When did it really all start to go sour?

[Deionindahood]

1996

 

[DallasEast]

March 29, 1994.

^ This is the only correct answer. The way, a two-time defending Super Bowl winning head coach departed the franchise, created a fault line within it.

Before that date, the Dallas Cowboys were an elite franchise, always striving to be the best in the league. It faltered at times since its inception in 1960 but its goal remained unwaveringly the same.

After that date, the Dallas Cowboys became solely what an individual wanted according to his terms solely. It is irrelevant Jimmy Johnson did not stay in one place for very long. It is totally relevant how his exit impacted what championship football meant in Dallas.

Jerry Jones triggered the fault line. He is forever fortunate to have gotten his way before Johnson’s championship competing team faded. He and everyone else, young and old, fans and non-Cowboys fans alike, media and owners, the NFL and the sports world in general, have experienced the aftershocks ever since.

Jones has always thought he was the Mighty Casey of Dallas. He never was but he succeeded in sucking the joy out of Mudville—striking out as GM every freaking year.

 

[Ussdelavan]

When Jerry let Jimmy go.

 

[shabazz]

He went awol you mean like Demarcus Ware did as well? Until he got to Denver he always did this. It’s time for the coddling here to end with all of these players.

Micah has extraordinary talent but when we start looking at his performances against teams like the Bills, Dolphins and Packers just last season, his numbers were less than pedestrian.

How much does lack of DTs account for the better offenses neutering him?

I'm not sure the FO should set the market with him either because of his own inconsistency or his lack of line support

 

[Gorgon]

My personal opinion
Even though I wanted to draft the individual
Micah Parsons .
. Like him, dislike him, on the edge about him.
This is when the team started to go backwards. We’ve started to play like individuals and not a team. And individuals don’t win.
, Trade him or keep him

49ers game last year. Up til then, Dak had had a great year, the OL looked solid, Lamb was a real threat. But the 49ers exposed our D, Dak reverted to "bad Dak" and the offseason was an absolute disaster.
Guyton majorly disappointing. Steele has never been a solid RT, and sadly Zach Martin isn't the old Zach. You cannot have three weak links in the OL. To top it off you have no quality RB (think of a Connors), not solid #2 WR, and a D that is the weakest I've seen in Dallas in 20 years. For any other organization, the GM and HC would be fired, and a complete rebuild undertaken, even if Dallas has to eat much of Dak's salaryl.

Moneyball: Billy Beane to David Justice: "You know what the Yankees think of you? They pay half your salary to play AGAINST them."

 

[starfan1]

Any answer that doesn't have Jimmy Johnson leaving and the salary cap being introduced is flawed. Jerry Jones is the reason for the downfall. His stubbornness to not hire a GM and decent coach is central reason we cant get over the hump. This season and its futility is a direct results of not doing anything in offseason of note to improve and the injury bug

 

[MS17]

I've been around for awhile

Its gotten progressively worse over the years

Obviously when Jimmy left

Then when Jones ran off Parcells

Then when he fired Philips and installed the Garrett regime for an excruciating decade...

Then 2016 ushered in the worst period of Cowboys football in my lifetime

I agree with this, 100%
I think any legit hopes for the organization walked out with Parcells. But that's just me.

 

[Bullflop]

Things went sour when amateur management took control of the team!

That has been our dominant problem in a nutshell . . .

it encompasses literally everything!

 

[Sjoseph316]

Easy, it went sour when Jimmy Johnson got fired/resigned

 

[nate dizzle]

My personal opinion
Even though I wanted to draft the individual
Micah Parsons .
. Like him, dislike him, on the edge about him.
This is when the team started to go backwards. We’ve started to play like individuals and not a team. And individuals don’t win.
, Trade him or keep him

For this year and the next 4? Sept 8th 2024. When they signed an aging, mediocre qb to the largest deal in NFL history

 

[stinkface]

It's been getting bad for a while. However missing out on Mazi Smith was huge. The anchor of the line is basically a non factor in every way possible. The team crashed and totally became noncompetative during the off season when Jerry let starters and rotational D lineman leave with no replacements brought in.

It was a horrific off season. Sure injuries hurt, but lots of good teams have depth that we can only dream about. Thinking we would be good when we had a rookie LT and Center was pure idiocy. Bringing back Zeke was plain stupid, and not drafting a running back on the 3rd day was also pure stupidity.

 

[fairviewfarmer]

When KMoore left.

We had a better offense last year without Kellen Moore.

 

[cowboyfan4life2]

Long term when jimmy left. Short term the Packers game.

 

[kskboys]

2017.

In 2016, we had a very good team. Just a few players away from being a super bowl contenders. So, especially for those who claim we draft well, get this:

2017:
1st; Taco: Complete bust
2nd: Awuzie: OK player

2018:
1st LVE: Bust. He already had an extensive injury history coming in.
2nd: Connor Williams: Bust for us.

2019:
1st: None
2nd: Trysten Hill

2020:
1st: Lamb: Good pick
2nd: Diggs: Might be a good player. Good playmaker, but not great in coverage.

2021:
1st: Parsons: Phenomenal player
2nd: Kelvin Joseph: Complete bust

2022:
1st: Tyler Smith: very good OG
2nd: Sam Williams: Big question mark

2023:
1st: Mazi Smith: Complete bust up to this point
2nd: Schoonmaker: Looking busty

2024: Too soon


Just look at all the top pick busts. Terrible drafting. So, as far as this downfall, it started w/ the 2017 draft. Just cannot have that many busts in rounds 1/2.

 

[TheSport78]

When the Cowboys misevaluated Dak on his rookie contract and chose not to build around their bus driving QB from 2016-2020.

 

[Tabascocat]

January 5th, 2011.

That date sent this franchise backwards with little to no hope

The real correct answer is when JJ left though.

 

[Cowboysheelsreds053]

When Jimmy left.

Bingo, never recovered

 

[Adreme]

My personal opinion
Even though I wanted to draft the individual
Micah Parsons .
. Like him, dislike him, on the edge about him.
This is when the team started to go backwards. We’ve started to play like individuals and not a team. And individuals don’t win.
, Trade him or keep him

So this is Micah Parson's 4th season. Prior to his arrival they were a historically bad defense that had not won a game where they offense did not score 30 in over 2 years (for context good teams are about .500 in such games). From the moment he arrived the team went 12-5 for 3 straight years. In what universe is that going backwards? The team demonstrably improved the moment he was on the field.

 

[TNCowboy]

My personal opinion
Even though I wanted to draft the individual
Micah Parsons .
. Like him, dislike him, on the edge about him.
This is when the team started to go backwards. We’ve started to play like individuals and not a team. And individuals don’t win.
, Trade him or keep him

Micah Parsons wasn't even born when it all started to go sour. It went sour when Jerry chased Jimmy to Florida.

 

[loublue22]

I knew this core had no chance after the second SF playoff game.