on amazon prime. season 3 follows the 2017 season of the dallas cowboys. i just watched the first episode. some observations:
- during the 2016 draft, it looks like the cowboys were trying hard to get paxton lynch and were thinking about trading picks to move back up in the first round. good for them that they weren't able to do it.
- jason garrett has the reputation of being just a cheerleader (michael lombardi calls him "the clapper"), and the first episode does nothing to dispel that impression. he's really chummy with the players. he's always spouting cliches, whether during practice or during a game. there's a scene where he's doing a version of the bucket drill with prescott after practice. after the loss to the broncos in week 2, he defers to jerry jones to give the opening remarks to the team in the locker room.
- during a WR meeting before the broncos game, WR coach derek dooley is saying how the broncos have good players on defense and a good scheme and says they're probably the best defense in the NFL. dez bryant starts complaining that he always praises the other (expletive) team, and says, "Why not we can't just go out there and beat the (expletive) out of them? Why can't we get words of (expletive) encouragement?" dooley actually says, "So how do you want me to phrase all of this? I appreciate your honesty. I'll be careful with my words...but I do acknowledge that these guys are good players." unbelievable.
- during the RB meeting, the RB coaches and ezekiel elliott are watching film of von miller. elliott starts talking about how miller just got paid his big contract, and one of the assistant coaches mentions how miller bought a range rover for his outside LB coach after their super bowl win. RB coach gary brown says that he's just trying to get elliott a ring and a gold jacket. talk about a lack of focus.
- during coaches game-planning and garrett's team meeting before the broncos game, there's a lot of self-praising--"if we do this, they can't stop us", "we're more physical than them", etc.
- the cowboys lose to the broncos 42-17
- during garrett's meeting with the front office after the win, he calls the loss a team loss and says that everyone has a piece of it, then proceeds to talk about how the team didn't execute, weren't physical, lost their composure and that some players gave up in the game. no mention (maybe they cut that part out) of any coaching deficiencies.
