Week 6 Gameday Chatter | Cowboys vs. Seahawks | 10/12/2014

[skidadl]

We should have waited to have a donation thread. People would be making it rain right now.

 

[skidadl]

If we win the Super Bowl Jerry Jones is going on the banner.

 

[NoDak]

In the second video in that link Irvin homers out worse than booze. It was glorious.

I wouldn't say we were the best team in the NFL. Or even the NFC, for that matter. (maybe the NFC East) We were better than Seattle yesterday, but I'd still put teams like Seattle and Denver above us. Maybe even Green Bay. They are more complete teams.

The coaches on both sides of the ball had an excellent gameplan yesterday. And the team played about as good as you could hope, outside of special teams. But we still have a suspect defense. We can be ran on. And the back end of our defense still isn't that good. I love the way they are playing right now. But I'm not foolish enough to think it's a championship caliber defense. Hell, a couple weeks ago we were wondering if it was even an NFL caliber defense.

 

[Texas Ace]

I wouldn't say we were the best team in the NFL. Or even the NFC, for that matter. (maybe the NFC East) We were better than Seattle yesterday, but I'd still put teams like Seattle and Denver above us. Maybe even Green Bay. They are more complete teams.

The coaches on both sides of the ball had an excellent gameplan yesterday. And the team played about as good as you could hope, outside of special teams. But we still have a suspect defense. We can be ran on. And the back end of our defense still isn't that good. I love the way they are playing right now. But I'm not foolish enough to think it's a championship caliber defense. Hell, a couple weeks ago we were wondering if it was even an NFL caliber defense.

Our defense is playing better than anyone could have imagined, but I liked our chances going in to yesterday's games.

The teams that scare me are the ones with a strong passing game and fast, agile athletes.

This is precisely why the Eagles and Packers worry me. I don't like those matchups at all.

 

[Deuce]

I wouldn't say we were the best team in the NFL. Or even the NFC, for that matter. (maybe the NFC East) We were better than Seattle yesterday, but I'd still put teams like Seattle and Denver above us. Maybe even Green Bay. They are more complete teams.

The coaches on both sides of the ball had an excellent gameplan yesterday. And the team played about as good as you could hope, outside of special teams. But we still have a suspect defense. We can be ran on. And the back end of our defense still isn't that good. I love the way they are playing right now. But I'm not foolish enough to think it's a championship caliber defense. Hell, a couple weeks ago we were wondering if it was even an NFL caliber defense.

I wouldn't call GB complete. Their OL limits their ability to run the ball and Rodgers still has to run for his life to make plays at times. Defensively they are average.

Seattle is certainly better than they looked yesterday, but that's a credit to Marinelli's crew. I would only pick Denver to beat Dallas next week.

 

[Simpleton]

There will be games where the defense looks like shit but barring injuries I think they showed yesterday that they're good enough to at least compete in the playoffs. I still don't think the defense is good enough to win it all as the cracks will show at some point, but we're 6 games in now and I think it's fair to say that it's not a fluke anymore, the defense is at least average, which is a huge surprise.

I mean, we basically shut down New Orleans for 3 quarters until we were up by like 3 TD's, we shut Houston down for the entire game aside from the last 2 drives and Seattle was completely shut down for the entire game despite being gifted with turnovers that gave them the ball in the red zone twice.

Like I said, of course there will be games when things go wrong but I think the defense has shown consistency over the last 3 weeks. They aren't just getting by with fortuitous bounces, penalties or turnovers, they're straight up shutting offenses down for large portions of the game.

 

[UncleMilti]

Dallas has some warts, especially on D...but so does every other team out there.

I have really underated their D, especially if they can play like they did yesterday for 5-6 of the remaining games.

The run D is scary though....too many big runs given up at bad times but I believe the whole D will continue to improve especially as Melton and Spencer return to form and Carter gets back on the field. Durant has been a surprise though.

Not sure getting Lawrence back really does a lot, but it can't hurt.

 

[Simpleton]

Dallas has some warts, especially on D...but so does every other team out there.

I have really underated their D, especially if they can play like they did yesterday for 5-6 of the remaining games.

The run D is scary though....too many big runs given up at bad times but I believe the whole D will continue to improve especially as Melton and Spencer return to form and Carter gets back on the field. Durant has been a surprise though.

Not sure getting Lawrence back really does a lot, but it can't hurt.

If Lawrence is healthy he should be our most explosive pass rusher. Of course he's a rookie and most likely very unrefined in most areas of the game but it should be easy to fit him in to our rotation and only ask him to do things he's comfortable with at this point.

 

[skidadl]

I wouldn't say we were the best team in the NFL. Or even the NFC, for that matter. (maybe the NFC East) We were better than Seattle yesterday, but I'd still put teams like Seattle and Denver above us. Maybe even Green Bay. They are more complete teams.

