I have actually. You just don’t like the answer.
For one thing Dallas does NOT “reign” in penalties. In 2022 they were the 9th most penalized team. In 2020 they were 11th. In 2019 they were 16th.
For another thing they aren’t always close. Sure they had a couple 12-5 seasons under McCarthy, but also 6 10 and 7 10. Three year stretch of 8 8. 4 12. Plenty of not close season at all.
They’re penalties really aren’t at incredible levels. This is again the problem with grading on a curve. 109, 104, 124. This isn’t really massive. What’s funny actually when you start looking at the numbers is Dallas is actually pretty consistent. About 109 penalties a season +- a few, some times that’s near the top, some times it’s middle of the pack.
Aikman got old. And so did his offensive line. Plus of course Jerry doesn’t like spending on the line. He throws the cash at skill players. Lots of guys go into the booth. And most aging QBs fall off the cliff. Brady is the exception.
The Cowboys lose at a high rate. They get lucky because they’re in the NFC east and frequently the Giants and the Skins suck. So the Cowboys get spotted some wins.
Sorry bub, you’re the one obsessed. The idea that Jerry DELIBERATELY makes bad decisions to maintain parity is... well $%#%^|^& stupid. Much more sensible that he’s just not good at it. Because frankly there’s no margin for the league in CHOOSING the Cowboys to be bad. They’re one of the most popular teams in American sport. If the league was going to pick winners the Cowboys would win all the time. Along with the Steelers and the Packers. Those are the big teams, year after year, decade after decade. In a fixed league they’d win all the time.
Much much simpler that Jerry’s just a crappy GM. Cause he is.
If your theory is correct, the cowboys will do better when they are more disciplined.
That’s is the opposite of the truth:
In 2010 the cowboys went 6-10. They committed fewer penalties than any other season: 94.
In 2017 the cowboys were 9-7 with 94 penalties again.
In 2020 they were 6-10 again with 95 penalties.
Conversely, when they undisciplined win more games they get more penalties
2021, 2022, and 2023 they go an “undisciplined” 12-5. They get 134, 107, 117 respectively in penalties. The truth is the cowboys were dangerously approaching NFL strength despite all the penalties. Jerry deliberately sabotaged the cowboys this year to keep them out. Micah parsons is the only pro bowler from Green Bay this year.
I actually cheered for the cowboys in the 70-99s era. But when I moved out of state I started cheering for teams like the bengals and chiefs. As I started watching those games I noticed those teams rarely got 10 penalties in a game. Despite the fact that the bengals were pretty horrible at the time.
The lack of comment about these stats by sports analysts is the give away to me.