Who's fault is it anyway?

[Chuck 54]

It's always someone else's fault...penalties, turnovers, everything is the fault of the coaches.

Even Barry Switzer won a super bowl while enjoying hotdogs on the sideline, almost won two if not for the "players" letting him down with turnovers against SF in the championship game. Players play the game...coaches make a difference, but you can't coach this team to 4-1.

Yet fans continue to think we have the most talented team in the league and they cannot win because of Wade Phillips...simple thinking, imo.

Maybe this team and these players just aren't nearly as good through 5 games as people want to believe they are.

Which players are consistently playing to their perceived abilities so far?
Not Romo, not the RBs, not the TEs, certainly not the pathetic OL...I'd say the WRs are the only unit consistently playing to their abilities.

What about defense? Not the DEs...maybe Ratliff...not any of the LBs in my opinion...for a superstar, DWare is a very spotty player so far...great athlete, great guy, but if anyone thinks he even vaguely resembles LT or Haley, try counting LT's tackles and big plays or Haley's QB pressures even when double teamed. Not Scandrick or Jenkins...probably Newman....certainly not the safeties.

Special teams? probably the punter and long snapper...not the kicker...certainly no one on the return units or coverage units.

Final question: Fans expressed plenty of strong opinions that Felix shouldn't return kicks because he's "part" of the 3-headed monster and Dez can't be risked either. Well, I don't see Felix returning kicks while AOA does nothing. I see Dez returning punts and doing a great job, but maybe he should be on kick duty too.

The Vikings are now 2-3 because they have a starting WR returning kickoffs every week.

I think it's time to have Dez and Felix returning every kickoff and every punt...and some of the starters on defense may need to step in on kickoff coverage the way Woodson used to do. Right now, it's every man on deck...no saving anyone for another day.

 

[Venger]

Players play the game...coaches make a difference, but you can't coach this team to 4-1.

I disagree. I think this collection of talent is a competent organization away from 4-1.

 

[fortdick]

Jenkins has singled handedly lost the last two games. He has to be leading league in penalty yardage.

 

[Don Corleone]

I disagree. I think this collection of talent is a competent organization away from 4-1.

We agree to disagree. I think the DNA of this team won't allow it to be a winner. No coach can help this collective bunch.

 

[burmafrd]

that is so far wrong its funny. This team has as much physical talent as any in the league; unfortunately as regards the mental aspect we are nearer 1-15.

 

[Hostile]

It is my fault actually.

When I bet on the Cowboys we lose. I have 3 bets on the table this year and we are losing despite outplaying our opponents. I know better, but my pride gets in the way.

 

[romo2to]

It's always someone else's fault...penalties, turnovers, everything is the fault of the coaches.

Even Barry Switzer won a super bowl while enjoying hotdogs on the sideline, almost won two if not for the "players" letting him down with turnovers against SF in the championship game. Players play the game...coaches make a difference, but you can't coach this team to 4-1.

Yet fans continue to think we have the most talented team in the league and they cannot win because of Wade Phillips...simple thinking, imo.

Maybe this team and these players just aren't nearly as good through 5 games as people want to believe they are.

Which players are consistently playing to their perceived abilities so far?
Not Romo, not the RBs, not the TEs, certainly not the pathetic OL...I'd say the WRs are the only unit consistently playing to their abilities.

What about defense? Not the DEs...maybe Ratliff...not any of the LBs in my opinion...for a superstar, DWare is a very spotty player so far...great athlete, great guy, but if anyone thinks he even vaguely resembles LT or Haley, try counting LT's tackles and big plays or Haley's QB pressures even when double teamed. Not Scandrick or Jenkins...probably Newman....certainly not the safeties.

Special teams? probably the punter and long snapper...not the kicker...certainly no one on the return units or coverage units.

Final question: Fans expressed plenty of strong opinions that Felix shouldn't return kicks because he's "part" of the 3-headed monster and Dez can't be risked either. Well, I don't see Felix returning kicks while AOA does nothing. I see Dez returning punts and doing a great job, but maybe he should be on kick duty too.

