We're close.

[Chocolate Lab]

You know I agree with the comment about Romo. I love the guy. I think he has IT. I think he has great heart, I think he has the talent. I think he has the brains and ability to continue to get better.

I think Romo needs to be a leader though. The QB is automatically ONE of the leaders on the team. If he is galavanting about with Jessica Simpson, well, this is kind of a tough one. I don't care he went away etc. But it gives the impression of eating the cheese. Celebrity bimbo (true, fair, etc or not, it's the perception to public and teammates).

Aikman was a bit of a sourpuss, but he was a leader. Staubach was a leader. You need the guy in charge to be a bit more serious and discreet, etc. Part of that is the choices made while playing. Romo is still a newb, but he isn't 22 years old. He's been in the league for what 6-7 years now. He needs to set a tone with team about maturity I think. He isn't only one, but he is the QB.

Don't get me wrong I think he cares, and is a clean guy, and his mental toughness seems to be there. The maturity and leadership going up would be a help to the other players on the team though.

LarryCanadian

Totally agree. It's like when Parcells talked about the QB working longer and carrying home an armload of film in front of the team -- part of it was for show, but it was to let everyone know that the leader of the team was working harder than anyone else. The QB doesn't get to always be "one of the boys" like the rest of the team. That's just part of playing the position.

And I, for one, am tired of the hangdog, slumped-over, lower-lip-stuck-out-a-mile demeanor when we lose. Stand up tall, carry yourself right, and act like a leader, Tony. If you don't want that responsibility, don't play quarterback. It's that simple.

 

[Maikeru-sama]

Talent wise we are already there.

Mentally I dont know.

Quoted for truth.

This "We are close" business is quickly becoming an annual rallying cry in Dallas.

This team has just as much talent as the New England Patriots.

Sure, we have our weaknesses, but every team does.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

This team has just as much talent as the New England Patriots.

No offense, Mick, but how can anyone say that? They're better than us at almost every single position.

I think you could make a great argument that this team just overachieved for much of the year. People's expectations just got too high because of our great early record.

 

[Chief]

You know I agree with the comment about Romo. I love the guy. I think he has IT. I think he has great heart, I think he has the talent. I think he has the brains and ability to continue to get better.

I think Romo needs to be a leader though. The QB is automatically ONE of the leaders on the team. If he is galavanting about with Jessica Simpson, well, this is kind of a tough one. I don't care he went away etc. But it gives the impression of eating the cheese. Celebrity bimbo (true, fair, etc or not, it's the perception to public and teammates).

Aikman was a bit of a sourpuss, but he was a leader. Staubach was a leader. You need the guy in charge to be a bit more serious and discreet, etc. Part of that is the choices made while playing. Romo is still a newb, but he isn't 22 years old. He's been in the league for what 6-7 years now. He needs to set a tone with team about maturity I think. He isn't only one, but he is the QB.

Don't get me wrong I think he cares, and is a clean guy, and his mental toughness seems to be there. The maturity and leadership going up would be a help to the other players on the team though.

LarryCanadian

Well said.

 

[Maikeru-sama]

No offense, Mick, but how can anyone say that? They're better than us at almost every single position.

I think you could make a great argument that this team just overachieved for much of the year. People's expectations just got too high because of our great early record.

No offense taken .

Now, I am not an NFL Scout but I think a case could be made that this team is just as talented as the Patriots.

I know that case was certainly being made throughout most of the year, especially when everyone was so sure that we were going to meet them again in the Super Bowl.

And please, I do not want to hear this "overachieved" mantra. People say that every dang on time we lose in the first round :bang2: .

This is a very good team.

There is no doubt in my mind that if these guys had it mentally, we could compete with every team in the NFL, including the Patriots.

 

[fanfromvirginia]

Here's an optimistic reminder: for about 8 games in the middle of the season we played absolutely lights out, second only to the Patriots. So the ability and talent are there.

We've got a few who need to be upgraded over that most people agree on: Reeves, Akin, Roy (still a bitterly fought battle here but the consensus seems to be to get rid of him), Kosier, Crayton, and Julius. That can easily be accomplished via the free agency/draft combo.

The uncertainty now lies in the coaching staff: how many positions will we have to fill, how many positions should we fill regardless, with whom do we fill them? These are the biggest, most debatable, most problematic, most dangerous unknowns.

 

[50cent]

Good Gawd. You play everyone in the division twice a year. Are you saying that if you don't sweep them all, you can't be better than them?

No, what I'm saying is that they don't think we're better than them. Teams don't fear us, they chomp at the bit to play us. We never demoralize teasm when we have a chance. No killer instict. Anytime you give teams hope, they gain confidence. It goes a long way to know that teams have a mental block when you play them. Instead of losing confidence after playing us, I really believe teams gain confidence. So good gawd, even when you win it doesn't mean your better than them in the long run.

