When evenly matched teams meet

[CouchCoach]

Of all the NFC teams, no other mirrors the Cowboys in their strategy like the Vikings and the teams match up extremely well in their philosophy and personnel.

Both have QB's that they want to manage the run first strategy with top 5 RB's and have exceptional receiving corps.

If these teams play 10 times, it wouldn't be any more lopsided than 6-4 and would come down to a handful if not just one or two plays separating victory from defeat. And when two teams matched in strength meet, the homefield advantage is minimized.

The Cowboys lost to a good team last night, one every bit as good as they are and the Vikings deserved that win. They came ready to play with a solid game plan that they executed better than most teams. They actually held Elliott in check but I think Prescott gave them more than they anticipated and demonstrated that he can put the team on his back when his RB is not a factor.

I know some are pissed and looking to place blame but there is no shame in that loss last night. The players fought their butts off and it went down to the wire. The Vikings were the better team, but barely, last night and should they meet again this season, the reverse could easily be the case. That's how closely matched they are.

I wouldn't say the better team won that game but the team that played better and the difference was razor thin.

I will also say that I do not base the quality of a game on a Cowboys victory. That was one hell of a game with as many highlight catches as I've seen in any game this season. That, was a football game.

 

[Turkish-Cowboy]

Great write-up. Agree with many points except particularly for the statement "the players fought their butts off". Unfortunately that is valid for only a few players who were wearing blue last night. Most of them didn't do that.

 

[CouchCoach]

Great write-up. Agree with many points except particularly for the statement "the players fought their butts off". Unfortunately that is valid for only a few players who were wearing blue last night. Most of them didn't do that.

I do not confuse results with effort. If a player is playing their best, I cannot fault them for being there. That blame goes to someone else. And he's already pointing fingers elsewhere than himself.

What more proof did the FO need than that LA game to end the season? They address this vulnerability to the run in big games by adding an edge rusher and the when they have the opportunity, they add another?

And I don't know how the DC addresses the poor tackling when they can't even practice tackling like they used to.

 

[cowboyblue22]

so it was entertaining jerry approves

 

[OmerV]

Great write-up. Agree with many points except particularly for the statement "the players fought their butts off". Unfortunately that is valid for only a few players who were wearing blue last night. Most of them didn't do that.

I didn't see a lack of effort at all last night. Who particularly did you see as the offenders?

 

[Hawkeye19]

Of all the NFC teams, no other mirrors the Cowboys in their strategy like the Vikings and the teams match up extremely well in their philosophy and personnel.

Both have QB's that they want to manage the run first strategy with top 5 RB's and have exceptional receiving corps.

If these teams play 10 times, it wouldn't be any more lopsided than 6-4 and would come down to a handful if not just one or two plays separating victory from defeat. And when two teams matched in strength meet, the homefield advantage is minimized.

The Cowboys lost to a good team last night, one every bit as good as they are and the Vikings deserved that win. They came ready to play with a solid game plan that they executed better than most teams. They actually held Elliott in check but I think Prescott gave them more than they anticipated and demonstrated that he can put the team on his back when his RB is not a factor.

I know some are pissed and looking to place blame but there is no shame in that loss last night. The players fought their butts off and it went down to the wire. The Vikings were the better team, but barely, last night and should they meet again this season, the reverse could easily be the case. That's how closely matched they are.

I wouldn't say the better team won that game but the team that played better and the difference was razor thin.

I will also say that I do not base the quality of a game on a Cowboys victory. That was one hell of a game with as many highlight catches as I've seen in any game this season. That, was a football game.

No.

There is no way to sugar coat that loss. We lost at home to a team without their best WR and DT on the field. We lost when we clutched defeat from the jaws of victory. We beat ourselves (again). Coaching? Not good enough. Run blocking? Not good enough. Defense? Not good enough. RB? Not good enough.

About the only players that don't get any blame IMO-- are Dak, Cooper, and Lawrence.

