It’s All Perception
Posted: October 31, 2005 @ 3:01 pm
I’ve noticed an odd meme working its way through the national football media. On ESPN’s pre-game show yesterday, a package on the San Diego Chargers lamented their last minute letdowns. It showed the Chargers failure to score against Dallas, the loss of late leads to Pittsburgh and Denver and the awful loss to Philadelphia on a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown in the final two minutes.
The comclusion was that “San Diego might be the best 3-4 team ever.” After the Chargers win, I’ve seen it amended to “they may be the best 4-4 team ever.” Peter King of Sports Illustrated today ranks them in his top five.
Five minutes after San Diego’s woes were aired, ESPN ran a piece on Dallas, detailing the Cowboys’ late failures against Washington, Seattle and Oakland. No “best 4-3 team” labels for them. No young-team-going-through-growing pains explanations. No. This was a disease that threatened to kill the ‘05 Cowboys.
Granted, the Chargers have faced a brutal schedule. They have not had any San Franciscos or Arizonas on their slate. And I’m not trying to downplay Dallas’ failures to close. It seems odd that two nearly identical situations can be shown almost back to back and assessed in such different ways.
The best explantion I can think of is that expectations are higher for Dallas, among its fans and the press.
Comments
237 Responses to “It’s All Perception”
And I’ll bet they totally ignore da Bears.
No surprise here. The Chargers have what the mediots love most: names. The indomitable Ladanian Tomlinson, the great story of Drew Brees, the raw ability of Antonio Gates, the flash of Keenan McCardell, the brawn of Lorenzo Neal. Those guys make for easy stories. They also have some recent skins on the wall. And they have one more thing: underdog status.
Meanwhile, the Cowboys have a retread QB and a bunch of guys named WhoIsHe (from a mediot perspective). And we’ve been bad for a few years.
Our team will have to prove themselves by winning the NFC East and a playoff game. Then the mediots will finally be forced to really examine this team for the first time.
The reason is SD was 12-4 last year, we were 6-10 big difference. They have the best RB and TE in the game. Stop hating………Expectations for SD are much higher this year for them than dallas.
AW,
Why??? Why are expectations higher for San Diego than Dallas? Every year EVERY team starts out with the same clean slate, and the same goal. Dallas has played as well, (if not better than considering we beat them) than San Diego up to this point in the year. I understand that San diego had a great year last year, especially compared to ours. However if you listen to the mediots they still do not consider Dallas as having an impact in the division. I have to ask, WHY? Until we actually make some noise in the playoffs the coverage in the media will be the same. Why? Because very few of them are capable of intellectual analysis on how teams are playing. The fact that we should be at least 7 and 1 seems to have escaped the media. If we can limit our boneheaded mistakes we could win the whole thing.
I agree with Remnant and AW,
If Dallas had come off a 12 win season last year with the same proven players they may have received similar respect, who knows.
It’s only show biz anyway and these guys are wrong as much as they are right. I wonder how much research they really do?
rha,
Probably none….unless you count the musings of the game commentators they have to hear while watching a game.
CDW
SD didn’t get the same love last year at this time they get it this year because they were 12-4. We gave away two games and had a chance to win the other one. The other three close games we could have lost. The first 8 game are sum up like this if we score more than 13 points we win if we don’t we loose. If we go to the playoffs this year we will get more love next year. And SD has SB on their minds coming into this season and others did too.
Let’s get back to facts.
How many other teams have been in every game they’ve played this season? How many can claim they’re in a position to win every game they played if they had converted one of many plays they reasonably should have converted?
I do think SD is such a team. But so is Dallas. I’m not so on top of the NFL to be able to name other equivalent teams. However, I do know none of the other NFC East teams can make this claim. In fact, among their losses, Dallas has a the smallest pt margin.
These are the average loss margin per team:
Dallas - 3.33pts (3 losses)
NY Giants -12.5pts (2 losses)
Washington -15 pts (3 losses)
Philadelphia -18.33pts (3 losses)
These margins are a result of the Eagles, Redskins and Giants loosing ugly and convincingly. The Eagles lost big yesterday and to Dallas; Washington lost big yesterday and maybe also to the Chiefs; NY Giants lost convingly to SD.
Look at it like this
Rushing Statistics
NAME ATT YDS AVG LNG TD FUM LST
Julius Jones 112 407 3.6 25 3 1 1
Marion Barber 62 253 4.1 28 2 2 0
Tyson Thompson 44 180 4.1 16 0 0 0
Anthony Thomas 36 80 2.2 12 0 0 0
First…Who’s with me in that Julius should b M.B.3’s back-up??? I Know a person should not lose a job over injury, but even when he was healthy early on the season he did not run close to as good as Barber has the past 2 games!
What I luv is on some of the power polls, the chargers r still in the top 5! Will they also b the best in the top 5 when they don’t make the playoffs??? Is it possible that they r just not as good as advertised??? I believe not only Bill has said this but many others have said this also: “u r what u r”….& the chargers r precisely that 2!!!!
chris
We will see where SD falls at the end I think they will get into the playoffs. I think JJ should start but if he plays like he has then he should be replaced.
I think the big difference between the San Diego situation and the Dallas situation is that San Diego has an identity. They have L.T., Brees, and Gates…those are their solidified starters. And these are “stars” of the league, so of course they get airtime. Dallas on the other hand has little defined character. A mix of young-expected to be average players among a bunch of old beat up veterans…for some reason I don’t think that story plays too well. Don’t forget this, look at how much each dallas team has changed in the last three years. Remember ‘03? How many of those guys are playing and making an impact…not just in dallas but anywhere. I think that just comes down to the fact that no one in the media has taken the time to look at dallas’ players becouse…well let’s be honest…with the track record they might be out the door soon.
But let’s all get on the same train here ok???? Although I do believe San Diego is a good team…they are vastly over rated. No way are they the best .500 team ever.
well San Diego surprised the mediots last year by actually winning and Drew Brees was raised from the Dead and Phillip Rivers never got on the field. Now they are rushing to jump on the bandwagon of a team that has a good QB, a great RB, the best TE in football, and some good recivers……..and a typicaly Schottenheimer Defense.
