Addressing Dak’s “Sophmore Slump”

Dylan88Wilson

Dylan88Wilson

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Before Zeke was suspended, these were Dak’s numbers over the first eight games:

Total Yards - 2,013
Total TDS - 20
Interceptions - 4

Project those stats over an entire season:

Total Yards - 4,026
Total TDs - 40
Interceptions - 8

Compare that to his rookie year:

Total Yards - 3,949
Total TDs - 29
Interceptions - 4

So even with some early struggles from the offensive line and a worsening connection with Dez, Dak’s trajectory was pointing way up.

So had Dak & Zeke played the entire season together, we’d be talking about what a monster year Dak just had.

If you take away his best weapon, injure his best offensive lineman [and do nothing to compensate for it] and leave him with receivers who struggle to get open, your QB is bound to struggle.

But since Zeke will be playing a full season next year and the front office is using draft picks to make the offense “Dak friendly”, we have absolutely no reason to believe his trajectory won’t go back to pointing up.

Dak is the man and we’re fortunate to have him.
 
CouchCoach

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I've never bought into the "slump" because few QB's are ever that good their rookie season.

If there was a slump, it was a team slump. Dak is not a QB that can excel beyond his team, he has to play within that team like so many other QB's. Those that play beyond their team do so well into their career, not two years in.

Since few QB's get to step into an offense that good with that level of OL, I did not look at his rookie season as the norm. The other rookies QB's, that actually played, had more rookie representative seasons.....they struggled.

I assumed the DC's would come with more to force the game into his hands and Linehan would try to get him to do more to offset the DC's and some of it worked. I certainly wouldn't lay the failure of the team to make the playoffs on Dak, that belongs on the team and they shouldn't have repeated as NFC East champs as the Eagles were clearly the superior team.

This season with be the one that tells us the future of Dak as the franchise. He has seen enough and now has a better feel for how they will try to defend him and while they will have some new wrinkles, it is up to him to make them pay. He didn't make enough plays last season and he didn't have a lot of help in making them. If he has to throw that many passes behind the marker this season, the results will not be any different. He has to go down the field to get them to play straight up D and get that 8th defender back in coverage.

Going to be a real interesting study as the young man was an overnight sensation, Cinderella story, and then failed to meet the expectations of many. Some players might crumble under the pressure of being the QB of America's Team, where the QB position gets more blame and credit than most, but he's not your normal young man. The young man is strong, grounded and will not bend under the yoke of being the Cowboys' QB. That doesn't mean he will rebound and prove to the the future but he will give it everything he has and who can ask any more than that?
 
G2

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The numbers from 2016-2017 are not THAT far off. INTs was the one that stood out and we know the pressure he was under....
 
Denim Chicken

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glimmerman said:
Same yardage but 11 more tds and 4 more ints.
Click to expand...

While I'm a big Dak supporter, he cannot escape all responsibility. Watching the season unfold Dak's accuracy, decision making, and field vision regressed and were very poor at some points. He played really loose with the ball sometimes. These traits are independent from Zeke absence (and we still had a very good running game during the suspension). The OL issues contributed more to his struggles, but a good QB has to overcome. Luckily, thiswas in his 2nd year and he can improve.
 
G2

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blindzebra said:
Dak put together an outstanding first 24 games, then everyone on the OL except Frederick got dinged up or missed games. Zeke missing hurt, but the OL playing like crap was the main issue.
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You could see Dak struggle under pressure. I think that will improve.
 
VABoyz

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CouchCoach said:
I've never bought into the "slump" because few QB's are ever that good their rookie season.

If there was a slump, it was a team slump. Dak is not a QB that can excel beyond his team, he has to play within that team like so many other QB's. Those that play beyond their team do so well into their career, not two years in.

Since few QB's get to step into an offense that good with that level of OL, I did not look at his rookie season as the norm. The other rookies QB's, that actually played, had more rookie representative seasons.....they struggled.

I assumed the DC's would come with more to force the game into his hands and Linehan would try to get him to do more to offset the DC's and some of it worked. I certainly wouldn't lay the failure of the team to make the playoffs on Dak, that belongs on the team and they shouldn't have repeated as NFC East champs as the Eagles were clearly the superior team.

This season with be the one that tells us the future of Dak as the franchise. He has seen enough and now has a better feel for how they will try to defend him and while they will have some new wrinkles, it is up to him to make them pay. He didn't make enough plays last season and he didn't have a lot of help in making them. If he has to throw that many passes behind the marker this season, the results will not be any different. He has to go down the field to get them to play straight up D and get that 8th defender back in coverage.

Going to be a real interesting study as the young man was an overnight sensation, Cinderella story, and then failed to meet the expectations of many. Some players might crumble under the pressure of being the QB of America's Team, where the QB position gets more blame and credit than most, but he's not your normal young man. The young man is strong, grounded and will not bend under the yoke of being the Cowboys' QB. That doesn't mean he will rebound and prove to the the future but he will give it everything he has and who can ask any more than that?
Click to expand...

Agree completely! Dak had a very unusual rookie season.. normally rookies start on teams that have been awful..they are normally high picks whos thrown into the fire.. Dak had a top 3 running back, top 2 oline, an experienced crafty tight end and a pretty decent receiver group. they caught a lot of teams off guard. more was forced on him last season and he had high expectations coming off the rookie year..its only natural a second year qb wouldnt be as good as that ridiculously well played first season..i just hope he gains the confidence and understanding to not miss so many open guys and grab a hold of the offense. naturally it SHOULD come with time but the coordinators have to create a comfort zone for him also..you have to put your qb in successful situations. unless he's Aaron Rogers its hard as hell to just go wing it for a YOUNG qb.
 
HanD

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WillieBeamen said:
So basically he needs an elite back and elite OL to play at an NFL level?


Some QB we have...
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Hes already playing at an nfl level. I dont see people talking about how carr regressed or how had a great ol and off around when he excelled. Or how wentz has a great d, great ol and very good rbs and a good receiving core including te. Hell foles didnt drop a beat. So either they have two great qbs or it is the system and surrounding talent. i believe it is the latter and dak is held to a different standard for whatever reason
 
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