Your end of season $0.02.

[P_T]

Mine:

I actually wrote this during the 4th quarter.

First, I could not care less if DQ leaves (and leaning towards him actually doing so regardless of how it happens). It's obvious that his scheme only works with a lead... and that cannot be counted on week to week.

Speaking of scheme, unless he was trying to protect Gilmore, WHY start the game in zone? The last time we played zone, vs seattle, we got, well, you know.

Second, I think McCarthy is a good HC... something needs to change on the offense. If it were not for the Dak/CeeDee connection, MM's play calling would've been exposed a white ago. Now, I'm not sure what the the OL's issues were this year (especially in the run game), but other teams with similar OLs and RBs ran the ball with much more success than us. Just look at this game, our OL/DL personnel are similar with GB's (IMO we have a slight edge overall) and TP and Aaron Jones are basically the same dude, but Jones had a much easier time.

If MM stays, OC (playcaller) and OL coach need to change.

Personel... I said it was willing to give Mazi a full year to start showing that he can play at this level, and I'm sticking to that. We need to address the long term solution for LT, whether that be Tyler or a draft pick. If Tyron wants to stay as the backup swing tackle, fine, but with a paycut. Unless TP accepts a friendly deal... .

Dak isn't going anywhere, so get used to it... and I'm still of the opinion that he IS one of the better QBs in the league.

I know it goes against this organization's DNA, but, especially with Hankins age, they still see NT as a priority and get one of the top FAs.

In the draft: LB, OL, RB (I kinda like the kid from Wisconsin).

I sure I'll have a few more pennies to add as we get into the off-season.

 

[Simpleton]

I agree with this pretty much all around except I think McCarthy has to go and I'd be fine bringing Tyron back as a starter but I'd want to go OL high in the draft to plan for his retirement and cover in case of injury.

I'd also like to see us bring in another edge rusher who can win off traditional pass rushes and not just off twists/stunts.

 

[Bill Shatner]

I think Shannon Sharpe nailed it today.

He basically said this coaching staff was lazy and doesn't go over tendencies. That's how a shitty defense looked all world. They were sitting on all the plays Dallas likes to run because they don't take the time to go over what they do frequently.

So is it arrogance or laziness? Did this fucking team think they could just line up and do what they wanted, or were they too lazy to fucking care?

 

[Chocolate Lab]

My overarching goal is for the team to get tougher. This team is branded as frontrunners, and it's true.

We need several new front seven players. I don't know how you do that, but you have to try. You have to get a new DT or two. Even if they aren't the greatest, they need to at least be mean and have some guts. Same at LB. These aren't typically expensive players, so make it happen.

No more cute, cuddly, smiling Gallup. No more soft and dumb Tolbert. Give Brooks a chance and find more like him, even if they don't have the best 40 or vertical or arm length.

Obviously, we need a new RB corps. They don't have to be Tony D or Emmitt, just people who run with violence. That's not an expensive position, either. So no excuses.

Ditch the moron players. Don't give a shit if Sam Williams is fast enough to play gunner at 255, send him packing. Already mentioned Tolbert.

As someone who likes Mike, I actually want him to go because I think next year has disaster written all over it if you don't make major changes. I'm glad Dan is going. He did a good job here but it's time to move on from all the nickel/hybrid players.

As I said before, I can't see any way Jerry trades Dak, so I think the ceiling of this team is limited. But give me a Vrabel and maybe we can at least be more physical and stop finessing our way to embarrassment.

That's if Jerry will even allow it. I still think the Joneses are behind a bunch of the soft treatment of this team. But at least try do do what you can.

Edit to add... no more fucking philosopher-poet nosetackles. Ever.

 

[bbgun]

Aaaand here is my good buddy dbair1967's rant:

I mean, what is there to really say? Most of us (including me) would have not been all that surprised if we lost. In fact I kind of expected it, I'd been saying for basically two weeks I thought this was probably a bad match up for us (Rams too), but I doubt anyone could have seen us doing THIS. It was so bad, that my wife actually had no idea I was upstairs WATCHING it. I literally didn't say a word the entire game. Never happened since the day I started watching football in 1975.

1) It's probably the single worst postseason performance in franchise history, certainly is in my lifetime. It far surpasses the shutout loss to the 85 Rams. (Dickerson ran for 248 that day). Since the last Super Bowl win we've had a number of ugly losses (the Vikings in 2009 comes to mind) but nothing like this. To make matters worse, it was at home, to a 9-8 football team that in the last month got beat bad by Tampa Bay, lost to the NYG and Tommy Devito and then nearly lost to the 2 win Carolina Panthers (and gave up 30 pts!). It's inexplicable and after 3 straight years of postseason failure, should be the nail in the coffin for McCarthy and this coaching staff.