What I hate is the teasers ESPN or Fox gives by always showing an excerpt of Parcells or the Cowboys…….and then when the get to the feature it is a dud or old news………but they know that Amercias Team still gets ratings……..and while the Mediots may despise them……..the NFL loves the Fact that the Cowboys are no longer cellar dwellers!
The media despite being hesitant to give the Cowboys their due, well don’t blame em. We been good for so long, and we got a few of our own in the Media these days………Troy Aikman is top Analyst in Football……..Jimmy Johnson is in the studio………DJ is in the boothe……..Emmit is on NFL…………Irvin is on ESPN……after getting an FA offer on the best damn sports show……….and sure to make a guest appearance on Showtimes show “Weeds” is Nate “2TON” Newton…….and the 2 Tons ain’t got nothing to do with his personal scale………LOL……..
If ESPN was smart they would move Madden to Monday Nights……..serve a turkey every game…….and have Nate show up and do analysis………Nate would get stoned and have the munchies and Madden could do analysis on how Big Nate eats a turkey leg under the influence of drugs that only Vikings use…….Big Nate could do a demonstration of how to use the Original Whizzinator……..and Leon Lett could show up to line analysis……..not offense or defense…….but Coke Lines…..are they straight do they have the right amount of columbian…….LOL………it would be far better than Mike Patrick, Joe Thiesman and McGuire……….I had to endure Mike Patrick for years with Bill Packer back when ACC basketball was believe it or not small time………..Patrick sucked then in basketball and he still sucks today……..I say give Madden, Newton and Lett a couple of kilos and some Turkey and let them be the new Trio on the booth on Monday Nights. Hey it will still beat out Dennis Miller or Dan Diedorf………..
WHOA, I just had a thought….Check this out !!!!
Marion Barber is to Julius Jones
as
Willie Parker is to Jerome Bettis
I know it’s a stretch…but wouldn’t it be cool if we could keep ‘em both in the mix!!!!!
Look at this mess on cbs.
2. The Philadelphia Eagles aren’t the team to beat in the NFC East; the New York Giants are. They can run and pass. Philadelphia can’t. Besides, the Eagles have fallen into the habit of digging themselves into deep first-half holes. Look at their past four games: They were outscored 79-30. Now, let’s look at New York, which has won three of its past four. Its next game is at San Francisco. That’s a win. Then the Giants play home to Minnesota. That’s another win. That makes them 7-2 with seven games left, and let’s just say they win four of them. That puts them in the playoffs, and it might win the division.
emrdog
No JJ is not power runner or are you saying MB is the power runner? I like one main guy back there with the back up getting 5-10 carries.
emrdog:
Bad comparison, try Curtis Martin-Richie Anderson, Rudi Johnson-Chris Perry, Mike Anderson-Tatum Bell and then some Priest Holmes-Larry Johnson and you’ll be closer. It’s good to have depth.
This is one reason why Peter King has lost all credibility with me and his ability to be objective.
The biggest part of the problem is that, SD was a favorite of most every mediot in the country. In essence they are just trying to prop up their preseason picks. I predicted they would 7-9 simply because SD has such a tough schedule. But it burns me to no end that we keep getting slighted while the mediots are putting two teams in the top 5 that we’ve already beat.
Chris,
We discussed JJ and Barber on a previous thread. I agree Barber should be the guy for now.
Chandus
Real bad comparisons. MB looks the part of Martin more than JJ. Bell can score at anytime JJ is no where near his speed. MB doesn’t do anything great but does everything well. JJ hasn’t run inside yet. MB does kind of look like Perry but JJ and Rudi don’t look alike at all.
Wow, sorry I was way off…the reason I bring it up is becouse I like Barber catching balls in the flat and I think he can turn the corner pretty well…I like to think of JJ as a power runner becouse in all honesty he lacks a few steps in my opinion
Hey who cares about “Power Polls” and “expert” opinions. Did they pick New England to beat the Rams? Do they ever get it right? … My opinion on this goes way back. I have articles on how the Cowboys were finished after starting 0-2 in 1993. Then done in 1994 after they lost to SF in the NFC Championship game. 2 Super Bowl Championships later!! But the Boys aren’t the only team they’ve been wrong about …. they are almost always wrong!! … ESPN’s Steven A. Smith adomately predicted that the Lakers would destroy the Pistons. He wouldn’t even let his colleague speak on the chance of the Pistons upsetting LA. …. Days later he was just as rude, as if he was God’s gift to basketball knowledge. He got right back on the air, with more predictions, but offering no apalogies for his “Lakers blowout” prediction. …. The best thing to do is keep an article or just remember how wrong the analyst was … when they start talking again like they know so much more than the every day sport’s fan … sit back and laugh. .. or just do what I do … if they loose all credability … simply ignore them.
…. Hey since we are here at the 1/2 way point, what are your biggest disappointments? Suprises? Any mid-season grades?
If there is one thing I am upset with, its that the coaching staff didn’t lock Newman on Santana Moss. He is the only CB with the speed to match up with Moss, and that desicion cost us a division game.
Best suprise is how fast the new D has become effective and shows potential to dominate.
Biggest disappointment is the offensive line play.
I think you guys will miss Singleton. He’s not a superstar or a playmaker but he is a Steady Eddie that does his job and is a good guy in the team mold. Now Fujita takes his place(thank you KC) and will do fine, if not better, but that creates a hole in the depth behind him. I think if Burnett was ready for prime time we would have seen him by now. Putting Fujita in the D more takes him out of special teams where we will miss his contributions.
I’m GLAD we’re not getting the attention some of these other teams are getting. I like that we’re not up at the top of the stupid power polls.
I want us to remain under the radar as best we can until playoff time, although it’s getting harder. We don’t need the added high expectation media preasure this year. Believe me, we’ll have it next year for sure.
Let the media stroke SD and owens’ eagles and manning’s giants and the goody-goody patriots. Our defense will make people stand up and notice real quick come playoff time who the more “powerful” team is.
Good Question EricR
disappointments #1 the games we lost—should have won.
#2 Julius Jones,even when he’s not hurt I’m disappointed
#3 Flozell Adams…that’s going to sting down the road and
the inconsistancy of the O-Line
Suprises #1 The Defense baby!!!!…they have young sharp little
teeth don’t they!!!
