Trenches: Some proof on why we lose in the playoffs

[blueblood70]

We are losing in the trenches, just a thought I’d share…starts on Offense, because Dak/Tony gets blamed a lot,​

Zeke and our run game in the playoffs,

• 2016 -22-125 5.7, lost over no defense against rogers not on dak.
• 2018 -Seattle game 26-137 won the game. The next week 2018 rams game 47 yards, averaging 2.4 yards per carry yup LOSS but really was on the defense but dak alone once again.
• 2021-31 yards on 12 carries 2.6 yup a loss.
• 2022 -23 carries 53 yards 2.4 YPC, that’s 2 games, ouch. I mean at least we did beat Tampa Bay on Prescott’s arm with no run game…
• 2023-TP wow HOF 15-56 at 3.7 he was cooking but down big they were hollow stats folks.

And trust me it was just as bad for the quarterback with the offensive line not opening holes, no run game, and this is what you want where is Tony Dorsett and Emmitt Smith and the offensive lines from those championship teams??​

I mean for a defense I'd have to go by memory, but I just know the defense gave up

2016- the last play of the game with less than two minutes and 2016 is why we lost to Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers while the offense played great.

2018- the Rams game in 2018 there was no run game as I said above but there also was no defense 278 yards on the ground.

2021- this one's tougher to remember but if memory serves me right first half of that game the defense gave up nearly 10 yards per carry to deebo Samuels they owned the time of possession and then on offense they had to deal with once again no run game and you had to add on the fact that the offensive line had 11 penalties yeah quarterback is supposed to play well in that game short should have won that game by himself put him on his back and won the game.

2022- in my opinion this was one of the ones that's tough to blame the defense they played pretty well but at times they gave up yards on the ground but they did not make the key plays the championship defense should yeah Trayvon diggs didn't break up that play against kittles he did not intercept that ball would have been some game changing plays in a close game.. But we do know it was very easy for their defense to stop our run game and once again make our offense one-dimensional and it's very difficult to play quarterback in this kind of environment. IMHO

2023- this is the absolute **** show total annihilation from beginning to end by the team, 100% all on the team. please do not blame the flow of the game which started out down 7 nothing because the defense sucked but it was more people keep citing those two interceptions by Prescott is somehow setting the tone forgetting that the defense didn't stop the Green Bay Packers at all the whole entire game. Let's be clear that first interception Brandon cooks was interfered with not once but twice there was nowhere to throw the ball so Prescott said hey go make a play there was no call by the referees but the reason that ball got picked off is because our receiver got yanked once and then solder pulled back while they were going to the ground so he can sneak up in there and just grab that ball. 2nd interception it was clear that Prescott was trying to make a play he threw the ball where the play was supposed to go and CD lamb broke off his route and started up field they were he was trying for a off script play and it didn't turn out well.

So yes, while Prescott did play great play bad at times deserves some criticism there's obvious proof here, in the trenches, this Cowboys team is set up for failure against the better teams in the league.. they do not bring what it takes as a team to win.

Where is the defense, run game, and coaching?? This happened to Tony Romo as well, so let’s stay on facts and not flawed memory's. LOL​

let me finish on this,

because we all want the championships, and we keep citing how great Troy and Roger were as championship quarterbacks and deserve the Hall of Fame flowers that they get...

come on people, give me a break they never had to carry a team in that mess I described above, they did not have to feel like they had to come into a game and play perfectly or take all the heat for a loss.

They had Tony Dorsett, Emmitt Smith, Jimmy Johnson, Landry and some of the best play in the trenches you can get out of a team and that is why they won championships, had nothing to do with just having a great quarterback.

 

[blueblood70]

That most of you might not want to read that, it might not like it or agree with it , maybe its too long.

but I'm just was reading Facebook talking about who would you replace Prescott with but you can't use Patrick Mahomes and all these people were wanting Prescott to be replaced because he can't win in the playoffs and that he should have because they had all this defense and run game and all these great players around him and he can never win..

so it triggered me to go yeah since when did our run game and our defense and the coaching staff ever come together in the same game in any of these losses and it was Prescott alone that was responsible and that goes for Tony Romo as well they were not responsible??!!

they were not the top three reasons we lost these games, they are on the list eventually but that's only because we're expecting perfection because the rest of our team is so flawed...

