2025 Season | Week 14 | Gameday Chatter Thread | Dallas Cowboys @ Detroit Lions | 12/4/25

[Simpleton]

The truth is, this was always going to be a tough game to win. Detroit is still pretty good, especially at their place. This team this year just hasn't been nearly as good on the road.

Schottenheimer is a rookie, too. I think he himself ate a bit of cheese this week. He needs to learn the old saw that you keep the team on an even keel -- you build them up when they're losing. When they're winning a little, you try to keep them down to earth. I think he got a little caught up in thinking this team was going on some big run when they actually were getting overconfident.

Oh, and fire Eberflus ASAP.

We were never going to win 8 in a row, if they finish 10-6-1 I'm still pretty thrilled with things moving forward even though missing the playoffs with 10 wins would be a shame.

But if we had this team from week 1 we'd be at least 8-4-1 right now, if not 9-4, and nobody would give much of a fuck about this game beyond worrying that the defense isn't good enough to make a deep playoff run (which it obviously isn't).

I'm kind of indifferent on Eberflus because on one hand I think switching DC's again for a 4th DC in 4 years is playing with fire unless there is a slam dunk candidate, and I think Eberflus is more than capable of cobbling together an average defense with a few upgrades, which is all we really need. On the other hand he's absolutely average and replacement level himself, so whatever.

For me the defensive side comes down to the talent more so than what we do at DC, we need more talent on that side no matter what. Right now it's basically an elite DT group, a few decent pieces elsewhere (Overshown, Ezeiruaku, Bland I guess, maybe Revel) and a bunch of absolute JAG's.

 

[Simpleton]

44.

Sure, the defense is not good, but how many of those points were a direct result of drives starting at midfield or better?

Half?

It was 27-9 two minutes into the 3rd quarter and 14 of that came off absolutely moronic TO's.

 

[Simpleton]

Let's also not forget Ferguson jamming his hands into Hutchinson's face mask to take away a PI that would've given us the ball on about the 2, that's another 4 points off the board because of just straight up stupidity from the offense.

The defense deserves plenty of blame obviously but for tonight the offense and ST's deserve just as much.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Yeah, obviously the defense was horrific, but you do expect far more from our highly-paid and -drafted offense.

And special teams coverage was a disaster, too. Pretty much every area of the team underperformed.

 

[Simpleton]

Yeah, obviously the defense was horrific, but you do expect far more from our highly-paid and -drafted offense.

And special teams coverage was a disaster, too. Pretty much every area of the team underperformed.

Yea, I'm not arguing to keep Eberflus or saying the defense was fine.

He sucked, they sucked, they've largely sucked all year but they have improved, and tonight the entire team was shit until the offense got things going once the game was almost out of hand.

If they play well down the stretch I could see an argument for keeping him, although I'd be fine firing him obviously, and of course if they let the Chargers or Giants or whoever put up 35-40 there's no argument.

 

[kidd]

I’ll probably get hammered for this but the only players I’m not holding accountable are Dak and Cee Dee. I think they both played great despite the rest of the team. Hope Cee Dee recovers quickly.

 

[Simpleton]

I’ll probably get hammered for this but the only players I’m not holding accountable are Dak and Cee Dee. I think they both played great despite the rest of the team. Hope Cee Dee recovers quickly.

They're about the only guys who really played well, along with Flournoy and maybe a few of the interior DL/OL, but this was definitely one of the most thoroughly poor performances across the board.

This, the Arizona and Denver games all take the cake, and the real issue for me is that the performances all looked very similar in terms of sloppy turnovers where skill position players just aren't holding onto the ball, cascading penalties and poor pass protection (I can excuse the Denver game but not the other two given the trend).

 

[Texas Ace]

I mean at some point you'd think Schotty would do something about the defense. Like dude you're not an OC. You're a head coach, act like one.

To be fair, he's in the top 3 of HC's with the least amount of power Jerry has ever hired (Campo, Garrett, Schotty), so you're assuming he even has the power to influence things on that side of the ball.

And don't forget Eberflus was Jerry's pick BEFORE he even hired Schotty, so it makes it even less likely he can just go and throw his weight around and make him coach the defense in the way he would like.

I'm no Schotty fan. In fact, I think he's an average coach and I would get rid of him tomorrow if it were up to me and replace him with a real coach.

My point is, we can't really assume anything as far as Schotty being able to influence anything goes.

 

[Texas Ace]

They're about the only guys who really played well, along with Flournoy and maybe a few of the interior DL/OL, but this was definitely one of the most thoroughly poor performances across the board.

This, the Arizona and Denver games all take the cake, and the real issue for me is that the performances all looked very similar in terms of sloppy turnovers where skill position players just aren't holding onto the ball, cascading penalties and poor pass protection (I can excuse the Denver game but not the other two given the trend).

These are the kinds of performances you get on the regular when you have a shit coaching staff.

And shit coaching staffs are the best you can hope for when you have a clown for an owner who believes that his way of doing things from a football standpoint are better than hiring qualified experts to do them their way.

And this is exactly why I really wanted to hold on to McCarthy. He wasn't perfect, but he was by far the best coach we'd had around here in a long time and it was nice feeling like we were generally well coached from week to week for the first time in forever.