#2 the deference Anthony Henery has made
#3 Drew, I’m still mad at him for the Seattle game, but I
got to hand it to him, he’s having a good season
#4 K. Johnson has turned out to be a great pick up
#5 DeMarcus Ware is scary good…SCARY
Grades Offense : B - Defense: B + Special teams: C +
Bill Parcells description of Barber sounds like the same one he used for Ritchie Anderson, damn near verbatim. Does that translate onto the field? We’ll have to wait and see. Personally, I’m in the Julius Jones corner. If he’s healthy and fails to perform with the blocking MB3 has enjoyed recently, then I would give the rock to MB3 or Tyson Thompson. Whoever gets the job done. I’m just glad we have such depth at the position but I’m not ready to jump bandwagons based on one or two games. Parcells will play both guys to our great pleasure.
Had we just beat the Washington Redskins we would be undefeated in the NFC East……..which is what we did back in our Glory Days of the early Ninties……..we finally figured out how to beat the Eagles, Redskins and Giants……..and they were all really good teams……..like uh……….a few Super Bowls between em………and after we figured it out the rest of the NFL was a cake walk to the Super Bowl and 3 Rings.
The road to the Super Bowl is still paved through the NFC EAST!
The only other thing that I am disappointed in is the fact that Drew Bledsoe has not lit up defenses with Witten. I thought he would become his favorite target. Witten single covered should be a completion 75% of the time. Just ask Aikman and Novacek…….Brees and Gates……..anybody and Gonzalez………..Ben Coates anyone………come on Drew throw it to the big guy in the middle that few LBs or Safeties can cover………and watch your TDs go up and your INTS go down.
Other than that I think the best thing is we are in every game. We lost 3 we could have easily won…….but hey ain’t nobody pushing us around anymore.
Unfortunately I hate to even mention a kicker……..but I am glad Cortez is gone and Suisham………is in………..I want my kicker to make it from 21 twice……….I can miss a few from 45 and sleep at night………I just gotta tell the Offense………hey this guy is automatic from 40……..so get us to the 23 yard line and we got 3. Otherwise we keep going for it. But still we had a good kicking game last year and did not even think about it before Cundiff’s injury. I gues %(*&%(& happens!
Oh well………for my money we might be the best 5-3 team………cuz we have yet to have a mistake free great football game. When that happens this team beats anybody in the NFL today……..and in January when it really matters. You figure Ware, Canty, Spears, Ratliff, Barber, and Burnett get better each game………..learn the D and O better……..along with the X and the O……..and we could surprise ourselves come playoff time.
Similar to those 92 teams……..the young guys really don’t know how good they are………and that can be to our advantage…….and the VETS want to get there cuz well Drew, Glenn, Ferg, Rivera, and KJ, TG, and Ellis and Glover aint getting any younger! It could be a really nice mix come playoff time! And we are talking playoffs. Loving it………so far.
Bill go get em ready for the Eagles again! You should have Dat and Julius back. You got two weeks to get Ware ready to knock McNabb into next seasons hopeful return from injury!
emrdog,
My only disappointment (really) is the coaches desicion not to man up on Santana. I don’t get too upset at young players making mistakes. So besides one bad throw in Seatle, a couple stupid holding penalties by the O-line vets, and Anthony Henry and Aaron Glen getting beat a few times, things have been good. The coaches should have scouted Moss better, and known Newman is the only corner that has the speed to cover Moss. You do notice that since that game, Zimmer and Parcells have matched up. .. No excuse for that!!
I think Newman is the most improved player on the team. He is shutting guys down. Holding good WRs to one or two catches. His ability to go man on man is allowing Parcells to be aggressive with Roy. … Nick Eatman did an article on “Mr. Irreplacable”, and I now think it is Newman who deserves that title.
Unlike most of the faithful, I haven’t been overly impressed with Ware. He has been good, especially for a young player and a player making a position change. .. Probably unfair to him, but you can’t really impress me until you are winning battles in the trenches in those late season games. Make plays in November and December!! To me that is what make a player a PLAYER! Does he have that in him??
Jon,
Excellent points!! That first Super Bowl team in the 90’s “didn’t know how good they were” and Jimmy Johnson got them playing well at just the right time. Just seemed as the season moved on they were gaining confidence. Right about the middle of that season they started doing things like penalty free-games and no turnover games. Remind you of anyone? Late season “tests” like traveling to Denver, prepared them for the raod ahead. This year’s late season road schedule could do the same. Scoring on first drives and getting an early lead, only to close games out with a powerful running game became the mark of that team. Saw that for the first time yesterday. .. I say stick with Barber. He was a spark! But I think more importantly, when a team plays like Dallas did yesterday, they get comfortable with what is there. You don’t want to alter that. Julius can get carries and an oportunity to show an ability to stay healthy. But not now, not just as this young team is gaining confidence in what they are.
I think that some of you have short term memory, JJ is fast, but you’re right he hasn’t shown that this year. So now we need to see him running with the way the line is playing now and you’ll see JJ as the starter at the Linc and accomplishing the 2nd 100 yard game of the season. But the line needs to be dominant.
StarStruck:
Yeah, Parcells description of MB3 sounds exactly to the one of Anderson, with the only diferences being that MB3 is faster and smaller. Sounds to me like Parcells ball distribution will begin at Philly, JJ 20 touches, MB3 10 touches and some change to TT.
Sean is on the right track. The D is what makes this team dangerous. Lets look at some stats from the last few games:
AZ 12 first downs, 7-17 on 3rd down, 213 net yards, 3.5 yards per play
Sea 20 first downs, 3-13 on 3rd down, 289 net yards, 4.4 yards per play
NYG 11 first downs, 1-11 on 3rd, 270 net yards, 5.1 ypp
Phi 6 first downs, 2-12 on 3rd, 129 net yards, 3.0 ypp.
Oak 16 first downs, 2-10 on 3rd, 333 net yards, 5.9 ypp.
What really impresses me is the lack of first downs and the 3rd down conversion rate. They are really making it tough on opposing teams to keep the ball. This has enabled them to stay in every game and consitently win the time of posession battle. And these stats have come against the #1 rated offense in the NFL 3 times so far. (Phi, NYG, Sea).
Lets hope that Henry and Pile are ok. Henry, particularly, has been exceptional so far. He has really balanced out the pass D.
