Cowboys Nostalgia Thread

[Cujo]

It was just a few years ago, yet it feels like ages.

Opening the season with a 40-0 win is pretty nice.

 

[boozeman]

Opening the season with a 40-0 win is pretty nice.

And what the hell did it get us?

 

[Cujo]

And what the hell did it get us?

I know.

 

[Rev]

And what the hell did it get us?

a win

 

[Smitty]

It was just a few years ago, yet it feels like ages.

I kinda miss McCarthy as the head coach.

 

[boozeman]

I kinda miss McCarthy as the head coach.

I have zero fond memories of his fat ass. Mostly it was the Quinn defense that provided more empty memories of fake glory.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

I kinda miss McCarthy as the head coach.

The other night a good 2023 win was on and I did, too.

 

[Genghis Khan]

I'd be pretty certain we had a 12 win roster this year if McCarthy was the HC.

 

[Rev]

I'd be pretty certain we had a 12 win roster this year if McCarthy was the HC.

12 wins in regular season. 0 in playoffs.

Shot isnt the answer either (and will be worse than) but McCarthey dug his grave (albeit with some help).

 

[Genghis Khan]

12 wins in regular season. 0 in playoffs.

Shot isnt the answer either (and will be worse than) but McCarthey dug his grave (albeit with some help).

He did beat TB in the playoffs.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

I'd be pretty certain we had a 12 win roster this year if McCarthy was the HC.

Yeah I feel like I'm still unsure about Schotty as the head coach.

 

[ravidubey]

McCarthy didn’t do anything special when he was here beyond what Schotty brings. Where were the unique coaching and FA role-player hires? The innovation? It was a lot of leaning on Micah and Dak.

Too many seasons removed to have brought that, and counted way too much on Micah to be the whole defense.

2025/2026 brought the biggest change I’ve seen in Dallas in 30 years.

A real elite DT in Quinnen Williams we can build a defense around.

With that normally very hard to find piece in place, you can shuffle in the surrounding players. They have him and Kenny Clark!

They were able to rebuild the defense around the both of them in one offseason. Yeah they could use a finishing CB, but they are intact right now!

Gailey, Garrett, McCarthy, even Parcells and Wade never had this much defensive talent in Dallas.

Finally, a team that can legit stop the run (or it should be able to).

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Gailey, Garrett, McCarthy, even Parcells and Wade never had this much defensive talent in Dallas.

Wait, what?

If this is even remotely true, we should be amazing defensively this year, not the mid-pack we're all realistically hoping for.

 

[bbgun]

 

[Cotton]

Gailey, Garrett, McCarthy, even Parcells and Wade never had this much defensive talent in Dallas.

I predict we will be a top 10-15 defense this year. Let's see how that compares to those years:

Year 2003
Record 10-6
Rank Top 5–10

2005
9-7
~10–15

2007
13-3
~10–15

2009
11-5
Top 5–8

2014
12-4
~10–15

2016
13-3
Top 10

2021
12-5
~5–10

2022
12-5
Top 8

2023
12-5
Top 5 (≈5th)

 

[Smitty]

Wait, what?

If this is even remotely true, we should be amazing defensively this year, not the mid-pack we're all realistically hoping for.

I think the defense could surprise, honestly.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

I think the defense could surprise, honestly.

Not sure what people expect, but we've been one of the three or four (at best) worst in the entire league the last two years. And we added the Cards FA safety, an older Gary, and the Rams CB. Unless Downs is Ed Reed right away, I don't see how we're even a good defense yet. I'm still hoping for average this year. Maybe next year we're "good."

 

[bbgun]

I predict we will be a top 10-15 defense this year.

If we finish in the high teens, I'll kiss Booze flush on the lips. With my eyes open.

 

[Genghis Khan]

Not sure what people expect, but we've been one of the three or four (at best) worst in the entire league the last two years. And we added the Cards FA safety, an older Gary, and the Rams CB. Unless Downs is Ed Reed right away, I don't see how we're even a good defense yet. I'm still hoping for average this year. Maybe next year we're "good."

I think modernizing the defensive philosophy will help a lot.

Talent wise, I think people are getting a little carried away, although I don't think it's bad.

I think the ceiling for this defense will depend on Gary, Ezeiruaku, and Lawrence. If they can get pressure and take some of the attention from Quinnen Williams, we might have something.

I think the scheme with it's multiplicity and ability to disguise what they're doing will establish the floor at around the back end of the middle of the pack.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

If we finish in the high teens, I'll kiss Booze flush on the lips. With my eyes open.

Liar.

I think modernizing the defensive philosophy will help a lot.

Talent wise, I think people are getting a little carried away, although I don't think it's bad.

I think the ceiling for this defense will depend on Gary, Ezeiruaku, and Lawrence. If they can get pressure and take some of the attention from Quinnen Williams, we might have something.

I think the scheme with it's multiplicity and ability to disguise what they're doing will establish the floor at around the back end of the middle of the pack.

I think people are waaaay too high on Parker. He's never even called a defense.

I think we all liked the process of hiring him, but that doesn't mean he's some guarantee to be good, especially his very first year.

And yes booze, we know this isn't nostalgia.