The coaches on both sides of the ball had an excellent gameplan yesterday. And the team played about as good as you could hope, outside of special teams. But we still have a suspect defense. We can be ran on. And the back end of our defense still isn't that good. I love the way they are playing right now. But I'm not foolish enough to think it's a championship caliber defense. Hell, a couple weeks ago we were wondering if it was even an NFL caliber defense.

I agree. The defense is out playing their talent. It makes me wonder if they can keep it up week after week.

 

[skidadl]

The team is playing hard and with passion. You gotta love that.

 

[Simpleton]

The attitude of the team also seems different and I think alot of that has to do with our physicality on offense and to a lesser extent McClain and I guess Marinelli on defense. Usually when teams start trying to get chippy and talk shit after plays our guys wouldn't really respond in years past but there were several times yesterday where things got heated and our guys didn't back down.

You could also tell a bunch of our defensive players had chips on their shoulders with guys like Scandrick, Hayden and Church getting in guys faces all game. I think the fact that our OL has changed the identity of the team to one that is physical and smashmouth has rubbed off on the defense and given them a confidence and swagger.

 

[skidadl]

The attitude of the team also seems different and I think alot of that has to do with our physicality on offense and to a lesser extent McClain and I guess Marinelli on defense. Usually when teams start trying to get chippy and talk shit after plays our guys wouldn't really respond in years past but there were several times yesterday where things got heated and our guys didn't back down.

You could also tell a bunch of our defensive players had chips on their shoulders with guys like Scandrick, Hayden and Church getting in guys faces all game. I think the fact that our OL has changed the identity of the team to one that is physical and smashmouth has rubbed off on the defense and given them a confidence and swagger.

Yup. It seems like they are determined. They have the attitude that they are coming at teams and they can back it up.

 

[L.T. Fan]

The defense is getting better each week because they are learning to work together as a unit. Some are getting more familiar with the overall system. There is every reason to believe they will continue to be cohesive and possibly even better. What is there outside of injury that would make anyone think they will blow up?

 

[BipolarFuk]

The defense is better simply because their coordinator doesn't need a nap at halftime.

 

[mcnuttz]

I do prop Garrett though...he had to know if this season did not go well he would be in trouble...in that case you see coaches getting more involved. He stepped back and let his assts coach and they are better for it. I don't love the guy, but I credit him for being a HC instead of a glorified OC.

Some people have a really hard time delegating work, especially when they fancy themselves really smart and capable.

So yeah, I would prop Garrett as well...whether it was forced and self-imposed. He's done a good job of letting his guys handle their responsibilities while being the head coach.

Jerry could learn a thing or two from him.

Micromanaging will only get you so far, you have to trust your guys to do their jobs.

 

[Simpleton]

The defense is getting better each week because they are learning to work together as a unit. Some are getting more familiar with the overall system. There is every reason to believe they will continue to be cohesive and possibly even better. What is there outside of injury that would make anyone think they will blow up?

One of the plays that really impressed me yesterday was on the first drive of the game when Seattle had a 3rd and 10 on about the 15, trying to go in for a TD. The slot WR ran a post I believe, going from right to left, Durant carried him up the field but there was a bit of separation, not much but enough where a good throw gets it in. Wilson made a good throw but Church was there to break it up, if not it's probably a TD.

I don't think that play is made last year and I think it shows how the scheme is really catching on with the players.

 

[UncleMilti]

The defense is getting better each week because they are learning to work together as a unit. Some are getting more familiar with the overall system. There is every reason to believe they will continue to be cohesive and possibly even better. What is there outside of injury that would make anyone think they will blow up?

Nothing, really.

You are right...the more time these guys play together in this scheme, the better they look. I think players returning to form helps, but so does getting some stability in the secondary. I honestly think Claiborne was a distraction.

 

[UncleMilti]

One thing this team has across the board this season.....confidence.

That's not been there in years past.

Going 10 points down, on the road the last 3-4 seasons and this team folded like a cheap suit.

Yesterday was nice...no one panicked.

OTOH...turnovers and stupid shit like what happened yesterday can flip a season upside down if its not taken care of.

Harris muffing that punt was inexcusable.

 

[townsend]

The thing I loved most about this game was how physical it was (and how the refs let it be)
In 2011 we played Seattle looking like the favorites, then we got the crap beat out of us. The high powered passing game couldn't get off the ground because Seattle's physicality crushed our finesse.
Sunday we went in and beat up the biggest kid on the playground.

 

[Texas Ace]

The thing I loved most about this game was how physical it was (and how the refs let it be)
In 2011 we played Seattle looking like the favorites, then we got the crap beat out of us. The high powered passing game couldn't get off the ground because Seattle's physicality crushed our finesse.
Sunday we went in and beat up the biggest kid on the playground.

The physical and mental toughness they showed yesterday is easily the most encouraging thing from the game.

The win streak is great, but it's how we're winning that legitimizes this team's success.