CFZ What the 49er playoff loss should teach us about the 2022 season

[Nav22]

14 penalties in a playoff game. Not enough is said about this.

It’s incredibly difficult to overcome 14 penalties in an NFL game, much less a playoff game against a quality opponent.

The refs absolutely killed us all last season. I don’t care if this counts as whining.

McCarthy’s Packers teams were among the NFL’s LEAST penalized routinely... and how is it that we were we so “UNDISCIPLINED” with penalties (worst in the NFL), yet still “DISCIPLINED” enough to lead the NFL in yards, points and takeaways???

 

[BourbonBalz]

I am really concerned they did not obtain any veteran offensive line players by trade or free agency.
We have no quality experienced back ups.
With Tyrone unable to play complete seasons this does not bode well

The off-season isn’t finished yet. I suspect we still might sign a veteran after teams start making cuts. Then again, they might just roll the dice and decide to go with the young guys.

 

[Hardline]

This team will remain soft and undisciplined until the asthma field comes back.

 

[Flamma]

Then the Rams had 7 points at home in 3 quarters of play in the NFCCG and beat that Niners team. Either way you meant it, you were wrong.

And lol @ me being a Dak lover.

It's nitpicking. The Rams obviously had a better defense. But in no way shape or form is scoring 7 points at home through 3 quarters in a playoff game good.

 

[Flamma]

I don’t need to tell any Cowboys fan around here how disappointing that wild card game loss was to the 49ers last January. It was simply awful.

But nearly 7 months later, there are some things we could learn from that game if we want to take the next step and at least make an NFC championship game for the first time in 26 years. Here is a list of what that playoff taught us- have we made the right adjustments?

FIRST- SOME GAME FACTS- NINERS 23-COWBOYS 16

• The niners told us the week before the game they were going to run the ball down our throats. And they did exactly that, rushing for 169 yards.
• The niners had 341 total yards to 307 for the cowboys.
  
• The niners had 5 sacks; we had zero.
• The niners won TOP 34 minutes to 26 for Dallas. And that’s after we had the ball for most of the 4th qtr.
• In the niners first 7 possessions of the game, they scored 5 times and on their last possession of the first half, they even took a knee, leading 16-7.
• The Cowboys did not make a sack all game, and only had 4 pressures. Micah Parsons was consistently neutralized when rushing and D-Law was too. Randy Gregory had a few pressures but he had some stupid penalties too.
• The Cowboys OL got whipped all day. Tyron Smith had his worst game of the season and Connor Williams had his usual bad holding call at the worst time.
  
• For some reason Dak (or Kellen Moore) were choosing to not get the ball in the hands of their best playmakers.

So what can we learn from this?

• The trenches is where we got whipped and the biggest reason we lost that playoff game. IMO, It remains the biggest problem this team has. Not enough in the trenches on both sides of the ball.
• FOOTBALL 101: The team who wins the trenches usually wins- especially in the playoffs. You need skill position players too, but without the big guys on the line holding their own, you can’t win playoff games.

So here are some questions going into 2022 based on what last year should have taught us:

1. Did we strengthen our OL and DL this off-season? Enough to avoid a repeat of what the niners did to us last January? Can we finally stop the run?
2. Will our offense be able to get the ball to playmakers regardless of what the defense is doing? Dumping passes to Dalton Schultz all day won’t get it done. Can Kellen Moore get better? Can Dak consistently get the ball to his playmakers?

The answers to these questions will probably determine if this team does something more than what it’s done the last qtr century. We will start seeing soon.

Can't argue with anything here. Except for me it wasn't awful, just disappointing. I could see it coming and said as much. People get carried away by stats, our #1 offense, and our 12-5 record. If the Cowboys were 9-8 and a middle of the pack team, would the loss have been that bad? Always disappointing, that will never change.

But anyone watching the Cowboys in the 2nd half of the season could see who they truly were. That loss should not have been so unexpected. They weren't that good.

 

[DandyDon52]

Someone needs to tell Jerry and Dak that the team which scores more points WINS!!!

that , and to score more points in the 1st half !!!!!
Aikman talked about jimmys team liked to get ahead early go into the half with a lead.

 

[DandyDon52]

I don’t need to tell any Cowboys fan around here how disappointing that wild card game loss was to the 49ers last January. It was simply awful.