But now that's all gone.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Imagine if we'd hired Vrabel.

But of course Jerry wasn't even interested.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

These are the kinds of performances you get on the regular when you have a shit coaching staff.

And shit coaching staffs are the best you can hope for when you have a clown for an owner who believes that his way of doing things from a football standpoint are better than hiring qualified experts to do them their way.

One thing Stephen said this week that I'm not sure we knew is that they'd already decided to hire Schotty for OC before HC, too. It was only after they liked him enough interviewing for OC that they considered him for HC.

So they fully intended to hire both coordinators before the HC. Mind-numbing arrogance on display again.

 

[Genghis Khan]

Sure, the defense is not good, but how many of those points were a direct result of drives starting at midfield or better?

Half?

It was 27-9 two minutes into the 3rd quarter and 14 of that came off absolutely moronic TO's.

Do you really think those drives would have stalled if they needed another 20 yards?

Heck Detroit missed a FG or it would have been worse.

They didn't look close to stopping them most of the night.

The offense was not good enough but was ok. The special teams was a joke. The defense was terrible.

Keep in mind I'm responding to you questioning our criticism of the defense.

You guys are really mad at the defense?

Yes all units had problems and didn't do the defense any favors. But that was bad defense. As usual.

Yes I'm really mad at the defense.

 

[UncleMilti]

I think Eberflus has to go. This switching of man/zone in a secondary that is clearly more comfortable playing man is ridiculous.
Bigger issues are that Bland got paid and the guy looks like a shell of himself. Revel is a fucking joke. Overshown came out of the gate hot but was nowhere to be seen tonight. Lots of problems on D, especially at LB and CB and amazingly Detroit took advantage of every weakness…while we didn’t do shit.
Losing Lamb hurt, but that’s not an excuse. Detroit had their best guy on a bum ankle and pitch count and he still roasted our retards on the backend.
Thank god I can just ride the season out now not giving a shit after getting sucked in AGAIN after 2 good wins. The Cowboys will never follow thru-ever. Always a disappointment waiting around the corner.

 

[Simpleton]

These are the kinds of performances you get on the regular when you have a shit coaching staff.

And shit coaching staffs are the best you can hope for when you have a clown for an owner who believes that his way of doing things from a football standpoint are better than hiring qualified experts to do them their way.

And this is exactly why I really wanted to hold on to McCarthy. He wasn't perfect, but he was by far the best coach we'd had around here in a long time and it was nice feeling like we were generally well coached from week to week for the first time in forever.

But now that's all gone.

McCarthy as HC with Schottenheimer empowered to run the offense totally under his control would've been the best case scenario, but it seems unlikely that ever would've played out.

I think Schottenheimer has a better grasp on modern offense than McCarthy but McCarthy is the better actual "walk around" HC.

Somehow we managed to have the worst of both worlds.

 

[UncleMilti]

These are the kinds of performances you get on the regular when you have a shit coaching staff.

And shit coaching staffs are the best you can hope for when you have a clown for an owner who believes that his way of doing things from a football standpoint are better than hiring qualified experts to do them their way.

And this is exactly why I really wanted to hold on to McCarthy. He wasn't perfect, but he was by far the best coach we'd had around here in a long time and it was nice feeling like we were generally well coached from week to week for the first time in forever.

But now that's all gone.

Eh, Meatball McCarthy shit the bed and didn’t have the team motivated enough numerous times during his tenure. Never was overly impressed. Schotty is right there too…I think as a younger coach he’s a bit more interwoven with the players and the mindset but I think he’s still way down the coach wishlist.
We know the big issues and it’s not changing. I’m still shocked they went out a picked up some solid pieces but we still lack so much on D.
They’ve gotta really sink some dollars into that side of the ball.

 

[Simpleton]

Do you really think those drives would have stalled if they needed another 20 yards?

Heck Detroit missed a FG or it would have been worse.

They didn't look close to stopping them most of the night.

The offense was not good enough but was ok. The special teams was a joke. The defense was terrible.

Keep in mind I'm responding to you questioning our criticism of the defense.

Yes all units had problems and didn't do the defense any favors. But that was bad defense. As usual.

Yes I'm really mad at the defense.

I didn't mean to say we shouldn't be mad at the defense, I was saying the primary culprit for the shit show to me was the offense (and ST's to a lesser extent) in the first half, and that they really hung the defense out to dry.

Defense completely shit the bed in the second half of course, while not being great in the first either.

 

[Sheik]

I didn't mean to say we shouldn't be mad at the defense, I was saying the primary culprit for the shit show to me was the offense (and ST's to a lesser extent) in the first half, and that they really hung the defense out to dry.

Defense completely shit the bed in the second half of course, while not being great in the first either.

Who is our special teams coach? Another Uncle Dave?

Kick the ball through the end zone. The kick coverage is trash. They had a white returner out there going crazy.

 

[Cotton]

Can we please bench this useless POS?

 

[Cotton]

 

[Rev]

I don't want to hear another word praising Thomas. Guyton has never ever been this bad.

I agree but Im not counting on Guyton. They say the best ability of a football player is availability and he misses games. Top that off with dumb play and Im not sure we shouldn't be looking at OT (again) high in the draft.