Why We're a Great Road Team

[percyhoward]

A big reason the Cowboys play so well on the road is because we've had easy road schedules the last two seasons.

Only 4 of our last 16 road games have been against a QB that finished in the top 17 in passer rating. Brunnel, Delhomme, and McNabb twice. Outside the division, then, we've played only one road game in the last two years against a top 17 QB.

In fact, in road games outside the division, it's been three years since we faced a team that finished above .500! That's ten straight non-divisional road games against teams that finished 8-8 or worse.

If you look at the other road games over the last two seasons (the ones against the NFCE) the Cowboys are only 1-2 against winning teams.

 

[AbeBeta]

Also a good reason why we don't have a huge home-road performance difference is that playing at home isn't really a serious advantage since the Dallas home crowd is so quiet.

 

[percyhoward]

Also a good reason why we don't have a huge home-road performance difference is that playing at home isn't really a serious advantage since the Dallas home crowd is so quiet.

True too, but like Aikman says, "It's who you have to play."

Road games against 10-win teams outside division
2006-07
Philly 4
Skins 4
Giants 0
Cowboys 0

 

[theebs]

Also a good reason why we don't have a huge home-road performance difference is that playing at home isn't really a serious advantage since the Dallas home crowd is so quiet.

oh geez.

Here we go again.

 

[links18]

Yes, we know. We're really not that good. 13-3 was a pure illusion because we beat up on a bunch of cupcakes. When you really look below the surface, you discover we are a bunch of frauds. :laugh2:

Seriously, the road wins against the Bills and Lions last year may not have been against the Colts or Pats, but we came back against long odds to win 2 games we shouldn't have on the road. That is more than just beating up on a bunch of losers. Why can't we do that at home? Instead we lose games we should win-Eagles, Giants playoff game.

 

[Brandon]

Also a good reason why we don't have a huge home-road performance difference is that playing at home isn't really a serious advantage since the Dallas home crowd is so quiet.

Go to a Falcons game, then talk quiet.

 

[CrazyCowboy]

we must improve starting Dec 1.....for sure

 

[percyhoward]

Seriously, the road wins against the Bills and Lions last year may not have been against the Colts or Pats...

Seriously, they weren't.

 

[percyhoward]

we must improve starting Dec 1.....for sure

Yep, counting playoffs, we're 0-6 against winning teams after Dec 1 the last two years. Compare that to 3-0 in November.

Look how easy our regular season schedules have been in Sept-Oct the past two seasons. We've only played 3 games against winning teams, going 1-2.

2006 2007 W-L
Sep 0-0 1-0
Oct 0-1 0-1
Nov 1-0 2-0
Dec 0-2 0-2

In 2008, we'll have road games outside the division against 3 teams that are favored to finish with winning records--Cleveland, Green Bay, and Pittsburgh. (You could even throw in Arizona as a 4th, I guess.)

That's 3, possbily 4 road challenges that we haven't had to face at all outside the division for a long time. And two of them in September this time. So it's a better balance, that may get us off to a bad start, but it could actually help us when December comes around.

We could easily end up with a worse record, but still be a better team come playoff time.

 

[AbeBeta]

Go to a Falcons game, then talk quiet.

You have to be quiet and also sit very still, otherwise you attract the pit bulls' attention.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

A big reason the Cowboys play so well on the road is because we've had easy road schedules the last two seasons.

Only 4 of our last 16 road games have been against a QB that finished in the top 17 in passer rating. Brunnel, Delhomme, and McNabb twice. Outside the division, then, we've played only one road game in the last two years against a top 17 QB.

In fact, in road games outside the division, it's been three years since we faced a team that finished above .500! That's ten straight non-divisional road games against teams that finished 8-8 or worse.

If you look at the other road games over the last two seasons (the ones against the NFCE) the Cowboys are only 1-2 against winning teams.

proving that we haven't been as good as we all thought we were, and should have been, which is why I'm still not that suprised that we got bounced out in our 1st game again

 

[CATCH17]

Our offensive line always performed better on the road also.

 

[billknows]

In 2008, we'll have road games outside the division against 3 teams that are favored to finish with winning records--Cleveland, Green Bay, and Pittsburgh. (You could even throw in Arizona as a 4th, I guess.)




It's a new season....I'm thinking we beat all three of them this year,and we want them early

 

[AdamJT13]

In fact, in road games outside the division, it's been three years since we faced a team that finished above .500! That's ten straight non-divisional road games against teams that finished 8-8 or worse.

If you look at the other road games over the last two seasons (the ones against the NFCE) the Cowboys are only 1-2 against winning teams.

There's some self-fulfilling stats at work in there. We've faced 10 straight nondivisional road games against teams that finished 8-8 or worse because we prevented some of them from finishing 9-7 by beating them. And we're 1-2 against winning NFC East teams on the road over the past two seasons because we've beaten teams to keep them from having a winning record or lost to them to give them a winning record.

Going into the final game of last season, the Commanders were 8-7. If we had beaten them, they would have finished 8-8, and it wouldn't count as a game against a winning team. But because we mailed it in and they won, that goes down as a loss against a "winning team."

We won on the road at Philadelphia last season. They finished 8-8, so that doesn't count as a game against a "winning team." If we had lost, that would get chalked up as a road loss to a "winning team." But we won, so it doesn't.

In 2006, we won on the road against the Giants. But they finished 8-8, so it doesn't count as a road win against a "winning team." If we had lost, it would be a road loss against a "winning team." But we won, so it doesn't.

And in 2006, we won at Tennessee and at Carolina. Both of those teams finished 8-8. If we had lost, they'd count as road games against "winning teams." But we won, so they don't.

So our road schedule might have been somewhat easy over the past two seasons, but it looks even "easier" simply because we have been winning those games.

 

[Ben_n_austin]

There's some self-fulfilling stats at work in there. We've faced 10 straight nondivisional road games against teams that finished 8-8 or worse because we prevented some of them from finishing 9-7 by beating them. And we're 1-2 against winning NFC East teams on the road over the past two seasons because we've beaten teams to keep them from having a winning record or lost to them to give them a winning record.

Going into the final game of last season, the Commanders were 8-7. If we had beaten them, they would have finished 8-8, and it wouldn't count as a game against a winning team. But because we mailed it in and they won, that goes down as a loss against a "winning team."

We won on the road at Philadelphia last season. They finished 8-8, so that doesn't count as a game against a "winning team." If we had lost, that would get chalked up as a road loss to a "winning team." But we won, so it doesn't.

In 2006, we won on the road against the Giants. But they finished 8-8, so it doesn't count as a road win against a "winning team." If we had lost, it would be a road loss against a "winning team." But we won, so it doesn't.

And in 2006, we won at Tennessee and at Carolina. Both of those teams finished 8-8. If we had lost, they'd count as road games against "winning teams." But we won, so they don't.

So our road schedule might have been somewhat easy over the past two seasons, but it looks even "easier" simply because we have been winning those games.

Yeah, the NFL is splitting hairs when you look at a lot of teams. When I see our schedule I don't think easy. I was thinking the same thing about this. I thought paradox.

Good idea--bad thinking it through... We've played well on the road. If you watched the games, you'd see that much.

I also noticed he didn't write anything about point spreads, etc.

I think a better post would be writing about turf cleats vs. grass cleats--or different types of face masks.

:laugh2: