Dallas Cowboys

There's no shame in a tough road loss to a quality opponent. Getting shut out by a team whose defense is little better than average has to sting though.

The 'Skins picked up a game on Dallas today, and frankly i'm hoping that the Eagles will too, unlikely as it may be, only because a Rams loss helps New Orleans.

The Bears won today, too, which gives them 2 games over Dallas for 3 seeding, sorry TBC.

Seahawks might fall to the 6 Seed since it looks like the Vikings new OC, the QB Coach promoted a step, has helped them find their offense.

Well, the 'Boys host the Bucs and visit the Giants. If they can't squeak out a win in one of those games, they don't belong in the playoffs anyway.

His Royal Dorkness wrote:

...they don't belong in the playoffs anyway.

I'll deny it if you quote me, but you're right.

Apparently the Cowboys belong in the playoffs. Congrats to them and their fans. This has been a very gritty regular season to follow along with, and y'all have plenty reason to be proud.

Regardless of what happens with the Giants next week, Dallas will have the 4 seed and, in the first round of the playoffs, get to host the 5 seed. As of right now, Seattle is likely the 5 seed, though both Minnesota and Philadelphia are refusing to go away so far. I can't honestly say i like Dallas's chances in that game, but they've risen to some pretty daunting challenges to get this far, and nothing is impossible for this team this year.

His Royal Dorkness wrote:

Apparently the Cowboys belong in the playoffs. Congrats to them and their fans. This has been a very gritty regular season to follow along with, and y'all have plenty reason to be proud.

Regardless of what happens with the Giants next week, Dallas will have the 4 seed and, in the first round of the playoffs, get to host the 5 seed. As of right now, Seattle is likely the 5 seed, though both Minnesota and Philadelphia are refusing to go away so far. I can't honestly say i like Dallas's chances in that game, but they've risen to some pretty daunting challenges to get this far, and nothing is impossible for this team this year.

I'm sure TBC is going to make an appearance in this thread before the playoffs, but I don't look forward to hosting the game against the Seahawks.

Wilson is so good at dragging a play out to its finality, and our DBs are not the greatest in the world, it could get real bad real soon.

The only way we win is putting immense pressure on him while keeping him in the "pocket". If he escapes on a regular basis, again, it could be a long day for our Defense.

Our Offense doesn't score enough to make Seattle a one-dimensional team, so they're going to try a run the ball throughout the game.

Maybe, a couple of turnovers would help our Offense. Letting them operate on a short field.

I couldn't believe how the Dallas "D" played Saturday. Complete and total domination.
The media pundits have put the onus on Shoutenheimer (spl) and Carroll for not changing their plan when they saw it wasn't working.

Zeke came to play! 26/137 yards. 4/32 yards.
And what he did to Shaq Griffin was demoralizing.

Now, they're on the way here. As I mentioned in another thread, I'm willing to donate Peggy Sawyer's kidney to get tickets.

Hodgepodge, my friend, i hope you got some great seats. I feel like no matter what happens tonight, you and every other Cowboys fan all deserve to be extremely proud of this Dallas Cowboys team and what they've already accomplished in this season.

Remember the Brock Osweiler comparisons from early in the year. Remember that feeling when they were 3-5 halfway through the regular season's scheduled games, and there were a bunch of quality teams coming up next. Remember how many times they turned impossible into improbable.

Bon chance, ami. I'm rooting for your team tonight.

His Royal Dorkness wrote:

Hodgepodge, my friend, i hope you got some great seats. I feel like no matter what happens tonight, you and every other Cowboys fan all deserve to be extremely proud of this Dallas Cowboys team and what they've already accomplished in this season.

Remember the Brock Osweiler comparisons from early in the year. Remember that feeling when they were 3-5 halfway through the regular season's scheduled games, and there were a bunch of quality teams coming up next. Remember how many times they turned impossible into improbable.

Bon chance, ami. I'm rooting for your team tonight.

HRD, we had awful seats until "King James" entered the stadium. And, TPTB (Mrs. Hodgepodge) had me cracking up. "Man, he's tall!" You think!

Here's a statistic I'm proud to share...Of the 75,000 in attendance, 37,000 were Dallas Cowboys fans. We were sitting next to a couple of Rams fans, so every time the Rams had the ball, they were cheering and I was booing. Then, when the Cowboys had the ball, it was the opposite. We had a lot of fun doing that.

