What is worse: 3x 8-8 or 3x 5-11

[Clove]

I prefer to get a top 5 pick in the draft for three straight years rather than 8-8 or 5-11. What is the point? Who cares about 8-8 but people who like mediocrity. I want a chance to progress by getting top notch players, and you can't get that (with this dumb administration with on the job training from a dummy teacher) you can't get top players drafting 17th. My choice is very bad, or a Super Bowl contender. 5-11 vs 8-8 is like Hell vs boiling water. I want neither.

 

[Reverend Conehead]

Sheesh, I can't believe some people would rather go 5 and 11. I remember those years. They were awful. Of course it's better to win more games. For those of you who like 5 and 11 better, you may get your wish next year.

 

[BourbonBalz]

Six in one, half dozen in the other. You either make the playoffs or you don't. Personally, I'm no happier the way the last three seasons have ended than I would've been at 5-12. At least at 5-12, we MIGHT have made some much needed changes.

 

[BourbonBalz]

And yes, I think we're headed for a 4-12 or 5-11 type season next year.

 

[Fredd]

my goodness, how can anyone want 3 years of failure, not mediocrity, but failure? both ways are certainly failures, but 8-8 gives you a shot....and, if I was CONVINCED that the FO could use the draft positioning in a positive manner, then I could see it benefitting the team long term....but, it is an oxymoron IMO...if you have 3 seasons of 5-11, then your draft wasn't successful enough to get you into a better record, meaning you don't know how to draft

 

[visionary]

3X 8-8 is much worse because you have the illusion of being competitive so much less impetus to make a change and we get the usual excuses of "progress", "continuity" etc

at 3X 5-11, there are no excuses, you suck, change things

 

[Chocolate Lab]

This feels worse because we're pissing away the careers of several very good players. The Campo teams were coming out of cap hell and had no chance because they had so little talent, especially at QB.

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

3 time Super Bowl champion Troy Aikman said, "Anything less than winning Super Bowl meant season was a failure"

5-11 and 8-8 = same

 

[ufcrules1]

5-11 all day so we can rebuild with top 10 draft picks. 8-8 for 3 years is purgatory. Especially when you are an educated fan that KNOWS your team is not playoff caliber. The fans who enjoy 8-8 and "having a chance" are just in denial. Jerry loves these fans because it keeps people in the seats.

 

[Alexander]

The biggest drawback between 8-8 and 5-11 is the illusion of being "a player away" or just "unlucky".

With five wins, it is much harder to rationalize, at least from a psychological perspective. Five wins is a "bad team", while just three more wins, regardless of how they occurred, can provide an out to misevaluate the football team.

Any record, 8 wins or 5 wins, is that consistent over the course of three years, indicates there is a systemic failure, whether it be poor coaching, planning or roster management.

When you are always on the cusp and cannot break through, then eventually those systemic problems need to be addressed.

Sorry, but we are at that point. Continually being in a .500 rut only feeds baseless optimism and with Jones in charge, that is deadly.

And before anyone states that 8 wins is just an unlucky 10 or 11 win team, it is easy to point out several games that could have been losses or vice versa. The Campo era was full of games where there were close losses, injuries and game mismanagement that could have caused a three victory swing. But at the end of the day, we knew we were bad.

These 8-8 teams are not a lot different, but with the type of performances we have got from the defense the past few years, plus the gross game mismanagement, and poor self-evaluation of the roster, I do not see it as a 10-11 game winner that just got down on its luck.

 

[thechosen1n2]

Sucks I cannot create a poll.

What was worse for you as a fan? For me it was the Campo years. Those teams were horrid. Zero hope. Worse QB ever for the franchise.

3x 5-11 years with Campo
3x 8-8 years with Garrett

I think its easily 3x8-8. Of course this team is better...funner to watch, but its also MUCH MORE disappointing. I hate when I look at what we could have potentially done if we didnt have stupid penalties, or if we managed the clock correctly, or if we ran the ball with 20 plus leads. I had no expectations for those 5 and 11 teams. A good coach could have gotten more out of these past 3 teams.

 

[tantrix1969]

So what good did being 8-8 do for us this year...we're still not in the playoffs and now we get the "bonus" of Jerry thinking we are close so no major changes.

 

[Risen Star]

I think it depends on the situation. If you have a young team with an emerging QB then being stuck at 8-8 for a few years is preferable to being a perennial 5-11 team lacking any talent.

If you have an aging core of players, no cap room to do anything about it and you're in need of a radical change in the way the team is run, give me those 5-11 seasons.

 

[Fredd]

If we had 3 straight 5-11 seasons, then by God, EVERYONE should get fired...but, there is no guarantee that 3 seasons of 5-11 makes us better talent-wise...they have picked some good players of late and I am grateful for that, but being high in the draft in 3 consecutive years wreaks of failure at so many levels, and there is no guarantee that it will improve with a drunken idiot playing GM in charge of EVERYTHING....now, if you are talking about a real franchise where there are football guys in charge, THAT is a discussion

 

[Alexander]

I think it depends on the situation. If you have a young team with an emerging QB then being stuck at 8-8 for a few years is preferable to being a perennial 5-11 team lacking any talent.

If you have an aging core of players, no cap room to do anything about it and you're in need of a radical change in the way the team is run, give me those 5-11 seasons.

Imagine if Dave Campo went 7-9 or 8-8 even once during that period. It could have been possible and who was clearly a bad head coach would have got several more years with Jerry Jones.

 

[crashintonickdm]

These games are gut wrenching but at least they mean stuff

Relevance!!!!

 

[Risen Star]

Imagine if Dave Campo went 7-9 or 8-8 even once during that period. It could have been possible and who was clearly a bad head coach would have got several more years with Jerry Jones.

Unless the stadium would have still forced a big name hire. I don't know.

I can shamefully admit I didn't realize why he hired Bill until the truth came out in his drunken rant. I actually bought his sales pitch that he was desperate and willing to change.

 

[Alexander]

Unless the stadium would have still forced a big name hire. I don't know.

I can shamefully admit I didn't realize why he hired Bill until the truth came out in his drunken rant. I actually bought his sales pitch that he was desperate and willing to change.

The drunken rant is one of the best things that could have ever been disclosed. It should have been eye opening for anyone who has watched it.

 

[lwehlers]

This is an easy one, 8-8.

8-8 means that you are close but do not have the final pieces to get in the playoffs. 5-11 means that you have a lot of work to do.

 

[mahoneybill]

8-8 is worse.

did you know despite 17 years of this nightmare, we've only picked once in the top 5 of the draft. we are very good at ruining our draft position without making the playoffs.

give me three years of 5-11 to rebuild the talent and maybe we can come out of it like the niners did.

And thats our problem we stay average, or just below, hold onto declining or non contributors, go flashy on WR trades, galloway etc, and wind up running in place in quicksand.....