What makes you optimistic of the 2013 Cowboys

[Doomsdayblitz]

A healthy defense where the DE's rush more & cover less. An improved Claiborne. Better athletes at safety. Lee, Carter, & Durant healthy and working as a unit. I'm not worried about this offense. They score enough to win. The defense was held together with baling wire & duct tape and we still came within a whisker of winning the East last season. No way we lose that many starters this year. We WILL win at least two playoff games this season.

 

[waving monkey]

Eskimo I like your thinking .I think were in the play offs this year and next year anything can happen.

 

[waving monkey]

Eskimo I like your thinking .I think were in the play offs this year and next year anything can happen.

 

[big dog cowboy]

It's simple... I think there will be less injuries!

It is that simple.

 

[jazzcat22]

Basically and mostly, the new defense. Back to the 4-3 and a real DC....
Garrett focusing on running game day decisions and Callahan calling plays.
Players healthy....but then again aren't most players and teams are at this time of the year.
Start of a new season always brings excitement!!!

 

[Sarge]

Dez Bryant.

 

[starfrombirth]

health

youth

speed

talent

-- all improved over last year

This is the part that worries me on the D-line.. on the one hand I'm optimistic that the new scheme will keep our aging dline starters (all over 30) fresher and healthier and allow our younger dlinemen to play faster and allow or starters to rest more. If they don't it will be more of the same for our dline. 2 sides of the optimism coin. fantastic if the younger guys can step up... worried it they don't. If DWare and Rat have to play as many snaps as they have historically then they will break down.

Tfred at Center. . . blah blah blah about Costa. He did not play well last year even in Baltimore. I watched the game and remember thinking we were gonna be destroyed because of the pressure on Romo. A good center makes everyone's job ea. sier. Costa made it harder. He might be a better guard but he is NOT center material. TFred is. He is stronger as a rookie than Costa is after 3 years and he is smarter. Don't you think that if the team thought Costa was going to compete at Center he would have gotten some 1st team snaps? He didn't and he was also being tried at guard. Not a ringing endorsement for him at center so I'm optimistic TFred will finally give us some strength there.

Leary at guard... I'm not as high on him as some people just because I don't think his knee is going to hold up over the rigors of a full NFL season but all reports have him strong as an ox and that makes me optimistic that he will be a big upgrade over Bernie or Livings.

Callahan... I like Garretts approach to building a team and I think he understands x's and o's as good as anyone. I just don't think he can plan an attack on the other teams weakness and adjust, like YR and JB1 have previously mentioned. Callahan will make teams stop what we do well.

Safeties that can play the ball. This has me super excited... please please please let it be true

 

[DenCWBY]

A healthy defense where the DE's rush more & cover less. An improved Claiborne. Better athletes at safety. Lee, Carter, & Durant healthy and working as a unit. I'm not worried about this offense. They score enough to win. The defense was held together with baling wire & duct tape and we still came within a whisker of winning the East last season. No way we lose that many starters this year. We WILL win at least two playoff games this season.

I'm not this optimistic but I do agree that the main offseason adjustment for this team to be hopeful is the defense. I think the offense will improve slightly if they stay relatively healthy but the team overall will either prosper or sink depending on how improved the defense is. It is encouraging to have Ryan out of the picture and this new "less complicated" scheme with new D coaches in place. I'm also encouraged to have JG focused on the game instead of the playbook. Health and depth is the main concern with this team and we're going to need the majority of our key starters (Romo, Dez, Lee, Carr, Church, Murray, Harris, Witten, Spencer, Rat, and at least 3 of 5 olinemen and I'm sure I'm missing a few) on the field in December if were going to make a playoff run. It's easy to overlook Bailey too. If he's money like last year, it will help our offensive decision making process/strategy. It will be interesting to see.

 

[Apollo Creed]

-Romo is a bonafied elite QB.
-Dez looks like he can be one of the best 3 WRs in football behind Megatron and Fitz.
-Skill position wise we're right up there with the best in the league.
-A healthy Murray is a very capable back.
-We finally have 3 quality o-linemen versus last year where we had the worst interior line in the league.
-Callahan calling plays will give Red more time to manage the game and iron out some of those little mistakes that can win/lose you football games.
-The 4-3 will simplify things and be more of a bend but don't break defense, so we aren't giving up huge chunks of yards.
-We have two great CBs.
-They're due, something has got to give, they've been a game away from the playoffs two years in a row with a banged up team and no defense. I imagine with just a little help Romo and co can at least get to the NFCCG.

-Giants aren't the Giants of old anymore.
-RGIII has 2 torn ACLs to his resume and he's not even a sophmore yet.
-Philly is in a transitional phase.
-Schedule isn't quite as tough as I thought.

 

[big dog cowboy]

My list is too long to mention. Just look all around. I'm that optimistic.