Sgt Schultz

The Cowboys look like an organization that is all about excuses. They had the "blame the kicker" excuse armed and ready to post until Prescott threw the ball away a couple of times, and, after an initial bad PAT the kicker made two FGs. What they are saying is certainly not untrue, but these are the guys they put and keep on the roster. It's not like these limitations are something new. What is true is their coaching staffs never seem to be able to compensate (and generally looks like they invite the very situations that blow up) and their GM is a buffoon. Those two things are probably very related.

My main concern about Lance is if the 49ers staff is willing to throw in the towel on him, do we think another staff can turn him around? The devil is in the definition of throwing in the towel. If they are wanting to move him because they are willing to put their eggs in the Purdy basket, that is different than moving him before anybody else figures out he is a very expensive bust. But, if it is the former, the asking price is going to be higher than the latter. The advantage we have is we have a near-empty QB room. That does not mean we should go crazy and wind up with a room full of guys who struggle to reach mediocrity, but we aren't saddled with the existing contract of a guy we know will struggle to reach mediocrity. Honestly, this is a decision for a new staff to make along with Fitts.

That would be good. Olsen's delivery is such he could probably handle the play-by-play. Even if the game was awful, having it on as background just to hear that would be worth it.

Both Olsen and Romo are good analysts. The thing I like better about Olsen is you have to keep reminding yourself that it is Olsen.....he sounds like a guy that has been doing the commentary for decades. Merlin Olsen had a similar delivery.

I'm wondering the same thing. The rumor has been circulating all year that Payton was destined for the Cowboys. It was as if McCarthy was a dead man walking, with Jerrah just looking for an excuse to get out the hook. I would not be surprised to find out tomorrow McCarthy was dismissed or decided to step down. Should he? Well, sanity and reason have no place in the world of Jerrah Jones. The irony is that there are two NFC teams that seemingly should have achieved more with what they had. The Packers, with Rodgers and coached by McCarthy, and the Saints, with Brees coached by Payton. I feel like Payton would be more likely to get the Cowboys over the next hump, but it is no sure thing he would get them an Owl.

You are probably correct about Carr and a lot of competent coaches. You'll have to forgive my snippiness about Derek vs. David. Some of us still go into convulsions at the mention of David Carr. You should see us at the mention of Clausen. It becomes a full blown, foaming at the mouth conniption fit.

I sincerely hope you meant Derek Carr. Otherwise, you are dead to me.

I forgot about that. 16 teams was simply not enough.

Trees will tap dance before the NFL has fewer playoff games. Next step will be 8 in each conference, and we'll be lucky if they stop there. It could be worse. The NHL and NBA play 80+ game seasons and then half the teams make the playoffs. MLB keeps expanding theirs.

Agreed. Short of actually playing the Buffalo-Cincy game and shoving everything but the Superb Owl out a week to make up the odd week, a neutral site if it was KC vs. Buffalo or even Buffalo vs. Cincy was the only thing that made sense. As it is, KC got the benefit of the round 1 bye.

I doubt that I would, but I would have the hook ready. That could create a preparation problem for opponents. Preparing based on Purdy and having Garoppolo come in at the first sign of trouble would cause some adjustments on the fly. The '72 Dolphins stuck with Earl Morrall even though Bob Griese had recovered from his injury and was available for the playoffs. When Morrall struggled against the Steelers in the AFCC, Griese was inserted at halftime and led them to a win and trip to the Owl. I could see a similar situation with the 49ers taking shape this year, although Morrall was a 38-year old vet and Purdy is in his first year.

My random thoughts on Payton are that he was an excellent coach who probably overstayed his welcome in New Orleans. After Brees left and even maybe a little before, it looked like he lost his drive. FWIW, I think we are seeing some of the same with Hoodie in New England. The results are similar, curious personnel decisions, unfocused, going through the motions, etc. It is possible time away and a new environment cures that. Payton is younger than Hoodie, so there is that. Bountygate does not thrill me, but I have always believe that was more Gregg Williams' brain child than Payton's (and I believe the NFL investigation concluded that). He gets dinged for allowing it and creating an atmosphere where it was acceptable. The downside is that he left the Saints in a mess. That is an upside for us looking at it through Panther eyes, but the question is whether he would do the same here. Based on that, he is not my first choice. As a game day coach, I’m good. Having a voice in who gets a chance to wear the uniform, sure. Having his hand on the checkbook, different answer. All that said, I would not ride into the sunset on the Panthers if they hire him. The only coaching hire that would have cause me to respond that way would have been Josh McDaniels.

Most people to view everybody and everything as either all good or all evil. I guess it's a convenient (or lazy) way to go through life. Since most people and things are a mix of good and bad, it isn't all that useful or accurate. I think it is part of the de-evolution of our species.

Rhule was a classic example of the bad TV commercial proclaiming "and if you act in the next 15 minutes...."

