Talking with a few friends after the game Sunday, we all had the same reaction to the loss; less anger and more disappointment. After the Giants loss I was mad because we should have won that game, but after Denver, I have come to the realization that all the talk of how the offense would be better by spreading the ball around and how this team was going to take a workmans approach to the game, is going to turn into a .500 season. My expectations are significantly lower. This is not a new sentiment, but I really think the coaching is killing the Cowboys, especially the play calling. They can win with the players they have, although more depth wouldn't hurt, but the coaches do not seem to be getting the most out of their players. I still think letting TO go was the right move, especially since he has not exactly produced much in Buffalo, but we really miss a true deep threat at WR. This looks like one of those teams that can win against anybody, but is not great enough to consistantly win and perform at a high level. I am already looking toward next year.

With all that being said, the two losses were against teams without a blemish on their record, and they both were not over till the final seconds. The defense is improving, despite the late TD given up Sunday. And Felix Jones, IF he is able to stay healthy, brings a lot more to the offense than what they had Sunday. So it is not out of the question that they can still get this thing rolling in the right direction (see Cardinals, Giants of recent SB), but my hope of that happening is growing dimmer each week.

i had expectations that we would be good this year. 10 wins at least. our offense was going to be great. our defense would struggle until the new guys worked their way in. the preseason didnt help. admittedly it was the preseason but our offense looked great. long drives, good mix of run/ pass, aggressive. what has caused this regression? i thought romo was the problem the first 2 games. i was wrong. he's not the same guy as last year or the year before but why is that? coaching has ruint this team. an offensive coordinator that has no clue what direction to take this team. a head coach whose befuddled, moral wins attitude has gotten old. are you telling me that a team has 1(2?), at least 1:30 of time on the clock and we decide to go to halftime with a 3 point lead? that's . thats why your the highest paid oc in the nfl! if we start firing coaches mid season who takes over? if wade gets canned will garret become hc? campo could move up to dc. ray sherman could be oc. how much worse can it get before something like that happens?

i believe that there are no bandwagon cowboys fans on sdc. we all have different ideas on what our team needs. if we can survive quincy carter & michael wiley we can get through this. we might not like but it could always be worse......we could be browns or lions fans!

I predicted em to finish 9-7 and thought they would miss the playoffs. I think they are on their way to what I expected. They are good enough to beat the bad teams, and not good enough to beat the good teams.

I still see the Season as I did in the preseason. They'll probably beat Oakland, and the tie was just a joke. I wish I had more hope, but I don't.

My only real expectations where that we need to do better than split our division games and that our pass defense needs to give up an 85 or less in passer rating to opposing quarterbacks. If we do neither, we're not going far.

See my post (#39) on Romo getting out of his way

My expectations are... let's say... dampened a bit. The coaching is a huge problem with this team with the exception of special teams, Coach D has it together. Wade Phillips does not make his players "toe-the-line" as head coach and as D-coordinator he seems to be out-of-sync calling the wrong coverage or blitz packages at the wrong time, Jason Garrett is calling plays that have not been practiced. i.e. the fade to Bennett against the Panthers (scale back that playbook some if you have to Red Jesus). The only consolation I can find is that Norv Turner is not the Cowboys coach. He is worse than Wade Phillips ever thought about being.

Romo is playing like he either has no confidence in himself or his WRs or possibly both. I thought Drew Bledsoe had been re-signed with the way he stood in the pocket against the Broncos. If the coaches have reigned Romo in... CUT HIM LOOOOOOOSE! He is better at moving around and improvising than standing in the pocket waiting for someone to get open. Bring back Bledsoe if that is what they want the QB to do. I would rather live with Romo's interceptions while giving the team a chance to win than to play it safe, still get an interception (thank you Miles Austin for running the wrong route), and lose to a team that is not that talented.

Ken Hamlin is a waste of space at FS, he misses tackle after tackle each season. He should have made the tackle on Brandon Marshall last game, along with 11 other Cowboys and the waterboy. Hamlin got the big contract and has stunk since (maybe he always did), his bad play is spotlighted now since he doesn't have Roy Williams to make him look better anymore. I can only hope Jerry Jones cuts him or trades him to Detroit for a back/up towel boy. The LB corps needs to step it up, Anthony Spencer needs to get some pressure off Ware (should have kept Ellis around even if he whined like a three year old in Toys R Us), Brooking is doing well, James needs to pick it up, Bobby Carpenter... is Barbie Carpenter still. Worst first round pick Parcells ever made. The D-lineman are doing well, love Igor and Ratliff, Spears is doing okay. Defense isn't the real problem now, they have played well, for the most part, in the last couple of games.

Yeah I would say my expectations are a little dampened... typhoon scale dampened.

My expectations;

Athletically talented team ........... CHECK

Very mediocre head coach ............ CHECK

Opie "Gee Golly" Romo ................. CHECK

Wins against the bottom tier teams, loses against the top tier teams.................. CHECK


First round playoff exit ............. COMING

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Yep....

They are meeting my expectations!!

Texans are less frustrating and more fun to watch... rOHNO! Is getting really hard to watch, everytime i see a pass play come up i get scared... then frustrated. Our RB corpse is amazing though.

Has one of them passed away?

hmm the Texans are 2-2 and have been just as inconsistent as Dallas..not sure how they are less frustrating. they have beat two bad teams and lost to a surprising team and an average good teams...kinda the like Dallas you dont know which Texans team is going to show up.

One of the best teams in the NFL this year has a wet noodle for a head coach and a mental midget for a quarterback. Romo needs little help with football coaching. Instead, he needs Tony Robbins to step in and get his head squarely in the game. Phillips just needs to go.

The cowboys are a train wreck and need a major overhaul.

How about we start with the QB. We got rid of TO, let's move on to Romo. He's not a great one.

But they have more "Big Play" ability... thats alot of factor in watching games to me. Watching teams like USC and Alabama etc... With the old style power game is just boring. in no way are the cowboys boring, but really hard to watch. I dont like the Texans as much so its easier to see them lose.

That is a very good point. Doesn't bother me near as bad if the Texans lose.