Most of the NFL is trash, including the Bills and Cowboys

[Mufaletta 70]

In 2002, the NFL achieved it's current size of 32 teams, and re-aligned into 8 divisions of 4 teams.   Since that time, the league has been dominated by 8 teams, which have shown consistency and the ability to get into their Conference Championship game.

Conference Championship Game appearances since 2002:

Patriots 12, Chiefs 7, Niners 7, Eagles 7, Packers 6, Steelers 5, Colts 4, Ravens 4.   

20 other teams, including the vaunted Bills, have found their way into their Conference championship game at some point since then, but none of them consistently .   The Cowboys, Dolphins, Texans and Browns haven't even achieved this once.  

For as much run as the Bills and Cowboys receive in the national sports media, they are both trash. 

 

[weepaws 3,150]

So why do you bother, just go play jacks.   Indeed 

[Ray_T 739]

23 hours ago, Mufaletta said:

In 2002, the NFL achieved it's current size of 32 teams, and re-aligned into 8 divisions of 4 teams.   Since that time, the league has been dominated by 8 teams, which have shown consistency and the ability to get into their Conference Championship game.

Conference Championship Game appearances since 2002:

Patriots 12, Chiefs 7, Niners 7, Eagles 7, Packers 6, Steelers 5, Colts 4, Ravens 4.   

20 other teams, including the vaunted Bills, have found their way into their Conference championship game at some point since then, but none of them consistently .   The Cowboys, Dolphins, Texans and Browns haven't even achieved this once.  

For as much run as the Bills and Cowboys receive in the national sports media, they are both trash. 

 

well, this isnt entirely abnormal.

and most of those teams had franchise QB who could get them there.   

I'm guessing if you look at the teams with no appearances,  most of them havent a QB who can consistently play or they have a carousel of QB who may have been highly drafted, but who couldnt get it done at the pro level.

I guess my question to you is what is your point that you are trying to make?

[JagFan 149]

It’s all scripted.  Said script went out the window in this years SB because Philly decided that the Refs couldn’t help KC if Mahomes stayed on his bum!

[DocNiner 67]

Well if there's a bunch of trash teams I guess the league needs them so that there's some organizations who'll kick their atses consistently and hope that the fans like that scenario. Still it all starts at the topwith the team owners and management. If they are more concerned with making money and less concerned about putting a quality product on the field then those said trash organizations are gonna continue to blunder their way through season after season.  So there's actually.some.orginizatikns who WANT to win, build a culture and provide their fanbase with a quality product. Alas, there's pretty much trash teams as well in some of the other major sports. It is what it is.

[Mufaletta 70]

2 hours ago, Ray_T said:

 

I guess my question to you is what is your point that you are trying to make?

The point is the Cowboys are trash

[Ray_T 739]

Just now, Mufaletta said:

The point is the Cowboys are trash

you didnt need to go through all of that to make your point.  lots here would tell you that straight away lol

[DocNiner 67]

15 hours ago, Mufaletta said:

The point is the Cowboys are trash

Not so much that the Cowboys are trash I think it's more that Jerry Jones is. He's the puppet master and controls all the strings. Doubt if he'll ever change so their mess of a team will continue probably until the yeam changes ownership. He's adamant that he believes that his way is the best way. Sad, but in the early 90's they were really good and now they're just a shell of themselves. Maybe Jerry will have a come to Jesus moment but I wouldn't bet on it anytime soon.

[Maximum Overkill 1,738]

It's time for Josh Allen to step up, he couldn't even beat a horrible KC squad to go to the Superbowl. I'm not sure why guys like Allen, Lamar, Burrow and Herbert get such long leashes. The eye test isn't good enough, go do it. 

 

[LaChup 228]

Now that the Cowboys have Joe Milton, they can return to greatness. You heard it hear first.

[Ray_T 739]

8 hours ago, Maximum Overkill said:

It's time for Josh Allen to step up, he couldn't even beat a horrible KC squad to go to the Superbowl. I'm not sure why guys like Allen, Lamar, Burrow and Herbert get such long leashes. The eye test isn't good enough, go do it. 