 

[CyberB0b]

Zeke isn't top 5.

 

[CouchCoach]

so it was entertaining jerry approves

OH, not to him. That's the sweet part if this. He got to see the QB he dissed lead his team to a win in a hostile environment with fewer visiting fans than I've seen since the stadium opened. The only reason I could think of is that they've got the largest mall in America and didn't need to come to Dallas.

 

[CouchCoach]

Zeke isn't top 5.

He didn't play like it last night because he wasn't getting the holes he needs, he's a power back and has to have holes.

 

[CyberB0b]

He didn't play like it last night because he wasn't getting the holes he needs, he's a power back and has to have holes.

He hasn't been a top 5 back all year.
His draft profile:

Elite combination of vision and decisiveness. Instinctive, short strider with instant reaction time. Has a bona fide jump-cut to elude penetration in the backfield and enough burst to elude chasers when he bounces runs to the outside. Able to change directions with no hesitation or wasted motion and is always headed forward. Has innate feel for developing blocks in space and is excellent at setting his blocks up and accelerating from behind them when the linebacker is trapped. When it's gridlocked inside, finds yards on his own. Rocked up physique but still maintains loose hips for agility. Exceptional balance through contact and takes tacklers for a ride. Has a "come at me, bro!" mentality as a runner. Loves to end runs on his physical terms. Uses lead shoulder as a weapon, but plays with outstanding ball security. Looks to absolutely bludgeon defenders as a lead blocker and is often successful. Able pass catcher who adjusts to throws and can do something with it after the catch.

He's lost a lot of his agility and burst.

 

[LandryFan]

Of all the NFC teams, no other mirrors the Cowboys in their strategy like the Vikings and the teams match up extremely well in their philosophy and personnel.

Both have QB's that they want to manage the run first strategy with top 5 RB's and have exceptional receiving corps.

If these teams play 10 times, it wouldn't be any more lopsided than 6-4 and would come down to a handful if not just one or two plays separating victory from defeat. And when two teams matched in strength meet, the homefield advantage is minimized.

The Cowboys lost to a good team last night, one every bit as good as they are and the Vikings deserved that win. They came ready to play with a solid game plan that they executed better than most teams. They actually held Elliott in check but I think Prescott gave them more than they anticipated and demonstrated that he can put the team on his back when his RB is not a factor.

I know some are pissed and looking to place blame but there is no shame in that loss last night. The players fought their butts off and it went down to the wire. The Vikings were the better team, but barely, last night and should they meet again this season, the reverse could easily be the case. That's how closely matched they are.

I wouldn't say the better team won that game but the team that played better and the difference was razor thin.

I will also say that I do not base the quality of a game on a Cowboys victory. That was one hell of a game with as many highlight catches as I've seen in any game this season. That, was a football game.

There is a lot of fact in your post, though I still think the difference in the game was in the coaching. Their players played better than ours, overall, and their coaches outcoached ours, IMO. Our defense and ST's were simply bad.

 

[CouchCoach]

No.

There is no way to sugar coat that loss. We lost at home to a team without their best WR and DT on the field. We lost when we clutched defeat from the jaws of victory. We beat ourselves (again). Coaching? Not good enough. Run blocking? Not good enough. Defense? Not good enough. RB? Not good enough.

About the only players that don't get any blame IMO-- are Dak, Cooper, and Lawrence.

Hawk, do you not give credit to a team coming together, and they were also missing a good DB, on the road and playing like a team?

You seem to miss the point that I am trying to make. I am not sugar coating that loss, the Vikings are a damned good team with superior coaching and they made adjustments when their run game wasn't working.

My point is I do not blame the Cowboys as much for the loss as I credit the Vikings for the win.

Posters want to be pissed, have at it but sooner or later they should take the fan glasses off and look at that game objectively. The Cowboys didn't lose it, the Vikings won it.