HRD, I was hoping for an upset, better yet, praying for one, but nothing came of it. My 'Boys were run over like a possum in the middle of the road.

But I agree with you. Any time you can make it to the playoffs, that's a good year.

How 'bout them Cowboys!      

Well, it's happened!
Yesterday (01-17-19), the Dallas Cowboys parted ways with their OC, Scott Linehan.
No word on their plans to replace him.

I think that that's a better decision than parting ways with Garrett, which is obviously still a possibility. The Cowboys really put together a hell of a good second half; if the offense had improved as much as the defense did, i think it would be Dallas visiting New Orleans tomorrow.

His Royal Dorkness wrote:

I think that that's a better decision than parting ways with Garrett, which is obviously still a possibility...

Not sure you've heard, but Jerry Jones will not be extending Garrett's contract beyond next season. That means, it's 2019 or bust.

On another front...Kellon Moore, former backup QB to both Romo and Prescott, and QB-Coach has been promoted to Offensive Coordinator for next season. You can't see, but I'm crossing myself!

Got this news this morning...

Jason Witten is coming out of retirement to play another season with the Dallas Cowboys.

Honestly, I didn't think he was very good in the booth. JMO! Oh Maturin.

On another note...

Randy Gregory, Cowboys DE, has been suspended "indefinitely" again for drugs.
Here's a stat I read yesterday...Gregory has been suspended 30 games since he's entered the League. He's only played in 28.

Witten coming out of retirement? I'll file that up there with Don Ovan playing indoor soccer for the San Diego Sockers.

Hodgepodge wrote:

...Randy Gregory, Cowboys DE, has been suspended "indefinitely" again for drugs.
Here's a stat I read yesterday...Gregory has been suspended 30 games since he's entered the League. He's only played in 28.

Along with the above mentioned Randy Gregory, David Irving has also been suspended indefinitely for drugs.

I wish I understood this. Okay, I understand the notion of "dependency", but aren't we talking about marijuana? I was under the impression marijuana wasn't addictive?

On the Free Agency (FA) front...the Cowboys have slapped Demarcus Lawrence with the Franchise Tag. Because this will be the 2nd straight time, that Tag brings along a $20Mil price tag.

Now, he said last season he wouldn't play under the FT again, so I'm hoping they can come to some kind of agreement on a long term contract.

Addiction and dependency are different medical terms, and for good reason.

https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/principles-drug-addiction-treatment-research-based-guide-third-edition/frequently-asked-questions/there-difference-between-physical-dependence

The 'Boys will be meeting with recent Safety FA, Eric Berry.
Does he have anything left?

Yes he does. I'd grab him in a minute, even with all the health issues he's had. You guys are keeping busy this offseason--a veteran like Witten who knows the program, a possible upgrade at safety if you sign Berry, a solid wide receiver in Randall Cobb...JJ is on a roll, while your divisional competitors (pretty much all of them) are going backwards.

I like your chances within your division, but I'm not sold on much beyond that yet. There's two key roles I would question if I was a fan down there, and unfortunately those are QB and Head Coach.

His Royal Dorkness wrote:

Addiction and dependency are different medical terms, and for good reason.

https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/principles-drug-addiction-treatment-research-based-guide-third-edition/frequently-asked-questions/there-difference-between-physical-dependence

I'm sure most of you guys have seen this, but for those who haven't...while trying to explain why he's leaving the NFL, David Irving lights up a blunt.

We picked up the former Packers WR Randall Cobb thru FA. He should add stability to a young receiver corp. Plus, I assume he's being projected as Beasley's replacement in the slot.

With the loss of two DL, we've added two more with experience.

We also picked up the former Bengal Safety, Iloka. Definitely needed to shore up our backend.

DeMarcus Lawrence finally got paid. $105Mil over 5yrs. $65Mil fully guaranteed.
Now, he's going under the knife 04/10/19, to fix a shoulder problem.
He says he'll be ready for the season, but I'm a little suspicious.

Travis Fredrick, Cowboys Center showed up for the opening of offseason conditioning workouts.
If you remember, last season he was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré Syndrome, an autoimmune disease that blitzes the nervous system.
This is the first step in his return from an entire missed 2018 season.

