News: What Separates The Cowboys From The Super Bowl Teams?

[CCBoy]

I apologize if this answer's been given already (I almost can't believe it hasn't, but I haven't gone through 4 pages of this thread.)

Q. What Separates The Cowboys From The Super Bowl Teams?

A. Jerry Jones

 

[KJJ]

You're kind of making the point here. A highly potent offense with an elite passing game can be enough to win without a great defense ... just like a great defense can be enough to win without a highly potent offense. The Seahawks' great defense last year wasn't enough to beat Tom Brady, but the Broncos' defense this year was enough to beat Cam Newton. Either way can work. Better yet, have a great passing offense and a dominant pass defense, and you have an even better chance.

You missed my point I was talking about the Cowboys and what it will take for them to win a championship but you brought up several other teams. Every team is different and the one common denominator that has foiled the Cowboys in the playoffs under Romo has been the defense. We've struggled to contain top QBs due to the lack of a pass rush and solid coverage. In 07 the Cowboys had a highly potent offense led by an elite passing game that Troy Aikman called more explosive than any of the offenses he had in the 90's. Romo put up a career high 36 TD's that season but got shut down in the playoffs by a solid Giants defense that came on strong that season. Had the Cowboys defense played well that day that could have won that game but they couldn't make critical stops which has been the theme with the defense for more than a decade. They had Toomer boxed in early in the first quarter on a short pass that should have been a routine tackle but he turned into a long TD.

In the final 2 minutes right before the half the Cowboys defense allowed a long drive that tied the game giving the Giants the momentum entering the second half. We had trouble applying pressure to Eli all day keeping him comfortable in the pocket allowing him time to complete short passes that moved the chains. In the playoffs in 09 the defense fell victim to Brett Favre who tossed 4 TD passes. Although the Cowboys had issues on the OL that day the defense didn't show up and it led to a blowout loss. We knew going in if we could pressure Favre he would make mistakes but we couldn't mount enough pressure. In 2014 our defense fell victim to Aaron Rodgers who had an MVP year. We knew going in we needed to apply pressure or he would carve us up and we couldn't do it. Even playing on one leg limping around he had his way with our defense in the second half.

We couldn't apply pressure, our coverage was poor and we kept missing tackles which are all the ingredients to get yourself beat. Offensively the Cowboys played well enough to win with Romo having a very efficient game with no turnovers. Murray put up over 140 yards averaging 4.8 a carry but it wasn't enough to overcome our defense that continues to disappoint every year. The Cowboys have had offenses that can win championships but the defense continues to be a big problem year after year. After the Broncos lost to Seattle in the SB 2 years ago they immediately loaded up on defense going after Ware, Talib and several other players and it paid off despite having the 14th ranked passing attack led by a declining Peyton Manning.

 

[TX Cowboy]

Ownership - Bowlen and Richardson are completely hands off they don't want to know nothing about
football they have hired people..who they have complete and total confidence in to where all they have
to do is? sit back and reap the benefits

Jerruh on the other hand? is Fredo Corleone a complex little man who really isn't as smart as he thinks
but continues to try and prove he is..Fredo is also? emotionally hurt that when poppa died, he was passed
over at his shot of being Godfather. it wasn't the way he wanted it to be!!!

so Jerruh Fredo, Wayne, Corleone, Jones continues to sabotage the efforts in the hope 1 day soon
he'll be standing back on the podium at the super bowl..yanking the title out of the hands of the current
head coach and screaming Barry Switzer's famous words

I did it baby!!!! I did it

 

[CCBoy]

Following a blueprint not the Cowboys' issue; finding better players is
http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas-cowb...demarcus-ware-has-earned-what-he-has-received




...Last offseason the Cowboys thought they found two huge pieces to affect the quarterback in Greg Hardy through free agency and Randy Gregory in the second round of the draft. As a result of affecting the quarterback, a Cowboys defense that was second in the NFL in takeaways in 2014 would have more chances to take them away in 2015 with Hardy and Gregory.

Hardy had six sacks. Gregory didn’t have one. The Cowboys did not affect the quarterback (only 31 sacks). They did not take the ball away (just 11 forced turnovers). They didn’t stop the run particularly well either (tied for 22nd in the league).

