Week 15 Game Day Chatter | Cowboys at Raiders | 12-17-2017

[lostxn]

They also were only in it because of a hail mary prayer toss up that ended with a PI for like 50 yards. Oh and a dropped pick. And a pure lucky tipped pass completion that was a questionable catch at best. This game had so many chances were it should have been put away by us. So I'm not going to pretend like we stole one. The Raiders were so lucky to have a chance at the end.

I totally agree. It was an ugly win to be sure but we won. I just worry that we are what our record says we are. We've beaten one team with a winning record this year.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

Let's see what this team like like next week before we all just give up on the thing. The offense looked like shit again but there were some positives:
- the team survived the loss of Tyron Smith without imploding
- Dez made a huge play in the clutch
- Garrett mixed things up with some success. If Williams had hands rather than blocks of stone, the flea-flicker would have worked.
- the rookies continue to shine (albeit the pass interference was a killer
- Jeff Heath is not as terrible as we all think

Yep, with Zeke back we have a shot at actually getting back to normal the next two weeks. There is nothing wrong with having an offense built around a stud RB. Look at the Rams and Jags who are rolling in large part because of stud RBs.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

I totally agree. It was an ugly win to be sure but we won. I just worry that we are what our record says we are. We've beaten one team with a winning record this year.

Yeah but I feel like this defense is finally coming together. I finally feel like we have some legit cover guys out there. I just hope we don't mess with that and force Scandrick back out there.

The next two weeks will say a lot about this team. Two teams with winning records that are wounded. If we are legit we will win both. If not than we are exactly what you say.

 

[VA Cowboy]

I have to be honest.... I take zero enjoyment out of tonight’s win.

I’m not even sure I’m a cowboys fan anymore. I really don’t give much shits about the nfl in general I don’t think.

Garrett got lucky here. How do you go for it twice on fourth down just to kick a fg on 4th and centimeters at the goal line?

It bothers me that jerrrys idiot family celebrating tonight like this was a quality team and were a real football team.

It feels a lot like those years when we had those regular season ending win-or-go-home games that Jerry acted like were actual playoff games. We'd lose and go home but Jerry was satisfied because we were relevant at the end of the season and he was making money.

This year we could actually win our last 5 games and still not get in the playoffs. And our consolation is keeping Garrett and Marinelli and having nothing change next year.

 

[p1_]

Im not so sure you guys recall how Zeke plays after a layoff. I don't assume he's just gonna tear it up.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

It feels a lot like those years when we had those regular season ending win-or-go-home games that Jerry acted like were actual playoff games. We'd lose and go home but Jerry was satisfied because we were relevant at the end of the season and he was making money.

This year we could actually win our last 5 games and still not get in the playoffs. And our consolation is keeping Garrett and Marinelli and having nothing change next year.

You have to admit that winning 5 straight to end the season would tell you a little something about the guys on this team though. Not collapsing would tell me a lot going forward. And it tells me nothing about this coaching staff.

 

[Plan9Misfit]

Yep. Cheap whore here too.

I still don't think this shit was legit though.

Sorry.

It wasn’t. We deserved to lose. The moment we chose to kick the FG rather than go for it on 4th and goal cemented my opinion on the game. We took the gutless approach and it should have cost us the game had a talentless white boy not spoiled it.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

Im not so sure you guys recall how Zeke plays after a layoff. I don't assume he's just gonna tear it up.

How does he play? Because if you're talking about this offseason, he got pretty chunky and out of shape.

He hasn't really had any layoffs since becoming a Cowboy other than this one.

 

[DLK150]

Im not so sure you guys recall how Zeke plays after a layoff. I don't assume he's just gonna tear it up.

I don't either but it sounds as though he's in better shape now then when he was suspended. That's probably negated by not seeing actual game action though so we'll have to wait and see. One thing is for sure, it's a better offense with him than without him and the defense has at least been a bit above average now that the younger guys are getting some experience. I don't think any of it translates into a deep run into the playoffs but nobody really knows.

 

[VA Cowboy]

Everyone misses on high picks. It's hitting on those late rounders that makes all the difference. The good teams find guys on the third day and recognizes it and isn't afraid to play them over the early round picks. The problem in Dallas is that we cling to guys like Byron Jones when we shouldn't.

Too bad we aren't hitting on many late rounders either to make up for missing on the high rounders.

Mo (1st/2nd round picks), Byron, Carter, Escobar, Gregory. Verdict is still out on J Smith and Taco. Even Dez is starting to slow down now. Can't miss on 6-7 picks in the first 2 rounds over 6-7 year period and expect to contend while also rarely hitting big on day 3 players. Take a team like the Steelers, they've missed on about 2-3 over that time while still hitting big on several later round picks.