Singleton is gone. But lets hope that Burnett is ready to step up to fill the reserve role. Remember, he was drafted at a higher spot than JJ was (#41 vs #42). Time to show something.
And yes, I think JJ should get the load when he returns. He is more explosive than MB3. That said, I think MB3 will have a nice long career. He knows what he’s doing and won’t likely make mistakes. That goes a long way with coaches. You can argue that his rushing stats are better than JJ’s. I’d argue that the OLine is run blocking better now than in the early season.
But to conclude, I think the media has underestimated Dallas. I do think SD is reasonably ranked. They are a good team. And that Dallas beat them in SD only speaks to our ability.
We do have some holes and problems. But overall, I am encouraged by what I am seeing.
Off-topic, but related to the opening about san diego getting more attention-Did anyone notice the hall of fame list came out? Will the Cowboys bias continue to the point where Aikman doesn’t go 1st ballot???? “Oh, he just benefitted from being with Emmitt and that Offensive line” Of course, for Emmit they’ll say it was just the passing game and the offensive line. And if that offensive was so good, will they put anyone besides Larry Allen in the HOF (NO)? Will they have the guts to put Irvin and Troy in TOGETHER and pay homage to the best team ever?? Will Rayfield Wright make it??? And will Nate Newton get chosen? (just kidding there)
I too hope Dallas continues to fly under the radar. It adds fuel to the fire. This team is going to explode by the time it gets to the playoffs. I can just feel it. It feels a lot like the 80s when there were teams that had been bad but were emerging. I think of the Giants and the Bears. You could just feel that they were going to be good. This team has that. I honestly think that we are going to the SuperBowl. I don’t see anybody from the NFC stopping us. I don’t know if we can beat Indianapolis or the Steelers when we get to the SB, but I do know that the 3-4 has been a killer for them the past 4 years. I do like our chances however.
If before the 2004 season you would tell me that we would have a Martin-Anderson type duo in the backfield with a HR hitter like TT, I would be as thrilled as he**. Stop complaining and worrying who will start. It doesn’t matter. BP knows what to do with a large amount of RB talent.
I think Aikman will be picked first rattle out of the bag. The reason is, for whatever you think about him, he was extremely accurate. Not to mention he’s got that “all american good ol’ boy” thing going for him. If you look at his resume it would be disgusting not to vote him in this year. Super Bowl MVP…3 titles…so and so forth
Barber gets in there and rushes for 94 and 127, and all of a sudden “the line is playing better” (despite not having Flozell?). Oh the other one is “its only the Cardinals”. … It is what it is! .. Furthermore, Arizona is statistically better against the than 5 of the other 7 teams Dallas has played. Seatle plays very well at home too. The Seahawks at home allowed 67, 90, and 115 (against Atlanta), then Dallas and Barber rushed for a respectable 164 with Barber leading the way. Pretty damn good! .. Come on people, you don’t loose your best offensive lineman and then all of a sudden become BETTER overnight. .. Barber is different than JJ. A “power” back if you will. He may follow a block more often and lower his head and get a minimal gain. Where Julius may look to break the run to the outside, sometimes to loose yardage, sometimes to break a highlight type run. .. What I am saying is what was argued in the 90’s with the Emmitt vs Barry debate. With a “power” running game there is more straight ahead blocking, therefore an offensive lineman is less likely to grab and hold than if he has a runner that bounces a bunch of runs to the outside. The linemen are also rewarded by a RB that is following the blocks they make … they get to see their effort’s results in film study (also they are able to see what doing incorrectly), and the power blocking wears on a defense more, moreso when defenders are engaged in a block and the rusher barrels through them, ala Smith and Barber. In the 3rd and 4th quarters, defenses are so wore down, they can’t stop you. .. Do you really think its a coincidence that Dallas goes to a “power” back and all these things start falling into place? Closing out the game. No penalties. Less turnovers. Less pressure on the QB. .. Its not the line, nor the opponent. .. Just an early impression of Barber … this kid would play with a separated shoulder too. I like JJ, but would he? … Playing hurt, if you and I can recognize this, what do you think their teammates think about it?
This team is about where I expected at this point, maybe a bit ahead of it. In every game, no blowouts, a couple of unnecessary losses (but only one at home, or to a clearly inferior team, the Redskins).
The rookies look about like advertised. I’m still not ready to put Ware in Canton yet–he still is not looking enough like a dominant linebacker to suit me (or Bill, I’d wager), but his rush has improved and his containment is a lot better. Spears and Canty both show flashes. Barber looks good. Henry and Ferguson look like they came for a reason. Bledsoe is as good as the Cowboys have had since the middle of Aikman’s career.
Tackling is better. Coverage is better. The line is still an inconsistent mess. Kicking has been ridiculous. Punting and field position have been hidden strengths.
Keys in the second half will be putting a string together, and beating some good teams on the road. The team’s most complete games so far have both come at home–will they be able to do that on the road, or will it be more Oakland-Seattle-lose at the end? One makes them dominant, the other close to .500. My money would be on the former, but the “smart” money, the ESPN-Randy Galloway-DMN money, is on the latter, since the players are so young, and most of the media turkeys don’t like either Parcells or Bledsoe (or Jones!)
It will be nice to prove those chumps wrong, yet again.
Should read:”Arizona is statistically better against the run than 5 of the other 7 teams Dallas has played”
jones barber or thompson all need good blocking up front to create holes in order to be successful, a train on the other hand would need a scooter though he is the best blocker of the bunch, wonder if he could be a fb?
Eric R,
I agree with you to an extent on Barber. Yes he is better but not because I think he neccessarily has more power. First of all he’s a step quicker to the line that Julius Jones. Second, he keeps his legs moving after first contact which is something that Julius Jones did year one. I’m thinking all of the preaching that Parcells did over the summer about avoiding negative plays was making Jones fall foward for as many yards as he could after first contact.
I was reading an article in Pro Football talk about two and three back sets, their history, and their resurgence.
Any chance Dallas gets all three RBs in the game at the same time and runs a single receiver offensive play?
Barber seems to run with his pads lower as well. He runs like he weighs about 25 lbs more than Jones instead of 10 but without losing a step. I really think his first 2 touches Sunday inspired the O-line. If a running back will stick his nose in the hole and blow through it the line loves to block for that guy.
