ODTC: A Look Back 1987-85 Dallas Cowboys

[TxBroadcaster]

We look back as the Cowboys Dynasty begins a slow decline
 

 

[KirtFalcon]

Slow ... steady ... and steep ....

[DaveTV1]

The reason for the decline began in 1979 with the poor draft selections much like the Houston Texaint's.  Free Agency wasn't available at that time so the only way to acquire players was via the draft, a trade, or a cut player.  The Cowboys were clinging to life due to the draft picks of 1978 and before.  Losing Drew to a car crash didn't help, and losing Charlie Waters to a knee injury he sustained in 1979 didn't help, plus Cliff Harris retired in 1979 when he made the Pro Bowl and had been an All Pro the year before.  I don't think that Charlie wanted to be there anymore without Cliff and Michael Downs was afraid to tackle.  Those two had far more talent than Bill Bates had, and look at his longevity.  I'm sure this video will claim it was Landry's aging system, but even his system didn't work with poor talent just as it hadn't from 1960-1965.  

[Coach Rab]

Wrong forum.  @RETIREDFAN1can you move this?

[RETIREDFAN1]

22 minutes ago, Coach Rab said:

Wrong forum.  @RETIREDFAN1can you move this?

Nice catch....I checked it out yesterday and didn't even notice it was in the college forum.......

[TxBroadcaster]

3 hours ago, RETIREDFAN1 said:

Nice catch....I checked it out yesterday and didn't even notice it was in the college forum.......

heck i posted it and did not even realize lol

[TxBroadcaster]

On 5/22/2023 at 6:51 PM, DaveTV1 said:

The reason for the decline began in 1979 with the poor draft selections much like the Houston Texaint's.  Free Agency wasn't available at that time so the only way to acquire players was via the draft, a trade, or a cut player.  The Cowboys were clinging to life due to the draft picks of 1978 and before.  Losing Drew to a car crash didn't help, and losing Charlie Waters to a knee injury he sustained in 1979 didn't help, plus Cliff Harris retired in 1979 when he made the Pro Bowl and had been an All Pro the year before.  I don't think that Charlie wanted to be there anymore without Cliff and Michael Downs was afraid to tackle.  Those two had far more talent than Bill Bates had, and look at his longevity.  I'm sure this video will claim it was Landry's aging system, but even his system didn't work with poor talent just as it hadn't from 1960-1965.  

It was all of that. Injuries, bad drafts AND his system was aging and its why they relied so much on the blitz from 81-86. 

[DaveTV1]

2 hours ago, TxBroadcaster said:

It was all of that. Injuries, bad drafts AND his system was aging and its why they relied so much on the blitz from 81-86. 

The system would still work today.  The reason for the blitzes was the lack of talent that Coach Landry had to attempt to bring out.  Dennis Thurman was smart, but he wasn't fast, and he could be at the right place at the right time with his reads, but his physical talent wasn't there.  Think about the rosters and players that went through Dallas from 1985-89.  Jesse Penn had talent but he had degenerative spinal condition, even with that he was far better than Jeff Rohrer.  Why Billy Cannon Jr. was selected was for name only, and his dad wasn't great at the pro level only the college level.  He had his neck condition as well.  There were other players the Cowboys could have selected in the draft that would have worked with Landry's system.  He simply didn't have the talent to work with.