Will The Next Two Games Tell Us All We Need To Know?

[gbrittain]

I remember back in the 2003 season the Cowboys were 7-2 going into a brutal stretch where they played at New England, Carolina, Miami, and at Philadelphia.

I remeber saying that those four games would determine wether the Cowboys were for real or not.

I thought if they took 3 of the 4 or 4 out of 4 of those games that we would know that Dallas was indeed for real.

I figured that if Dallas took two of those games that we have made progress but not quite elite status yet.

I knew if Dallas took one or zero of those games that Dallas was just a pretender.

Dallas took the Carolina game, and got whooped the other three games against top notch competition.

It just so happened that Dallas was indeed a pretender who slipped into the playoffs beating up on inferior competition, but had no chance against upper echelon teams.

Of course the next year the wheels came off and Dallas went 6-10.

I feel that the next two games could very well define the rest of the season.

Not to say that two losses and Dallas is toast, or two victories and we are headed to the Superbowl.

However, two consecutive victories or two consecutive losses these next two weeks could very well gives us a glimpse of the rest of the season.

Now is the time to win two improbable games and make a statement; one on the road against a high octane offense when we have not been able to stop peewee offenses and of course one game against the best team in our division and conference.

Oakland and Philly will tell the story.

 

[dargonking999]

if we can go 5-0 and head into the break at 7-1, we will be in the playoffs, if we go 4-1 and head into the break at 6-2 we will be fightign for the playoffs, if we lose 2 or more games in next 5 games, we will have a tough second half of the season.

all 5 of these next games we can win.We need to win, winning is based on confidence and nothg gives confidence then beat divsion leading teams(seattle) The divsion shampions form last year(EAgles) the team that embarassed you on the last game of the season(giants), and beating hte teams with losing records, soundly(Raiders, and CArdinals)

 

[gbrittain]

if we can go 5-0 and head into the break at 7-1, we will be in the playoffs, if we go 4-1 and head into the break at 6-2 we will be fightign for the playoffs, if we lose 2 or more games in next 5 games, we will have a tough second half of the season.

all 5 of these next games we can win.We need to win, winning is based on confidence and nothg gives confidence then beat divsion leading teams(seattle) The divsion shampions form last year(EAgles) the team that embarassed you on the last game of the season(giants), and beating hte teams with losing records, soundly(Raiders, and CArdinals)

Yeah, Dargon I dont really disagree there. I do know that in order to become an elite team you have to start winning games that before you play them look like improbable victories.

That is exactly what we are looking at the next two weeks.

 

[zagnut]

Regardless of playoffs, how we do vs Philly and NY will tell me a lot. Even if McNabb is slowed by bruises and possibly a hernia, any thoughts of success in the playoffs go through Philly. If we suffer a loss vs Philly and then host NY right after that, the NY game becomes a must-win. We could not survive going 0-3 in the East. If we can make the annual Philly series a split and protect our home field, we'll be in good shape.

I don't want to say any game will be easy after the absurd Washington idiocy, but we should do pretty well vs Oakland, imo. From what I saw in the Oakland/Philly game, Philly kept Oakland in it with poor play rather than Oakland hanging with Philly. This bodes well for the next two games.

 

[NorTex]

I think that because we have so many new players and so many rookies and young players, that the first half of the season isn't really gonna matter as long as we can be 4-4 or better at the break.

I can see us going 7-1 or at least 6-2 in the second half, when the team gels and the young guys feel comfortable.

 

[lane]

i think tomorrow will tell us if we are ready. we'll destroy the eagles regardless.

i really think we are going to destroy the raiders manana.

38- 17

 

[TheSkaven]

This team could blow the next two games and still be 5-3 after 8 games. I'd like to see a win on Oakland on Sunday, but really there are two home divisional games after that, and we've already lost one divisional game at home. If we lose tomorrow but take Philly and the G-Men at home, this team is in great shape. If we win tomorrow but get trounced by Philly and/or lose to the Giants and struggle the rest of the way.

The short of it is, the Raiders game means little, the Philly and Giant games are BIG.