But nearly 7 months later, there are some things we could learn from that game if we want to take the next step and at least make an NFC championship game for the first time in 26 years. Here is a list of what that playoff taught us- have we made the right adjustments?

FIRST- SOME GAME FACTS- NINERS 23-COWBOYS 16

• The niners told us the week before the game they were going to run the ball down our throats. And they did exactly that, rushing for 169 yards.
• The niners had 341 total yards to 307 for the cowboys.
  
• The niners had 5 sacks; we had zero.
• The niners won TOP 34 minutes to 26 for Dallas. And that’s after we had the ball for most of the 4th qtr.
• In the niners first 7 possessions of the game, they scored 5 times and on their last possession of the first half, they even took a knee, leading 16-7.
• The Cowboys did not make a sack all game, and only had 4 pressures. Micah Parsons was consistently neutralized when rushing and D-Law was too. Randy Gregory had a few pressures but he had some stupid penalties too.
• The Cowboys OL got whipped all day. Tyron Smith had his worst game of the season and Connor Williams had his usual bad holding call at the worst time.
  
• For some reason Dak (or Kellen Moore) were choosing to not get the ball in the hands of their best playmakers.

So what can we learn from this?

• The trenches is where we got whipped and the biggest reason we lost that playoff game. IMO, It remains the biggest problem this team has. Not enough in the trenches on both sides of the ball.
• FOOTBALL 101: The team who wins the trenches usually wins- especially in the playoffs. You need skill position players too, but without the big guys on the line holding their own, you can’t win playoff games.

So here are some questions going into 2022 based on what last year should have taught us:

1. Did we strengthen our OL and DL this off-season? Enough to avoid a repeat of what the niners did to us last January? Can we finally stop the run?
2. Will our offense be able to get the ball to playmakers regardless of what the defense is doing? Dumping passes to Dalton Schultz all day won’t get it done. Can Kellen Moore get better? Can Dak consistently get the ball to his playmakers?

The answers to these questions will probably determine if this team does something more than what it’s done the last qtr century. We will start seeing soon.

they cant fix the trenches in one off season.
rumor has it that they want to use a lot of 12 personel lol who knows, I dont expect big improvement with offense, maybe on defense they get better.
Oh and mike said he will be "more involved" with offense, whatever that means.
they did get some interesting players, but again who knows what they do with them or how that turns out

 

[Hawkeye19]

I don’t need to tell any Cowboys fan around here how disappointing that wild card game loss was to the 49ers last January. It was simply awful.

But nearly 7 months later, there are some things we could learn from that game if we want to take the next step and at least make an NFC championship game for the first time in 26 years. Here is a list of what that playoff taught us- have we made the right adjustments?

FIRST- SOME GAME FACTS- NINERS 23-COWBOYS 16

• The niners told us the week before the game they were going to run the ball down our throats. And they did exactly that, rushing for 169 yards.
• The niners had 341 total yards to 307 for the cowboys.
  
• The niners had 5 sacks; we had zero.
• The niners won TOP 34 minutes to 26 for Dallas. And that’s after we had the ball for most of the 4th qtr.
• In the niners first 7 possessions of the game, they scored 5 times and on their last possession of the first half, they even took a knee, leading 16-7.
• The Cowboys did not make a sack all game, and only had 4 pressures. Micah Parsons was consistently neutralized when rushing and D-Law was too. Randy Gregory had a few pressures but he had some stupid penalties too.
• The Cowboys OL got whipped all day. Tyron Smith had his worst game of the season and Connor Williams had his usual bad holding call at the worst time.
  
• For some reason Dak (or Kellen Moore) were choosing to not get the ball in the hands of their best playmakers.

So what can we learn from this?

• The trenches is where we got whipped and the biggest reason we lost that playoff game. IMO, It remains the biggest problem this team has. Not enough in the trenches on both sides of the ball.
• FOOTBALL 101: The team who wins the trenches usually wins- especially in the playoffs. You need skill position players too, but without the big guys on the line holding their own, you can’t win playoff games.

So here are some questions going into 2022 based on what last year should have taught us:

1. Did we strengthen our OL and DL this off-season? Enough to avoid a repeat of what the niners did to us last January? Can we finally stop the run?
2. Will our offense be able to get the ball to playmakers regardless of what the defense is doing? Dumping passes to Dalton Schultz all day won’t get it done. Can Kellen Moore get better? Can Dak consistently get the ball to his playmakers?

