Watching games with a critical eye

[visionary]

Not sure why you believe I am surprised, especially considering I specifically mentioned lack of success deserves criticism in my original post.

Then I guess I'm not sure what is the point of this thread other than to find an excuse for the current mediocrity

 

[Aviano90]

Then I guess I'm not sure what is the point of this thread other than to find an excuse for the current mediocrity

Not to find an excuse for mediocrity, because I can’t stand it. I would rather the team take chances to find more success, even to the point I would risk going 0-16 instead of remaining 8-8.

It was just self reflection of how I react while this team is playing vs how I reacted back in the 90s and how my memory of those teams was one of perfection.

I am new to the site and while becoming more familiar with the layout, this is probably more geared for the “drama” forum.

 

[Doomsay]

Yes, the first half of the 1992 NFC Championship game against one of the NFL’s great dynasties at their place in the rain was not always great.

on that quagmire of a field, no less

 

[TheHerd]

I've noticed that I watch games with a critical eye over the past several years and I wondered what it would be like to watch a game from the 90's with the same critical eye I watch the present games. I pulled up the 1992 NFC Championship game, figuring it was the game the Cowboys won that launched years of confidence I had in the team.

I just got done watching the first half on YouTube and I would roast today's team if they performed that way.

Did you watch the second half? See here if they ended up winning the game which was common in those days. That team, and no team, it's perfect.

But what separated that team, and what usually separates great teams, is they made the play when the game was on the line. Oh, and they had a defense capable of making the play when the game was on the line.

And that game was also the NFC Championship game. Did you watch the other playoff game, the Super Bowl, or any regular season games? More often than not that team was fairly impressive.

 

[visionary]

Not to find an excuse for mediocrity, because I can’t stand it. I would rather the team take chances to find more success, even to the point I would risk going 0-16 instead of remaining 8-8.

It was just self reflection of how I react while this team is playing vs how I reacted back in the 90s and how my memory of those teams was one of perfection.

I am new to the site and while becoming more familiar with the layout, this is probably more geared for the “drama” forum.

In that case

 

[Fletch]

I've noticed that I watch games with a critical eye over the past several years and I wondered what it would be like to watch a game from the 90's with the same critical eye I watch the present games. I pulled up the 1992 NFC Championship game, figuring it was the game the Cowboys won that launched years of confidence I had in the team.

I just got done watching the first half on YouTube and I would roast today's team if they performed that way. The offense sputtered in the first half. I would be screaming to "run the ball". There were dumb penalties. Troy was getting sacked too many times. Our 10 points came off of turnovers and the touchdown drive got extended because of a favorable penalty on 3rd down. To top it off, they missed a FG at the end of the first half.

I'm not trying to compare that team to today's team but rather my reaction to how they played compared to how the team today plays. I believe my perception of the 90's teams shapes my opinion of the present team should play in terms of expecting near perfection in execution. The 1992 team was far from perfect. As a matter of fact, that first half I just watched was down right sloppy and ugly.

I realized I have been overly critical of the team, even with the lack of success, in which some criticism is deserved. I need to get back to just being a fan and rooting for the team instead of memorizing their every mistake.

Great post!

My credo has always been—it’s more fun to be a fan than a critic.

 

[Longboysfan]

And that's been our biggest problem that most seem to overlook. So many times, we just needed one stop and couldn't do it.

Yes. Just one stop.

That is why the need for a Sean Lee like player on defense to be drafted this year.

 

[Aviano90]

Did you watch the second half? See here if they ended up winning the game which was common in those days. That team, and no team, it's perfect.

But what separated that team, and what usually separates great teams, is they made the play when the game was on the line. Oh, and they had a defense capable of making the play when the game was on the line.

And that game was also the NFC Championship game. Did you watch the other playoff game, the Super Bowl, or any regular season games? More often than not that team was fairly impressive.

I get it. I know the team was good. It’s just that I have become overly critical of the team, with even the small things, which has just set unrealistic expectations. Things like throwing short on 3rd down and punting or the defense failing to get a stop on 3rd down. We aren’t going to score every possession and we aren’t going to force a 3 & out every time. And I have gotten to the point where anything less than perfection is unacceptable and I hammer the players/coaches it.

I know the team has faults and I know they are a long way off from championship caliber, especially the coaching. But if we were to win today, like that 92 team did back then, I can’t say I would have enjoyed it. I would have been too busy being upset at every incomplete pass along the way.

 

[JustChip]

Switzer and Garrett are very similar personalities on the coaching field.

Not even close. Switzer was hands-off and emotional (which caused a 15 yard Unsportsmanlike penalty in the 94 game). Garrett is not emotional, as least not on the outside and is not hands-off. Now you can argue he's not a hands-on as others, but he's definitely not Switzer.

Granted it wasn't on the road, but you can't say the team didn't overcome a rocky start in the 2016 Divisional game against the Packers. They were down 21-3 and came back to tie the game in the last minute.

There's a fallacy that Jimmy ALWAYS had his team prepared which was simply not the case. I sat at Texas Stadium and watched an inferior Vince Ferragamo lead Rams team dominate the Jimmy Johnson Cowboys. I also sat there and watch a Buffalo team drop the Cowboys to 0-2 (which was without their dominate running back due to a contentious public contract dispute). And what about the Detroit shellacking (38-10 if I recall) in the playoff game?

I'm not arguing today's staff and team is equal to the staff and team of the 90's. Far from it. But the point of Aviano90's original post is that we remember the 90's team through filters that block out the memory of any shortcomings.

