What we know and what we don’t know

[Bobhaze]

Every year about this time (with less than 1/4 of the season done) many fans watch 3 games and begin to assume we know everything there is to know about this team. We look at 3 games and make assumptions that somehow can be applied to the whole season. That’s just what we as fans do. But it’s often not accurate.

Let’s look at what we know and don’t know about this team so far this season:
WHAT WE KNOW:

• This is a talented team on both sides of the ball.
• Kellen Moore has pumped new life and new wrinkles into our offense.
• Dak Prescott is not just a “bus driver”.
• Our OL has returned to its expected strength.
• We are off to a really good start overall.
• It takes more than 3 games to know what a team is and isn’t.

WHAT WE DON’T KNOW:

• Will the defense be able to get more TO’s and sacks this year?
• Three games into a long season, we don’t know what teams on our schedule are going to emerge as stronger than they look now. (Many teams get better as the season goes on- we did last year)
• How will Kellen Moore handle having some NFL defensive coordinators study film and throw some unexpected defensive schemes at him?
• What injuries may have an effect on us or other teams the rest of the season?
• What adversity will we face that cannot be seen now? Trust me- all good teams face and are measured by adversity.

One thing I know will happen- there will be surprises that are not foreseeable. That’s what happens every year in the NFL.

What else do we know and not know?

 

[cowboybish]

Will our D become better as the year moves forward and will Kellen be able to make adjustments is the teams concerns.

 

[Diehardblues]

We know that a 3-0 start has provided us a 93% chance of making the playoffs based on our history of starting 3-0 in 14 of 15 seasons.

8 of those seasons we’ve made it to at least the championship game with 5 Super Bowls winning 3.

Since 1980 75% of NFL teams starting 3-0 made the playoffs.

 

[Bobhaze]

We know that a 3-0 start has provided us a 93% chance of making the playoffs based on our history of starting 3-0 in 14 of 15 seasons.

8 of those seasons we’ve made it to at least the championship game with 5 Super Bowls winning 3.

Since 1980 75% of NFL teams starting 3-0 made the playoffs.

Good stuff Greggo!

 

[GenoT]

• What we do know is, considering the improved game-planning/play-calling, plus the variety of offensive weapons we have, it’s gonna take a very-good-to-great defense to stop us. So-so defenses with a “plan” aren’t likely to slow us down.

• What we don’t know is, how will this defense respond to facing upper-tier QBs/offenses? Currently, we’re playing classic bend-don’t-break D (lots of yards, few points). Where is our breaking point?

 

[GMO415]

Our D better get into gear because Kamar's coming.

 

[Point-of-the-Star]

So all this is good stuff BH. At what point do we see what this team is made of ... the halfway point (not true in 2018). Do we have to wait until the last game of the season? Maybe next week we get behind 3 touchdowns and come back????

I thought when we handled Brees and NO last year plus beat Philthy twice that we had the right stuff. Then the LAR pretty much demolished us (with their timely play and run game).

So I guess each team is unique and the timing is unique. I'll refer to the 1971 version of our Cowboys when we were 4-3 and had looked rather unimpressive. We went undefeated from then on demolishing Miami in the SB.

This is why we watch ... it's an unfolding drama.

 

[GMO415]

So all this is good stuff BH. I what point do we see what this team is made of ... the halfway point (not true in 2018). Do we have to wait until the last game of the season? Maybe next week we get behind 3 touchdowns and come back????

I thought when we handled Brees and NO last year plus beat Philthy twice that we had the right stuff. Then the LAR pretty much demolished us (with their timely play and run game).

So I guess each team is unique and the timing is unique. I'll refer to the 1971 version of our Cowboys when we were 4-3 and had looked rather unimpressive. We went undefeated from then on demolishing Miami in the SB.

This is why we watch ... it's an unfolding drama.

I remember Tuna saying you know what you are after Thanksgiving giving. We got a lot of football left.

 

[Bobhaze]

So all this is good stuff BH. I what point do we see what this team is made of ... the halfway point (not true in 2018). Do we have to wait until the last game of the season? Maybe next week we get behind 3 touchdowns and come back????