 

Hey, I would hardly call a team thats been in 5 of the last 6 superbowls horrible.

sure I'll fully admit they are not as good as some of the superbowl winning teams of the past, but the bar there is sky high.     Team didnt lose a lot of games this year so I think that comment is a bit out of line (unless you are suggesting the whole league is trash except for Philly.... in which case I'll just write it off as a homer comment)

 

[TBayXXXVII 2,480]

On 4/3/2025 at 2:13 PM, Mufaletta said:

In 2002, the NFL achieved it's current size of 32 teams, and re-aligned into 8 divisions of 4 teams.   Since that time, the league has been dominated by 8 teams, which have shown consistency and the ability to get into their Conference Championship game.

Conference Championship Game appearances since 2002:

Patriots 12, Chiefs 7, Niners 7, Eagles 7, Packers 6, Steelers 5, Colts 4, Ravens 4.   

20 other teams, including the vaunted Bills, have found their way into their Conference championship game at some point since then, but none of them consistently .   The Cowboys, Dolphins, Texans and Browns haven't even achieved this once.  

For as much run as the Bills and Cowboys receive in the national sports media, they are both trash. 

 

This is why I say NFL fans are sheep for buying into the "franchise QB" crap.  If you have an elite QB, pay him... if not, never pay him.  Move on.  Paying guys like Dak, Jones, Mayfield, Darnold, Cousins, etc anywhere from $30M to $50M+ per year is wasting money and time.  If they want more than $10 to $15M AAV, let someone else pay them.  If by Y3, you don't feel your QB is worth a big extension/payday, don't pick up the option and draft a guy that year.  Let your guy compete with the kid and trade the veteran to a team willing to sell his fanbase fool's gold.

Next year, Young, Stroud, and Richardson will be entering Y4 and will need their 5th year options picked up.  If those teams think they have a franchise QB, either give them a long term deal or trade them.  There's no need to wait the extra year.  If Stroud has a year somewhere between his rookie season and last year, I'm willing to bet Houston would get at least a first round pick and more for him.  Giving him $40M+ AAV isn't going to make your team better.  Save the money and build the rest of the team to help the new/young guy.

[Ray_T 739]

1 hour ago, TBayXXXVII said:

This is why I say NFL fans are sheep for buying into the "franchise QB" crap.  If you have an elite QB, pay him... if not, never pay him.  Move on.  Paying guys like Dak, Jones, Mayfield, Darnold, Cousins, etc anywhere from $30M to $50M+ per year is wasting money and time.  If they want more than $10 to $15M AAV, let someone else pay them.  If by Y3, you don't feel your QB is worth a big extension/payday, don't pick up the option and draft a guy that year.  Let your guy compete with the kid and trade the veteran to a team willing to sell his fanbase fool's gold.

Next year, Young, Stroud, and Richardson will be entering Y4 and will need their 5th year options picked up.  If those teams think they have a franchise QB, either give them a long term deal or trade them.  There's no need to wait the extra year.  If Stroud has a year somewhere between his rookie season and last year, I'm willing to bet Houston would get at least a first round pick and more for him.  Giving him $40M+ AAV isn't going to make your team better.  Save the money and build the rest of the team to help the new/young guy.

I do agree to a point.

you also need to consider the fan base too.

Dak will never win a superbowl, but the team made the playoffs every year.    as long as that continues, I can see why the team wanted to re sign him.

sometimes that process of drafting and developing a new QB can be real hard on the fan base.   and if you swing and miss, you are now looking at a minimum of 5-6 years until you are competitive again.    Thats an awful lot of revenue you are giving up to try to find THE ONE.

though I think enough signs were there that Dallas likely should have bailed on Dak rather than give him that massive deal last year (was it last year?  might have been the year before)

I do think Stroud is likely a keeper.    Mayfield I'm still on the fence.  he likely fits into the same category as Dak when Dak finished his rookie deal.   he probably gets TB into the playoffs.  I dont think he gets them a superbowl.   but for ownership, that might actually be good enough.