CFZ Why Sunday Night is Exciting and Just Another Game

[ArtClink]

I can’t wait to see our matchup against SF this Sunday. The games are usually close and usually full of drama, so what’s not to love?

A side note: As a guy in his late teens/early 20’s, I saw every play of that fateful “the catch” game when Montana threw the ball away, way above Dwight Clark’s head. And never has a player defied physics like that play when he somehow caught the ball. That play is by far the worst play in Cowboys history and still makes me sick to watch. So yeah I abhor the 49ers.

Back to Sunday night. The game should be another close one and we will see how well Dak performs as well as the first glimpse at seeing our starting five O-line play together for the first time this season.

On the defensive side, I’m only looking at one thing. Can we stop the run? The Achilles heel of the past 28 seasons, esp in big games is our inability to stop the run, esp when it’s crunch time. The Seattle Romo fumble loss and Dez catch loss come to mind when we would have had time for one more possession in Seattle and three more in Green Bay IF our defense could actually make a critical stop, but I digress.

Stopping Christian M sun will decide the game. If we stop the run and keep the score low, then Dak can play a conservative game, not having to take huge chances because we got behind.

But in the big picture, this is just another game. Winning Sunday makes me nervous that we’ll win the wrong game, meaning I’d rather lose Sun and beat them in Jan since it’s difficult to beat a great team twice in a season.

We have been Octobers paper champion before and it means nothing. We have had a great regular season record going into the playoffs and it means very little. What does matter, whether we win the East or secure a wild card birth is being the hot team the last month of the season and being the team no one wants to play in Jan. Stopping the run when the game is on the line will decide Sundays matchup as well as if we become the team no one wants to play in Jan. If we can’t stop the run Sunday, then it will feel like just another season and “business as usual” which doesn’t bode well come Jan.

 

[pitt33]

The game means more towards possible playoff seedlings.

Dallas still has a tough road ahead playing so many solid teams.

 

[Hawkeye0202]

Stopping Christian M sun will decide the game

I agree 100% but stopping him is asking a bit much. He probably going to do some damage but if we can keep him to a min, stopping Deebo and/or Kittle is easier IMO.

 

[Flamma]

A side note: As a guy in his late teens/early 20’s, I saw every play of that fateful “the catch” game when Montana threw the ball away, way above Dwight Clark’s head. And never has a player defied physics like that play when he somehow caught the ball. That play is by far the worst play in Cowboys history and still makes me sick to watch. So yeah I abhor the 49ers.

Forget the catch. The strip sack of Danny White is what bothered me the most. The same strip sack of Tom Brady by the Raiders, but they let him off the hook. We were so close to FG range with plenty of time. None of that would have been an issue if our WR Doug Donley catches that 3rd down pass.

 

[TNCowboy]

When's the last time the Cowboys beat an ultimately SB caliber team on the road? Seattle 2014? Pitt 2016 maybe?

I recall beating the Eagles on the road one year when they had benched everyone in the last game.

 

[Surfguy]

Win the game and we have nowhere to go but down.

Lose the game and we have nowhere to go but up.

You decide...while I go on the horizontal.

 

[CCBoy]

I agree 100% but stopping him is asking a bit much. He probably going to do some damage but if we can keep him to a min, stopping Deebo and/or Kittle is easier IMO.

No, the Dallas defensive line...

 

[Bobhaze]

I can’t wait to see our matchup against SF this Sunday. The games are usually close and usually full of drama, so what’s not to love?

A side note: As a guy in his late teens/early 20’s, I saw every play of that fateful “the catch” game when Montana threw the ball away, way above Dwight Clark’s head. And never has a player defied physics like that play when he somehow caught the ball. That play is by far the worst play in Cowboys history and still makes me sick to watch. So yeah I abhor the 49ers.

Back to Sunday night. The game should be another close one and we will see how well Dak performs as well as the first glimpse at seeing our starting five O-line play together for the first time this season.

On the defensive side, I’m only looking at one thing. Can we stop the run? The Achilles heel of the past 28 seasons, esp in big games is our inability to stop the run, esp when it’s crunch time. The Seattle Romo fumble loss and Dez catch loss come to mind when we would have had time for one more possession in Seattle and three more in Green Bay IF our defense could actually make a critical stop, but I digress.

Stopping Christian M sun will decide the game. If we stop the run and keep the score low, then Dak can play a conservative game, not having to take huge chances because we got behind.

But in the big picture, this is just another game. Winning Sunday makes me nervous that we’ll win the wrong game, meaning I’d rather lose Sun and beat them in Jan since it’s difficult to beat a great team twice in a season.

We have been Octobers paper champion before and it means nothing. We have had a great regular season record going into the playoffs and it means very little. What does matter, whether we win the East or secure a wild card birth is being the hot team the last month of the season and being the team no one wants to play in Jan. Stopping the run when the game is on the line will decide Sundays matchup as well as if we become the team no one wants to play in Jan. If we can’t stop the run Sunday, then it will feel like just another season and “business as usual” which doesn’t bode well come Jan.

Well said Artemis.

Like you, I believe stopping the run is the key to winning Sun night. Put the game 100% on Brock Purdy Boy‘s back and see what happens. He’s good but he’s certainly untested. He has a noodle arm and most of his passes are short ones designed to get the ball tho his playmakers. If we force them into a lot of 3rd and 7 type situations, he will be forced to be something not normally asked of him.

The other key in my book- get the early lead. Score first. Put them in catch up mode. Easier said than done of course but the niners are deadly when they get a lead. And we are too.

 

[ArtClink]

Well said Artemis.

Like you, I believe stopping the run is the key to winning Sun night. Put the game 100% on Brock Purdy Boy‘s back and see what happens. He’s good but he’s certainly untested. He has a noodle arm and most of his passes are short ones designed to get the ball tho his playmakers. If we force them into a lot of 3rd and 7 type situations, he will be forced to be something not normally asked of him.

The other key in my book- get the early lead. Score first. Put them in catch up mode. Easier said than done of course but the niners are deadly when they get a lead. And we are too.

Agreed on all points. I think Purdy deserves a lot of credit but he is a product of a great offensive system via Shanahan.

 

[ArtClink]

I agree 100% but stopping him is asking a bit much. He probably going to do some damage but if we can keep him to a min, stopping Deebo and/or Kittle is easier IMO.

I totally agree.

 

[ArtClink]

Forget the catch. The strip sack of Danny White is what bothered me the most. The same strip sack of Tom Brady by the Raiders, but they let him off the hook. We were so close to FG range with plenty of time. None of that would have been an issue if our WR Doug Donley catches that 3rd down pass.

I remember the strip sack and the amazing pass and catch to Drew Pearson right before the fumble and it makes me sick. Terrible point in our history.

 

[ArtClink]

When's the last time the Cowboys beat an ultimately SB caliber team on the road? Seattle 2014? Pitt 2016 maybe?

I recall beating the Eagles on the road one year when they had benched everyone in the last game.

In the Romo daze, we beat a SB caliber Steelers team with Big Ben in Pittsburg. But we never advanced far in the playoffs.

I’d rather lose Sun and beat em when it really matters in Jan. I don’t get excited about the Cowboys until Jan and even then, our lack of success breeds skepticism.