Difference between being a contender and just trying to be relevant in December.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

I don't either but it sounds as though he's in better shape now then when he was suspended. That's probably negated by not seeing actual game action though so we'll have to wait and see. One thing is for sure, it's a better offense with him than without him and the defense has at least been a bit above average now that the younger guys are getting some experience. I don't think any of it translates into a deep run into the playoffs but nobody really knows.

You can't tell me he isn't going to break tackles that Morris doesn't and that he isn't faster and more explosive? Shit we aren't talking about 8 months here. We are talking about a month and a half.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

Too bad we aren't hitting on many late rounders either to make up for missing on the high rounders.

Mo (1st/2nd round picks), Byron, Carter, Escobar, Gregory. Verdict is still out on J Smith and Taco. Even Dez is starting to slow down now. Can't miss on 6-7 picks in the first 2 rounds over 6-7 year period and expect to contend while also rarely hitting big on day 3 players. Take a team like the Steelers, they've missed on about 2-3 over that time while still hitting big on several later round picks.

Difference between being a contender and just trying to be relevant in December.

People always have high standards when it comes to the draft. We've actually done pretty good which is why this teams has a lot of talent without doing much of anything in free agency. Look at the core of this roster. 90% of these guys were Cowboys draft picks (Not an actual statistic). Our elite players are Dak, Zeke, Tyron Smith, Frederick, Martin, Lawrence, Lee, Hitchens, Awuzie, Lewis and Woods. These are probably the best players on our team and they are all Cowboys draft picks. The only other great players were undrafted free agents in Collins and Irving.

Sure I'd like to hit on all our draft picks but I think you're barking up the wrong tree complaining about the drafting. And honestly I think Jaylon Smith will be joining the group I listed in the near future.

 

[p1_]

How does he play? Because if you're talking about this offseason, he got pretty chunky and out of shape.

He hasn't really had any layoffs since becoming a Cowboy other than this one.

both offseasons. His first and then this last one. And its taken him games to get going.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Let's see what this team like like next week before we all just give up on the thing. The offense looked like shit again but there were some positives:
- the team survived the loss of Tyron Smith without imploding
- Dez made a huge play in the clutch
- Garrett mixed things up with some success. If Williams had hands rather than blocks of stone, the flea-flicker would have worked.
- the rookies continue to shine (albeit the pass interference was a killer
- Jeff Heath is not as terrible as we all think

Sometimes I envy guys like you who are still all in on this team. I think Garrett and the entire Jones family have broken me. I don't know if I can ever get it back. I used to be pretty sure I could if we had a real coaching change with an actual coach who knows WTF he's doing and isn't just a PR man/Jerry asskissing trainee, but now I'm not even sure about that.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

both offseasons. His first and then this last one. And its taken him games to get going.

It took him like a game as a rookie. The first one being against what was the best rush defense in the NFL.

His first game this season, he went over 100 yards and was up at 4.3 yards per carry. Wasn't really that slow for a guy who was out of shape.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

Sometimes I envy guys like you who are still all in on this team. I think Garrett and the entire Jones family have broken me. I don't know if I can ever get it back. I used to be pretty sure I could if we had a real coaching change with an actual coach who knows WTF he's doing and isn't just a PR man/Jerry asskissing trainee, but now I'm not even sure about that.

I'm not in on the coaching staff or the owners. But I can't help but love this group of players.

 

[VA Cowboy]

People always have high standards when it comes to the draft. We've actually done pretty good which is why this teams has a lot of talent without doing much of anything in free agency. Look at the core of this roster. 90% of these guys were Cowboys draft picks (Not an actual statistic). Our elite players are Dak, Zeke, Tyron Smith, Frederick, Martin, Lawrence, Lee, Hitchens, Awuzie, Lewis and Woods. These are probably the best players on our team and they are all Cowboys draft picks. The only other great players were undrafted free agents in Collins and Irving.

Sure I'd like to hit on all our draft picks but I think you're barking up the wrong tree complaining about the drafting. And honestly I think Jaylon Smith will be joining the group I listed in the near future.

No one is going to hit on all of them or expects to. But we miss on way too many.

 

[DLK150]

You can't tell me he isn't going to break tackles that Morris doesn't and that he isn't faster and more explosive? Shit we aren't talking about 8 months here. We are talking about a month and a half.

I don't disagree with that at all, I just don't think it's quite the same as going through offseason training and conditioning, training camp, etc.

On the flip side, he should have fresh legs and be hungry to get back into action.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

No one is going to hit on all of them or expects to. But we miss on way too many.

Don't get me wrong, I'd love to do even better. But this team has a lot of talent compared to the average NFL team and it's a result of drafting.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

I don't disagree with that at all, I just don't think it's quite the same as going through offseason training and conditioning, training camp, etc.

On the flip side, he should have fresh legs and be hungry to get back into action.

Yeah I'm just excited to have Zeke back. And anyone who heard Dak talking after this game knows that he is "excited to have his best friend back out there" as he put it. There is no question that Zeke and Dak have a special chemistry with each other.