The Vikings are now 2-3 because they have a starting WR returning kickoffs every week.

I think it's time to have Dez and Felix returning every kickoff and every punt...and some of the starters on defense may need to step in on kickoff coverage the way Woodson used to do. Right now, it's every man on deck...no saving anyone for another day.

Dude, they have the 3rd ranked offense, and the 4th ranked defense in the league. (in terms of yardage)

They're good -- they're just killing themselves which ultimately heads to coaching/preparation.

 

[Tricericon]

It is my fault actually.

When I bet on the Cowboys we lose. I have 3 bets on the table this year and we are losing despite outplaying our opponents. I know better, but my pride gets in the way.

Well, stop doing it then. I'm desperately trying to figure out which of my pre-game rituals I'm doing wrong and it turns out it's all your fault.

I wish I was kidding. Maybe if I lose the playoff beard I'm growing for the Rangers, or maybe if I resume ritual Saturday Madden beatdowns of our upcoming opponents...

 

[Jarv]

It is my fault actually.

When I bet on the Cowboys we lose. I have 3 bets on the table this year and we are losing despite outplaying our opponents. I know better, but my pride gets in the way.

Your fired, Reality, get me a new admin.

I changed my T-shirt yesterday, that didn't help. My GF said to stop smoking during games, but if I did that and they won, then I couldn't smoke any more during games !

 

[TNCowboy]

Even Barry Switzer won a super bowl while enjoying hotdogs on the sideline, almost won two if not for the "players" letting him down with turnovers against SF in the championship game. Players play the game...coaches make a difference, but you can't coach this team to 4-1.

Barry Switzer had 5 HOFers on his team. Ridiculous comparison.

 

[InmanRoshi]

The problem is turnover differential, not turnovers. Romo has fewer INT per pass attempt the last two years than Drew Brees or Peyton Manning, who have won the Superbowl MVP and MVP the last two years respectively. Romo doesn't turn the ball over an inordinate amount of times for a QB asked the hoist the ball up 40 times a game for 350 yards to put his team in position to win. The problem is that since 2009 this defense generates the fewest takeaways of any defense in the NFL to counterbalance that. Brees has been more turnover prone than Romo in recent years, but the Saints also bail him out a lot more by getting many, many more turnovers than the Cowboys defense does.

So yeah, Wade's shares a large, large, large, large, large part of the blame. Either his scheme cant deliver turnovers and is severely hurting the Cowboys, or he assured Jerry that he's happy with returning the same ILBs and S corps which had proven to be ineffective in getting turnovers last year. Whether it's a scheme issue or a talent evaulation issue, that is on Wade.

 

[InmanRoshi]

I disagree. I think this collection of talent is a competent organization away from 4-1.

Agreed. We donated the Titans (who are probably a playoff team in a tougher conference) a +3 turnover differential and 12 penalties for 130+ yards. The statistical probability says a team gets blown out by 3 TDs after giving that kind of handicap to a good team. This team only lost by 7 and was in it until the very end. Talent depleated teams don't walk into the Superdome and blow out a 13-0 Saints team weeks away from winning the Superbowl the way the Cowboys did last year.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Like Adam said, though, a lot of it depends on where the turnovers occur. We've had turnovers that gave the ball to our opponents at our 15, our 11, our 1, and of course the Choice one that was returned for a TD. (And that's just off the top of my head.) Those are much worse than ones at, say, the opponent's 30.

 

[Plankton]

There's no question that the talent of this team has been overrated by the masses. I would put myself into this category. While the Cowboys are deep and talented at WR and the DL, have a very good starting LB corps and a good trio of RBs, they are weak on the OL and at S: weaknesses that have cost them in games this year.

The team is mistake prone, typically doesn't use time outs well, and seem to blow assignments on both sides of the ball. While these are player breakdowns, and would seem to fall on them, I would argue that this is entirely coaching. I would be shocked if these same errors were not occurring during practice, so it falls on their preparation each week. This is on the coaches for permitting a lazy, undisciplined approach to preparing for games each week. As a wise person once said, "failing to prepare is preparing to fail." Sounds like this team in a nutshell.

