Enough is enough! We can now look to a chance it'll be an even dozen next season. The Cowboys have not had a winning record in their last 5 games in any season since 1995. That's an 11 year span, folks. There's a problem, obviously. But there's been four different head coaches over that period of time. Obviously players have come and gone during that time. Just at quarterback, we're talking seven starters, and that doesn't count Hensen. Some years, we blamed the offense. Other years we blamed the defense. Still in other years, we blamed the lack of a good kicking game. Quarterback has been a point of contention. So has running back. And offensive line. And defensive secondary. And pass rush. I think the only one I haven't seen blamed is the towel boy.
Hell, yesterday, someone was blaming yesterday's game on the referees. The Cowboys gave up 39 points to the 2nd (after this game) worst team in the NFL and this person was blaming it on the referees. I agree. The refs should have demanded that Parcells just throw in the towel so everyone could just go home. How dare those referees for not being more forceful.
This December thing this year just killed the season. They won 2 and dropped 3 of them. Two out of the 3 they dropped were critical playoff position games. The Cowboys gave up the NFC East and the 3rd seed in the playoffs in one game. They gave up a potential 2nd seed in another. It was theirs to claim in both instances.
Coming into December, the team was on an upward ride headed towards the playoffs. They finished in a death spiral, still headed for one playoff game, but it's doubtful you could find anyone that would take even odds that the Cowboys will win that first playoff game.
So, with all this finger pointing in so many directions, with so many possibilities, what is the problem? And what is it going to take to fix it? I've given this thing some thought over the past few weeks and I can find justification to blame almost all facets of the team this year for their failure to achieve what most of us believe was high potential. Much higher than what they did achieve, anyway. But you can find justification in previous years also, but it wasn't the same players/coaches/etc. in those previous years. So fixing one player this offseason, or 5 or 6 players might not do it. In fact, they've patched several areas on the team in different years. But for 11 straight seasons, we're right back where we started. Losing in December.
Is this a conditioning issue? If so, why are we 11 seasons into it, with four different coaching staffs, and still don't have it corrected. Is there something else? Something we're not seeing? The only constant in this equation, that I'm aware of, is Jerry Jones. And I can't imagine what Jerry could be doing to affect player performance that wouldn't have gotten leaked to the press by now. So I'm not going with the Jerry theory. I truly thinks he wants a winning team more than anyone else. And I think he has, for the most part, done what he believed each year would make it a better team. I think he's going to be doing some of that doing shortly, too. After this season, heads are going to roll. And it might start with the head coach. But that's another article.
Regardless of who is coaching next season, they need to start dealing with this December thing. You're looking at a minimum of 25% of your regular season. No coach would head into the season spotting his opponents 4 games. Historically, that's what the Cowboys have been doing. They've been laying down in December and the record shows it. And the lack of playoff contention shows it.
If this is still America's Team, and much argument could be had that it isn't, the December thing must be corrected. This is an embarassment. Remember that feeling from yesterday when you realized the Lions were going to beat the Cowboys? That's what I'm talking about, but it's an 11 continuous year old feeling. I mentioned several times that the Cowboys have not had a good December in years. I, myself, didn't realize how long or how bad it had been. If you're looking for consistency in the Cowboys, there's a place to look. The Cowboys have consistently sucked in December since 1995.
Do I have the solution for this? I can tell you flat out I don't. I can't even identify the problem. But it's the same problem, year after year after year. Without identifying the specific problem, I don't know how one could go about fixing it. But someone needs to get a handle on this. This sucks the life out of the team and is just hell on fans. I know not everyone is the fan I am, coming back every year only to be letdown at the end of the season. But lining up for another dose of it again the next year. That's me. I'll be back there next year, with hope and aspirations that it'll be better. Based on history, it won't be. Unless it's corrected.
To those that might possibly read this that can actually effect a change in the Cowboys organization, be aware that not every fan is going to be like me. Not every one of them is going to return to the trough every year for more of the putrid feed you've been serving us for the past 11 years. Some of those fans are going to find other teams to root for, or another sport. Those fans won't spend money on your merchandise and tickets. And that will make your cash register smaller. And that will mean you have less money to spend in places you really need to spend money. The formula is really quite simple.
Win Games = More Money, Lose Games = Less Money
So why are we in an 11th year where we basically give the rest of the league a month of games? And when is it going to get fixed? Is 11 years long enough for this to happen? 12? Or are we looking at a 20 year hiatus for the Cowboys in December? Can I hang in there as a fan for 20 straight years of losing Decembers? I don't know. I do know I'm over halfway there now.
This is nuts. Get it fixed. I don't care who's coaching the team. I'm not in love with Parcells, Gailey, Campo, Switzer, Landry or Jimmy Johnson. I don't care if you hire the whole Philadelphia Eagle team and coaching staff, stick them into Cowboys uniforms and start winning games. Just get it done. 11 years of this crap is enough. I bit the cheese this year, got my hopes up, knowing full well that December was coming. And sure enough, what happens? We get scrambled like an egg at IHOP.
I'll be back here next season, hopeful and exhuberant that will be the season it all comes together. I will be supportive, but realistic. When you do well, I'll say so, when you suck, I'll say so. But as December approaches, I will get apprehensive. And if you drop 3 out of your last 5 games next year, you won't catch me by surprise like I've let you do for 11 straight years.
Now, if you want to blindside me, go 5-0 next December. I'll probably pass out from the shock of it.
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