What if this season starts like last season ended?

[leeblair]

Anyone else's troll alarm going off?

I see my fan club has followed me................:bounce:

 

[windward]

Again-Wade's post-Dec woos in Buffalo are a myth-in '98(his first year in Buffalo), his only Dec loss was to the AFC Champs Jets. In '99, the Bills only had 2 losses from late Nov to season's end(the Jets, whom we lost to weeks later, and forgot the other).

All in all-this Buffalo team had strong finishes nonetheless. As for Doug Flutie getting benched? That was RALPH WILSON's fault-otherwise, the Bills are likely playing the Rams in the Super Bowl.

As for his failure in Denver-Elway got INJURED in the last month of yr 2-just image if Romo got injured for a stretch, and old-man Brad Johnson taking the reigns.

BTW-the Bills haven't done SQUAT since he left.

Yep. It was even worse. Those Broncos had Hugh Millen as their backup.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

I see my fan club has followed me................

I don't believe I've ever posted to you before. All I know about you is that you loved Julius Jones.

 

[leeblair]

We'll know soon enough how well they do in September, and hopefully their determination to avoid a letdown like last year will drive them on to the Super Bowl.

A pass happy team can be successful; Payton Manning proves that.

Hopefully the only thing they will lack is to find that second reciever, and then have the running game be a nice surprise to add to it.

 

[leeblair]

There were many reasons we lost that game, but time of possession was not one of them. In the second half of that game, the Giants ran 18 plays, gained 57 yards and held the ball for 10:42. We ran 38 plays (plus five more penalty plays), gained 141 yards and held the ball for 19:18.

That gets to the heart of the problem. They moved the ball well up and down the field, but when it came time to punch it in, they failed.

We averaged about 2.5 yards per carry after the 1st quarter in the run game. The first quarter was fantastic.

But, the game is won and lost in the 4th- and when the game was on the line, we were getting a whopping 2.5 yards per carry out of the run game- and lost by one score.

But, it's not just the playoff game. Detroit, Philadelphia, and Washington all three handed it to us, and we beat only Detroit in the end.

The signs were there that there was something wrong.

 

[leeblair]

Wade's mistakes included:

1. Not having a healthy TO.
2. Having no choice but to play Jacques Reeves.
3. Having Crayton drop a pass and cut off his route.

4. Utilizing only one running back in a two back system, and leaving Barber in the game instead of resting him when it became clear he was worn out.

 

[CowboyMark]

It's not how you start it's how you finish. Thats all I gotta say about that.

 

[Brandon]

If we start out something like 1-4 or 2-3, hell even 2-2, Wade can basically pack his bags.

 

[theogt]

4. Utilizing only one running back in a two back system, and leaving Barber in the game instead of resting him when it became clear he was worn out.

Clearly Julius Jones is our savior. What ever shall we do without him?

 

[Brandon]

Clearly Julius Jones is our savior. What ever shall we do without him?

Turn to Felix Jones

 

[leeblair]

I can see the validity of a team finding it's legs during the beginning of the season; and that part I could deal with even if they started 2-2 or 2-3, but were playing well.

But, as the saying goes, "It's not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game"- if the Cowboys are playing well, and just making adjustments to tune it in, it's not so bad.

Jimmy Johnson once remarked about a loss to the Commanders that "he saw a lot to like about his team in that loss"- and I knew exactly what he was talking about. They lost, but played very well, and you could tell they were getting stronger. The next year, they won a Super Bowl.

But, if this group plays in September like they did the last 4 games of last year, it could be a long season. That's what I was trying to get across.

Those problems have to be fixed before they can move forward.

 

[theogt]

Broken record?

 

[AdamJT13]

That gets to the heart of the problem. They moved the ball well up and down the field, but when it came time to punch it in, they failed.

We averaged about 2.5 yards per carry after the 1st quarter in the run game. The first quarter was fantastic.

But, the game is won and lost in the 4th- and when the game was on the line, we were getting a whopping 2.5 yards per carry out of the run game- and lost by one score.

The passing game is what almost always determines whether you win or lose, not the running game. The passing game is usually the deciding factor, while the running game is merely a contributing factor.

If Romo had completed his final pass, you'd need a new theory.

 

[Hostile]

The passing game is what almost always determines whether you win or lose, not the running game. The passing game is usually the deciding factor, while the running game is merely a contributing factor.

If Romo had completed his final pass, you'd need a new theory.

You piqued my curiosity. Why do you say that?

 

[AdamJT13]

You piqued my curiosity. Why do you say that?

Multiple statistical studies have shown that passing stats have a much higher correlation to winning than running stats do.

 

[Hostile]

Multiple statistical studies have shown that passing stats have a much higher correlation to winning than running stats do.

Is it because of compiling yardage? Or something else?

I've always lived with the credo that Defense and running the ball control the clock and win the games, and passing keeps the defense honest.

 

[theogt]

http://cowboyszone.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1451148&postcount=73

Some correlations coefficients (based on 2006 season).

Notice that rushing YPA is at the very bottom.

Also recall that Wade places huge emphasis on passing YPA and sacks. Coincidence?

 

[Deep_Freeze]

Is it because of compiling yardage? Or something else?

I've always lived with the credo that Defense and running the ball control the clock and win the games, and passing keeps the defense honest.

Seems an old school point of view, in the modern game, as Jaws would say, points come out of the passing game. Pass to get ahead, run to stay ahead, which was shown by our early 90s teams and could be even more the case for winning right now.

These days, a case could probably be made that running the ball in the first half is to keep the defense honest.

 

[Beast_from_East]

If we start out something like 1-4 or 2-3, hell even 2-2, Wade can basically pack his bags.

The pressure is on Wade to get it done, he has 13 probowlers and Pacman. Teams have won the SB with far less talent then we have (see Giants, circa 2007).

If we get embarrassed by freaking Cleveland in the openner and come home and lose to the sorry arse Beagles in our own house, Wade is as good as gone.

Frankly speaking, anything less than an appearence in the NFC Championship game means "game over" for dear old Wade.

 

[dcfanatic]

I am chiming in here with a reference to my beloved Mets.

They crashed at the end of last season horribly and then came out this season with hopes of running thru the National League on their way to the WS.

They are now 2 games under .500 and have already dumped Willie.

If the Cowboys come out in September and look like crap it's going to be a little too much for me to take.

Please let me see the Cowboys offense throw up a 40 spot on the Browns while the defense comes out looking like the '85 Bears. That's not too much to ask, is it? lol.