CFZ Winning with FGs vs “beauty contests”, style points and “power rankings”

[Cowpolk]

I have two family members who are die hard Alabama fans. Yes the Tide have not looked great this year so far but they’re still 2-1, and are still in the hunt for all their team goals. Like most Bama fans they are spoiled, thinking it’s their right to win every week.

When you get used to winning (as the Cowboys did in the 70s and 90s) you start to underrate how hard it is to win games to begin with. Much less winning “with style”.

A lot of winning tends to spoil fan bases because they don’t realize how hard it is to win to begin with. Turns out the other team has some talent and wants to win too.

As a long time Irish fan I was also spoiled losing was not an option back in the days of domination of everyone

 

[CowboyRoy]

So you are saying you can win in the playoffs by kicking FG’s? has anyone told that other dude in the other thread

We scored two TD's and had a 3rd called back by penalty. We were specifically playing conservative down there as not to turn it over and settle. Smart football instead of forcing it to please a few uneducated football fans.

 

[Bobhaze]

The NFL season is like watching 17 separate movies with our heroes the Cowboys being the only constant. I’ve been watching NFL games over 5 decades and I’m always reminded early in the season that what you see early from a team - good or bad - is not going to stay the same every week.

Just when we think we know how this team will play every week, there will be a surprise. Some good, some not. The only guarantee I can make is that there will be some adversity, twists and turns. The best teams overcome them.

I believe this is the best Cowboys team we’ve had in decades. Let’s hope they can be consistently good all the way to a SB. Lord knows we’re due!

 

[Mark]

The one time this Upstate New Yorker went down to see the Cowboys at Texas Stadium on Mon. Nov. 18, 1996, Chris Boniol kicked a record SEVEN field goals to beat Brett Favre, Reggie White, and the hated Packers...21-6. A win was a win; no style points.

Interesting that only five kickers have accomplished that feat. Two of them were Cowboys.

 

[Streifenkarl]

The late Raiders owner Al Davis uttered perhaps the most succinct truth in NFL history: “Just win baby.”

That’s it. That’s sums up everything any of us need to remember about what’s really important in every NFL game- just win. There’s no swimsuit competition or “Miss Congeniality“ points in NFL games. Just wins and losses. That’s it. Win with 5 FGs and 2 TDs as we did today or win 2-0 on a late safety. Just win.

Yet it so common after a win to look closely and decide that it should have been better. Our Cowboys just beat a really good jets defense 30-10 but to some it wasn’t impressive enough. That’s ok. That’s what we as fans often do and certainly what the sports media machine does with their silly “power rankings” each week. It’s their version of an NFL beauty contest.

So here are some interesting thoughts about winning with FGs:

• The niners beat us last year in the divisional round 19-12 with 4 FGs and 1 TD. It was ugly but they advanced and we didn’t.
• Turns out “winning ugly” happens a ton in the playoffs
  • Since 2018, a whopping 11 playoff games were won by teams who had 4 or more FGs and 2 or less TDs.
  • In the 2021 AFC championship game, the Bengals beat the Chiefs scoring 4 FGs. Somehow that meant they won.
  • In the 2021 NFC championship game, the Bucs beat the pack scoring 4 FGs and eventually win the SB vs the bengals.
• In the playoffs, you are often playing great defenses. Just score. Just win.

Bottom line: JUST WIN BABY. IT WORKS.

You could have ended that post right after "just win baby".

But I agree wholeheartedly and that's what I have been saying all along. Especially during those Cooper Rush games. No they were not solely won by the defense but by the style and gameplan the team "had" to choose because of him. Now they're playing that same thing with Dak and, oh who knew, it suits him well. Simply because he is not the top ten QB some want him to be. Instead of having to carry the team on his shoulders he can play according to his (still very good) abilities and make it count.

Just score one point more than the opponent, and keep the ball that's enough. Your defense will provide. I really like MMs ball management.

