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Gosselin: Cowboys play better when they aren't favorites
11:00 AM CDT on Saturday, September 25, 2010
SportsDayDFW.com
Rick Gosselin was on hand to answer questions about the Cowboys in his chat. Some highlights:
On why he picked the Cowboys to reach the Super Bowl: I picked the Cowboys to reach the Super Bowl based on what I saw on that December night in New Orleans when the Cowboys manhandled the best team in football. The Saints were 13-0 and the Cowboys had them down 24-7 in the fourth quarter at the Superdome. The Cowboys proved they could beat anyone, anywhere that night. But there was one cautionary flag -- the Cowboys tend to become overconfident. They jeopardize their own success when they start thinking they are a good football team. You win games with your play on the field, not with your minds off it. The Cowboys seem to play better when they aren't the favorites, when they are sneaking up on folks like they did in 1992 and in Bill Parcells' first year as coach. This is still a talented football team -- a talented team that lacks focus.
On whether the Saints and Packers can build an insurmountable lead in the NFC this week: Doubtful. Injuries happen. Both the Packers and Saints have already lost their starting running backs. Ryan Grant was placed on injured reserve with an ankle injury in Green Bay's season opener and Reggie Bush figures to miss at least six weeks with a broken fibula suffered Monday night in New Orleans' second game. You don't lose your starting halfback -- one of your premier playmakers -- and not feel it. The Packers and Saints will not be as strong a team on Oct. 1 as they were on Sept. 1.
On how much longer can Jerry Jones can wait to bring in another kicker, considering how small the margin between winning and losing is in the NFL: Parity has made this a three-point league. I was surprised the Cowboys didn't bring in serious competition for Buehler to training camp. Competition makes you better. I think Buehler is now on a week-to-week basis. If the Cowboys are to get back into the NFC East race, he needs to start making all of his field goals. I'm sure Buehler is feeling the same heat on the field that Jones is feeling from his GM chair.
On whether it was a mistake for the Cowboys to face the Texans in the preseason because they face them in the regular season: Everyone plays vanilla schemes in the pre-season and the starters don't hang around much beyond the second quarter. So there's not a whole lot to be learned from pre-season games. There are also three speeds the NFL plays -- August speed, September speed and January speed. The game is played a little faster in the regular season and faster yet in the post-season. When the Cowboys were studying films of the Bears, they were looking more at games from last December -- not from August.
11:00 AM CDT on Saturday, September 25, 2010
SportsDayDFW.com
Rick Gosselin was on hand to answer questions about the Cowboys in his chat. Some highlights:
On why he picked the Cowboys to reach the Super Bowl: I picked the Cowboys to reach the Super Bowl based on what I saw on that December night in New Orleans when the Cowboys manhandled the best team in football. The Saints were 13-0 and the Cowboys had them down 24-7 in the fourth quarter at the Superdome. The Cowboys proved they could beat anyone, anywhere that night. But there was one cautionary flag -- the Cowboys tend to become overconfident. They jeopardize their own success when they start thinking they are a good football team. You win games with your play on the field, not with your minds off it. The Cowboys seem to play better when they aren't the favorites, when they are sneaking up on folks like they did in 1992 and in Bill Parcells' first year as coach. This is still a talented football team -- a talented team that lacks focus.
On whether the Saints and Packers can build an insurmountable lead in the NFC this week: Doubtful. Injuries happen. Both the Packers and Saints have already lost their starting running backs. Ryan Grant was placed on injured reserve with an ankle injury in Green Bay's season opener and Reggie Bush figures to miss at least six weeks with a broken fibula suffered Monday night in New Orleans' second game. You don't lose your starting halfback -- one of your premier playmakers -- and not feel it. The Packers and Saints will not be as strong a team on Oct. 1 as they were on Sept. 1.
On how much longer can Jerry Jones can wait to bring in another kicker, considering how small the margin between winning and losing is in the NFL: Parity has made this a three-point league. I was surprised the Cowboys didn't bring in serious competition for Buehler to training camp. Competition makes you better. I think Buehler is now on a week-to-week basis. If the Cowboys are to get back into the NFC East race, he needs to start making all of his field goals. I'm sure Buehler is feeling the same heat on the field that Jones is feeling from his GM chair.
On whether it was a mistake for the Cowboys to face the Texans in the preseason because they face them in the regular season: Everyone plays vanilla schemes in the pre-season and the starters don't hang around much beyond the second quarter. So there's not a whole lot to be learned from pre-season games. There are also three speeds the NFL plays -- August speed, September speed and January speed. The game is played a little faster in the regular season and faster yet in the post-season. When the Cowboys were studying films of the Bears, they were looking more at games from last December -- not from August.