 

[Typhus]

Well, we just invested heavily in the trenches, basically as much as we could considering draft stock, so I'm looking forward to seeing an improvement there that we haven't seen in over 2 decades.

 

[MountaineerCowboy]

It is a known fact that the laws of the universe require that Dak can only play well if everyone else also plays well first.

If our defense is off that day then, by those universal laws, Dak must also be off.

It sucks that we are bound to these laws.

 

[Ranching]

Wait for it....here comes the Anti-Daksters calling you out!

Great info, BTW

 

[12+88=7]

You speak of trenches to cover for Prescott. None of all that matters.

Going into year nine, Prescott and Dallas will be judged in January. The regular season will not matter. The wins and losses will not matter. Any MVP caliber stats will not matter.

It will be about if Prescott and Dallas choke when it counts, period.

If Prescott chokes, that's the label he will carry for his career. Just like Dallas has carried it for the last 28 year.

No more excuses.

 

[Ranching]

It is a known fact that the laws of the universe require that Dak can only play well if everyone else also plays well first.

If our defense is off that day then, by those universal laws, Dak must also be off.

It sucks that we are bound to these laws.

You don't have to be......

 

[blueblood70]

Well, we just invested heavily in the trenches, basically as much as we could considering draft stock, so I'm looking forward to seeing an improvement there that we haven't seen in over 2 decades.

I mostly wrote that because people have flawed memories they really believe the Ezekiel Elliott of the regular season when he was at his prime or even the DeMarco Murray you know the guy who fumbled in a playoff game and Dan Bailey who missed 2 kicks and the referee calls it all circles back to the quarterback I mean they all think we had dynamic defenses run games ingenious coaching Staffs that developed the trenches and all we are missing is a better quarterback..lmao

I mean somehow their memories are so flawed they thought that the main reason we've been losing these playoff games is because only the quarterback has played poorly and he should have been Superman when we never asked our other great quarterbacks to do that never I've watched those games they threw interceptions in big games just like Tom Brady had three in the NFC championship game just like Matthew Stafford led the league in interceptions and had two in the Super bowl and somehow the Rams teams were just good enough to not use excuses and blame the quarterback they won those games....

I just tried to remind folks from time to time that their memories are very flawed somehow they're blurred I don't remember that all those great players that did well in the regular season did not do so against the better teams in those playoff losses they all failed to live up to expectations just like CD Lam in the last game he didn't have his best game he dropped some passes he ran some bad routes he pounded on the sideline this is just becoming more and more of the same for the last 20 years that something in the playoffs if it can go wrong it does go wrong for the team...

 

[thunderpimp91]

I don't disagree with the OP, but this is also why I'm rooting for moving on from one of the big 3. Flip one for draft picks, free up $30-60M per year and use that money plus addition picks to fix the holes on this roster that show up in the post season.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

It is a known fact that the laws of the universe require that Dak can only play well if everyone else also plays well first.

If our defense is off that day then, by those universal laws, Dak must also be off.

It sucks that we are bound to these laws.

It sucks that our quarterback needs his team to play well in order for him to win?

 

[blueblood70]

You speak of trenches to cover for Prescott. None of all that matters.

Going into year nine, Prescott and Dallas will be judged in January. The regular season will not matter. The wins and losses will not matter. Any MVP caliber stats will not matter.

It will be about if Prescott and Dallas choke when it counts, period.

If Prescott chokes, that's the label he will carry for his career. Just like Dallas has carried it for the last 28 year.

No more excuses.

