We need to finish off teams easier

[duro420]

Not gonna win the big one letting teams back into the game. Atlanta learned that lesson. The Cowboys will do good, but the consensus is the people on the forum want a bit better than good.

A concern of not being able to gain an inch on 4 downs with the offesive line we have it not non-sense.

Its early, let the season play out and we'll see.

For real you act like all 3 games we let the team get back in it. I'll remind you that in the 4th qrtr of all our games there were at least two scores in difference. We ain't the chargers man, we can win close games and/or finish a team off if we lead in the 2nd half. We can win in a lotta ways, yes we could have had the AZ game wrapped up sooner but closer games show you what your team and players are made of. It wasnt that we let them back in that game, our physicality wasnt as consistent a presence in the 4th as we're used to witnessing. Give a game or two more for the o-line to gel w/ it's two new pieces. Then the running game(pass protection has been a pleasant surprise and much better as a unit) will take off and we will have the force to exert our hand on the opposition. I suspect we will finish off teams sooner as our physicality will increase as the unit gains experience and more chemistry.

 

[MRV52]

One of my biggest concerns about this team thats been played over and over is that we still have trouble putting a fork in a team. We squander great opportunities to finish off teams only to let them right back into the game.

We let the Cardinals right back into this game when we should have just finished them off when they punted on 4th down. A few good plays with a bit of luck on the Cardinals part could have tied this game up.

We got possession, had a great chance to run down the clock be we couldn't gain an inch. I think its due in part to bad play calling at that crucial time.

The main problem is from there, we had to brawl our way to victory in the last 2 minutes and it shouldn't have been that hard. This is where injuries can happen when you play hard when you shouldn't really have to. It could have been much easier on the team. Shaun Lee was cramping and he will feel it all week and D. L. seemed to tweak his knee etc. It does provide good practice but it definitely puts un-needed wear and tear on the team.

I think we need better play calling when we have the game in our grasp. That power run behind Fredrick was effective in the last quarter and that would wear down the defense; maybe a series of those.

Agree 100%. Linehan and Garrett are just horrible at going for the jugular. Case in point. Drive at the end of the game we go ultra conservative trying to run out the clock. It is 3rd and 5 and a first down kills the Cardinals for the night. What does Linehan call a stupid run play. We punt, and now Arizona drives it down the field and thank God we stopped them. A Td and successful short kick could have been a disaster for us. Just hate this attitude by Linehan.

 

[Blackspider214]

It's the NFL, not high school and college football. The talent level is too level to just put teams away with ease. Do you watch games around the league? Teams come back all the time and most games come down to the final 5 minutes.

We put the game away with 5min to go when we went up 28-17. What are you talking about? That's a good size lead in this league with that amount of time left.

 

[ActualCowboysFan]

We let them back in and had to work our butts off to defensively to hold them. It shouldn't have been that hard causing wear and tear on the players.


If you're Ok with a winning record and the team staying home for the Championship game (s) then this team did great and I have no argument. I stand corrected

There's nothing easy in the NFL.

Your last paragraph doesn't make sense

 

[duro420]

you can have 20 seasons of winning, it doesnt make a lick of difference in the playoffs. I cant get it through a lot of fans heads, the playoffs is a different game from the regular season. in the play offs, your record doesnt mater. that mindset doesnt matter. you have to win in the playoffs. Winning teams finish.

There's a lot of ways to win an nfl game, your a babbling circus mime if you think finishing by two+ scores is the only way we go far in playoffs. There is much to be said for a teams' confidence entering and during the playoffs. Winning a close elimination game can have just as much an affect- if not more- for team confidence and unity as winning by a wide margin.

Panthers blew out the Cards otw to SB50 but the Broncos played a hard fought, closely contested match against the Pats to earn their trip to SB. Not saying that was the reason that Car lost that SB but it did appear Den was there to battle and battle hard where as Car seemed absent collectively and overmatched. No way to know ever tbh. I do believe Dallas is built to win physical games. The physical teams tend to play closer games but they also gain mental toughness and a strengthened comraderie.

In those heated battles where resolve and heart become the deciding factors over x's and o's, it's those that trust, focus, and believe in one another that succeed. Personally I do not mind a few fox hole games for us this season in order to build those intangibles.

 

[Staubacher]

Agree 100%. Linehan and Garrett are just horrible at going for the jugular. Case in point. Drive at the end of the game we go ultra conservative trying to run out the clock. It is 3rd and 5 and a first down kills the Cardinals for the night. What does Linehan call a stupid run play. We punt, and now Arizona drives it down the field and thank God we stopped them. A Td and successful short kick could have been a disaster for us. Just hate this attitude by Linehan.

Totally agree and that sequence drove me nuts too. If there was only a minute left, sure I get it. But there was I believe 3+ minutes or so. A first down ends the game and you are only risking 30 seconds of the 3 minutes for a chance to ice the game. Go for the 1st down aggressively!

