Great News For Cowboy’s Fans

Dec 29, 2013; Arlington, TX, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Bryce Brown (34) scores a touchdown as Dallas Cowboys cornerback Orlando Scandrick (32) defends in the fourth quarter at AT

Despite the disappointing and nearly identical end of the season for the 3rd year in a row, we have to look at the positive.  By process of elimination, it is the Cowboy’s turn to win the NFC East next year.  So we’ve got that going for us, which is nice.

I was speaking to another Landry Hat staffer the other day who reminded me of Jones’ comment that things were going to get “very uncomfortable” around Valley Ranch after last year’s upsetting season.  It made me wonder how “uncomfortable” things are going to need to get this offseason. 

We really need to spend the draft and free agency focusing on defensive depth.  Sure, we could use some more offensive line help, but we really didn’t seem to have difficulty scoring or running the ball this year.  We are scoring enough points to win games, provided our defense stops our opponent from scoring more.

I imagine Monte Kiffin will not be with us next year.  I don’t think that Kiffin is any more responsible for this year’s weak defensive performance than Rob Ryan was last year.  The real culprit here is injuries and a complete lack of roster depth.  The difference between Kiffin and Ryan is that our personnel is not ideally suited for Kiffin’s defensive scheme.

Both Carr and Claiborne’s talents lie in man to man coverage. That’s what they do best, and that’s what we signed/drafted them to play.  I have no doubt that both could have adjusted to a zone coverage in time, but it’s just not what they were built to do.

I have to admit that I was excited at the prospect of DeMarcus Ware having little responsibility other than “kill the quarterback”.  In theory it sounded incredible and had me assured this would be his best statistical season to date. 

What happened?  Did essentially knowing what Ware was going to do make him that much easier to stop?  Or were injuries and perhaps even age the more contributing factors?  Either way (with rumors of a pay cut looming), I’m sure nobody is as frustrated as Ware about the situation.

Even more disappointed I’m sure is Lee, who just can’t seem to shake the injury bug.  This kid works hard off the field, is a leader on the field, and we suffer as a team without him.

If there is anyone I feel worse for than Lee, it’s Dez Bryant.  This guy reminds me so much of Michael Irvin it’s crazy.  He just wants to win more than anything.  I remember stories of Michael Irvin in his first years with Cowboys.  Michael sitting in his locker, tears streaming down his face because they had lost…again.  I remember him saying how the veterans would come by, slap him on the back and say, “Don’t worry rook, you still get your paycheck”.  It was then that Irvin realized he was playing with a team that didn’t care.

Now I’m certainly not saying that Dez is surrounded by a team that doesn’t care, but I will say that there is no one on this team that wants to win more than Bryant.  That’s why he is running around the sidelines pumping everybody up, while the media is accusing him of being a distraction and pouting.  Many people don’t know that Bryant was miked the game in question and it was proven that he did not say or do anything negative, while the network was filming him on the sidelines and accusing him of “immature and inappropriate behavior”. 

I guess the most irritating thing about that entire incident is the media (commentators and analysts), not only refusing to apologize for the false characterization, but continuing to talk about him being a “distraction” on the sidelines as if they don’t know the truth about what was really happening.  I guess it’s easier to continue the character assassination of a young man than to be a professional and admit you were wrong.

If caring more about the win than your own statistics and running around trying to get your team pumped up when behind is “immature behavior”, I could only wish the rest of our team were so childish.