 

[diefree666]

Yes. Just one stop.

That is why the need for a Sean Lee like player on defense to be drafted this year.

that was never illustrated more than that game with Denver when Romo outplayed Manning during his career year. But the Romo haters blamed him because he threw one pick after throwing FIVE TD passes. Why did he throw that one pick? Because the D could NOT EVEN FORCE ONE PUNT THAT DAY. So he had to take more risks and one of them failed.

Over the past 10 years at least we can point to so many games where if the D had been able to just make ONE stop late in the 4th qtr we would have won. the 90's D never got the cred it deserved due to the Triplets but in many ways they were every bit as important to winning as the Triplets were.

 

[Aviano90]

that was never illustrated more than that game with Denver when Romo outplayed Manning during his career year. But the Romo haters blamed him because he threw one pick after throwing FIVE TD passes. Why did he throw that one pick? Because the D could NOT EVEN FORCE ONE PUNT THAT DAY. So he had to take more risks and one of them failed.

Over the past 10 years at least we can point to so many games where if the D had been able to just make ONE stop late in the 4th qtr we would have won. the 90's D never got the cred it deserved due to the Triplets but in many ways they were every bit as important to winning as the Triplets were.

I'm not sure I would classify that throw as a risk. It was just a great play by the defense. The defense pushed the lineman into Romo's left foot landing area impacting the velocity of the throw and the defender still needed to make a diving catch for the interception. Had Romo been able to plant his foot it would have been an easy completion, unless Escobar dropped the pass.

 

[theebs]

I enjoy doing this.

When you go back and watch some of the greatest teams of all time play regular season games they make all the same mistakes as the teams we watch today.

A lot of the quarterback play is terrible. Go watch the bears great defenses, the ravens great defenses. They played some of the most awful offenses you have ever seen.

Its a fun thing to do. The biggest thing that stands out is how different the officiating is. There are constant obvious blown calls that in todays game that would have been corrected and would have changed the course of history.

 

[theebs]

that was never illustrated more than that game with Denver when Romo outplayed Manning during his career year. But the Romo haters blamed him because he threw one pick after throwing FIVE TD passes. Why did he throw that one pick? Because the D could NOT EVEN FORCE ONE PUNT THAT DAY. So he had to take more risks and one of them failed.

Over the past 10 years at least we can point to so many games where if the D had been able to just make ONE stop late in the 4th qtr we would have won. the 90's D never got the cred it deserved due to the Triplets but in many ways they were every bit as important to winning as the Triplets were.

At the time it did get the credit. Personally my favorite players at the time were all on defense! I loved Ken Norton Jr., Darren Woodson, Tony Tolbert, Jim Jeffcoat and Bill Bates. That defense was so talented.

as time has gone on all anyone associates with the team is AIkman, Emmitt and Smith because they are on TV all the time. Back then though every game the other team had to figure out a way to block our front 7 and figure out a way to keep them from smothering the running game. Once they failed and punted they would regularly lose the time of possession and lose.

The games were always close and it was always a stop here or there that won the games or led to the offense getting a chance to close out a game.

 

[Reality]

Can't agree
When you "just can't make that one stop" year after year, you're a bad team
Problems are far far deeper than not being able to make that one stop

I'm not saying we haven't won Super Bowls because our defense couldn't make one stop. I'm saying that even when we only needed one stop to win a playoff game, we couldn't even get that from our defense.

 

[Silver N Blue]

Not even close. Switzer was hands-off and emotional (which caused a 15 yard Unsportsmanlike penalty in the 94 game). Garrett is not emotional, as least not on the outside and is not hands-off. Now you can argue he's not a hands-on as others, but he's definitely not Switzer.

Granted it wasn't on the road, but you can't say the team didn't overcome a rocky start in the 2016 Divisional game against the Packers. They were down 21-3 and came back to tie the game in the last minute.

There's a fallacy that Jimmy ALWAYS had his team prepared which was simply not the case. I sat at Texas Stadium and watched an inferior Vince Ferragamo lead Rams team dominate the Jimmy Johnson Cowboys. I also sat there and watch a Buffalo team drop the Cowboys to 0-2 (which was without their dominate running back due to a contentious public contract dispute). And what about the Detroit shellacking (38-10 if I recall) in the playoff game?

I'm not arguing today's staff and team is equal to the staff and team of the 90's. Far from it. But the point of Aviano90's original post is that we remember the 90's team through filters that block out the memory of any shortcomings.

I disagree and did they win the game in 16? Nope. My comparison for the two coaches is simple...players don't really respect either, neither knows how to properly manage a game, and neither were really good motivators or leaders on the NFL field. 0-2 w/o their best player...teams don't win w/o their best player on the field, and this is all pre 92 topics you bring up. No one brought up anything prior to 92.

 

[TheHerd]

I get it. I know the team was good. It’s just that I have become overly critical of the team, with even the small things, which has just set unrealistic expectations. Things like throwing short on 3rd down and punting or the defense failing to get a stop on 3rd down. We aren’t going to score every possession and we aren’t going to force a 3 & out every time. And I have gotten to the point where anything less than perfection is unacceptable and I hammer the players/coaches it.

I know the team has faults and I know they are a long way off from championship caliber, especially the coaching. But if we were to win today, like that 92 team did back then, I can’t say I would have enjoyed it. I would have been too busy being upset at every incomplete pass along the way.

I understand your view. However, I can assure you that if this team starts reaching NFC Championship games, and winning super bowls, you WILL enjoy it!