Top 10 teams to win Super Bowl 51; Cowboys #8

[tyke1doe]

It's what kept running through my head as I watched this team win 4 games this year. We're on the cusp.

 

[tyke1doe]

Sigh.

Losing Romo and Dez hurt the team's record and was the reason for many of the close losses. Pretty widely accepted as a decent excuse. What's your opinion? That's why many experts are picking us to have a good year next year. Including me.

If Romo and Dez are so important to this team that it can't win ANY games except both are healthy, what does that say about the rest of your squad? Does that sound like a Super Bowl team to you?

And if Dez and Romo are THAT valuable to a Super Bowl contender, then why haven't the Cowboys achieved a Super Bowl when the two have been healthy?

I would love to be as optimistic as you, and I can see where you're coming from based on last year. But something's the matter when your team can't win but one game without your star quarterback.

That either suggests your roster isn't as great as you think it is or your coaching isn't. And if it's the latter, then the Cowboys definitely aren't close to the Super Bowl because Jason Garrett is still here.

My hope is that we get so many good players that it negates coaching, ala, Barry Switzer with the 95-96 Super Bowl team.

 

[Risen Star]

Sigh.

Losing Romo and Dez hurt the team's record and was the reason for many of the close losses. Pretty widely accepted as a decent excuse. What's your opinion? That's why many experts are picking us to have a good year next year. Including me.

My opinion is a true Super Bowl contender doesn't become a contender for the 1st overall pick in the draft with the loss of their QB and their WR and that this thread would be laughed at outside of this fan base.

 

[jazzcat22]

Way too early to say, let's see how the off-season goes, but assuming key players come back healthy (i.e. Romo) and we have a last place schedule no reason we can't completely turn it around next season and play more similar to 2014 than 2015

Is there truly a last place schedule anymore. In reality we play 2 last place teams.
With the rotating schedules, playing of course our own division, but we play different divisions each year.

So we play teams that placed 1-3 in the NFCE 2 times, 1-4 in AFCN, 1-4 in NFCN
Then 2 4th place teams in TB & SF.

In Comparison, Commanders first place schedule, play the same teams, except the get 1st place Panthers and Cardinals.
Eagles, 2nd place get Seahawks and Falcons
Giants get Saints and Rams

If the rotation link I have is still correct. I believe it is.
http://www.johnnyroadtrip.com/schedules/nfl_future_nfce.htm

 

[hornitosmonster]

Sigh.

Losing Romo and Dez hurt the team's record and was the reason for many of the close losses. Pretty widely accepted as a decent excuse. What's your opinion? That's why many experts are picking us to have a good year next year. Including me.

The belief is that Romo closes out the close games. It is a legit assumption

 

[noshame]

https://encrypted-tbn0.***NOT-ALLOWED***/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSHllX3bc1MAJsjJLbIugS7Im9GtEukrxWqZJg6j4yKs6WAJ-_lHQ

very serious..... I am going to go back and check, but I bet Romo was hit 10-15 times total and was seriously injured 3 times. How does that get better when he'll be a year older and have a weaker collar bone to boot?

 

[DogFace]

If Romo and Dez are so important to this team that it can't win ANY games except both are healthy, what does that say about the rest of your squad? Does that sound like a Super Bowl team to you?

And if Dez and Romo are THAT valuable to a Super Bowl contender, then why haven't the Cowboys achieved a Super Bowl when the two have been healthy?

I would love to be as optimistic as you, and I can see where you're coming from based on last year. But something's the matter when your team can't win but one game without your star quarterback.

That either suggests your roster isn't as great as you think it is or your coaching isn't. And if it's the latter, then the Cowboys definitely aren't close to the Super Bowl because Jason Garrett is still here.

My hope is that we get so many good players that it negates coaching, ala, Barry Switzer with the 95-96 Super Bowl team.

The year before with less of a defense we came within a questionable call of advancing to the NFC championship game. We have an improved defense. At least statistically they improved from the previous year. Having a young o-line and an overall young team leaves room for improvement. We have a top 4 pick coming which may help is as well.

We lost several close games and if you don't think that losing two top 5 players at their positions for the season hurt then nothing will convince you. So feel free to think we are going to horrible.

 

[DogFace]

My opinion is a true Super Bowl contender doesn't become a contender for the 1st overall pick in the draft with the loss of their QB and their WR and that this thread would be laughed at outside of this fan base.

Your post in this thread is laughed by most of this fanbase. Other fan bases would love to see we have fans that think that negatively. They'd laugh Hard at us. Likely calling us a bunch of gentle cats. Or whatever


Are the patriots true contenders? What if they lost Brady and Gronk? What if the Panthers lost Cam?

 

[DandyDon1722]

If Romo and Dez are so important to this team that it can't win ANY games except both are healthy, what does that say about the rest of your squad? Does that sound like a Super Bowl team to you?

And if Dez and Romo are THAT valuable to a Super Bowl contender, then why haven't the Cowboys achieved a Super Bowl when the two have been healthy?

I would love to be as optimistic as you, and I can see where you're coming from based on last year. But something's the matter when your team can't win but one game without your star quarterback.

That either suggests your roster isn't as great as you think it is or your coaching isn't. And if it's the latter, then the Cowboys definitely aren't close to the Super Bowl because Jason Garrett is still here.

My hope is that we get so many good players that it negates coaching, ala, Barry Switzer with the 95-96 Super Bowl team.

You hit on it you just didn't realize it. It's all the above.

Yes Romo and Dez are THAT important.
The roster is pretty good but grossly underperformed and simply couldn't finish.
Yes coaching wasn't great (see not finishing) but it's the same staff that went 12-4 so why wouldn't they be close to the Super Bowl again next year? You can't cherry pick years and hang your hat on just the bad one.

