Worrying about winning and losing games

[Reality]

Good teams find a way to win most games. I'm not worried about November, December or January. Either the Cowboys win most of their games or they don't. We had a great record in 2007 only to falter toward the end. I prefer to look at every game as a must-win game and then let the chips fall as they may once the regular season is over.

If the Cowboys fail to win games they should win and still make the playoffs, then they would likely lose in the playoffs so there is no reason to dwell on those losses. Right now, it's about winning every game. I don't care who we play, where we play or when we play, it's all about winning every game we play. There are no acceptable losses, at least not before the game is played.

I understand why fans like to think, "if we win X out Y games over the next Z games, then ..." but the bottom line is good teams find ways to win most games. As I posted last week before the Seattle game, to me personally, a loss is a loss whether it be by 1 point or 30 points and a win is a win whether it be by 1 point or 30 points.

The way I look at it is that we need to win every game. If we win every game we play for the rest of the regular and post season, the Cowboys would be Super Bowl champs. As the media likes to say, "The best you situation is one where you control your own destiny" and right now, the Cowboys control their destiny.

 

[Direwolf63]

This ain't baseball. There are only 16 games. That makes each game critical.

 

[Reality]

This ain't baseball. There are only 16 games. That makes each game critical.

Exactly!

 

[Idgit]

I've long said that one of the things I like most about Garrett's teams is that they win the games they ought to win, and that the issue is just that we get beat by teams that are better than us. If that's correct, then it stands to reason that as we get better talent, there should be more games we ought to win each season. That's definitely the case the next two weeks here, so let's see how we handle it.

 

[Zman5]

People forget that in 2007 playoff game against the Giants, for some reason JG changed completely how our offense played all year.

First he changed the starting running back and had Barber start. Not only that, he ran him and ran him in the first half and he was completely gassed in the 4th quarter. The way we won games all year was to have Julius Jones start and get a lead and close out with Barber.

If we get to the playoffs this year, I hope we don't do anything stupid like that this year and change the way we played through out the season that got us to the playoffs.

 

[nalam]

People forget that in 2007 playoff game against the Giants, for some reason JG changed completely how our offense played all year.

First he changed the starting running back and had Barber start. Not only that, he ran him and ran him in the first half and he was completely gassed in the 4th quarter. The way we won games all year was to have Julius Jones start and get a lead and close out with Barber.

Though that is true , I don't know how much of starting Barber is a Jerry/ Wade decision, it would have still worked , except for the dumb 37 secs TD we gave up before half time and completely shifting momentum, that secondary especially one CB was too bad.

 

[links18]

Focus on the next game on the schedule and nothing more.

 

[65fastback2plus2]

Good teams find a way to win most games. I'm not worried about November, December or January. Either the Cowboys win most of their games or they don't. We had a great record in 2007 only to falter toward the end. I prefer to look at every game as a must-win game and then let the chips fall as they may once the regular season is over.

If the Cowboys fail to win games they should win and still make the playoffs, then they would likely lose in the playoffs so there is no reason to dwell on those losses. Right now, it's about winning every game. I don't care who we play, where we play or when we play, it's all about winning every game we play. There are no acceptable losses, at least not before the game is played.

I understand why fans like to think, "if we win X out Y games over the next Z games, then ..." but the bottom line is good teams find ways to win most games. As I posted last week before the Seattle game, to me personally, a loss is a loss whether it be by 1 point or 30 points and a win is a win whether it be by 1 point or 30 points.

The way I look at it is that we need to win every game. If we win every game we play for the rest of the regular and post season, the Cowboys would be Super Bowl champs. As the media likes to say, "The best you situation is one where you control your own destiny" and right now, the Cowboys control their destiny.

I would agree 100%.

Except the giants failed to win games they should have and still made the playoffs with a 10-6 record and went on to forget about those losses and win the SB.

I could care less how many we lose, as long as we make the playoffs and then dont lose anymore.

 

[erod]

People forget that in 2007 playoff game against the Giants, for some reason JG changed completely how our offense played all year.

First he changed the starting running back and had Barber start. Not only that, he ran him and ran him in the first half and he was completely gassed in the 4th quarter. The way we won games all year was to have Julius Jones start and get a lead and close out with Barber.

If we get to the playoffs this year, I hope we don't do anything stupid like that this year and change the way we played through out the season that got us to the playoffs.

That loss had nothing to do with Garrett and everything to do with Patrick Crayton dropping a touchdown.

 

[Doomsday101]

Worried on game day is a ritual, every time boys hit the field I'm concerned of a loss. In sports nothing is a sure thing but that is what makes it exciting

 

[Zman5]

That loss had nothing to do with Garrett and everything to do with Patrick Crayton dropping a touchdown.

There were many reasons we lost that game but that's not the point of my post. The point I'm making is that you don't experiment like that during the playoffs.

You can adjust a little but that was a complete change of how we won games for 16 weeks.
You experiment like that in preseason. Not in post season unless you have an injury and have no other choice.

 

[CCBoy]

But...but, that means bunt triples that wins a 1 run game are great...

 

[DallasEast]

That loss had nothing to do with Garrett and everything to do with Patrick Crayton dropping a touchdown.

Everything my foot.

For nearly seven years, people cannot remember Eli Manning abusing Jacquez Reeves partically down-after-down to tie the game at 14-14 just before the end of the half. At best, Dallas should have enjoyed a halftime lead of 14-7. At worst, the Cowboys should have been up 14-10 going into the 3rd Quarter. Sure, Crayton missed a crucial pass, but Reeves' failure to simply disrupt Manning's rhythm on one single pass was beyond pathetic. Fans forget Reeves' nonsense, but I never will.

 

[5Stars]

Nameless and faceless....that is how the Cowboys will win games this season.

"Oh, the big bad Saints?" Who dat?

"Oh, no...the 12th man." Bring one more next time and make it 13!

"Oh, damn...Eli already signed his name in the locker room at the new stadium...he always plays the Cowboys tough." Don't bring a Sharpie for this game, Eli!

The Cowboys seem focused. Not on who is the next team up, but they seem focused on themselves.

 

[erod]

Everything my foot.

For nearly seven years, people cannot remember Eli Manning abusing Jacquez Reeves partically down-after-down to tie the game at 14-14 just before the end of the half. At best, Dallas should have enjoyed a halftime lead of 14-7. At worst, the Cowboys should have been up 14-10 going into the 3rd Quarter. Sure, Crayton missed a crucial pass, but Reeves' failure to simply disrupt Manning's rhythm on one single pass was beyond pathetic. Fans forget Reeves' nonsense, but I never will.

Well, I shouldn't have said everything, and thanks for bringing up Jacques Reeves right before supper time.

 

[DallasEast]

Well, I shouldn't have said everything, and thanks for bringing up Jacques Reeves right before supper time.

Sorry.

 

[pancakeman]

Everything my foot.

For nearly seven years, people cannot remember Eli Manning abusing Jacquez Reeves partically down-after-down to tie the game at 14-14 just before the end of the half. At best, Dallas should have enjoyed a halftime lead of 14-7. At worst, the Cowboys should have been up 14-10 going into the 3rd Quarter. Sure, Crayton missed a crucial pass, but Reeves' failure to simply disrupt Manning's rhythm on one single pass was beyond pathetic. Fans forget Reeves' nonsense, but I never will.

Ugh, bad memories.