I could see Barber getting the start and Jones taking a backup role in Philthy kinda the same as BP did with Dat. It would make sense to invest your practice time in the guy you know is 100% until Jones proves that he is healthy with a couple of good series in a relief role. It also limits the Eagles on prep tape. We’ve got time to work in a few wrinkles during the bye. This seems like the best time for a bye we’ve had in the last few years.
aw wrote:
2. The Philadelphia Eagles aren’t the team to beat in the NFC East; the New York Giants are. They can run and pass. Philadelphia can’t. Besides, the Eagles have fallen into the habit of digging themselves into deep first-half holes. Look at their past four games: They were outscored 79-30. Now, let’s look at New York, which has won three of its past four. Its next game is at San Francisco. That’s a win. Then the Giants play home to Minnesota. That’s another win. That makes them 7-2 with seven games left, and let’s just say they win four of them. That puts them in the playoffs, and it might win the division.
you’re right on dude. the division is going to be decided at Giants stadium on Sun Dec 4. If the Boys win, they’ll take the division on tiebreaker, with both teams 11-5 but the Cowboys sweep. If they lose, then they’re wild card. Either way, Giants and Cowboys go the playoffs from the NFC. Deadskins and Iggles do a second-half fade and end up around .500.
Sorry, I was reading that article on Football outsiders.
An official post-season prediction at the halfway mark. Not sure who’s got home field because they’ll use a bunch of tiebreakers to determine it.
Dallas 11-5 NFC East
Atlanta 11-5 NFC South
Seattle 11-5 NFC West
Chicago 9-7 NFC North
NY Giants 11-5 Wild Card (lose tiebreaker to Dal)
Carolina 10-6 Wild Card
Is aw a Cowboy’s fan? Hey you do know we’ve already beat them right? And that they have a paper thin defensive line?
I predicted 11-5 for the Cowboys on the preseason prediction thread.
Chris,
I’m not there yet.
Here’s how I compare the two backs. Barber is a bit bigger and maybe stronger. He certainly finishes well. They are both excellent as pass blockers. I can’t see any difference there. Jones may be a little faster. He definitely accelerates faster, and may have the fastest acceleration in the NFL. Jones is also shiftier, and is better at setting up defensive backs when he gets to the second level. The one area that Barber has a definite and significant advantage is in pass receiving. Barber is accomplished there. Jones is not.
Although at this time I believe Jones to be the better back, we will soon find out when they both get to play against the same team. While that is not always an infallible method (see Emmitt vs. T Hambrick), it is the best way I know to compare two backs.
aw,
I’m not sure why you characterized their analysis of the Giants’ position as a ‘mess’. They have a good record and a reasonably favorable schedule for the rest of the year. They should be getting consideration to make the playoffs and contend for the division.
The Cowboys are only a half game behind the Giants and have the head-to-head advantage (so far — we do have to play them again in New York), but our remaining schedule looks tougher, with very few ‘easy’ games left.
Very few if any games in the NFL are easy. How is that extra home game for the Giants looking now, considering they haven’t won on the road yet?
Just for the record since so much disinformation is being spread:
Tatum Bell was the fastest timed RB of his draft class. JJwas .01 behind.
JJ is faster then Barber who is a low 4.5 back; JJ was timed at just under
4.4 Barber is not faster and has nowhere near the acceleration JJ has.
SO that is out of the way.
Now regards power: Barber has the edge there, as well as receiving. JJ can break the long one and turn nothing into something. Barber HAS not shown that ability.
The O line stank at run blocking untill the Philthy game. THAT BY EVERYONES ADMISSION INCLUDING BP. Since then they have run blocked well.
YOU DO REMEMBER how bad Barber looked just a couple of games ago- those of you with short memories need a little jog. I think he was like 11 carries for 30 yds or something like that- just looked real bad. WORSE THEN JJ HAS EVER LOOKED.
The fact is that just about everyone that is knocking JJ now have never been a fan of his. They have been ticked off since he was drafted - and have been looking for a reason to dump on him.
Our 2nd half schedule is much tougher than the Giants. The only “sure” win is Detroit. The toughest part is playing NY, Wash, and Phil all on the road. I have us ending at 11-5 if all the cards fall right (I think I picked 9-7 preseason). The biggest challenge game may be Denver on TG Day.
@ Phil (Lose)
Detroit (Win)
Denver (W)
@ NYG (L)
KC (W)
@ Wash (W)
@ Carolina (W)
St. Louis (W)
It was 11 carries for 30 yds; and 11 of those yds came on one carry.
So he was 10 for 19 the rest of the time. JJ has never had stats that bad.
the redskin game last year was the only one close, and at that time the skins might have had the best D in the league.
Seattle and Arizona have the #16 and # 15 rush D’s in the league.
Up untill Tiki raped them, washington was around # 9. SD is #3. Giants #11.
Oakland and Philthy were also much more highly ranked.
So untill Barber runs well against a top D he has proven NOTHING. And I think 80-90 yds and around 4.0 against a top D is running well. Top D’s do not give up huge yards unless they are having a real bad day. One or two plays can make a big difference in stats. What to look for is the constant 4-6 yd runs; a lot of them. To give him his due Barber DID that against Arizona, and some of that against Seattle. BUT THEN THEIR D’s are not that good, are they?
Carolina I see as a PROBABLE loss- they are right now the best team in the NFC. Denver- it all comes down to pressuring Plummer. KC- their D is regressing and the O is not what it was. St Louis- hard to tell- but we should be able to run and pass on them; and the way our D is playing I think we take them down. The Giants- they have some holes and it depends on how well Manning is playing ( he sucked Sunday but you would not know it from the mediots). We should be no worse then 6-2 the rest of the way (knock on wood due to injuries).
Burmafrd,
I waffled on calling Denver the toughest W because I’m concerned about Carolina too. It’s a long ways off and who knows what happens between now and then (injuries?) but I came up with a W because we have more playmakers on both sides of the ball than they do. It’ll be a good, probably low scoring game. They’ve won 4 in a row but the teams were GB, AZ, Detroit, and Minn. Not exactly the varsity. They may have the easiest schedule in the league this year.
