 because our WR outside of lamb get any respect. Comeback route city

 

[75boyz]

Yeah, but you do have to win regular season games to get to the playoffs with the hopes of winning the Super Bowl. Coaching, in my opinion, is not the problem. Mike McCarthy has been a good coach for the Dallas Cowboys. I would even argue that he was the best available at the time of the hire.

Opinions vary.
Garrett's 2014-2016 looks no different than McCarthy's 2020-2022(so far).
Substitute Garrett's 2015 when Romo was hurt for McCarthy's 2020 when Dak was hurt and covid.

The difference is McCarthy was "supposed to" be a huge upgrade based off SB winning resume and consistent playoff success.
Nobody was beating down his door to hire him or offering up draft picks for his services though.

Everything I described in his performance in my previous post thus far is true.
And his presence here was not to be as a more accomplished Garrett yes man which he so far has proven to be.

A very tenuous yet TBD is about as generous as I can be at this point.
And his coaching is an extreme problem.
Last year's SF playoff game was McCarthy's and his alone in an example of how a team looks when not prepared to win a playoff game. That particular post game presser was the clincher and showed his true colors. I don't need 7 more years of him as HC to see he ain't the guy to get the job done.

 

[Acceptablename]

My thoughts about the regular season are simple. It's over and we have the 5 seed in the NFC playoffs.

The biggest flaw in my mind is the lack of preparation entering the game. Is that the players fault is that the coaches fault. I don’t know but it’s a real concern. Are the coaches so concerned with team chemistry that discipline is of less of Value or a touchy subject. I remember in the old age discipline was how you described your job

 

[Davidlee1973]

I would call it a success. This is a young team and took some steps forward. Time to concentrate on the draft. Need to trade up as high as possible to get the best corner.