Our fandom throughout these past 3 decades makes this show possible. In case you are upset at what happened (again) yesterday, just understand that your interest and following of the squad makes it a perpetual experiment. We rehash the same stuff after each failed postseason.
I’ve taken it for what it is. It has some entertainment value for me to an extent. I was shocked that the Cowboys won 12 games this season because last year’s defense showed so little. I was thinking 10 wins at most.
The offense put up great numbers against the worst competition, and not so great numbers against the better defenses. Especially when you are talking about consistent point scoring in all 4 quarters (which I thought might be an interesting analysis-anybody know where I can find breakdowns of scoring per quarter, pass yards per quarter, etc?).
The defense was substantially better in almost every area, but most notably for taking the ball away. They did it again yesterday (almost twice). They created a scoring opportunity for the offense, which the offense took advantage of. They still have trouble dealing with smash mouth styles of offense though. They held SF in check for most of the game, but could not hold after the interception from Dak. I was pleased with their total effort and game plan.
Lots of problems on both lines and unfortunately at the QB position. I have no issues with Dak being signed long term because the Cowboys knew he would be a better option for relevance than trying to start over. It’s good business to take easy wins when you can get them, and this division provides plenty of easier wins.
However, the Cowboys have very little chance to advance far in the playoffs without a premier QB, and they don’t have one. See the usual suspects in the final rounds and Joe Burrow showing so much promise on a Cincinnati club that has an extremely suspect defense and porous offensive line. There are typically only 3-5 QBs in the league each year that are on this level. They all require at least decent/average line play to succeed. Strong running games and defenses can help lift an average QB to later rounds of the playoffs, but a team with great coaching, elite qb, and good defense can go farthest in this league consistently.
This and the divisional rounds are something for this team’s core players to aspire to. It could be worse, and I’ve cheered on pretenders before. Let’s pretend the Cowboys actually have a chance at a Super Bowl in the next few years. More fun than the alternative.