Burmafrd,
I am not knocking JJ. Your comment of “just about everyone knocking him now, has never been a fan of his”, sure wouldn’t include me. A Fighting Irish fan myself, I was hoping they would draft him knowing how explosive he is. Yet, the bottom line is 40% of his pro career he has been in street clothes spectating. Now I brought up the injury question of: How do his teammates feel about him? Its a war out there, and if one guy keeps moving to the backline, then at some point team moves forward without him. ..
Also as Sean nicely pointed out, offensive linemen love to block for backs who explode through the wholes, like Barber.
No penalties! When an OT seals his defender to the outside, then the back bounces it out to that side, the tackle is much more likely to grab and hold his guy. Barber, in two quick weeks, has shown a better ability to follow the blocks. Ofensive linemen, and any player, are much more comfortable playing when they know what to expect.
You mention the 11 carries for 30 yards. So what? Troy Hambrick used to get 10 carries for 55 yards. You can’t judge a back on limited carries. Habrick is a perfect example of that! .. Its what a RB does being the featured back that counts. As I pointed out 94 yards against a Seahawk defense that plays well at home, and 127 and 2 TDs.
Marion B III is also a nice threat in the passing game. His receiving skills and blocking ability are already further along than Julius’s.
Barber gets in there and all of a sudden “the offensive line is playing better”. Why take a step back? Regardless of why they are playing better with Barber lined up in the back field … they are.
Confidence in the NFL is a fragile thing. Confidence? As stated, O-linemen love to block for a guy like Barber, and these guys were able to lean on their opponents late in the game .. for the first time all year. That’s gotta feel good to a line that has had its struggles. Bledsoe didn’t feel the pressure of making the big play. In 6 of 7 previous games the team leaned on Bledsoe to make the game winning plays late in the game. That too must have felt great, to hand the ball off and watch. The defense got its rest in between drives and closed out the game. It showed up in the second half, and nothing compliments a good defense more than a power running game. All of a sudden, things are coming together. With Julius in there maybe they do too, but maybe they don’t. This team is at its all time high for confidence .. go with what has got you there … and that is Marion Barber.
To get back to the original point….about 4-4 teams, a little Cowboys history sets the bar pretty high for “the best 4-3 team ever” Here’s a little cut and paste from DC.com’s history page for the 71 Cowboys. I guess we’ll have to wait until after the SB to evaluate San Diego.
Six Straight Playoffs - The Cowboys won their last seven games to finish 11-3, claim the Eastern Division championship and make the playoffs for the sixth year in a row. They defeated Minnesota, 20-12, in the opening round.
Second NFC Title - For the second consecutive year, the Cowboys met the San Francisco 49ers in the National Conference showdown. This time Dallas won 14-13, to qualify for its second straight Super Bowl.
First World Championship - The Cowboys downed the Miami Dolphins, 24-3, to win Super Bowl VI in New Orleans on Jan. 16 It was the 10th victory in a row for Dallas as Roger Staubach passed for two touchdowns and was named the game’s Most Valuable Player.
How can you guys think Julius Jones is soft? He had a broken freaking scapula. A broken shoulder blade. His bone broke. THAT is an injury. That’s not being weak. Sitting due to breaks and tears isn’t soft.
A high ankle sprain isn’t a sprain, it’s a tear. It’s torn ligaments that typically require surgery to repair.
He’s tough. he’s strong, he’s squat and he’s well put together. He’s hurt because he plays strong with a level of abandon. PRECISELY what you want from a back. he’s missed games simply due to bad luck.
MBIII comes up on a LB or CB and tries to go over them, JJ freezes the defender, and jukes him out of his jock. He’s an explosive home run hitter, and is proven as such. MBIII is a nice back who may one day prove the equal of JJ - and if so, great. What’s the problem with that?
That a rookie 2nd string RB did what he did to the Cardinals is a testament to the Cardinals’ defense. Way more than it is the initial formalites to the inevitable induction of MBIII to the hall of fame. You all need to calm way down. Tyson Thompson and Anthony Thomas would’ve had the same day against the Cardinals that MBIII did.
From Bill Parcells about MBIII,
“I think I just want to keep him as a promising rookie right now. We have a tendency in Dallas to anoint. I think the anointing oils are a little more prevalent here than some other parts of the country.”"
By the way, MBIII may very well be big time. I’m totally on his side and think he had an awesome day, and have been a vocal proponent of him from the beginning. However, I don’t want to throw JJ under the bus and trade him and just go with Tyson Thompson and MBIII like many of you.
Cash,
Its my opinion that Julius’s “creativeness” can cost the team more than it helps. When an offensive lineman makes a solid block, and JJ bounces the play to the outside, not where the play is intended, bad things can happen. .. The lineman could end up seeing that he is now blocking the defender into the RB, threfore a hold occurs. If the back has a habit of bouncing the play, the O-lineman could lose confidence in what he is doing and what the coaches are calling, because he can not see the effects of his blocks. (To a player like Torrin Tucker, confidence in what he is doing is critical) A shifty back, even the greatest one, Barry Sanders, have a bunch of negative plays. Another confidence killer!! Heck, negative plays end drives and give the opposition momentum. Giving the other team momentum is not what you want to do. .. Our fellow blogger, Sean makes a great point, “(Barber’s) first 2 touches Sunday inspired the O-line. If a running back will stick his nose in the hole and blow through it the line loves to block for that guy.” .. If Julius goes back in and starts doing the same things like bouncing plays, and the line starts holding and gets confused about their assignments, its a huge step backward. Tucker and Petetti are gaining confidence and I don’t think you want to mess with that much right now.
Joey2zs,
I like MBIII a lot as well, but you are right in that people here are looking to throw JJ under the bus. I hope JJ is back for the Philly game, if not then I am happy going with MBIII.
As BP says, lets not start making those Canton Busts just yet.
Mr. Bill
Why did I say a mess is because I think they only won one game on the road so far two they haven’t beat philly yet( not saying they cant but they haven’t yet) We will see what they are made up.
Cash
You read what someone said I wrote you didn’t read what I wrote.
Burmafrd
Go look at JJ first game he didn’t look good either. MB does have the longest run this year for us. TBell looks a lot faster than JJ. But I would still give JJ one more shot. But if we were just looking at this year MB should start his style fits better than JJ right now. But that can change is JJ changes up a little bit. MB has shown he has some vision. I still don’t know if JJ is the answer at RB here but I say give it to him and find out.