Those are not excuses those are all facts you cannot function as a team or as a quarterback when you don't play well in the trenches you can't stop the run you don't run the ball well you commit too many penalties you drop too many passes it all adds up to losses the choking should not be a label just for the quarterback it literally shows you all the proof you need and then I have a guy have to be very early on in the conversation be that guy still blaming Prescott no one's making an excuse for Prescott but he can't play well when the team around him doesn't play well I don't know what you expect... That's the problem Troy and Roger were not great in the playoffs by themselves they literally had some of the best trenches and coaches and run games to ever be assemble we didn't have that for Tony and back and I just showed you all those games could not have been won if the quarterback played perfectly I mean is that what you want you think that without a run game and without a good offensive line we he was supposed to put up 40 points in the last game just by himself with guys dropping passes and all that stuff not running good routes not getting open fast enough not having time to throw I mean seriously I just put it all in black and white and you still can't get the point this is a team game you can't win games without having other players step up..

I mean this is like The Mavericks being down three games to nothing and everyone blaming Luca when it was him scoring all the points and the rest of the team were not stepping up and guess what they stepped up in game four and won they need the team to play well for them to function I don't know a quarterback in this league that can play without a good offensive line in a run game against the best teams in the league.. It doesn't happen don't say Patrick mahomes because he may be one of the only elite quarterbacks with that label when I watched the Super bowl they were not playing well when they were trying to rely on Patrick mahomes and guess what happened defense special teams in the run game in the second-half that's what beat San Francisco and Philly a seventh round draft pick running the ball ohh that's right in the trenches behind a good offensive line and a really good defensive line the head coaches that knew how to put a game plan together to win...

This is why I made this post and yet we still have these posters who gotta keep circling back around they're calling the quarterback a choker and saying he choke no you can't play well if the rest of the offense and defense doesn't play well either.. They all throw interceptions at times or fumble the ball we've seen it from some of the best players in the league like Matthew Stafford led the league in interceptions and he threw two in the Super bowl and they still won a Super Bowl that's what a team game looks like they did not put the blame on the quarterback..​

​

I mean look at the 49ers against the lions they were down at the half they played a terrible first half just like we did and what did their team do they came out played better defense better special teams and they held on and started making stops until the offense caught up and guess what they won the game our defense came out and gave up three straight touchdowns and all we keep going back to is the first half and the two interceptions that weren't really all Prescott's fault..​

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If you wanna keep being a delusional clueless fan that watches the game from the quarterback help instead of from the trenches out then you missed the point of my post I'm not making excuses for the quarterback I'm showing you facts on why we lost the games true actual facts it's the cornerstone the foundation of the NFL and playing football is starts in the trenches you have to run the football stop the run and have players step up another level in the playoffs in our team as a whole steps down you can't ask the quarterback to cover up those deficiencies that's ridiculous.​

 

[MountaineerCowboy]

It sucks that our quarterback needs his team to play well in order for him to win?

It sucks that our QB is sometimes required to carry his load and perform when others aren't playing lights out.

 

[fivetwos]

I mostly wrote that because people have flawed memories they really believe the Ezekiel Elliott of the regular season when he was at his prime or even the DeMarco Murray you know the guy who fumbled in a playoff game and Dan Bailey who missed 2 kicks and the referee calls it all circles back to the quarterback I mean they all think we had dynamic defenses run games ingenious coaching Staffs that developed the trenches and all we are missing is a better quarterback..lmao

I mean somehow their memories are so flawed they thought that the main reason we've been losing these playoff games is because only the quarterback has played poorly and he should have been Superman when we never asked our other great quarterbacks to do that never I've watched those games they threw interceptions in big games just like Tom Brady had three in the NFC championship game just like Matthew Stafford led the league in interceptions and had two in the Super bowl and somehow the Rams teams were just good enough to not use excuses and blame the quarterback they won those games....

I just tried to remind folks from time to time that their memories are very flawed somehow they're blurred I don't remember that all those great players that did well in the regular season did not do so against the better teams in those playoff losses they all failed to live up to expectations just like CD Lam in the last game he didn't have his best game he dropped some passes he ran some bad routes he pounded on the sideline this is just becoming more and more of the same for the last 20 years that something in the playoffs if it can go wrong it does go wrong for the team...

What suddenly turned you on to paragraphs and punctuation lol?

Your posts are always good content even if I don’t always fully agree with the point. This one I do.