The answers to these questions will probably determine if this team does something more than what it’s done the last qtr century. We will start seeing soon.

Good post… would just add that it in addition to the points you laid out, it was yet ANOTHER slow, flat, sloppy start by our offense— and yet another penalty fest.

Lastly— it was clear from the jump they had the confidence and swagger and knew they were going to whip us. Dallas looked and played scared.

Not only have we not addressed the roster by adding any difference makers of note to replace the talent we lost— we have maintained the status quo on the coaching staff. Where is the new attitude/mindset going to come from? I am skeptical that the same crop of owners, players and coaches, with less talent, are somehow going to be able to find a playoff winning formula.

Could they contend to win a weak-sauce NFCE? Sure. I think there will be some success in the Reg season. January though? Nah. I think IF we make the playoffs, we likely see another one and done, and JJ will fire MM and scapegoat him as the reason, bring in a new staff to work with this “championship caliber” roster he has assembled, and we will simply wash, rinse, and repeat the same storyline from the last 26 years

 

[noshame]

I don’t need to tell any Cowboys fan around here how disappointing that wild card game loss was to the 49ers last January. It was simply awful.

But nearly 7 months later, there are some things we could learn from that game if we want to take the next step and at least make an NFC championship game for the first time in 26 years. Here is a list of what that playoff taught us- have we made the right adjustments?

FIRST- SOME GAME FACTS- NINERS 23-COWBOYS 16

• The niners told us the week before the game they were going to run the ball down our throats. And they did exactly that, rushing for 169 yards.
• The niners had 341 total yards to 307 for the cowboys.
  
• The niners had 5 sacks; we had zero.
• The niners won TOP 34 minutes to 26 for Dallas. And that’s after we had the ball for most of the 4th qtr.
• In the niners first 7 possessions of the game, they scored 5 times and on their last possession of the first half, they even took a knee, leading 16-7.
• The Cowboys did not make a sack all game, and only had 4 pressures. Micah Parsons was consistently neutralized when rushing and D-Law was too. Randy Gregory had a few pressures but he had some stupid penalties too.
• The Cowboys OL got whipped all day. Tyron Smith had his worst game of the season and Connor Williams had his usual bad holding call at the worst time.
  
• For some reason Dak (or Kellen Moore) were choosing to not get the ball in the hands of their best playmakers.

So what can we learn from this?

• The trenches is where we got whipped and the biggest reason we lost that playoff game. IMO, It remains the biggest problem this team has. Not enough in the trenches on both sides of the ball.
• FOOTBALL 101: The team who wins the trenches usually wins- especially in the playoffs. You need skill position players too, but without the big guys on the line holding their own, you can’t win playoff games.

So here are some questions going into 2022 based on what last year should have taught us:

1. Did we strengthen our OL and DL this off-season? Enough to avoid a repeat of what the niners did to us last January? Can we finally stop the run?
2. Will our offense be able to get the ball to playmakers regardless of what the defense is doing? Dumping passes to Dalton Schultz all day won’t get it done. Can Kellen Moore get better? Can Dak consistently get the ball to his playmakers?

The answers to these questions will probably determine if this team does something more than what it’s done the last qtr century. We will start seeing soon.

I hate to beat a dead horse, but the NFL has discovered Dak's weaknesses and will exploit them until we GET HIM OUT OF THE POCKET!! They are giving his the outside and crowding the middle. We must make them cover the whole field.....and hire a OL coach.

 

[Red Dragon]

Crazy thing is, despite the stats being so bad, we were still just 1-2 plays away from winning the game.

 

[Red Dragon]

it was clear from the jump they had the confidence and swagger and knew they were going to whip us. Dallas looked and played scared.

This game reminded me of the 1993 NFC Championship Game - but in reverse. Instead of Dallas having the swagger, confidence and coolly guaranteeing victory in advance, it was the Niners.

 

[Flamma]

Good post… would just add that it in addition to the points you laid out, it was yet ANOTHER slow, flat, sloppy start by our offense— and yet another penalty fest.

Lastly— it was clear from the jump they had the confidence and swagger and knew they were going to whip us. Dallas looked and played scared.