The problem I see with waiting is that there is an urgency to lock up one of the better candidates, at least better perceived candidates. Now the downside of that is it is how we wound up with The Process at a huge price tag. Perhaps had they taken a breath and talked to a few more people after him, Tepper would have come to his senses (and probably told Hurney his "hepp" was no longer needed). So, I am afraid that the urgency will always be there because, like Black Friday, teams are afraid the shelves will be bare if they don't. Right now, waiting is less a function of a contemplative approach and more an indicator that the team can't find anybody that wants the job. I remember a few Raiders searches and, if I am not mistaken, the 49ers search after they pushed Harbaugh out dragging for that reason. I wish it was otherwise, but as long as one team is going to race to the finish line, I think is stays the way it is. The fanbase, especially on this board, is antsy. What they don't keep in mind is that it is not in the team's interest to show any cards about how things are going. Somebody may have already blown away the interview and given all the right answers, including names of assistants and direction of the team in the short, medium, and long terms. But you don't say "Lipshitz really is a perfect fit for us, and we are going to focus on hiring him." Obviously, assuming he is not a dolt, if you do it becomes like a bidding war on eBay in the final minute of the auction and if Lipshitz says no, you have tarnished every subsequent candidate's view.

I have been reading this entire thread and thinking perhaps he feels he is just not ready. If so, I have a lot of respect for the guy, and assuming he does become a head coach someday, he will probably be better for it. If his assessment about something special happening with the Lions is true, it's not like interest will get lower.

I can't blame him for that. Denver might be best served with a guy like Wilks. The wheels are so far off that they may need somebody to come in and stabilize things, like they did with Fox after the McDipstick debacle. Wilks essentially did that here in pretty quick order after we unloaded The Process. They are a mess right now. They may not want a Wilks/Rivera/Fox type, but it may be what they need. It's either that or some shock therapy, which was why they were talking to Harbaugh. But, as dysfunctional as they are, that could make it worse.

A new coach could want somebody new, especially since Murray's future was very much up in the air a year ago.....right before they extended him. That extension is the 800-pound gorilla in the room. His dead cap is almost $100M this year. His 2024 salary jumps to $37M, so I doubt anybody is going to take him in the trade market. Unless they want to eat a bunch of that contract against the cap, they are tied to him for another few years. None of that prevents them from drafting a QB and they do have cap space, but Murray's contract is a pretty bitter pill for them to swallow. I have no idea what they were thinking with his extension.

Not to throw any cold water on this, but what was the score of the Cincy-Baltimore game? And the Cincy defense scored 7 of those. There is no universal rule on this stuff. Well, other than if the Cowboys kicker doesn't figure out the ball has to go through the uprights, they are going to be in some trouble.

I am thinking something similar, like a small meteor.

For all our talk about which QB we should draft or what QB we should sign as a FA or trade for, none of us has any input into that decision nor should we. Neither should Tepper. Neither should Tepper's wife. Neither should Fitts, without first talking to whoever we hire as the HC who also needs to talk to his OC and QB coach. As for the original point, I don't think we are years away, but I also don't think we are as close as some here. Kinda the same reasoning. While we look at our roster and like a group of players, the new staff may not like some of the people we like. Our roster was largely constructed by an NFL moron, based on a flawed set of assumptions. Now we need somebody who knows what they are doing to figure out how much of it is worthwhile going forward. It is entirely possible some of those decisions will make some fans unhappy (to say the least). I don't think the new staff is going to approach Fitts and say that everybody has to go, but I also don't think they are going to meet with him to tell him everybody stays. All we can hope for is they decide a lot more players fit than don't, at least among the bigger names.

Nah. Juan's posts have more truth in them than anything Roger Goodell says. And as we know, that is not very much.

That is a tough one though. Who do I despise more, Al Qaeda or ISIS? The Cowboys or the Bucs? If either the Cowboys or Brady-led Bucs were playing Al Qaeda or ISIS, I would have a very difficult decision to make.

I can relate, so my best to you all. Especially on a birthday celebration that puts all that behind you.

I agree with your last sentence. By that time Ross and his handlers had to remain invisible. We have no idea what obstacles "the management" put in Flores way weeks 1-4. They can do a lot of damage, as we have seen by some just out of incompetence (49ers in 2014, for example). The Dolphins went beyond mere incompetence and into self-sabotage. I don't think a young team getting better accounts for the magnitude of the first four losses, and then going to some one-score games. Not that quickly. That may be where we diverge. The Dolphins looked worse than the 76 Bucs for those first four games. The only thing we know for sure happened around that time was scrutiny and an evil eye from the league. So it's clear to everyone, my contention is and always has been that they wanted the best QB available. That morphed over the course of the year from Tua to Burrow, largely due to injuries. Regardless of who they thought they wanted in August or even October (right before Tua's first injury), Burrow would have been their pick if he was on the board. That year, securing that would have required them securing the #1 pick (or at least ahead of Cincinnati, depending on the draft board and trade intentions of teams 2-4). If you are going to try to lose, the #1 pick probably has to be your goal for safety, but isn't always necessary to get who you want and declare victory. That year it was. Last year, if you "had to have" Pickett, even the bottom half was not necessary. In fact, changing anything about your roster or offering your coach money to lose was probably not necessary unless you were already a playoff team. Honestly, the Dolphins that year are the only time I feel confident was actually trying to lose, and I've been watching the NFL since 1969. Even the 76 Bucs tried to win.