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Cowboys took a step forward, but they might take a step back
Posted Thursday, Sep. 06, 2012
By MAC ENGEL
IRVING -- The most encouraging development from your 2012 Dallas Cowboys is that we now know they have it in them.
And the most discouraging development from your 2012 Dallas Cowboys is that we now know they have it in them.
There are going to be some clunkers, but unless the New York Giants finish the season 0-16 there are no excuses for the Cowboys not being competitive, competent and winning hard games.
The 2011 Cowboys would have led 24-10 with two minutes remaining against the Giants and lost 25-24 on a safety with three seconds remaining.
The 2012 Cowboys closed out their 14-point lead with minimal suspense.
It was such a break from last season's trend that Jerry Jones' son-in-law had to wipe Jerry's eyeglasses to make sure he was seeing what he was seeing in New Jersey. (Sorry, Shy Anderson; you're a good guy but this was too easy.)
The only people who did not care for that finale were Giants fans, and the gamblers who had the Giants covering the 3.5-point spread ... not that anybody bets on football.
In a 16-game schedule where every game actually matters (I'm looking right at you baseball, hockey, basketball), every win deserves serious celebration. And every loss deserves a four-letter word mourning period.
Amid the champagne popping here is an uncomfortable truth: If the Cowboys fly up to Seattle on Sept. 16 and lose to a 5-foot-11 rookie quarterback and a team that has not had a winning record in four years all of the progress ostensibly made in New York will have been a mirage.
The progress will look more like an aberration.
"I don't know that we proved that much. It is one game out of 16," Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett said on Thursday when I asked him if he thought his team proved anything. "You have to put this one to bed and do it the next time because if you don't it really doesn't matter."
Red preaches improving every day, and a loss to the Seahawks would mean the team again is an updated version of an outdated and increasingly unpopular Microsoft Windows.
Wednesday night was proof we wanted, and feared: The Cowboys can do this. Are they good enough to do it again and again and again?
As good as the Cowboys looked against the Giants, and they did, there are but very few games an 8-8 team can waste and expect to be anything other than average. No NFL game is a gimme, but after such a quality win the Cowboys cannot follow that with what would be a progress-killing loss.
The Cowboys took a very positive first step in convincing us, and very likely themselves, they can take a lead against good team and not blow it.
The Cowboys took a very positive first step in convincing us, and very likely themselves, they can compensate for some shortcomings, such as the interior of the offensive line, and gain yards.
The Cowboys took a very positive first step in convincing us, and very likely themselves, they have a maturing wide receiver in Dez Bryant, who wisely said after the game, "I've got to know what the hell I'm doing. I felt like I dedicated myself to do that."
"For us to say that Dez Bryant has it all right now would be an injustice to him and wouldn't be real good coaching or a real good approach right now," Garrett said. "He is getting better and better. He wins a lot on routes and catches the ball."
The Cowboys took a very positive first step in convincing us, and very likely themselves, they have a No. 3 receiver in Kevin "Where Did That Come From?" Ogletree.
The Cowboys took a very positive first step in convincing us, and very likely themselves, they made a serious upgrade at cornerback in Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne thereby allowing the front seven to pressure a quarterback.
The Cowboys took a very positive first step in convincing us, and very likely themselves, they have succeeded in player development with Jason Hatcher, nose tackle Josh Brent, linebacker Bruce Carter and Ogletree.
Wednesday night was loaded with positive steps.
This team has taken many positive steps before only to repeatedly take a few steps back.
Law of averages says eventually it will be different.
The best/worst thing we know now is that they have it in them.
Posted Thursday, Sep. 06, 2012
By MAC ENGEL
IRVING -- The most encouraging development from your 2012 Dallas Cowboys is that we now know they have it in them.
And the most discouraging development from your 2012 Dallas Cowboys is that we now know they have it in them.
There are going to be some clunkers, but unless the New York Giants finish the season 0-16 there are no excuses for the Cowboys not being competitive, competent and winning hard games.
The 2011 Cowboys would have led 24-10 with two minutes remaining against the Giants and lost 25-24 on a safety with three seconds remaining.
The 2012 Cowboys closed out their 14-point lead with minimal suspense.
It was such a break from last season's trend that Jerry Jones' son-in-law had to wipe Jerry's eyeglasses to make sure he was seeing what he was seeing in New Jersey. (Sorry, Shy Anderson; you're a good guy but this was too easy.)
The only people who did not care for that finale were Giants fans, and the gamblers who had the Giants covering the 3.5-point spread ... not that anybody bets on football.
In a 16-game schedule where every game actually matters (I'm looking right at you baseball, hockey, basketball), every win deserves serious celebration. And every loss deserves a four-letter word mourning period.
Amid the champagne popping here is an uncomfortable truth: If the Cowboys fly up to Seattle on Sept. 16 and lose to a 5-foot-11 rookie quarterback and a team that has not had a winning record in four years all of the progress ostensibly made in New York will have been a mirage.
The progress will look more like an aberration.
"I don't know that we proved that much. It is one game out of 16," Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett said on Thursday when I asked him if he thought his team proved anything. "You have to put this one to bed and do it the next time because if you don't it really doesn't matter."
Red preaches improving every day, and a loss to the Seahawks would mean the team again is an updated version of an outdated and increasingly unpopular Microsoft Windows.
Wednesday night was proof we wanted, and feared: The Cowboys can do this. Are they good enough to do it again and again and again?
As good as the Cowboys looked against the Giants, and they did, there are but very few games an 8-8 team can waste and expect to be anything other than average. No NFL game is a gimme, but after such a quality win the Cowboys cannot follow that with what would be a progress-killing loss.
The Cowboys took a very positive first step in convincing us, and very likely themselves, they can take a lead against good team and not blow it.
The Cowboys took a very positive first step in convincing us, and very likely themselves, they can compensate for some shortcomings, such as the interior of the offensive line, and gain yards.
The Cowboys took a very positive first step in convincing us, and very likely themselves, they have a maturing wide receiver in Dez Bryant, who wisely said after the game, "I've got to know what the hell I'm doing. I felt like I dedicated myself to do that."
"For us to say that Dez Bryant has it all right now would be an injustice to him and wouldn't be real good coaching or a real good approach right now," Garrett said. "He is getting better and better. He wins a lot on routes and catches the ball."
The Cowboys took a very positive first step in convincing us, and very likely themselves, they have a No. 3 receiver in Kevin "Where Did That Come From?" Ogletree.
The Cowboys took a very positive first step in convincing us, and very likely themselves, they made a serious upgrade at cornerback in Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne thereby allowing the front seven to pressure a quarterback.
The Cowboys took a very positive first step in convincing us, and very likely themselves, they have succeeded in player development with Jason Hatcher, nose tackle Josh Brent, linebacker Bruce Carter and Ogletree.
Wednesday night was loaded with positive steps.
This team has taken many positive steps before only to repeatedly take a few steps back.
Law of averages says eventually it will be different.
The best/worst thing we know now is that they have it in them.