2) Should be the end of the Mike McCarthy era. Seems like a nice guy, and he's been better than probably all of the coaches since Jimmy. But he can't win in the postseason. Team was completely unprepared, uninspired and had no confidence whatsoever after the game kicked off. He had a look of failure in eyes on the sideline before Prescott ever threw that first pick. He was already in panic mode and so was the team. The only good postseason game he's had was against a team with a losing record that didn't care to play. They've now lost twice on their homefield in games they were favored in. Time to move on.

3) There really doesn't need to be anymore media lovefest with Dan Quinn as an elite defensive coach, he is clearly not. Yesterday was just a dump truck full of cowshit from him. There's just been too many of these kinds of games, where the defense can't even force punts nor stop the other team from scoring. We gave up more points and tds to Green Bay than the Giants, Tampa or Carolina did in recent games. At one point it was 6 TDs in first 7 drives. He's a fucking loser and I will laugh my ass off if any team REALLY hires him as a HC. Would be doing us a huge favor if they did. Whether he leaves on his own or not, has to be the last game he coaches here.

4) Prescott pissed the bed in a big game, again. He was dreadful for most of the game, but especially when it was still a "game". He threw two awful picks including a dagger Pick 6, and should have easily had two or three others picked off. He is not a winner and never will be because he cannot handle the pressure of "big games". He had the deer in the headlights look from the first snap of the game and threw the ball the worst he has all year. This against the ONLY defense that made Bryce Young look good this year. They obviously have a major conundrum with his contract situation, but they cannot give him a mega contract extension at this point. Maybe they just have to bite the big one, move on and take the "cap medicine" for 1 or 2 seasons. Yes, that maybe means a rebuild. But let's be honest, who wouldn't trade our situation for Houston's right now? The worst part for Prescott is the game was at home, in perfect conditions and the OL for the most part gave him GREAT pass protection. The verdict is 100% in on him now.

5) For our offense, it kind of seemed like we watched Green Bay duplicate almost verbatim what Buffalo defense did a few weeks ago, only this time there was no rain or wind and our team apparently learned nothing from that. They literally ran most of the exact same coverages and the few times they blitzed, it looked like carbon copies of the Bills. This from a GB defensive staff that had been awful almost all year and at some points was so bad that many wondered if Lafleur would make a coaching change in-season.

6) Not sure what was going on between CeeDee, Prescott and McCarthy but it was truly bizarre and it was going on from the get-go. Like everything else with the game, it was another of those inexplicable things.

7) Major rebuild job coming for parts of the defense and maybe a couple spots on the OL. Guys like Jayron Kearse, Malik Hooker, Damone Clark and others have to be replaced or just gone. Some guys will obviously leave via free agency, but we need to have a good draft this year for certain and hope this years class (invisible) can step up next year.

8) After trashing the refs all week, I have to admit they had basically nothing to do with the outcome of the game. So kudos to them. And they actually called two holds on Parsons.

9) All kinds of awful yesterday but a few plays that stuck out to me A) Prescott throwing a rookie type pick 6 into coverage B) Prescott actually somehow completing a pass into quadruple coverage to Ferguson on a ball that no quality NFL QB would have tried to throw C) Dallas defense allowing an NFL player to go uncovered 25-30 yards downfield for easiest TD a player could ever get, nobody fell down. Nobody on GB did anything illegal. This happened with the starters in the game in an NFL Playoff D) End of game and didn't matter, but Prescott's career in one play- throwing into double coverage to Lamb when Jalen Tolbert was running scot-free down the sideline for length of field TD. Prescott never even looked at him.

10) One of my friends texted during the game "is the BlackSox scandal but now it's Cowboys?" That's how bad it was. It was so pathetic and baffling, somebody actually wondered if it was on purpose.

Another wasted season with a corp group of pretty talented players. They have to find someone that can come in here and instill confidence and toughness into them. They are soft mentally and physically and this has to change.

 

[P_T]

This team needs a strict disciplinarian that will demand accountability... IMO, two names that have the skins to legitimately do that: Belichick and Vrabel. The question is, was this the final straw that causes Jerry to "say uncle" and bring in someone who will be that "it's my way or the highway" leader... where the players see him (and only him) as the alpha and the omega.

 

[boozeman]

First, I could not care less if DQ leaves (and leaning towards him actually doing so regardless of how it happens). It's obvious that his scheme only works with a lead... and that cannot be counted on week to week.

It is also way too dependent on turnovers.