All NFL teams got a look at their 2019 schedules today. Here's the Dallas Cowboys:

2019 Dallas Cowboys

That's a nice schedule. A well-placed bye between two important divisional games. Getting to play against the AFC East should be a nice boost, but keep in mind that everybody in the NFC East will get those same matchups.

WHY do the Cowboys and Saints have to play each other EVERY FREAKIN year?!? I think you feel me on this, Hodge. It's like a lose-lose situation. Either my team loses or my household tranquility loses. Maybe we need to lean on the schedule writers a little bit.

I'm gonna go check out the Saints's schedule.

His Royal Dorkness wrote:

...WHY do the Cowboys and Saints have to play each other EVERY FREAKIN year?!? I think you feel me on this, Hodge. It's like a lose-lose situation. Either my team loses or my household tranquility loses. Maybe we need to lean on the schedule writers a little bit.

I'm gonna go check out the Saints's schedule.

TPTB are trying to setup "revenge" games according to what happened during the 2018 season. But, I totally hear where you're coming from. If I didn't have such a dirty mouth, I could go to some bar and watch the game, instead of watching it trying not to cheer so TPTB (Mrs. Hodgepodge) will let me stay the night.

Before you check out your Saints schedule, watch this:

Cowboys rookie minicamp begins Friday, May 10, 2019, and goes thru Sun., May 12, 2019.

The Cowboys open mandatory minicamp tomorrow (06/11/19).
Won't be long now before training camp opens here in Oxnard, CA.
And yes, I'll take in a practice day.

Cool, Hodge. Maybe you'll get a glimpse of Trysten Hill, and see if he is the real deal (I don't think the fans loved that pick, but I think he'll have an impact). I actually think your guys' best pick came late (might have been the 4th or 5th round) with Tony Pollard, a really good return guy--although returning the football is becoming a marginalized specialty in the current NFL.

Peggy Sawyer wrote:

Cool, Hodge. Maybe you'll get a glimpse of Trysten Hill, and see if he is the real deal (I don't think the fans loved that pick, but I think he'll have an impact). I actually think your guys' best pick came late (might have been the 4th or 5th round) with Tony Pollard, a really good return guy--although returning the football is becoming a marginalized specialty in the current NFL.

Peggy, DL are such a priority in the League, I was jumping up and down when they made the pick. Plus, there are so many of our DL suspended for the first few games, that was another reason the pick was solid.

We definitely need someone of quality, to relieve Zeke. He had more than 300 touches last season. That's entirely to many for a RB in today's football.

Peggy, I hate the new kickoff rule. As you mentioned, its taken another long valued aspect of the game away. I've heard several players, form the not to distant past, expect the game to turn into flag-football in the future.

Zeke met with the Commish yesterday stemming from the altercation a few months ago.
Man, I hope this kid doesn't get suspended again.

The rumour mill in my neck of the woods says Zeke likely faces a stiff penalty and no suspension.

His Royal Dorkness wrote:

The rumour mill in my neck of the woods says Zeke likely faces a stiff penalty and no suspension.

He had to write a letter of contrition, but no suspension.
God is good!

You misspelled Goodell, but you were wrong anyway.

His Royal Dorkness wrote:

You misspelled Goodell, but you were wrong anyway.

Other than misspelling "Goodell", what else was wrong with my post? Was I misled about the suspension?

Goodell is not good. He just made a ruling you like, and so you misspell his name and praise him as good, but he is not.

I think you just got me to explain the joke.

His Royal Dorkness wrote:

Goodell is not good. He just made a ruling you like, and so you misspell his name and praise him as good, but he is not.

I think you just got me to explain the joke.

The League and the NFLPA are working on a new CBA this year. What is the Union going to have to give up to get Goodell to give up his autonomy when it comes to doling out player punishment?

I'm not at all convinced that that issue will even be on the table.

Imo, if the NFL wants its sport as it's currently played to survive into the next century, they need to get serious about improved helmet technology. More imo, it's time to start creating a pension program that gets extra funding from the teams and the league to help deal with the serious physical and psychological fallout that a lot of these guys suffer. The fact that these things aren't already critical issues  are major contributors to the fact that American-style football hasn't gone global like baseball and basketball have, and every year more and more parents don't want their children playing US-style football.

