official 2015 dallas cowboys season thread

[DPG21920]

If you don't run the ball, you not only give the other team more possessions (and thus opportunities) but you also increase your chances of getting INTs because your offense becomes predictable. Additionally, they can drop 7 into coverage and what are you going to do then?

They also had their best season in a long time being a running team. Romo looked really good tonight (espeecially decision making), but the run game for the Cowboys is very important.

[Harry Callahan]

Romo throwing 40-45 times per game will translate to 8-8 guaranteed.

This years schedule is also not very forgiving.

I like the fact that Jerry is becoming a more of a figurehead and not the decision maker anymore. Will McClay, Jason Garrett, and Stephen Jones seem to be running the show now.

Demarco Murray would have been nice to keep, but too many other offensive players are highly paid already (QB, LT, TE, WR). You can't pay everyone huge, guaranteed money like that. Marion Barber was overpaid at roughly the same age as Murray and fell apart.

[Trill Clinton]

See you avoiding the quetions on him - your thoughts on his play and events tonight? Did he look prepared to you and how do you need an IV at home in the first half of week one? Was he sick?

It looked like he was winded and a little unfocused, but the injury seems to be pretty unlucky (unless it was him out of shape due to the preseason).

i wasn't avoiding any questions. you need to have patience, fam. i was entertaining guests and had no time to really sit down and reply. yes dez looked prepared . dez had 7 targets and caught 5 of them. as far as pre season, dez didn't hold himself out of those games. garrett chose to be careful with dez and held him out of the pre season games. one thing i won't do is question dez being in shape or unfocused.

[Trill Clinton]

[RD2191]

If you don't run the ball, you not only give the other team more possessions (and thus opportunities) but you also increase your chances of getting INTs because your offense becomes predictable. Additionally, they can drop 7 into coverage and what are you going to do then?

You run the ball when you're up 2 possessions. You run the ball when you have a top 5 defense. They scored 2 TDs on the last 2 possessions on a total of 12 pass plays and zero runs. The results don't lie. You can win pass only. The packers and Rodgers won a superbowl with practically no running game.

[RD2191]

I see nothing wrong with dez. It's not his fault the entire coaching staff have no idea how to use the best receiver in the game.

[Killakobe81]

Where was that energy on the field?

This. It was sorely lacking. Even watching from home the team and crowd was deadwe needed a big play. Long drives are great but if you end up with a Fg and have NO big plays the crowd stays flat. Horrible energy from team and crowd until late for a season opening key divisional game. Deeps is 100% right on this and Dez should be called out.

HE threatened not to play this game and basically he did not even after he got his money missed most of camp, very disappointed in his effort. he claims to love his team and I appreciate his passion but he need to wake the up as a professional.

[Killakobe81]

I see nothing wrong with dez. It's not his fault the entire coaching staff have no idea how to use the best receiver in the game.

I agree with Depps there is some issues with Dez, but I also agree we dont use him enough or well. The way the Steelers use ABrown, Giants used ODB last year, Falcons use Julio, Broncos use DT should be the blueprint. Dez has far less targets than those guys, but more TD's. Staff has improved but to become elite Dez should be able to get touches despite double teams or bracket coverage.

[RD2191]

I agree with Depps there is some issues with Dez, but I also agree we dont use him enough or well. The way the Steelers use ABrown, Giants used ODB last year, Falcons use Julio, Broncos use DT should be the blueprint. Dez has far less targets than those guys, but more TD's. Staff has improved but to become elite Dez should be able to get touches despite double teams or bracket coverage.

Yup. Exactly.

[Trill Clinton]

This. It was sorely lacking. Even watching from home the team and crowd was deadwe needed a big play. Long drives are great but if you end up with a Fg and have NO big plays the crowd stays flat. Horrible energy from team and crowd until late for a season opening key divisional game. Deeps is 100% right on this and Dez should be called out.

HE threatened not to play this game and basically he did not even after he got his money missed most of camp, very disappointed in his effort. he claims to love his team and I appreciate his passion but he need to wake the up as a professional.

how long have you been a cowboy fan?

we have the weakest homefield advantage in the league. our fans NEVER give the team energy. there are some games where the away team has louder fans than ours.

as far as dez needing to be more professional, why is it his fault jerry didn't pay him earlier? this is a business and he did the professional thing by sitting out and making sure he was taken care of financially first. after he signed, it was the coaches call to keep him out of preseason games and limit him in practice, not dez's.