 

[windward]

Seems like I've read and felt this for the past three years.

I'd say it's similar to when we were "Next Year's Champs" back in the late 60s.

Guys, we'll get there soon.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

No, what I'm saying is that they don't think we're better than them. Teams don't fear us, they chomp at the bit to play us. We never demoralize teasm when we have a chance. No killer instict. Anytime you give teams hope, they gain confidence. It goes a long way to know that teams have a mental block when you play them. Instead of losing confidence after playing us, I really believe teams gain confidence. So good gawd, even when you win it doesn't mean your better than them in the long run.

I don't know if you noticed, but this is the NFL and both winning and losing margins are usually razor thin. We play in maybe the toughest division in the NFL, and you aren't going to intimidate the Iggs, Giants, and Skins -- three playoff teams -- into cowering like little children when they take the field against us. That's just not reality in this league and especially this division.

 

[50cent]

I don't know if you noticed, but this is the NFL and both winning and losing margins are usually razor thin. We play in maybe the toughest division in the NFL, and you aren't going to intimidate the Iggs, Giants, and Skins -- three playoff teams -- into cowering like little children when they take the field against us. That's just not reality in this league and especially this division.

Oh really, because that's exactly what I see when we play teams. We cower like little *****es when faced with adversity. We were mentally defeated against the TO/McNabb Eagles and before. The same way we had a mental edge over the Commanders, but now thats gone. I think that ended 2 years ago when they knocked Witten silly on our sideline and we did nothing. Or how about having your head stepped on and nothing? Your right teams in this league and division don't cower, just the one I cheer for! For us to play in the toughest division, we aren't that tough. We're a finesse team playing in a power division and the rest of our opponents know it. We just haven't realized it yet. Don't think this is something that I just came up with becasue we lost this weekend. I've felt this way for 2 plus years. My sig has been this way for that long and will remain there until we sign more players with Hamlin's attitude.

 

[ethiostar]

Talent wise we are already there.

Mentally I dont know.

I agree 100%. I actually started a thread yesterday stating the same thing, but with a little bit more optimism.

Last night i really didn't want to discuss the game or the state of the team because i was not rational. There was a lot of emotion and i couldn't think straight. i tried to go to sleep but i couldn't and i couldn't stand to watch any of the postgame shows or any sport channels. it was just unbearable and a little unreal to me.

I woke up this morning hoping that it was a nightmare and that it was still sunday but no such luck. Reality can be such a biliach sometimes.

After thinking about the team, not just last night but the team as a whole and the entire season i'm begining to feel a little better. The loss last night was devestating thats for sure and it's very hard to find anything positive after such an ugly performance. The team looked very young, inexperienced, undiciplined and lacked the killer instincts that most elite teams often exhibit, especially in the playoffs......................

We also know last season ended in a similar fashion. Playing a Seahawks team with CBs off the street we couldn't exploit thier weakness and we couldn't finish the game when we had the chance. Last night we played a Giants team with similar problems at CB and again we couldn't take advantage. Our OL failed to protect the QB in the second half and Romo didn't have the time to throw the ball. Crayton dropped crucial passes, Romo couldn't throw the ball away, the running game was almost non-existant in the 2nd half, Reeves got abused, etc.............

While we should expect some changes, we should try and keep in mind that this team is VERY young overall. It has a new HC, DC, and OC. Although they are still playing a 3-4, they are playing a different version of it. Our OC is VERY young. Our QB hasn't played 2 full seasons yet.

As much as i was devastated about the loss last night and the way we lost the game, it is not unreasonable to expect some growing pains for such a young team going through a lot of changes on both sides of the ball. This type of experience is what builds a championship caliber team. A team that is able to limit thier mistakes and overcome them when they do make mistakes. A team that is confident but without an overinflated sense of self. A team that knows to FINISH opponents when they have the chance.

Sorry for my soap box but i needed to say something. It is doom and gloom around Cowboys nation now but this too shall pass. This team will mature from it and will become a stronger team becasue of it. We have most of the nucleus put in place and they are young (Romo, MBIII, Witten, Ware, Spencer, TNew, B. James, Canty, Ratliff, folk), we have some quality veterans (Ellis, TO, Fergeson). With some additions at certain positions i.e. CB, WR, and RB, this team is poised to contend for years to come.

 

[Billy Bullocks]

Even though I would say the offense failed us in the 2nd half of the game, the offense at least has some players with some real heart. Barber. Owens. Witten. Davis. I mean those guys play with a mean streak.

Watching our defense, seems like we are lacking that one vocal guy. No one really seems to be a leader on that side of the ball.