Vultures everywhere

[ShiningStar]

Let me ask you this: How many teams could succeed with their top two players on offense out.

Do you think Atlanta would be winning without Matt Ryan and Julio Jones?

How about New England without Tom Brady and Gronk?

Philadelphia without ... wait, do the Eagles have a top two?

You're complaining because you have an opportunity to complain built on the fact that we are losing with the backup QB in there and minus our Pro Bowl receiver. Most teams are going to struggle in that situation if those players mean as much to them as ours do.

That doesn't mean I'm happy about every decision Dallas makes. (I've been harping on the RB position since Murray left.) It just seems silly to disparage the whole organization now after almost everyone was dreaming of Super Bowls last season and heading into this season.

i odnt wnat to burst your bubble but Garrett and Harper did it when Aikman and Irvin was out, but that never happens, because once you lose your number 1 qb and number 1 WR, you cant win. everyone here told me so.

 

[gimmesix]

See the problem is this isn't the NCAA, it's a game of winning or losing and you dont get style points for being competitive. Am I surprised to lose games minus a host of starters, no I'm not. But if you told me we would be up 28-14 in the first half against Atlanta, and on the road with a lead at halftime in New Orleans, I would say no matter who is out you find a way to close those games. That's where the frustration lies. I didn't temper super bowl expectations because Tony & Dez went out, I fully expected to beat Atlanta & N.O., and we should have.

Then you were being unrealistic, believing we're somehow better than other NFL teams that have their starters at key positions.

A team with Matt Ryan and Julio Jones at those skill positions should always beat a team with Brandon Weeden and Terrence Williams as the top passing combo. Same for a team with Drew Brees and Brandin Cook.

The fact that we were in those games and had a chance to win just shows how good we could be if we had Romo and Bryant.

 

[Doomsday101]

We knew we were going to be without Hardy and McClain, but I think all of us felt pretty good about being able to weather it ... until we lost Dez and Romo. Losing them meant we needed to lean on a short-handed defense, so not having Hardy and McClain is definitely being felt more than we could have expected it to.

This is a hurtful season so far not because the coaches suddenly got stupid after going 12-4 last year, not because any player suddenly sucks after playing well, but simply because we had cautious reason to expect success and it has been ripped out from under us by injury.

My only hope is that we still have something to play for this year when Romo gets back.

Everyone was expecting more but as star players go down and you must rely on much less talented players it becomes much harder. For me the good news is we are in the NFC East and watching NY, Wash and Philly I don't see any of them running away with it and NY and Philly have already lost to Dallas. By the time we hit Washington we should be in much better shape health wise.

Turning on the team during this time I just think is pretty shallow. It is always easy to be a fan when things are going great but to turn on them at the 1st sign of trouble does not say much for Cowboy fans

 

[gimmesix]

i odnt wnat to burst your bubble but Garrett and Harper did it when Aikman and Irvin was out, but that never happens, because once you lose your number 1 qb and number 1 WR, you cant win. everyone here told me so.

Not sure what you're talking about. I don't remember a game where we didn't have both Aikman and Irvin, and even then, we still had Smith, who was arguably our top offensive player.

That's a whole lot different than having Randle or McFadden trying to be the guy we ride as we try to weather the storm.

 

[gimmesix]

Everyone was expecting more but as star players go down and you must rely on much less talented players it becomes much harder. For me the good news is we are in the NFC East and watching NY, Wash and Philly I don't see any of them running away with it and NY and Philly have already lost to Dallas. By the time we hit Washington we should be in much better shape health wise.

Turning on the team during this time I just think is pretty shallow. It is always easy to be a fan when things are going great but to turn on them at the 1st sign of trouble does not say much for Cowboy fans

I agree that our primary hope is that other teams outside the division beat up on New York, Washington and Philly. I don't care if we win the division at 8-8 because if we get our guys back, we'll be a very misleading 8-8.

 

[ShiningStar]

Not sure what you're talking about. I don't remember a game where we didn't have both Aikman and Irvin, and even then, we still had Smith, who was arguably our top offensive player.

That's a whole lot different than having Randle or McFadden trying to be the guy we ride as we try to weather the storm.

lol, htan im not telling you. you ll just keep changing the argument. i bursted your bubble, figure out the rest.

 

[gimmesix]

Yep, at least 50% of the regular posters on this board have been saying Garrett gets out coached on a weekly basis for years

What the hell is the OP talking about that folks are just now speaking up?

So were you crying this last year or were you singing the praises of Linehan and Garrett?

 

[gimmesix]

As soon as Romo went down, I was very vocal on here that the Cowboys would be lucky to win one game with Weeden. Many posters, you included, deceived yourself into believing that we could still win 3 or 4 games including the last two that we've lost. The injuries are the only reason why this team isn't 4-0, but don't use the injury excuse if you were still predicting W's as if Romo and Dez could be even marginally replaced.

I'm still hoping for two. I don't know how long it will take to get Rolando, Hardy and Gregory up to speed, but a healthy defense is our best hope for any success.

 

[Sportsbabe]

I did not follow the training camp very closely but it felt like we had kind of "camp cake" with the sole goal of not getting anyone hurt. Keeping players out longer than necessary so that injuries are healed "completed" by regular season, just walk though preseason as if it is not important. Basically what happened since end of last year to beginning of this year? OL should be more dominant? DLaw improvement? scheme improvements? I know injuries are key part but am I the only one feeling that we didn't take the offseason as seriously as we should?

Key phrase "you didn't follow training camp".