[Trill Clinton]

I agree with Depps there is some issues with Dez, but I also agree we dont use him enough or well. The way the Steelers use ABrown, Giants used ODB last year, Falcons use Julio, Broncos use DT should be the blueprint. Dez has far less targets than those guys, but more TD's. Staff has improved but to become elite Dez should be able to get touches despite double teams or bracket coverage.

far less??? omg, last year yea he did because we ran the ball more than any team and dez still led the league in TD's. in previous seasons dez was in the top 5 in targets and receptions. the difference between us and the other teams you mentioned is they lack other elite receiving options, thats why they have to force the ball into double coverage to those guys.

DT sacrificed catches last year to julias thomas and sanders. julio was the only option the falcons had last year so of course he'll see most targets. same for Abrown(best wr in the league) and ODB.

we have witten, beasley, williams and dunbar who will all beat their man if dez is double coverage or has a safety lurking. why risk it when we have other options?

[Killakobe81]

how long have you been a cowboy fan?

we have the weakest homefield advantage in the league. our fans NEVER give the team energy. there are some games where the away team has louder fans than ours.

as far as dez needing to be more professional, why is it his fault jerry didn't pay him earlier? this is a business and he did the professional thing by sitting out and making sure he was taken care of financially first. after he signed, it was the coaches call to keep him out of preseason games and limit him in practice, not dez's.

Been a fan since tje Raiders and Rams left L.A (they were always my dad's favorite) so I became full Cowboys fan especially since they practiced in Oxnard.

Yes, our stadium presence lacks the HFA of GB, NE or Buffalo ... but you can do things to generate energy. Big plays help. Feeding Dez and his excitement rubs off.

[UNT Eagles 2016]

You run the ball when you're up 2 possessions. You run the ball when you have a top 5 defense. They scored 2 TDs on the last 2 possessions on a total of 12 pass plays and zero runs. The results don't lie. You can win pass only. The packers and Rodgers won a superbowl with practically no running game.

The Cowboys along with Green Bay and New England likely comprise the 3 best passing teams in the league. In the first case you have a very good QB and a great offensive line, while in the second and third cases you have great QBs and very good offensive lines. I don't quite agree that the Cowboys would go 8–8 this year trying to play like the 2010 era Packers because back in 2011, 2012, and 2013 the Cowboys' offensive lines were mediocre at best and the defense was far worse (usually ranked near the bottom, at least it's mid-tier for the moment without McClain/Hardy).

[Mal]

This one is going back in December.

[Killakobe81]

far less??? omg, last year yea he did because we ran the ball more than any team and dez still led the league in TD's. in previous seasons dez was in the top 5 in targets and receptions. the difference between us and the other teams you mentioned is they lack other elite receiving options, thats why they have to force the ball into double coverage to those guys.

DT sacrificed catches last year to julias thomas and sanders. julio was the only option the falcons had last year so of course he'll see most targets. same for Abrown(best wr in the league) and ODB.

we have witten, beasley, williams and dunbar who will all beat their man if dez is double coverage or has a safety lurking. why risk it when we have other options?

Not saying take risky plays. But Stelers have plenty of weapons, Bell Martavius and Weaton yet AB see sthe ball a ton. Same with Broncos. I just want to see us be more creative with Dez. We are great at the endzone fade, cross, slant and backshoulder throws but we could do so much more. But now he is out so now the OC needs to utilize EVERYONE. Backs out of the backfield more two TE sets using Escobar and Witten down the field.

[UNT Eagles 2016]

how long have you been a cowboy fan?

we have the weakest homefield advantage in the league. our fans NEVER give the team energy. there are some games where the away team has louder fans than ours.

as far as dez needing to be more professional, why is it his fault jerry didn't pay him earlier? this is a business and he did the professional thing by sitting out and making sure he was taken care of financially first. after he signed, it was the coaches call to keep him out of preseason games and limit him in practice, not dez's.

See that's what I mean... athletes in leagues with salary caps shouldn't be boys like that. He's a millionaire and is going to make more millions of dollars playing the sport he loves. I'm not saying he should accept a minimum-level salary or anything. But why not take one for the team and get paid like a very good player would, rather than demanding to be one of the highest paid players in the league? It's not about the owners being billionaires and the players being millionaires. It's about the salary cap, and thanks to the ery that is the IRS Jerry can't just pay Dez too much under the table (obviously, he can pay for him to have 5 course meals, massages with happy endings, and escorts 365 days a year, but he probably already expects that). Dez (or more relevantly, Kam Chancellor) only hurts his team by being a greedy boy holding out like a until he gets the contract that he wants. What ever happened to the total team effort? The Seahawks just lost to the ing Rams, giving up 34 points... Chancellor is one of their premier defenders, so his iness is largely to blame for the loss. It's hard to call someone a team player, no matter how unselfish they are on the field/court, when their salary impedes their team's progress in improving and/or maintaining their roster.