His Royal Dorkness wrote:

I'm not at all convinced that that issue will even be on the table.

Imo, if the NFL wants its sport as it's currently played to survive into the next century, they need to get serious about improved helmet technology. More imo, it's time to start creating a pension program that gets extra funding from the teams and the league to help deal with the serious physical and psychological fallout that a lot of these guys suffer. The fact that these things aren't already critical issues  are major contributors to the fact that American-style football hasn't gone global like baseball and basketball have, and every year more and more parents don't want their children playing US-style football.

So, so true!

I've noticed several changes in the technology from last season. I'm not sure who the manufacture is, but some helmet structure has changed. Chin-straps have changed to make it harder for helmets to dislodge from a players head.

Plus, you never forget when a former player of Seau's stature commits suicide by shooting himself in the chest so his brain can be studied. Jesus H Christ!

There's a rumor out there, that Zeke Elliott may hold out of training camp. He wants a new contract.

I need to reach back about three posts...

Kansas City Chiefs' Tyreek Hill won't be punished for domestic battery allegations.

The Boston Globe, fairly obviously, has their bones to pick with Goodell over uneven enforcements over the year, but even with that in mind, i liked this piece: https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/patriots/2019/07/23/nfl-system-justice-inconsistent-mess/afP4zKBgEyOH1bvL0OIh4J/story.html

Titled, The NFL's System of Justice Is an Incoherent Mess, which i think sums it up nicely. As headlines go, it's just a little on the long side, but it's punchy.

Hodgepodge wrote:

There's a rumor out there, that Zeke Elliott may hold out of training camp. He wants a new contract.

As I'm sure you all know, Zeke is holding out for a new contract.
He was seen this past weekend having brunch with his agent in a Fresco, Texas restaurant.

I totally understand why he wants to get his a new contract now instead of waiting for Dak and Amari to get there's. With the crap he's always getting himself into, he knows he's going to screw up real soon.  

His Royal Dorkness wrote:

I need to reach back about three posts...

Kansas City Chiefs' Tyreek Hill won't be punished for domestic battery allegations.

The Boston Globe, fairly obviously, has their bones to pick with Goodell over uneven enforcements over the year, but even with that in mind, i liked this piece: https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/patriots/2019/07/23/nfl-system-justice-inconsistent-mess/afP4zKBgEyOH1bvL0OIh4J/story.html

Titled, The NFL's System of Justice Is an Incoherent Mess, which i think sums it up nicely. As headlines go, it's just a little on the long side, but it's punchy.

Not being able to prove allegations hasn't stopped the Commish from taking other players to task. What's the difference here?


ETA: Rumor now has Zeke heading to Cabo to workout. I don't like this at all.

I think the difference is that Hill plays for the Chiefs. Iirc, they were one of the teams most implicated in the bounty scandal, and the franchise and their players have consistently failed to be punished when it's up to Goodell.

________

As for Michael Thomas, i don't think it hurts the team overall if he misses all of training camp. He and Brees shouldn't need more than a week or two before the regular season to be in sync again, if even that long. Meanwhile it gives valuable snaps to the rest of the receiving corps. It could actually be a net positive for the Saints as a football team. Recent reports say the difference between what the team is offering and what Thomas is asking for could be down to about $1M/yr, so if true, a deal could be done before the preseason.

_______________

I'm hoping for the best for Ezekiel. Didn't he lead the league in a bunch of brutal stats last year like number of rushes, rushing yards from scrimmage, total (non-qb and center) touches, etc? He deserves a raise, he's one of the elite talents of his era.

His Royal Dorkness wrote:

...I'm hoping for the best for Ezekiel. Didn't he lead the league in a bunch of brutal stats last year like number of rushes, rushing yards from scrimmage, total (non-qb and center) touches, etc? He deserves a raise, he's one of the elite talents of his era.

All of the above!

I said it last season, he was overused by a large margin. Especially before Amari Cooper arrived.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I understand why he's holding out:

He's going into the 4th-year of his rookie-contract. They've already picked up the option for his 5th year. This takes him thru 2020.

Without a long-term deal, the team would then Franchise-tag him for the 2021 and possibly, 2022 seasons.