Not only have we not addressed the roster by adding any difference makers of note to replace the talent we lost— we have maintained the status quo on the coaching staff. Where is the new attitude/mindset going to come from? I am skeptical that the same crop of owners, players and coaches, with less talent, are somehow going to be able to find a playoff winning formula.

Could they contend to win a weak-sauce NFCE? Sure. I think there will be some success in the Reg season. January though? Nah. I think IF we make the playoffs, we likely see another one and done, and JJ will fire MM and scapegoat him as the reason, bring in a new staff to work with this “championship caliber” roster he has assembled, and we will simply wash, rinse, and repeat the same storyline from the last 26 years

Forget the NFCE. All the entire NFC has is the NFCW minus the Seahawks, Bucs and Packers. It isn't the 80s, none of these teams are stacked. Can we at least come close?

 

[AsthmaField]

It's nitpicking. The Rams obviously had a better defense. But in no way shape or form is scoring 7 points at home through 3 quarters in a playoff game good.

I know, and if he would have said that, I wouldn’t have said a word. But he said you can’t win scoring 7 in three quarters of football at home, which obviously is incorrect, because the same team, in the same playoffs held Stafford and company to 7 in three quarters of play, and still lost.

My point not being that you can score 7 points in 3Q and still win… but that it is way more than just the QB, or even the offense that goes in to winning a playoff game… namely the defense and special teams have to play well too.

All of that is implied by what I wrote.

 

[CowboyRoy]

I don’t need to tell any Cowboys fan around here how disappointing that wild card game loss was to the 49ers last January. It was simply awful.

But nearly 7 months later, there are some things we could learn from that game if we want to take the next step and at least make an NFC championship game for the first time in 26 years. Here is a list of what that playoff taught us- have we made the right adjustments?

FIRST- SOME GAME FACTS- NINERS 23-COWBOYS 16

• The niners told us the week before the game they were going to run the ball down our throats. And they did exactly that, rushing for 169 yards.
• The niners had 341 total yards to 307 for the cowboys.
  
• The niners had 5 sacks; we had zero.
• The niners won TOP 34 minutes to 26 for Dallas. And that’s after we had the ball for most of the 4th qtr.
• In the niners first 7 possessions of the game, they scored 5 times and on their last possession of the first half, they even took a knee, leading 16-7.
• The Cowboys did not make a sack all game, and only had 4 pressures. Micah Parsons was consistently neutralized when rushing and D-Law was too. Randy Gregory had a few pressures but he had some stupid penalties too.
• The Cowboys OL got whipped all day. Tyron Smith had his worst game of the season and Connor Williams had his usual bad holding call at the worst time.
  
• For some reason Dak (or Kellen Moore) were choosing to not get the ball in the hands of their best playmakers.

So what can we learn from this?

• The trenches is where we got whipped and the biggest reason we lost that playoff game. IMO, It remains the biggest problem this team has. Not enough in the trenches on both sides of the ball.
• FOOTBALL 101: The team who wins the trenches usually wins- especially in the playoffs. You need skill position players too, but without the big guys on the line holding their own, you can’t win playoff games.

So here are some questions going into 2022 based on what last year should have taught us:

1. Did we strengthen our OL and DL this off-season? Enough to avoid a repeat of what the niners did to us last January? Can we finally stop the run?
2. Will our offense be able to get the ball to playmakers regardless of what the defense is doing? Dumping passes to Dalton Schultz all day won’t get it done. Can Kellen Moore get better? Can Dak consistently get the ball to his playmakers?

The answers to these questions will probably determine if this team does something more than what it’s done the last qtr century. We will start seeing soon.

Bunch of plays and a big one to Lamb that was called back by penalty. Moore chose to hand the ball to our worst playmaker on offense and that was Zeke. He averaged 2.6 ypc and it doomed us. Pollard was an afterthought.

Until Zeke is gone from this team completely, I dont see that changing much. Will Moore wake up and out of nowhere starting featuring Pollard? I doubt it.

 

[john van brocklin]

The off-season isn’t finished yet. I suspect we still might sign a veteran after teams start making cuts. Then again, they might just roll the dice and decide to go with the young guys.

Yep, I am still hoping they address this issue.

 

[JustChip]

Crazy thing is, despite the stats being so bad, we were still just 1-2 plays away from winning the game.