Being that the head coach has placed zero priority on detail and accountability with his players, the players don't walk around sweating this either. This would explain idiotic celebration penalties a week after one cost them a shot at beating the Titans. Wade Phillips can't get out of Dallas fast enough for my taste.

The owner has to get a ball buster back in Dallas ASAP.

 

[InmanRoshi]

While our talent on the OL isn't great, I fail to see how it's any worse in Pittsburgh ... who currently have Flozell, one of our OL castoffs, starting for them and have suffered more injuries on the OL than we have.

So I don't for a second buy that it's lack of OL talent that keeps us a 1-4.

 

[5Stars]

Barry Switzer had 5 HOFers on his team. Ridiculous comparison.

I thought Barry ate a hotdog during the Pro Bowl.

Oh well, when that team was in place, like Jerry said, 500 coaches could have coached this team...hell, you and I could of!

Also, I'm in the big minority that actually likes Switzer...something about him that I could get along with.

 

[InmanRoshi]

People throw that "Barry won a Superbowl" around quite a bit. Yeah, Barry might be an example of how talent rules all in the short term, but Barry also went from Superbowl winner to 6-10 in the beat of an eye, showing that in the longterm coaching and installing discipline is important.

And believe me, I'm not one who generally puts an inordinate amount of power or influence in coaches. I generally think they're basically useless in other sports like baseball and the NBA. But football is a different animal. When you have 11 players on the field at once all having to coordinate their movements in precision, it takes a huge amount of discipline, coordination, technique and fundamentals.

 

[Plankton]

People throw that "Barry won a Superbowl" around quite a bit. Yeah, Barry might be an example of how talent rules all in the short term, but Barry also went from Superbowl winner to 6-10 in the beat of an eye, showing that in the longterm coaching and installing discipline is important.

And believe me, I'm not one who generally puts an inordinate amount of power or influence in coaches. I generally think they're basically useless in other sports like baseball and the NBA. But football is a different animal. When you have 11 players on the field at once all having to coordinate their movements in precision, it takes a huge amount of discipline, coordination, technique and fundamentals.

The coach is the one who sets the tone for everything with a football team. Basically, they need to get a group of 53 guys to do what they don't want to do: work hard, focus on detail, concentrate, and ignore the injuries that they accumulate during the course of a season. They also have to come up with 16 different plans over the course of a season to beat their opponents each week.

Not a job for the faint of heart. Also not the job for someone who isn't a person with a strong attention to detail or one who wants to win a popularity contest in the locker room.

 

[Venger]

We agree to disagree. I think the DNA of this team won't allow it to be a winner. No coach can help this collective bunch.

Okay, so how do we reconcile that this team, which is largely unchanged from last year, lost 5 games last year? This team may not have the DNA to be a champion, but it is substantially to overwhelmingly the same talent as the last three years. This team has the DNA of a better than .200 ball club.

Or was last year a fluke? Which is it, last year, or this year?

The team is like a good car running on bad gas. There are a great many good parts on this team that is not functioning like a quality whole. I blame a rotten organization and coaching staff. As noted elsewhere, when good ingredients make a bad pie, you look at the recipe and the chef.

I have seen bad Cowboy teams. This isn't one of them. But it isn't winning, because it isn't playing so well that it can overcome horrendous mistakes and the occasional unlucky play. Mistake free, they can beat anyone. They have weapons on offense at the skill positions, top weapons of the best class. But they are mistake prone, ill prepared and led, not well generalled, and have woeful special teams.

I am an enormous realist about this team, so lest you think I am trying to blow sunshine in your posterior, believe me, I am not.

 

[Chuck 54]

Barry Switzer had 5 HOFers on his team. Ridiculous comparison.

ummm...actually, that was my point. Those players were good and they won despite a goofball like Switzer. My point is that if these players were any good, or maybe I should say if they were playing to their ability, they wouldn't be 1-4 for any coach, including Wade.