Burmafrd
When has JJ ran well against a good D? It has yet to happen.
Just some thoughts……..the Cowboys offense is 7th best in the NFL,5th best on defense in the NFL,no team in the NFC has more wins (5) than the Boys,we get a struggling Eagles team on Monday night after our bye week which should put us at 6-3(hopefully)then Detroit at Texas stadium(7-3)and let’s say we lose to Denver(7-4),things aren’t looking half bad here guys!Ferguson is finally getting healthy and we are stuffing the run(see Portis,LT,Alexander) I only hope the Henry injury isn’t something more serious.But if it is we still have depth with A.Glenn!IMO I think Singleton has probably played his last game as a Cowboy,and Coleman is not far behind!Our last five games are gonna be brutle with just about all of our opponents jocky’ing for the playoffs(Giants,KC,Washington,Carolina,St. Louis)if we can win 3 out 5 in that stretch,it would put us at 10 and 6!Ofcourse alot depends on injuries(on our team and on other teams) but this seems a likely scenerio.All in all,I think if we stay healthy we definately have a shot to get back in the playoff picture!
But i’ll add to that, since the NFC East is so close and competitive,it’s imperative that we take care of business within the division!The divison crown is right there for the taking,Tie-breakers will be enormous,we need the divisional wins!
The boys def. need to win that game at Philly, not so much for a confidence stand pt, but mostly b/c the Giants have a easy schedule & unless they just fold up shop, they will more than likely win 9 to 10 games. The only thing I did c was after they play the almighty 9ers next weekend, they do have to play Philly twice, Dallas, & the Seahawks, but besides that every other team they face is at the bottom of there respected divisions. Thus, with only 4 potentially tough games left on their schedule, I can not see them losing more than 5 to 6 games tops! So the next couple of weeks in fact the boys need to be playing very good football to have a chance at the playoffs!
Sharkz-I’m not so worried about the Redskins-they are getting to the tough part of their schedule with 2 games against the Eagles, San Diego, Giants, Tampa and St louis. Washington will wash out-it’s just what Little Danny does irregardless if he brings in a respectable coach.
St Louis looks to have good shot at the playoffs based on schedule if they can keep it together. The New Years Day game will probably be important to Us and the Rams.
Neither KC or Denver are very tough on the road.
Carolina has the softest schedule and should make the playoffs. That will be a good test for us on the road(I know what I’m asking Santa for).
I’m guessing that 11 wins gets the NFC East and 10 wins gets the Wild Card.
I’m concerned about our offence in the second half. I think in the last few games we have only put up 3 points in each second half.
aw,
It does seem like we leave points on the field in the second half. That probably accounts for those two late comeback losses.
Question is why?
Developing Oline. General lack of cohesion in the offense in general? Should the TE be getting more touches?
Obviously, the offense is behind the defense in terms of gelling as a unit.
Alan……..I agree with the leaving points on the field comment,I think it has alot to do with BP “old school” philosiphy of running up the middle inside the 20,although at times(like last week) he broke from that and passed the ball.Like I’ve stated in previous threads and posts,predictability can kill you!BP coached teams have a track record of doing certain things at certain times(which gives the opposing defense’s a leg up)we need to use Witten,Keyshawn and even rollouts to polite more to mix it up….IMO
Eric R,
I’ve not seen JJ try and bounce an inside run outside, all year. I’ve seen alot of him getting to the line of scrimmage and lunging for a couple of yards.
He was picking things up against the Eagles when he went down. Hopefully the rest will get us what we got out of him last year.
AlanTdot
What’s funny is BP doesn’t want to put the D in a bad situation meaning a short field with a mistake from the offence by trying to put point up in the second half. When we get a lead we don’t do much in the second half. When its close BP is putting too much on the D to stop a team for 60 straight min. I rather loose with the offence trying to put points up than not and hoping the d can hold. Our offence is not that good as the number would say. This offence remind me of the D of two year ago yea we were number one d but we were nowhere near the other top D’s. Its not the oline becaues it happen in game where the line has done a good job too. I think its the play calling.
After next week the boys D will b ranked in the top 3, every other team in front of them, besides my one, has already had their bye week. So obviously their stats would b lower or close to what the boys have done with playing an extra week. The bad thing is, the offense is ranked in the top 10 right now, & the same thing will happen, all the other teams will create more yardage & thus move up in total offense rankings. I am just excited to c where the D ranks after this weekend, I know it will b in the top 5, if not top 3!
Hey Cowboy Fans,
Let`s give credit where credit is due. Both Tucker & Pettiti had an excellent game. Was anyone looking at the blocking of our line. I take nothing away from MBIII he looks very good & I am very impressed with his blocking, but JJ would of had a field day with those holes on Sunday. JJ is our man & I think it`s a testament to BP to insist on MBIII in the draft when Jones wanted to wait until a later round. One thing about BP yes he may play conservative sometimes & he also takes a lot of risks, but he does play to win! Sometimes he does play the percentages & when it works he`s a genius, when it doesn`t he labled to conservative. I cannot think of any other coach out there I would rather have. How many coaches can assemble almost an entire new defense, players & scheme with 7 new players ,free agents & rookies & have them playing at this level within the 1st half of the season.To me this man sets the standard of coaching.
cash
Can JJ run inside? I haven’t seen it unless its been a draw.
JJ had about what 819 yards last year in 8 games about 500 came from 3 games so that leaves a little over 300 yards from 5 games. So three games last year JJ looked like a super star. So for 5 game last year and 5 games this year he has looked avg or belong. I think JJ should start but I want to see if he can run inside. JJ hasn’t make a difference this year yet in or out.
I personally do not think JJ is “da man”, he runs very mechanically, & seems almost afraid to make things happen on his own. When MB3 has run the ball the past 2 weeks, besides being a more physical runner than JJ, he also gets the few extra yards by pushing forward for a few extra yards, when JJ was running he did not do that at all! U do not have to agree with me now, just wait till the monday night game & hopefully both will get a good chance to run. MB3 just seems much more instictive when it comes to cutting back on runs & the little things that puts ur team in better positions on 3rd downs!
Whatever the RB status is after the bye week I think we all should come to terms with the possiblility of a debate between Jones and Barber. I totally agree with aw’s comment about most runs inside for jones were draw plays, and that could be a problem down the road.