True enough. I’m sure that’s the way Jerry sees it. The problem is that ignores the fact that they were playing from behind and manhandled the entire game. Winning the game then becomes dependent on a couple of lucky breaks rather than playing a solid, competitive game and being the better team. It allows Jerry to delude himself into think just tweaking will solve it all.

 

[Bobhaze]

Where is the new attitude/mindset going to come from? I am skeptical that the same crop of owners, players and coaches, with less talent, are somehow going to be able to find a playoff winning formula.

Excellent statement. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a pro sports organization convince themselves so easily that they have fixed things…without really fixing things.

 

[CouchCoach]

Great thread, as always, Bullet, and with all I see brought here from other sources, they have the wrong writers. You. sir, are the Threadmeister.

While it is deeply accurate, it misses one vital point which is shared by more than one Cowboys HC but it does speak, in part, to one of the problems that created this. Why do the teams with the best trenches seem to do the best in the playoffs? Because the DL and OL are the most consistent parts of good teams and they are not as prone to inconsistencies as the skill positions. They keep good teams in games until they can get untracked.

The Cowboys trenches not only proved to be inconsistent but actually hurt the skill positions with the penalties so they were the main problem.

Every Cowboys team seems to be plagued by the same issue when the playoffs arrive, slow starts. Where is the playoff sense of urgency? Did Parcells playoff team have it? Phillips? Garrett? McCarthy? They've been like the boxer that is a counter puncher and waiting for the other boxer to set the wheels in motion. What Parcells proved in SEA was that a team cannot play hard and play careful.

I admit it, I bought in that the Cowboys would not let the Niners have their lunch money. When some of them said they were glad they got the Cowboys as a draw, where was the anger at that? They let it be known they weren't just coming to beat the Cowboys but to out man them, out tough them. The confidence was with the visiting team. How does that happen? Think some of the Cowboys thought talent beats tough?

But the real disease that has been infecting these teams and players for years, and it does not come from the coaches, is what I call False Achievement Syndrome. And just like Donna Summer, I feel a thread coming on.

 

[Bobhaze]

Great thread, as always, Bullet, and with all I see brought here from other sources, they have the wrong writers. You. sir, are the Threadmeister.

While it is deeply accurate, it misses one vital point which is shared by more than one Cowboys HC but it does speak, in part, to one of the problems that created this. Why do the teams with the best trenches seem to do the best in the playoffs? Because the DL and OL are the most consistent parts of good teams and they are not as prone to inconsistencies as the skill positions. They keep good teams in games until they can get untracked.

The Cowboys trenches not only proved to be inconsistent but actually hurt the skill positions with the penalties so they were the main problem.

Every Cowboys team seems to be plagued by the same issue when the playoffs arrive, slow starts. Where is the playoff sense of urgency? Did Parcells playoff team have it? Phillips? Garrett? McCarthy? They've been like the boxer that is a counter puncher and waiting for the other boxer to set the wheels in motion. What Parcells proved in SEA was that a team cannot play hard and play careful.

I admit it, I bought in that the Cowboys would not let the Niners have their lunch money. When some of them said they were glad they got the Cowboys as a draw, where was the anger at that? They let it be known they weren't just coming to beat the Cowboys but to out man them, out tough them. The confidence was with the visiting team. How does that happen? Think some of the Cowboys thought talent beats tough?

But the real disease that has been infecting these teams and players for years, and it does not come from the coaches, is what I call False Achievement Syndrome. And just like Donna Summer, I feel a thread coming on.

When your visiting playoff opponent says, “I’m going to whip you physically”, then goes out and does exactly that, it pulls the curtain back on what this team has lacked for far too long- a toughness that starts at the line of scrimmage.

One thing I firmly believe about football that never changes: Football is a game of fundamentals. The team that is best at blocking and tacking will win 99% of the time. Especially in the playoffs.

One other truth that seems to escape our Owner/GM: This ain’t fantasy football- you can have great skill position players but if you don’t have talent and toughness in the OL and DL coupled with some true grit and toughness, you will remain what this team has been the last 26 years- ok in the regular season but a quick exit in the playoffs,

 

[Diehardblues]

While Bob did a great job analyzing the game , it went pretty much as expected . Not sure why so many were disappointed? Most everyone was picking 49ers.