It went a long way to helping us win games, but when a team is scheme-sound and does not panic, they can have their way facing a dime defense every down.

The personnel side of the ball failed us. We took a stab at Leonard, maybe offered a conditional seventh to Denver for Jewell or whatever we pretend we did, but our organizational incompetence forced Quinn into doing that. It was just a matter of time before it failed.

Speaking of scheme, unless he was trying to protect Gilmore, WHY start the game in zone? The last time we played zone, vs seattle, we got, well, you know.

They obviously saw something from a game that probably did not matter as much where Love was confused by zone coverage. It is pretty clear we are not suited for it and Quinn actually had Kearse playing a true free safety role and it resulted in huge issues.

Second, I think McCarthy is a good HC... something needs to change on the offense. If it were not for the Dak/CeeDee connection, MM's play calling would've been exposed a white ago. Now, I'm not sure what the the OL's issues were this year (especially in the run game), but other teams with similar OLs and RBs ran the ball with much more success than us. Just look at this game, our OL/DL personnel are similar with GB's (IMO we have a slight edge overall) and TP and Aaron Jones are basically the same dude, but Jones had a much easier time.

What is going to change on offense? This was Fat Mike's show along with a side assist from Schottenheimer's kid and that was the best you are going to get with that pair of brains on the case. He is not going to just let some snotnose Metrosexual offense-raised youngster in here.

If MM stays, OC (playcaller) and OL coach need to change.

The OL concepts by Solari have been an issue all year long.

I have said it for a while. The OL coach is a crucial position. The team goes as the line goes. All of the top offenses have not only players on the OL, but moreover can scheme around not having a first round stud at all five positions. The 49ers are a classic example.

Personel... I said it was willing to give Mazi a full year to start showing that he can play at this level, and I'm sticking to that.

Good luck with that one.

We need to address the long term solution for LT, whether that be Tyler or a draft pick. If Tyron wants to stay as the backup swing tackle, fine, but with a paycut. Unless TP accepts a friendly deal... .

The LT is on the roster in Tyler Smith. Now we need a real LG and a C. Bass can inherit RG and then we can look at RT later.

Dak isn't going anywhere, so get used to it... and I'm still of the opinion that he IS one of the better QBs in the league.

I know it goes against this organization's DNA, but, especially with Hankins age, they still see NT as a priority and get one of the top FAs.

In the draft: LB, OL, RB (I kinda like the kid from Wisconsin).

I sure I'll have a few more pennies to add as we get into the off-season.

We just tried to draft a NT and had shrunk him down to 3-T size in a matter of weeks. I don't think they have a plan on the DL.

 

[boozeman]

Oh yeah, not having a plan at RB other than half-gimp Pollard, Rico Dowdle and Vaughn was a recipe for disaster for a coach that said he wanted to run the ball.

 

[Texas Ace]

Speaking of scheme, unless he was trying to protect Gilmore, WHY start the game in zone? The last time we played zone, vs seattle, we got, well, you know.

Not just start in it, but why did we stay in it for so long?

What exactly was the defensive gameplan for yesterday's game? Whatever that was, it was atrocious.

 

[boozeman]

Not just start in it, but why did we stay in it for so long?

What exactly was the defensive gameplan for yesterday's game? Whatever that was, it was atrocious.

That is a legitimate question and that answer will likely never be provided.

Quinn won't face the music for his coaching malpractice in this game.

He could have owned the process and rallied his defense by saying I have no interest in interviews until the season is over.

Instead, he went for me first, which mirrors what our players do and that is part of the culture problem.

 

[1bigfan13]

D) End of game and didn't matter, but Prescott's career in one play- throwing into double coverage to Lamb when Jalen Tolbert was running scot-free down the sideline for length of field TD. Prescott never even looked at him.

I mentioned this as a concern of mine quite a few times this year. Even when the Dak to Lamb duo was cooking, I thought Dak was locking in too much on CeeDee and not properly reading the field.

I think I even mentioned yesterday that the Packers probably knew this and that's why Gallup had so much room to operate....because they knew Dak would ignore him and spam it to CeeDee hell or high water.

 

[Texas Ace]

That is a legitimate question and that answer will likely never be provided.

Quinn won't face the music for his coaching malpractice in this game.

He could have owned the process and rallied his defense by saying I have no interest in interviews until the season is over.

Instead, he went for me first, which mirrors what our players do and that is part of the culture problem.

Dan Quinn is a solid defensive coach and certainly one good enough to have recognized early on when the plan was not working.

That's why I can't for the life of me understand why he continued to watch us get picked apart and see guys running wide open all over the field and yet still made the conscious decision to stick with the original gameplan.