 

[Justis]

I was pretty impressed when we beat the Panthers. I think our luck could have been better in the playoffs if it hadn't been for Toby Gowin.

 

[Mr Cowboy]

I think if we can be even or better at the mid point, we will be a scary team the second half of the season. By then the defense should be up and running on all cylinders.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

We lose the next two and that pretty much seals the deal on this being a .500 club IMHO.

We have to split.

 

[dargonking999]

We lose the next two and that pretty much seals the deal on this being a .500 club IMHO.

We have to split.

so being 2-3 after these enxt two games means we can only be .500 and below, wow dont you thinks a little premature?

 

[MichaelWinicki]

so being 2-3 after these enxt two games means we can only be .500 and below, wow dont you thinks a little premature?

Nope... not premature. Just realistic. You look at the final 11 games... we lose the 2 and we are looking at .500.

 

[Nors]

Miki - is in shock. Bledsoe rocking and his Bills and Losman in the tank.

All that matters is tomorrow. We win and go 3-1. And thats 3 games out of 4 on the road. Thats impressive.....

 

[parchy]

Just remember: the Cowboys were 2-1 at one point last year too. This game will be a true barometer

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Miki - is in shock. Bledsoe rocking and his Bills and Losman in the tank.

All that matters is tomorrow. We win and go 3-1. And thats 3 games out of 4 on the road. Thats impressive.....

3-1 would be great Nors. We lose the next 2 and we're in trouble.

 

[LeonDixson]

I don't think the next two games are critical. Look, most of here were saying before the season started the we might struggle early. But most of us expected, and I still do, that when all the rookies and new faces on defense really start to jell that the team will get much stronger. Most all of us acknowledged that our record may not be that good in the first 5 games or so, but that we expect (hope) that the team will finish really strong, make the playoffs and hopefully win a playoff game. If we lose the next two or split them we will be 2-3 or 3-2. Isn't that what most of us expected?

 

[MichaelWinicki]

I don't think the next two games are critical. Look, most of here were saying before the season started the we might struggle early. But most of us expected, and I still do, that when all the rookies and new faces on defense really start to jell that the team will get much stronger. Most all of us acknowledged that our record may not be that good in the first 5 games or so, but that we expect (hope) that the team will finish really strong, make the playoffs and hopefully win a playoff game. If we lose the next two or split them we will be 2-3 or 3-2. Isn't that what most of us expected?

Hmm. Yes. But I said from day one that it was a very borderline playoff team... very borderline. And very borderline playoff teams need a break here and there. To be 3-2 after 5 games makes all the difference IMHO to 2-3. You look at the last 11 games. We would have to be at least 7-4. That's a tough stretch to get 7 wins out of.

 

[BledsoetoWittenfortheTD]

Anybody that doesn't think these next two are important are crazy!

1) The Raiders very well might be the 'best 0-3' team in the league losing games at philly and NE (who were both in the superbowl i might add). But I think oakland is a year away anyway, they will be dangerous in the second half but we have to take this one.

2) If Philly loses in KC tom, which I suspect will happen. They will be 2-2 coming in here, and they don't drop two in a row on the road very often.

3) Whats even more important about the philly game is if we lose, regardless of what happens against the raiders, we will be 0-2 in the division AT HOME....not a good thing.

So the bottom line is we really need both of these games, we all know we should be 3-0 to begin with, but we can ill afford to drop these 'rough spot games'....and i say that because of the opposition(raiders 0-3 looking to get their first win, and the eagles possibly being 2-2 and getting it handed to them in KC looking to rebound). But if we were going to drop one of them I'd rather it be tomorrow instead of next sunday in what could be the biggest game in Dallas in quite some time.

 

[LeonDixson]

I agree the schedule gets harder in the second half. But my point was there was a widespread expectation that this team will get better as we go along. If the rookies continue to progress, we can play with anybody. But the defense does have to get better and Parcells/Payton need to call better games.

Wasn't much of your low expectations centered on having Bledsoe as our QB?

 

[austintodallas]

Our depth is sick. We will pull away in the second half when other teams are banged up.