I thought when we handled Brees and NO last year plus beat Philthy twice that we had the right stuff. Then the LAR pretty much demolished us (with their timely play and run game).

So I guess each team is unique and the timing is unique. I'll refer to the 1971 version of our Cowboys when we were 4-3 and had looked rather unimpressive. We went undefeated from then on demolishing Miami in the SB.

This is why we watch ... it's an unfolding drama.

Good stuff sir. The NFL season is long and unpredictable.

 

[Point-of-the-Star]

So all this is good stuff BH. At what point do we see what this team is made of ... the halfway point (not true in 2018). Do we have to wait until the last game of the season? Maybe next week we get behind 3 touchdowns and come back????

I thought when we handled Brees and NO last year plus beat Philthy twice that we had the right stuff. Then the LAR pretty much demolished us (with their timely play and run game).

So I guess each team is unique and the timing is unique. I'll refer to the 1971 version of our Cowboys when we were 4-3 and had looked rather unimpressive. We went undefeated from then on demolishing Miami in the SB.

This is why we watch ... it's an unfolding drama.

I want to add I remember distinctly Bob Lily saying afterward when they were 4-3 the captains called a team meeting and things changed after that. That was a team of character that willed their own success. Their destruction of a very good Shula coached Miami team punctuated their indomitable will ! (the next year that Miami team went undefeated).

 

[Hawkeye0202]

I've heard/read many times from various current and former NFL coaches that it generally takes 4 games to give them a good ideal of the kind of team they have for the current season.

 

[Bobhaze]

I've heard/read many times from various current and former NFL coaches that it generally takes 4 games to give them a good ideal of the kind of team they have for the current season.

I say it takes a lot more than 4 games. Look at last year. Did we know what kind of team we were after 4 games? After 8 games we were 3-5.

 

[Batman1980]

I'm glad we had our first stumbling moment against a bottom 3 team. Against a good or great team, very good chance we lose yesterday.

 

[Hawkeye0202]

I say it takes a lot more than 4 games. Look at last year. Did we know what kind of team we were after 4 games? After 8 games we were 3-5.

True but notice when we made to Cooper trade, after the 5th or 6th game.

 

[Bobhaze]

True but notice when we made to Cooper trade, after the 5th or 6th game.

If memory serves me, we made the Cooper trade last year at our bye week when we were 3-4.

 

[Diehardblues]

If memory serves me, we made the Cooper trade last year at our bye week when we were 3-4.

Yep and lost our first game with Cooper falling to 3-5 and then went 7-1 .

 

[Bobhaze]

Yep and lost our first game with Cooper falling to 3-5 and then went 7-1 .

And most fans at 3-5 last year thought they knew what this team was. I admit I did. Thankfully I was wrong. Point being I laugh at the people who look at the schedule and predict wins and losses. “Who we should beat and who we should lose to” is an exercise in futility in the NFL.

 

[JohnBoy]

Our turn-around last season tells me that the Cowboys have always been a better team, but were held back by poor management decisions and bad coaching. Once we finally obtained a WR1 we went on a tear. Now that Moore is calling the O, we are even more on a tear. Something tells me that something similar to that needs to happen to the D, to "awaken" the talent that's there and maximize its ability.

 

[Future]

Our turn-around last season tells me that the Cowboys have always been a better team, but were held back by poor management decisions and bad coaching. Once we finally obtained a WR1 we went on a tear. Now that Moore is calling the O, we are even more on a tear. Something tells me that something similar to that needs to happen to the D, to "awaken" the talent that's there and maximize its ability.

Playing against an actual NFL offense like the Saints will help.

It's hard to play good defense when there's no intensity.

 

[RodeoJake]

And most fans at 3-5 last year thought they knew what this team was. I admit I did. Thankfully I was wrong. Point being I laugh at the people who look at the schedule and predict wins and losses. “Who we should beat and who we should lose to” is an exercise in futility in the NFL.

I admit. I thought the team was done at 3 - 5.