I also think you're right in that the players will negate the coaching next season although I'm hoping the staff learned some lessons from this year. They have always been reactive instead of proactive.

 

[RS12]

Here is the problem I have: Even if multiple holes get filled this off season (most of the secondary for example), this coaching staff has shown everything has to go right for them to be successful. How often does that happen.

 

[JoeBoBBY]

Couldnt get to the link. blocked.

But is this vegas? Can I put money on this right now? or is it still just all talk?

 

[cowboyblue22]

in my mind I think its way to early to think about all the kind of stuff there are to many things that canhappen to derail your season. this is a 4 and 12 team that didn't play very well in most games this season so I am going to just watch and see what happens.

 

[PA Cowboy Fan]

Whenever we're projected to do well, we do bad. Whenever we're projected to do bad, we do good.

 

[tyke1doe]

The year before with less of a defense we came within a questionable call of advancing to the NFC championship game. We have an improved defense. At least statistically they improved from the previous year. Having a young o-line and an overall young team leaves room for improvement. We have a top 4 pick coming which may help is as well.

We lost several close games and if you don't think that losing two top 5 players at their positions for the season hurt then nothing will convince you. So feel free to think we are going to horrible.

I don't think I said we'd be horrible. There's room between horrible and Super Bowl contender.

I just have my doubts that a team that couldn't win but one game with two of its top players out and playing against "inferior" competition is a Super Bowl contender.

But it's not something I'm going to carry a long drawn out debate over. I appreciate your optimism.

 

[tyke1doe]

Whenever we're projected to do well, we do bad. Whenever we're projected to do bad, we do good.

The mark of an 8-8 team.

 

[tyke1doe]

You hit on it you just didn't realize it. It's all the above.

Yes Romo and Dez are THAT important.
The roster is pretty good but grossly underperformed and simply couldn't finish.
Yes coaching wasn't great (see not finishing) but it's the same staff that went 12-4 so why wouldn't they be close to the Super Bowl again next year? You can't cherry pick years and hang your hat on just the bad one.

I also think you're right in that the players will negate the coaching next season although I'm hoping the staff learned some lessons from this year. They have always been reactive instead of proactive.

One bad year?

Uh, 8-8, 8-8, 8-8, 4-12.

I'm not hanging my hat on ONE bad year. I'm hanging my hat on FOUR bad year!!!!

Now, let me turn the argument on you. Aren't you hanging your hat on ONE good year?

What gives you confidence that this coaching staff that has mustered three consecutive average seasons that resulted in playoff absences can give you more with a Romo that is one year older and a scheme that is so Romo friendly that virtually no one on our roster but he can win a game for us?

What makes you think that our coaching staff would change schemes at this late in the game of Romo's career even though other teams have basically called us out for being more vanilla than vanilla and had no shame in doing so?

 

[DogFace]

I don't think I said we'd be horrible. There's room between horrible and Super Bowl contender.

I just have my doubts that a team that couldn't win but one game with two of its top players out and playing against "inferior" competition is a Super Bowl contender.

But it's not something I'm going to carry a long drawn out debate over. I appreciate your optimism.

No problem. Keep In mind we were right there I many of those games. Two of the top five players at their position would make a difference in those. Imo

 

[Plankton]

Sigh.

Losing Romo and Dez hurt the team's record and was the reason for many of the close losses. Pretty widely accepted as a decent excuse. What's your opinion? That's why many experts are picking us to have a good year next year. Including me.

I think they have a lot of work to do to return to where they were in 2014, and not all of it is physical.

This season exposed a mentality in this team directly tied to Romo. When he went out, I don't think the players to a man believed that they were going to win. I mean, if we as fans can see that the QBs were being coached to not make mistakes first, and that the offense really took no chances at all, I can only imagine what that does to the spirit in the locker room. The defense, while improving in yardage allowed, didn't have the same esprit de corps in terms of swarming to the ball. The lack of turnovers was also significant.

I also think that the coaching staff took a step backward. They didn't inspire performance at all from this team. How many players look like they improved this past season? Nearly every WR on the team played worse, showing issues with catching ball and getting open in general. To me, aside from Darren McFadden, Travis Frederick, La'el Collins, DeMarcus Lawrence, Dan Bailey and Chris Jones, players either stayed the same, or regressed in terms of their play. That points to a lack of inspiration.

The team does have talent. They also have a fair amount of holes. There may not be a safety on the team that can actually play. The corner position is mediocre at best. Aside from Sean Lee, the LB play is mediocre. The DL has ability, but were hampered by ineffective play (Hayden, Mincey) or injury (Crawford, Gregory). On offense, the line should be ascending, but RT has to be addressed. I was disappointed that Chaz Green did not see action in the last game. TE needs to be addressed with Witten on the downside, Escobar coming off an achilles tear, and Hanna a free agent. RB was solid, but they need a back to play alongside McFadden, and become the long range option. WR was a mess. QB was awful once Romo went down, and shows that the team did a really poor job of having a backup QB incapable of actually running the offense.

The division is bad enough that they can win it without a significant amount of improvement. As far as competing for the conference championship and Super Bowl, they need work at a number of positions, the coaching staff needs to improve and most of all, the team's outlook and resilience needs to change.

 

[Risen Star]

Your post in this thread is laughed by most of this fanbase. Other fan bases would love to see we have fans that think that negatively. They'd laugh Hard at us. Likely calling us a bunch of gentle cats. Or whatever


Are the patriots true contenders? What if they lost Brady and Gronk? What if the Panthers lost Cam?

Neither team would go 4-12.

 

[PA Cowboy Fan]

Neither team would go 4-12.

No. I believe the Pats lost Brady for a year a few years ago and they finished 11-5 with Matt Cassel.