 

[xwalker]

I think most of the people on this board that are complaining are doing as such because we're almost winning these games, but losing them in embarrassing fashion.

I, for one, know that this is a deep and talented team. If we had our stars, we'd be 4-0, comfortably.

I think people are frustrated because we've lost these games for stupid reasons where we could've won them had a few coaching decisions been different. There was absolutely no excusing not calling a time out in OT when our guys weren't set. That could've changed the game.

Well, that's why I'm frustrated anyways. And I'm the biggest Garrett fan out there. That was just a piss poor non time out call.

We're getting these "almost" wins and losing them barely. That's why people are frustrated. We needed those winnable games.

Most of the people on this board are fully aware that the team has the deck stacked against them and are playing against the odds.

I think people would be less upset with blowout losses, honestly.

Have they lost in embarrassing fashion? They've had a chance to win both games. They were not getting blown out.

 

[xwalker]

I guarantee you Super Bowl teams (that's what was sold to us in the offseason) find a way to win at least one vs ATL/NO.

Not with their QB and top WR out.

 

[gimmesix]

lol, htan im not telling you. you ll just keep changing the argument. i bursted your bubble, figure out the rest.

No, my argument remains, how many teams win without their top two offensive players when those players are as important to their offense as Romo and Dez.

The closest I can think of for impact was Brady being lost for the season in 2008 and Cassel stepping in, but he at least still had Randy Moss to throw to and I believe a healthy Patriots defense was pretty good that year.

There are probably other "exceptions" but it just doesn't happen very often that a team is able to overcome such crucial injuries without missing a beat.

 

[Sportsbabe]

exactly. And the only one I said I was disappointed in is Marinelli. Never said he "sucks". But when your back-up QB drives the team 90 yards to tie a game late, and then your defense gags it up with one minute to go and lets a team stroll into easy FG range, that's disappointing. And that's on Marinelli.

A one armed QB at that. I don't blame Nelli. Last year it was a one legged QB. Player/personnel. Look what NO rookies did to us Sunday night. The coaches can't tackle, run routes, and catch INT that hit players in their chest.

 

[Doomsday101]

i odnt wnat to burst your bubble but Garrett and Harper did it when Aikman and Irvin was out, but that never happens, because once you lose your number 1 qb and number 1 WR, you cant win. everyone here told me so.

1998 season Garrett was forced to play with Troy out, Irvin was not out. You look at the stats of Garrett and much of it was high percentage throws. Not to mention most were low scoring games that defense played very good ball.

 

[Kalyan]

Did you feel that way after we started the season 2-0?

Yes, never felt comfortable that we dominated at anytime this season like we did last season. Our OL regressed this season, struggling to get 3 and 1 but we were consistently getting them last year

 

[gimmesix]

Yes, never felt comfortable that we dominated at anytime this season like we did last season. Our OL regressed this season, struggling to get 3 and 1 but we were consistently getting them last year

Yes, that's all on the OL.

 

[gimmesix]

Yes, never felt comfortable that we dominated at anytime this season like we did last season. Our OL regressed this season, struggling to get 3 and 1 but we were consistently getting them last year

I will agree that those first two games were shaky, but then again we started last season with a loss to San Francisco, a pretty good victory over the Titans and then almost losing to the Rams and their backup QB.

Against New York this year, we won despite turning the ball over three times and against Philly, we won despite having way too many penalties. Winning games under those circumstances actually made me feel good about the team ... until we lost Romo.

 

[The Natural]

Then you were being unrealistic, believing we're somehow better than other NFL teams that have their starters at key positions.

A team with Matt Ryan and Julio Jones at those skill positions should always beat a team with Brandon Weeden and Terrence Williams as the top passing combo. Same for a team with Drew Brees and Brandin Cook.

The fact that we were in those games and had a chance to win just shows how good we could be if we had Romo and Bryant.

Thats the way you see it.

The way I see it, the fact that we were UP in those games (particularly at pivotal points in the game vs. ATL) shows we should have won them. That's not being unrealistic. Too many punk mindsets around here, with guys just happy to be there instead of closing the deal.

 

[HellCrowe]

Man, it seems like a lot of fans have been circling around waiting for that right moment to swoop in with the things they hate about this team: Marinelli sucks, Garrett sucks, get rid of the whole team.

Where were you guys last year when we were healthy and everything was going well?

I can't believe this many are so surprised or upset that we've lost the last two games without Romo and Dez and several other important players. This is a game of inches and we're giving up a mile without stars like that. It either says good things about our team or bad things about our opponents that we've actually been competitive with Weeden at QB, Williams as our lead receiver, players like Jack Crawford and Ryan Russell having to play significant snaps, a rookie linebacker who had played only a few snaps having to step in for Lee, etc.

When things fall apart like they have this year, you hope and pray for a win knowing that you should lose to teams that have a better QB starting, better No. 1 receiver, etc. The expectation around here are just unbelievable. Even if we were starting Cassel instead of Weeden, we could expect to go no better than .500 with Romo out because these guys are backups for a reason.

Way to be positive. Yes we are hanging in there with backup players in the offense and defense. It really does say a lot about our team.

 

[ShiningStar]

1998 season Garrett was forced to play with Troy out, Irvin was not out. You look at the stats of Garrett and much of it was high percentage throws. Not to mention most were low scoring games that defense played very good ball.

Correct sir.


now im not trying to change teh argument. but my complaint was I was hoping for Weeden and company to win 1 game. NOt asking him to do more than that. just 1.

I was wrong about Green bay. I will admit that (screw the stats that back it up)