 

[Turkish-Cowboy]

I didn't see a lack of effort at all last night. Who particularly did you see as the offenders?

Apart from the coaches, Zeke, Awuzie, Jones, LVE, Jaylon (whom I like a lot), Bennett, Collins... They looked always a step behind. Cook run all over them and the tackling was one of the worst ever.

 

[CouchCoach]

He hasn't been a top 5 back all year.
His draft profile:

Elite combination of vision and decisiveness. Instinctive, short strider with instant reaction time. Has a bona fide jump-cut to elude penetration in the backfield and enough burst to elude chasers when he bounces runs to the outside. Able to change directions with no hesitation or wasted motion and is always headed forward. Has innate feel for developing blocks in space and is excellent at setting his blocks up and accelerating from behind them when the linebacker is trapped. When it's gridlocked inside, finds yards on his own. Rocked up physique but still maintains loose hips for agility. Exceptional balance through contact and takes tacklers for a ride. Has a "come at me, bro!" mentality as a runner. Loves to end runs on his physical terms. Uses lead shoulder as a weapon, but plays with outstanding ball security. Looks to absolutely bludgeon defenders as a lead blocker and is often successful. Able pass catcher who adjusts to throws and can do something with it after the catch.

He's lost a lot of his agility and burst.

Elliott was never known for his agility, that's not his game. He's a power back that plants his foot and goes.

I doubt that any HC in the NFL would not have him as a top 5 RB on their list. However, he's an OL dependent back and last night they weren't giving him any lanes and a very good D oriented HC came with that as job 1. If you'd given me my choice between the two, I would have taken Cook and had he not been injured his rookie year, he might be considered the best in the league right now.

 

[CouchCoach]

Apart from the coaches, Zeke, Awuzie, Jones, LVE, Jaylon (whom I like a lot), Bennett, Collins... They looked always a step behind. Cook run all over them and the tackling was one of the worst ever.

Cook is one of the best, if not the best, RB;s in the league. It is only injuries in his first two seasons that kept him form being at the top.

 

[Hawkeye19]

Hawk, do you not give credit to a team coming together, and they were also missing a good DB, on the road and playing like a team?

You seem to miss the point that I am trying to make. I am not sugar coating that loss, the Vikings are a damned good team with superior coaching and they made adjustments when their run game wasn't working.

My point is I do not blame the Cowboys as much for the loss as I credit the Vikings for the win.

Posters want to be pissed, have at it but sooner or later they should take the fan glasses off and look at that game objectively. The Cowboys didn't lose it, the Vikings won it.

I am fine with giving the Vikings credit. They outplayed us and out-coached us.

I am just pointing out that if we couldn't beat them at home when we were healthier than they were-- then we won't beat them on the road in the playoffs. This kind of loss reveals Dallas as a fraud. We are not truly a contender this year. We are a paper tiger.

 

[CouchCoach]

There is a lot of fact in your post, though I still think the difference in the game was in the coaching. Their players played better than ours, overall, and their coaches outcoached ours, IMO. Our defense and ST's were simply bad.

LF, I believe their coaching staff is better than the Cowboys and when evenly matched teams meet, they're the difference. They made the adjustments to get their run game untracked because Zimmer realized that putting the game on Prescott might backfire. He knew they needed to keep him on the sideline.

We've talked about this countless times, the Cowboys coaching staff is weak on adjustments, the other coaches rely on that. The Vikings also had a secret weapon that the Cowboys are not used to seeing, a fullback. He blew them up too many times.

 

[noshame]

The best coached team wins.

 

[Turkish-Cowboy]

Cook is one of the best, if not the best, RB;s in the league. It is only injuries in his first two seasons that kept him form being at the top.

I know it but that shouldn't on its own explain the rather poor tackling on him. Btw #99 Hunter is also a beast.

 

[DogFace]

There’s no doubt we got their best. I’ve watched them a few times this year. They put it in another gear vs us. Especially both rb’s and their line.