With how the League looks at the shelf-life of a RB, he'd be 6-yrs into his career. He'd be out the door with nothing in the bank.

Yeah, it's sad how Running Backs are all used up before they're 30 these days. Somebody should try explaining that to Adrian Peterson. :p

But all those career records that were being set in the late 80s and 90s are all pretty much guaranteed to stand through this era. Your boy Emmett Smith might get to go to his grave with the highest all-time career total rushing yards from scrimmage. I still remember Walter Payton saying he wanted to set the record, "... so high that it would just break the heart of anybody who wanted to break it." I think Smith broke some Dallas fans's hearts by going to Arizona to complete the job of setting an unbreakable record.

His Royal Dorkness wrote:

Yeah, it's sad how Running Backs are all used up before they're 30 these days. Somebody should try explaining that to Adrian Peterson. :p

If I'm not mistaken, didn't AP run for a 1,000 yrds last season?

His Royal Dorkness wrote:

...But all those career records that were being set in the late 80s and 90s are all pretty much guaranteed to stand through this era. Your boy Emmett Smith might get to go to his grave with the highest all-time career total rushing yards from scrimmage. I still remember Walter Payton saying he wanted to set the record, "... so high that it would just break the heart of anybody who wanted to break it." I think Smith broke some Dallas fans's hearts by going to Arizona to complete the job of setting an unbreakable record.

Plus, a lot of teams today use the "running back by committee" theory. Last season, your Saints used both Kamara and Ingram sharing time in the backfield.

AP ran for 1042 yds from scrimmage last year at the age of 33. When he was 30, he ran for 1485 for the Vikings.

I think the Saints' offensive backfield system is phenomenal. Having a guy like Hill, who has a lot of different skill sets and can line up at so many different positions and contribute with impact, really opens up a lot of options, a couple of which are plays whose titles feature the word "option" itself. Last year, aside from Special Teams contributions, Hill lined up at halfback, quarterback, tight end, wideout, and slot receiver, and he had some success at each. In one play, he actually completed a pass to Drew Brees (it was only a 1-yd gain, but still).

It doesn't look like they have one guy to fill Ingram's shoes, but they have a couple guys who can handle short-yardage duties and fullback-type duties. Kamara will definitely be the featured RB, and i feel like it bears mentioning in context of you mentioning Thomas's catch percentage in the main thread, that Kamara caught 81 passes out of being targeted 105 times, which is a percentage of 77.1%. Having multiple guys who are dangerous in multiple ways is a big part of what makes the Saints offense difficult to predict, and IMO Sean Payton is one of the best of the era at exploiting that. I haven't generally been a big proponent of trick plays in the NFL for most of my life, but i admire athletic creativity, and when trick plays work, they can provide some of the most exciting moments in a game or even a season. I've admired Belichick's abilities at deception, and would even go so far as to say that he single-handedly changed certain aspects of the way the game is played. I feel like Payton isn't quite at his level, but Payton has his own creative ideas, and when they work i love them.

It's probably worth mentioning that the Saints are still looking for more backfield help, too. Theo Riddick and Robert Kelley worked out for them recently, and there are some rumors that they're talking to Cleveland about Duke Johnson. I don't see the Saints giving up any more draft picks any time soon unless Kamara gets seriously injured (please god no), but supposedly there are other FA names still available who could make a suitable backup, so if they don't sign Kelley nor Riddick it'll probably be one of the other FAs.

I know you're not suppose to show your hand during Pre-season, but damn.  

The 'Boys looked like the 'Boys of old in their Saturday night debut against the 49ers. Four trips to the red-zone, three field-goals and a miss for good measure. Nothing changed! Dallas was last in red-zone efficiency last season, so they fire Linehan and promote Kellen Moore. As far as I'm concerned, there was no difference in the play-calling.

The 'Boys, with their opening possession against the Rams, drove 97yrds for a TD.
They looked a lot better in this game, including Dak. The play-calling still leaves a lot to be desired, but at least they got first-downs.
With Zeke still in Cabo, Tony Pollard rushed 5/42yrds.
If you can believe it, after the game Jerry Jones mentioned to a reoporter, "Zeke who?"

There's a vicious rumor going around that Zeke will have a contract before Monday (09-02-19).