Just don't make mistakes and manage the ball. This is exactly what we have been discussing a year ago during games 2 and 6.

 

[plasticman]

I was listening to some talking head about the Cowboys offense and how they were only 2 out of 6 in the redzone. However, he talked as if he didn't understand that two field goals equal a touchdown. I wonder if the offense would be getting as much criticism if they had been 4 for 6 while missing two field goals

Then I heard the argument that the Cowboys can't be considered the best team right now because there is no clear cut WR2. Ridiculous.

These guys are always going to try and find something.

 

[Mark]

The Cowboys have crept to #1 in a couple of the more popular "power rankings." Just read another that proclaims the 49'ers as the "best team in football", it being "obvious" that the Cowboys will "careen off the road at some point."

Obviously, the opinions don't matter. The upcoming contest at SF looms large in terms of bragging rights & playoff positioning. In the meantime, ARI & NE are itching to play, and the focus must remain week-to-week. And staying healthy.

 

[Einstein]

Why would anyone be upset winning with FGs? If you win with a walk off FG, I'm sure you're happy, so why be upset winning with them throughout the game?

 

[Bobhaze]

The Cowboys have crept to #1 in a couple of the more popular "power rankings." Just read another that proclaims the 49'ers as the "best team in football", it being "obvious" that the Cowboys will "careen off the road at some point."

Obviously, the opinions don't matter. The upcoming contest at SF looms large in terms of bragging rights & playoff positioning. In the meantime, ARI & NE are itching to play, and the focus must remain week-to-week. And staying healthy.

The ultimate “power rankings” are playoff seedings.

 

[renny]

Of course it's looks great but there gonna be people that wanna nitpick different parts of the game so they have something to complain about.. So many of them are the same people who were predicting our offense was gonna have a big drop off without Kellen Moore they said we would start out rusty because we didn't have preseason they didn't like our kicker all this stuff didn't come true so now they gotta find something to complain about you know when you're wrong sometimes your ego gets hit instead of admitting you're wrong they just come out and complain about little things and games,,

Call that hidden agendas

 

[Nav22]

The late Raiders owner Al Davis uttered perhaps the most succinct truth in NFL history: “Just win baby.”

That’s it. That’s sums up everything any of us need to remember about what’s really important in every NFL game- just win. There’s no swimsuit competition or “Miss Congeniality“ points in NFL games. Just wins and losses. That’s it. Win with 5 FGs and 2 TDs as we did today or win 2-0 on a late safety. Just win.

Yet it so common after a win to look closely and decide that it should have been better. Our Cowboys just beat a really good jets defense 30-10 but to some it wasn’t impressive enough. That’s ok. That’s what we as fans often do and certainly what the sports media machine does with their silly “power rankings” each week. It’s their version of an NFL beauty contest.

So here are some interesting thoughts about winning with FGs:

• The niners beat us last year in the divisional round 19-12 with 4 FGs and 1 TD. It was ugly but they advanced and we didn’t.
• Turns out “winning ugly” happens a ton in the playoffs
  • Since 2018, a whopping 11 playoff games were won by teams who had 4 or more FGs and 2 or less TDs.
  • In the 2021 AFC championship game, the Bengals beat the Chiefs scoring 4 FGs. Somehow that meant they won.
  • In the 2021 NFC championship game, the Bucs beat the pack scoring 4 FGs and eventually win the SB vs the bengals.
• In the playoffs, you are often playing great defenses. Just score. Just win.

Bottom line: JUST WIN BABY. IT WORKS.

Outstanding post.

I've heard people say, "settling for field goals like that will get you beat in the playoffs."

Bull. Let's see a team beat us when we put up 30 points without turning the ball over.

 

[Mikexike]

To be fair KM had a chance to win both games late and failed.

sounds like us the last couple of years with garrett and baby garrett...I'm just glad we don't have cup cake or cup cake 2.0 calling plays.