This isn’t to blame Hardy or Gregory for the defensive woes. The entire unit wasn’t good enough. The offense certainly did not help them either. The Cowboys could not score enough points to put pressure on other teams to throw the ball because of big deficits, which leads to more takeaways.

The easiest thing to say is go get a Miller (of course, the Cowboys had a Ware but bet he was on his final legs after the 2013 season) or a Norman or a Kuechly. For years fans wanted the Cowboys to get a safety like Ed Reed or Troy Polamalu, and now that has morphed into fans saying the Cowboys need a safety like Earl Thomas.

Great, how many of those guys are truly out there? There's not a lot of them roaming the earth.

Miller could command the highest guarantee among defensive players if the Broncos decide not to use the franchise tag on him this offseason. Norman could be the highest-paid cornerback if the Panthers decide not to tag him this offseason. There isn’t a better overall playmaker than Kuechly.

If there wasn’t a salary cap, Jones would have a much easier time to land some of these players. Because there is a salary cap, the Cowboys have to hope they can find the next high-level players in the draft, like how they found Ware, Jason Witten, Tyron Smith, Zack Martin and Bryant.

They have seen that paying big money to the hot free-agent du jour does not work out well (Brandon Carr).

The blueprint is not a secret. The Cowboys want the same things the Panthers and Broncos have.

In some spots they are better than the Panthers and Broncos. In others they aren’t.

Clearly the Cowboys need to get better at rushing the quarterback and finding players who can take the ball away, but that’s hardly a novel concept.



So all the Cowboys need is a cornerback like Josh Norman, linebackers like Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis, pass-rushers like Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware and a combination pass-rusher/run-stopper like Derek Wolfe.

 

[Idgit]

This is a surprisingly on-point thread. "More playmakers on defense" and "consistently good QB play" would be my answers. With a healthy Romo and an improved backup being the obvious solutions for the latter.

Our defense has been either really bad, or a work in progress for far too long now.

 

[CCBoy]

This is a surprisingly on-point thread. "More playmakers on defense" and "consistently good QB play" would be my answers. With a healthy Romo and an improved backup being the obvious solutions for the latter.

Our defense has been either really bad, or a work in progress for far too long now.

This is what Jason Witten had to say:

Tight end Jason Witten recently went on At the Buzzer on Fox Sports to give his three keys for a Cowboys Super Bowl run next season.

"We have to stay healthy. When you lose a guy like Tony Romo that's hard to overcome. We have to limit our turnovers and better in the fourth quarter," Witten said. And collectively, you see these teams that are playing they finish games in the fourth quarter. We just didn't do that enough this season."

 

[cowboyblue22]

whats it been one excuse or another for twenty years now. jones keeps making more money and the cowboys get to watch other teams in the playoffs and super bowl every year whopeeeeeeeeeee.

 

[CCBoy]

whats it been one excuse or another for twenty years now. jones keeps making more money and the cowboys get to watch other teams in the playoffs and super bowl every year whopeeeeeeeeeee.

Only to a completely naive person. Much more is involved to a reasonable fan.

 

[Sportsbabe]

Two teams with elite defenses went to the super bowl. Manning was a Trent Diller clone this time around. A bus driver for a team that had a defense that could shut down anyone and force TOs.

If the Cowboys can have a defense 75% of either team, and a healthy Romo we could go far.

It's never gonna change....defense wins championships.

 

[Beast_from_East]

This is a surprisingly on-point thread. "More playmakers on defense" and "consistently good QB play" would be my answers. With a healthy Romo and an improved backup being the obvious solutions for the latter.

Our defense has been either really bad, or a work in progress for far too long now.

Good points Idgit, I would agree.

I also think after almost 6 years, the program under Garrett should be further along than it appears to be. That is not some rant against Garrett, that is legit criticism based on the results during his tenure. I realize that we need better players, but at the same time the head coach of a franchise has significant input into acquiring his players, so I think it is more than appropriate to question the direction of the franchise when a head coach has had such limited success as Garrett.

 

[Idgit]

Good points Idgit, I would agree.

I also think after almost 6 years, the program under Garrett should be further along than it appears to be. That is not some rant against Garrett, that is legit criticism based on the results during his tenure. I realize that we need better players, but at the same time the head coach of a franchise has significant input into acquiring his players, so I think it is more than appropriate to question the direction of the franchise when a head coach has had such limited success as Garrett.