As much of a head scratcher as it was to have come out in zone to begin with, it's even more baffling that we stayed in those coverages for as long as we did.

I just don't know what the hell he was thinking and why he failed to react and it's a shame we're likely to never get his thoughts on what happened yesterday.

 

[Texas Ace]

I mentioned this as a concern of mine quite a few times this year. Even when the Dak to Lamb duo was cooking, I thought Dak was locking in too much on CeeDee and not properly reading the field.

I think I even mentioned yesterday that the Packers probably knew this and that's why Gallup had so much room to operate....because they knew Dak would ignore him and spam it to CeeDee hell or high water.

Because that's what he's always done.

That's what he did last season with Dalton Schultz.

It's just what a guy like that does when he both struggles under pressure and isn't the best at reading coverages.

 

[boozeman]

I mentioned this as a concern of mine quite a few times this year. Even when the Dak to Lamb duo was cooking, I thought Dak was locking in too much on CeeDee and not properly reading the field.

I think I even mentioned yesterday that the Packers probably knew this and that's why Gallup had so much room to operate....because they knew Dak would ignore him and spam it to CeeDee hell or high water.

Lamb is a bit of a finesse player that can be taken out of game if things are not just right.

He got shoved around early and never really was into the reality of where we were in the game, especially that ridiculous first down signal down 27-7.

He is not a dog worthy of the #88, at least in the sense I would think. He either is a big deal in the gameplan or he mails it in.

 

[boozeman]

Dan Quinn is a solid defensive coach and certainly one good enough to have recognized early on when the plan was not working.

That's why I can't for the life of me understand why he continued to watch us get picked apart and see guys running wide open all over the field and yet still made the conscious decision to stick with the original gameplan.

As much of a head scratcher as it was to have come out in zone to begin with, it's even more baffling that we stayed in those coverages for as long as we did.

I just don't know what the hell he was thinking and why he failed to react and it's a shame we're likely to never get his thoughts on what happened yesterday.

He is probably telling everyone on his job interviews that he called out the LB issue way back in the summer and our weak as shit pro personnel department came up with a run at Shaq Leonard that we lost.

 

[boozeman]

I saw that thumbs down, CL.

 

[Texas Ace]

Going back to the thread topic, I'm not going to go fantasy with my thoughts and opinions, I'm going to keep mine realistic and only offer what I think is truly achievable for the Cowboys in 2024.

We need a more hard-nosed coach that will make this team tougher both mentally and physically.

I know the culture within the organization makes that challenging for any coach to implement, but we have to at least try so ideally we'd go after somebody like Belichick or Harbaugh either of which would be capable of accomplishing both those things.

Next, we need to look at turning this offense into the 2014 offense where we went run-first and stopped putting so much weight on Tony Romo. We need to take the same approach with Dak Prescott, who sadly, I think will return.

In order to do that, you need a solid starting quality RB and much better O-line play which brings me to....

No more Tyron Smith unless he's willing to be a swing tackle or maybe even start at RT. Tyler Smith needs to start at LT and we need to build our line around that. Continuing on the topic of O-line, I know Solari sucked ass this year but the lack of continuity on the line didn't help and constantly relying on Tyron Smith was a major contributor to said lack of continuity.

It's time for that to change.

Get a solid, physical RB via FA or the draft. I'm willing to bring back TP on a decent deal but only if he's a complimentary player as he should be.

We need to get bigger on defense with ILB and pass rusher being the biggest needs, IMO. Even if we don't get as many splash plays as we did before, I think we benefit more from having a more consistent and dependable defense that can reliably win their battles in the trenches and stop the run consistently.

Move Micah Parsons to OLB and make him a situational pass rusher.

I think all of those things are realistically achievable in one off season. You do that, and there's no reason why we can't win 11 or 12 games again next year and give ourselves a shot to make a run.... Or at least as much of a run as a team can hope for with Dak Prescott at QB.

 

[Texas Ace]

Lamb is a bit of a finesse player that can be taken out of game if things are not just right.

He got shoved around early and never really was into the reality of where we were in the game, especially that ridiculous first down signal down 27-7.

He is not a dog worthy of the #88, at least in the sense I would think. He either is a big deal in the gameplan or he mails it in.

I think the right hard-nosed coach at this early stage in his career can change that mentality.

That's why it's important we get the right guy in here. A lot of these things are fixable.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

I don't think Lamb is soft at all. In fact, he's one of he few "dawgs" on this team.

 

[Texas Ace]

I don't think Lamb is soft at all. In fact, he's one of he few "dawgs" on this team.

Me either, but let's say Booze is right.... That could still be changed with the right guidance at this stage of his career.