The voice to text thing is what makes it tough to read most of the time as opposed to what you’re saying. Keep going.

 

[blueblood70]

It sucks that our quarterback needs his team to play well in order for him to win?

No it sucks is the expectations are our quarterback should always play perfect and win a game even though the rest of the team it's not living up to their part.. They literally think a quarterback should just step up and score 40 no matter how bad the defense is playing and no matter if the offensive line in the run game is not there he should just somehow magically pull it out every time.. we've watched this show before watch some really good quarterbacks make mistakes but their defense, runner, OL and special teams made some plays.

I mean look at the 49ers against the lions they were down at the half they played a terrible first half just like we did and what did their team do they came out played better defense better special teams and they held on and started making stops until the offense caught up and guess what they won the game our defense came out and gave up three straight touchdowns and all we keep going back to is the first half and the two interceptions that weren't really all Prescott's fault..

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

At the end of the day the game is won in the trenches. When the playoffs come the games get tighter, more physical and tougher. These are characteristics of teams not named the Cowboys. When you. When you get punched in the mouth what do you do? Why do you never punch back? Why don’t you come out the gate and do the punching?

Dak needs to play better. He also needs to get tougher. The game doesn’t get easy when the playoffs come. I’m afraid when the tougher teams come through it’s when the softness of this Cowboys team identity shows up.

This is why some of us wanted Henry. To added much needed physical and toughness. This is why we wanted to draft Mazi. We are missing this on this team but especially in the trenches.

 

[blueblood70]

Well, we just invested heavily in the trenches, basically as much as we could considering draft stock, so I'm looking forward to seeing an improvement there that we haven't seen in over 2 decades.

yes i agree, they have over the last 2 seasons looked to fix the trenches, hope they keep going like they did with the safety group who are now deep and a strength...

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

It sucks that our QB is sometimes required to carry his load and perform when others aren't playing lights out.

But who wins this way? What team manages to not be able to stop the run or run the football and their QB bails them out? You’re trying to win a way that hasn’t been proven to win.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

Well, we just invested heavily in the trenches, basically as much as we could considering draft stock, so I'm looking forward to seeing an improvement there that we haven't seen in over 2 decades.

You think we’ve invested heavily in the trenches?

 

[MountaineerCowboy]

But who wins this way? What team manages to not be able to stop the run or run the football and their QB bails them out? You’re trying to win a way that hasn’t been proven to win.

Joe Flacco won a Super Bowl with his defense giving up 35 points in the Divisional round and 31 points in the Super Bowl.

Patrick Mahomes won with his defense giving up 36 points and the lead with 13 seconds left in the Divisional round.

Tom Brady came back from 28-3 in the Super Bowl.

Andrew Luck led the Colts back from a 28 point deficit in a Wild Card game.

Trevor Lawrence (that guy that just got paid that y'all think Dak is better than) just last year came back from being down 27-0.

I mean, that's just a few examples of QBs picking up the slack and putting the team on their backs when everything isn't going perfect. It must be nice to have a QB not bound to the "You're only allowed to play well if everyone else plays well" curse that Dak is bound with.

 

[blueblood70]

You think we’ve invested heavily in the trenches?

they've always put stock into bringing in a lot of offensive linemen regardless on how they attained them, they addressed it, not their fault Fredricks got sick and retired, so they have drafted 2 centers since. mad changes at LG until they found a great one and as much as they failed along the defensive line, they've actually tried.

and at one point they were bad at doing this with safeties but eventually it worked out.... and when we say trenches we're not just talking about in the center i mean Yes, a great nose tackle would be nice but they've done pretty well in pass rushers and OSA is solid...

so yes, i think they put some effort into the trenches just not at nose tackle or setting the premium at DT vs DE/OLB, so there's always room to improve for sure...

so when we say the trenches is the offense lines are always solid to good and now getting Younger, our DL a lot of pressure on offensive lines but generally struggles finding that MLB paired with a DT/NT up the middle. but they have tried and struck out with Gallimore and hill types.

I hope they do grab anther Hankins type before the season, lots will become available around cut down or roster flux.