I agree with that, too. Especially on defense. We false started twice there before landing on Marinelli, including changing the entire scheme over. It's taken too long. Anybody wanting to hammer Garrett for that, he deserves it as far as I'm concerned. In fact, had we been further along in the process defensively, last year's GB game might have had a better outcome.

On personnel, I'm also on record that I wanted us spending more high picks on DLs than we did on OGs. I liked the Martin pick for value where we were in that draft, but I was hoping for Aaron Donald. Overall, I think Garrett and company have done a good job with personnel, but last year was an exception where we took huge hits to many of our best players for either injury or suspensions.

 

[CCBoy]

I agree with that, too. Especially on defense. We false started twice there before landing on Marinelli, including changing the entire scheme over. It's taken too long. Anybody wanting to hammer Garrett for that, he deserves it as far as I'm concerned. In fact, had we been further along in the process defensively, last year's GB game might have had a better outcome.

On personnel, I'm also on record that I wanted us spending more high picks on DLs than we did on OGs. I liked the Martin pick for value where we were in that draft, but I was hoping for Aaron Donald. Overall, I think Garrett and company have done a good job with personnel, but last year was an exception where we took huge hits to many of our best players for either injury or suspensions.

A good analysis...

When three blue chippers and three starters are out most of a season, the team suffers quite a bit. The blue chippers were Romo, Bryant, and Scandrick.

The starters were Hardy, McClain, and Crawford...missing or very injured. Missing most of the off season affects a whole lot as well. As both Lawrence and Gregory were hindered.

I would add a six week period of adjustment before a lead running back was determined.

 

[Idgit]

A good analysis...

When three blue chippers and three starters are out most of a season, the team suffers quite a bit. The blue chippers were Romo, Bryant, and Scandrick.

The starters were Hardy, McClain, and Crawford...missing or very injured. Missing most of the off season affects a whole lot as well. As both Lawrence and Gregory were hindered.

I would add a six week period of adjustment before a lead running back was determined.

Losing Dunbar hurt, too, as he was our leading receiver the first few weeks and a matchup player. And we didn't just lose Romo. That was the position on the roster where we had the single biggest drop-off from starter to backup. Just a crap season, overall.

To be clear, though. All teams have injuries and injuries are not an excuse. We needed a deeper roster than we had, overall.

 

[jnday]

Only to a completely naive person. Much more is involved to a reasonable fan.

Reasonable fans figure 20 years is too long between Super Bowls.

 

[CCBoy]

Reasonable fans figure 20 years is too long between Super Bowls.

That's living in the past too much for this fan. It hints also at lazy. If any adult, even Jerry Jones, sat on his own posterior that long, he would have been seperated from his monetary abilities...long, long ago. We're a country of doers...not horders.

The Cowboys have been in the hunt for the NFC East, many times in that time. For Lombardi winners, that competition has to project the Division Winner into a strong playoff mold. Oh, the Cowboys have been there their own share of time as well...even in that mythical 20.

 

[Idgit]

Reasonable fans figure 20 years is too long between Super Bowls.

I agree it's been too long for the Cowboys, given how active the franchise is, but in a league with 32 teams in it, I'm not sure it's all that reasonable to be expecting Superbowls all that frequently.

 

[RS12]

What Separates The Cowboys From The Super Bowl Teams?

The organization.

 

[JoeyBoy718]

800 and 1,000 miles.

 

[jnday]

That's living in the past too much for this fan. It hints also at lazy. If any adult, even Jerry Jones, sat on his own posterior that long, he would have been seperated from his monetary abilities...long, long ago. We're a country of doers...not horders.

The Cowboys have been in the hunt for the NFC East, many times in that time. For Lombardi winners, that competition has to project the Division Winner into a strong playoff mold. Oh, the Cowboys have been there their own share of time as well...even in that mythical 20.

Dude,we was 4-12 last season. I am basing my opinion on the most recent results. Jerry has sat back for 20 years and counted the money that comes from a great fanbase.

 

[lkelly]

This thread reminds me of a joke I heard on the golf course a few years ago. I was playing with a pretty bad player who dribbled his tee shot a few yards off the box. I crushed one way down the middle. As we climbed into the cart, he said, "Did you hear about the new Wal-Mart they are building out this way?" (No...) "They are putting it in between your tee shot and mine."

I'd say there's a lot that separates Dallas from Carolina/Denver. You can start with a Wal-Mart.