[Trill Clinton]

anywayyyyyyys,

great win against a divisional opponent with the injuries/suspensions. tough game close game per usual.

our defense is looking legit. best defense in the preseason and they kept the momentum up last night. it sucks gregory got injured because he was having a pretty good game. we're going to be scary when hardy and mcclain get back

how can you hate romo. clutchest regular season qb in the last 10 years. romo's reaction when he saw eli throw the ball away on 3rd down

its time to unleash gavin escobar. witten is so good that it causes the staff to not use the young TE's much but gavin has great hands and is a big target in the endzone. i want to see more 2 TE sets in the redzone with him and witten giving linebackers and safeties fits.

running game is still a work in progress due to most of our backs being injured in training camp but overall, i was impressed with our backs. randle carried 16 times for 65 yards and also had 42 reception yards. 19 touches over a 100 yards, i'll take it. our backs in the passing game tho? linehan finally used dunbar in the reggie bush role he's been promising since he got here(not his fault since lance has been injured often) lance is a legitimate threat out of the backfield and teams have to gameplan for him now. mcfadden looked rusty as expected. plus, we were playing catch up so that limited the amount of runs we had. its only week 1 so i'm not to worried, yet.

o line proved they are still the best line in the league.

gotta give it up to mo claiborne. dude balled the fucc out! contract year for him so he needs to really show why he was worth the 1st round pick and deserves to be signed long term. he's had an impressive camp, glad to see it carry over to week 1. salute.

[DPG21920]

how long have you been a cowboy fan?

we have the weakest homefield advantage in the league. our fans NEVER give the team energy. there are some games where the away team has louder fans than ours.

as far as dez needing to be more professional, why is it his fault jerry didn't pay him earlier? this is a business and he did the professional thing by sitting out and making sure he was taken care of financially first. after he signed, it was the coaches call to keep him out of preseason games and limit him in practice, not dez's.

So it wasn't on Dez to stay more fit somehow? Who needs an IV in the first half of the first game at home? Yes, he caught 5 of 7 targets, but one of the drops was really bad (should have been a TD or close if he catches it near the RZ) and overall it was lackluster.

He had some really good moments (down field blocking), but he didn't look fully healthy, focused or fit. It just raises questions considering he got paid and now this is what you get. Could all be coincidence though.

[Trill Clinton]

Not saying take risky plays. But Stelers have plenty of weapons, Bell Martavius and Weaton yet AB see sthe ball a ton. Same with Broncos. I just want to see us be more creative with Dez. We are great at the endzone fade, cross, slant and backshoulder throws but we could do so much more. But now he is out so now the OC needs to utilize EVERYONE. Backs out of the backfield more two TE sets using Escobar and Witten down the field.

you keep mentioning teams with a whole different style of offense. AB sees it ton because martavis and wheaton aren't ready to be that number 2 threat just yet and bell is a running back. demariyus had 111 catches and emmanuel had 101 catches, damn near the same amount of catches. seems like you want us to be a pass first team like, but that's not our iden y. if we can't muster up a running game then we can make that adjustment. dez is always at the top of the league in receptions, yards and TD's, fam.

See that's what I mean... athletes in leagues with salary caps shouldn't be boys like that. He's a millionaire and is going to make more millions of dollars playing the sport he loves. I'm not saying he should accept a minimum-level salary or anything. But why not take one for the team and get paid like a very good player would, rather than demanding to be one of the highest paid players in the league? It's not about the owners being billionaires and the players being millionaires. It's about the salary cap, and thanks to the ery that is the IRS Jerry can't just pay Dez too much under the table (obviously, he can pay for him to have 5 course meals, massages with happy endings, and escorts 365 days a year, but he probably already expects that). Dez (or more relevantly, Kam Chancellor) only hurts his team by being a greedy boy holding out like a until he gets the contract that he wants. What ever happened to the total team effort? The Seahawks just lost to the ing Rams, giving up 34 points... Chancellor is one of their premier defenders, so his iness is largely to blame for the loss. It's hard to call someone a team player, no matter how unselfish they are on the field/court, when their salary impedes their team's progress in improving and/or maintaining their roster.

i don't mind athletes holding out. especially elite ones. your career isn't promised and you have to get your money while you can. this is a business.

[DPG21920]

Well if it's a business, then it's on Dez to be ready and in shape while holding out. Dallas held up their end and paid. He was the only one out of gas, needing an IV in the first half and having major drop (he's the star and paid like it). Now he's injured and put the season in serious jeopardy (could be related to his fitness?).