I also think we should have this debate becouse last season, we were all freaking out about a rookie running back who might give us a major running game and maybe help turn the team around. Why can’t we give Barber the same credit…he’s come along way and in my opinion looks alot more comfortable with the system. What is it about Barber that is not as convincing as Jones was last season??? I am honestly wondering…why aren’t we screaming for Barber to take the job???
Jesse New York
We don’t know what JJ would have done if he played. JJ has a lot to prove one is playing in all the game two is he the answer at RB. Some of those run this past weekend were cut backs, we don’t know if JJ would have saw them or would have just stayed with the his blockers.
Well,I’ll say this much,Barber has shown his ability to run,cut back,block and catch passes,so we’ll have to see if JJ can come back and out do him.Until then JJ is the starter,but Barber looked very good these past two weeks!The bar has been set,let’s see who comes out on top!Nice problem to have…….
I am not saying that this year JJ has not looked as good. The reasons for that maybe varied. BUT I am saying that JJ has done more then Barber ever has- and done it in many more games. Before we annoint a rookie that has had one good game and one very good game- and the week before his good game he STANK- we need tostep back and take a deep breath. This bs about instant stars and get his bust ready for the HOF is STUPID. JJ is faster; Barber is stronger; blocking is about equal; Barber is the better receiver; JJ scares the D a lot more.
emrdog
Its the three games he had last year.
Jesse-You’ve gone too far in stating that TT and Pettiti had excellent games. Pettiti had help and Tucker gave up a sack. If you can shut out a star defensive end without help you’ve had an excellent game. Neither of these guys reached that level. Neither did LA since he gave up a sack. All that being said, they did have a very good game for where they are in development in new positions and I don’t think you could ask for more right now. I am very hopeful that they can produce better games than that.
Burmafrd
JJ had three great games. They have both had bad first games. I don’t care who scars the D more I rather have the production. The top two rushing games belong to MB and he also has the longest run too. I’m not saying MB is the man but I’m not saying JJ is either. JJ needs to step up because MB is trying to……
Sean,
TTUcker had a great game.
If BBerry isn’t the best pass rushing End in the NFC right now then he is one of the top three. All he got against Tucker was 1 sack. ( I think the refs blew a call of pass interference on the call but …)
The other sack was a blitz and Berry beat LA.
Tucker turned Berry into a non factor. We didn’t have to change what we were doing cause of what he was doing.
Keeping Berry in check until late in the third is a massive game. Read Rafs comments, Tucker didn’t get a lot of help during the game.
Tucker took a whole lot of crap here in preseason, give him his due.
We are definately getting better!but i’m alittle disappointed with Price,maybe we can get him more involved…….
Alan-You say great, I say very good, Jesse says excellent. In my book excellence was Eric Williams before his accident or Tui in his prime. My scale: Excellent=mauling/owning the guy, Very good=neutralizing/stalemate your opponent for most of the game.
These guys are doing very well and in the only opinion that really matters is expressed by BP giving Tucker a big bear hug in the locker room after the game. From what Spags said Tucker just lit up from that encouragement. Tucker deserved the grief in preseason because his head wasn’t right with ball and deserved what he got then and also deserves the praise he’s getting now.
All this talk about MBIII after playing the CARDINALS?
Need a little perpective here.
Sean,
I didn’t see that you said he had a very good game.
I really liked what I saw from him. Quick feet, long arms, gave ground too easily at times, solid run blocking , definately high on the AA - Athletic Ability - scale..
Which leads me to ask, how did he lose to Pettitti in Training camp?
He looks better than Pettitti right now. Wouldn’t it be great if the light went on for him and Pettitti, and James, and Barber all in the same month?
Whether you guys like it or not MB3 is getting some playing time. Just get inside Parcells’ mind—he talked very good about Barber at Monday’s press confernce…and this is a guy who doesn’t give complements. Also, think about the Parcells lingo—”you are what you are”…”what have you done for me lately”…”I’m going to put in the guy who gives us the best chance to win”…So go ahead and let Barber and Jones duke it out for the job. I’m sorry for doubting Jones, but the guy is hurt too much…mental toughness my friends !!!
Alan-The word on Tucker is terrific skillset but loses focus. Remember all the false starts he had last year, always seemed to be at the worst time. I hope he matures and grows from the setback this year of losing his position to a rookie. He has tons of potential but needs to mature. Bp seems to have him on the right track now and LA has him on “choker leash”(BP quote). Also, according to BP, LA reassigned Tucker’s meeting room seat to right next to him so he could help keep him focused(maybe applying some of the same instruction he did to Cortez). If this guy could get just a little bit mean he would be dangerous but right now he seems mostly like a big kid. I do like to hear about LA taking a leadership role dispite his quiet nature.
Cash,
Maybe not. He also didn’t make many yards inside all year. Our best run inside all year .. was Barber’s 1st TD. Hands down.
Parcells called Barber’s play a “lift” to his teammates. Ala Emmitt Smith! You just don’t mess around when your team is forming this type of chemistry.
I don’t get the argument over who’s better - JJ or MBIII. Who cares who is better. They are both different runners which is good because a change in pace is what this team needs. We don’t need two JJs or two MBIIIs. All we need is for them both to be productive. Let’s play both, keep inserting Thompson when there is an opportunity and then let them run with fresh legs to run out the game.
Kevin…come on, enough with that…the reason people are up on Barber now is becouse Jones HAS NOT been productive so far t his season. I’m not saying cut Jones or anything but…come on, did you see Barber? Have you seen Jones run that well since the monday night game in seattle last year??? didn’t think so…
SeanR,
Did you watch the Seattle game? Funny that Barber’s ‘lift’ didn’t work on the offensive line or the quarterback for that game.
Joey2zs,
Thomas didn’t make it into the game, but Thompson did. He looked just as good as Barber, until they yanked him because he was making mental errors.
aw,
Let’s try that one again.
aw,
Actually, that was the Saints game. Not much of a ‘road game’. So you may have a point there.
emrdog,
Wouldn’t Barber need to be MORE convincing than Jones to take his job away?
I find it incomprehensible that some would change starters after one good day by a running back. As aw is fond of pointing out, Jones’ THREE good games were not ag