It's Linehan but it stems from the Garrett mentality of play not to lose.

 

[TheCoolFan]

I think you just have to lower your expectations. This is almost like a transition year (even though no one wants to admit it). Can they still be a playoff team? Sure. But to expect the team to be a well-oiled machine is not realistic IMO...plus we all have coaching criticisms and wondering if they are doing the best they can do to put these players in a position to succeed - but that's another topic

2nd year QB who is still developing and teams now know how to gameplan for our offense. Still a 2nd year RB and two new starters on the OL (both pretty young/inexperienced themselves). Then on defense, there is still a ton of inexperience in the front 7 and especially in the secondary with all the new guys brought in to replace Carr, Church, Wilcox, and Claiborne.

 

[Idgit]

It's a measure of how far we've come that we're now complaining about two-score victories in road games against a decent team.

 

[MRV52]

Totally agree and that sequence drove me nuts too. If there was only a minute left, sure I get it. But there was I believe 3+ minutes or so. A first down ends the game and you are only risking 30 seconds of the 3 minutes for a chance to ice the game. Go for the 1st down aggressively!

It's Linehan but it stems from the Garrett mentality of play not to lose.

In the end this decision didn't hurt us but don't kid yourself this mentality will cost us a game or two in the future. Never understood this conservative philosophy. When you have a team down finish it by stepping on their throats.

 

[Jake]

One of my biggest concerns about this team thats been played over and over is that we still have trouble putting a fork in a team. We squander great opportunities to finish off teams only to let them right back into the game.

It's not TCU vs Jackson State. It's the NFL.

Winning by double digits on the road isn't easy.

 

[duro420]

Not gonna win the big one letting teams back into the game. Atlanta learned that lesson. The Cowboys will do good, but the consensus is the people on the forum want a bit better than good.

A concern of not being able to gain an inch on 4 downs with the offesive line we have it not non-sense.

Its early, let the season play out and we'll see.

And I'm saying that it won't be unicorns and rainbows shooting out their butts when the gates just have opened. We have two new players adjusting to their relatively new positions with new tendencies and new habits for an oline thats just gonna have to learn amd grow on the go. Once they gel- and is there really any doubt that they will??, say with the character and elite play our three corner stones up front have- we will run the ball much more efficiently and for 4 entire quarters. We will return to near fascist dictation of the game and controlling the clock. R-E-L-A-X peoples, places, things. We got this.


You guys have been wonderful, thank you so much everyone, let's hear it one time for Shaun lee! Lol how can you be a big enough cowboys fan to post on here yet not know his name is pronounced Sean....?

 

[duro420]

The win was a nice one, but we have years of footage of cowboys going 3 and out against teams over and over and opposing qbs leading game leading drives. A win doesnt cover that up. Against a top notch qb, if you keep giving them the ball, they will get back in the game.

A gross missexaggeration- claiming there are years of footage of 3 and outs and game losing scoring drives allowed soon after? Can you name a few of those games, I don't recall that many recently- sure that Romo era had it's share of team gaffes but those types of losses you just described were fewer and further between as Romo aged. Seriously, can you name one game from last year where we unraveled at the end? Aside from Rodgers stupid brilliant antics in the playoffs.

 

[Staubacher]

In the end this decision didn't hurt us but don't kid yourself this mentality will cost us a game or two in the future. Never understood this conservative philosophy. When you have a team down finish it by stepping on their throats.

And with a QB who isn't prone to turning the ball over. Roll him out, he can run or take a sack if no one is open, it still burns the clock worst case. But better chance to get the first and ice it.

 

[1972COWBOY]

The issue is we gave them back to ball too easily w/o gaining an inch; maybe it was the plan but then the defense had to come on and grind out a victory in the process D.L. tweaking his knee and Sean Lee cramping up. Why put an already injury depleted defensive through that if you could have knelt your way to the final victory? I think we could have done more with the ball on the last possession than just giving it to them unless that was the game plan.

Ok, so the plan was: give the ball back to them easily after using their time outs and let our defensive sweat and gruel it out. Because we did not put too much effort in getting a first down. I stand corrected.

 

[1972COWBOY]

As I was saying.................

 

[1972COWBOY]

bump!!!!

 

[Doomsdayblitz]

The "experts" running this team should have been drafting defensive players as they built the offense. Now, we have to outscore 45 points per game to even have a chance. At least we'll have a good shot at a quality pass rusher in next year's draft, unless Jerrah falls in love with another WR or OL !! Of course, that didn't do any good THIS draft. Another defensive lay down to Aaron Rodgers-shocker.

 

[1972COWBOY]

No doubt this thread definitely deserves an F.

I wouldnt say that

 

[Jake]

As I was saying.................

What profound thought do you think you're bumping? That we should win easily? Great idea, I'm all for it.

Of course, you need a good defense to do that. Hmmm...any brilliant insight into how to fix it?