[Trill Clinton]

So it wasn't on Dez to stay more fit somehow? Who needs an IV in the first half of the first game at home? Yes, he caught 5 of 7 targets, but one of the drops was really bad (should have been a TD or close if he catches it near the RZ) and overall it was lackluster.

He had some really good moments (down field blocking), but he didn't look fully healthy, focused or fit. It just raises questions considering he got paid and now this is what you get. Could all be coincidence though.

he looked focus and fully healthy to me. are you saying he got paid and broke his foot on purpose? not once was it mentioned during training camp that dez showed up or looked out of shape. it was the opposite from reporters and blog sites. maybe you know something they don't and saw dez struggling during camp? everything i read about him and his conditioning has been A1 from day 1. again, if you have information from other writers who can say otherwise, i'm willing to read it.

i doubt he was dehydrated, i think his foot was broken and they used the dehydration thing as an excuse to get him to the locker room to check his foot out. he tried to play on it but as we saw, it was more serious than they thought finally took him out for good.

players drop passes, so what? i can't hold 1 drop against him lol

[DPG21920]

What? There is no way he broke his foot when he went to the lockeroom and they let him come back out. What kind of logic is that?

The issue with needing and IV was completely seperate unless you have info from people saying otherwise? I'm saying he held out, missed a lot of pre season and perhaps didn't do the work necessary to stay in shape because he was worried about is money (which is fine, he deserves to get paid).

What's more likely, the Cowboys held Dez out of preseason to protect their asset but risked him playing in GM1 on a broken foot? OR he was out of shape from not doing as much work as he should have while holding out/missing pre-season (even if coaches gave him that order) so he came in out of shape, neede and IV in the first half, was rusty (big drop in a big moment) and then injured himself because he was not fit?

One seems way more likely than the other to me.

[UNT Eagles 2016]

i don't mind athletes holding out. especially elite ones. your career isn't promised and you have to get your money while you can. this is a business.

So your legacy is as follows::: "Thanks to sheer luck of genetics I made a lot of money; look at my fancy pimped out Lambo, look at my shiny ten-acre mansion complete with country club. But to get all this, I had to be a greedy dip that ed over my team, friends, coworkers, and fans in the process."

Now, is that any way to live? Money isn't everything, especially if it's a difference of say, $40 million versus $80 million to live on after retirement. It's not like we're talking about $600,000 versus 6 million or 6 million versus 60 million. If you're not a gambling addict or a dumbass, there's no way you should need more than $10 million to live on once you've got your mansion and fancy cars paid off. It's not like he's going to have to suffer a life of American middle class if he doesn't get his super contract. Learn to invest...

[DPG21920]

I'll never blame an athlete for getting as much as they can. Not everyone is Tim Duncan (and even Tim got paid a ton before he took discounts and football players have short careers). I do think that it's on the player that is holding out to stay in shape in anticipation of a deal getting done.

He was still getting paid during the holdout (I think). If that's the case, he shouldn't need an IV in the first half of game one at home. No one else had that problem. I'm not saying he broke his foot on purpose. I'm saying maybe in the course of holding out, then getting his money, maybe he didn't work as hard as normal. Maybe that lack of training/fitness led to the foot injury which now put the team in some serious peril.

[Trill Clinton]

What? There is no way he broke his foot when he went to the lockeroom and they let him come back out. What kind of logic is that?

The issue with needing and IV was completely seperate unless you have info from people saying otherwise? I'm saying he held out, missed a lot of pre season and perhaps didn't do the work necessary to stay in shape because he was worried about is money (which is fine, he deserves to get paid).

What's more likely, the Cowboys held Dez out of preseason to protect their asset but risked him playing in GM1 on a broken foot? OR he was out of shape from not doing as much work as he should have while holding out/missing pre-season (even if coaches gave him that order) so he came in out of shape, neede and IV in the first half, was rusty (big drop in a big moment) and then injured himself because he was not fit?

One seems way more likely than the other to me.

he could have went back and complained about foot pain and dez said he was fine. he's a warrior after all. as the game went on, the pain increased and they decided to do a x ray. makes sense to me.

are you familiar with dehydration? you know you get it from fever, no water or too much exercise. maybe dez didn't get enough water pre game and was playing so hard he got dehydrated. i don't see how you're trying to use him not being in shape in training camp as a reason for dehydration. as i said earlier, according to coaches and writers, dez came into training camp in great shape. being out of shape isn't a sympton listed in the link below:

http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/dehydration-adults