Evaluating all 56 sacks the Cowboys allowed in 2018

[Kaiser]

Sturm has the third of four articles posted, this is where he assigns blame for the 45 sacks through 12 games. Some of the sacks assigned to Prescott are coverage sacks and WR busts.


Our dubious leaderboard through 12 games is as follows:

Dak Prescott: 14

La’el Collins: 7

Connor Williams: 6.5

Xavier Su’a-Filo: 5 (in just four games!)

Scheme: 5

Tyron Smith: 3

As you can see, 11.5 sacks on left guard is ridiculous and unacceptable. Also, Prescott gets blamed for a lot of poor receiver work, but that is why they get paid the big bucks.

Note - this is part of how Sturm assigns this grades:

Any sack notched over 3.5 seconds after the snap is going to be on the quarterback unless something is very unique about the play. Conversely, anything 2.9 seconds or less is usually going to be on the offensive line (do your job!).

 

[Alexander]

Xavier Su’a-Filo: 5 (in just four games!)

This is probably a real reason we took McGovern.

 

[kskboys]

Sturm has the third of four articles posted, this is where he assigns blame for the 45 sacks through 12 games. Some of the sacks assigned to Prescott are coverage sacks and WR busts.


Our dubious leaderboard through 12 games is as follows:

Dak Prescott: 14

La’el Collins: 7

Connor Williams: 6.5

Xavier Su’a-Filo: 5 (in just four games!)

Scheme: 5

Tyron Smith: 3

As you can see, 11.5 sacks on left guard is ridiculous and unacceptable. Also, Prescott gets blamed for a lot of poor receiver work, but that is why they get paid the big bucks.

Note - this is part of how Sturm assigns this grades:

Any sack notched over 3.5 seconds after the snap is going to be on the quarterback unless something is very unique about the play. Conversely, anything 2.9 seconds or less is usually going to be on the offensive line (do your job!).

Nicely done.

On a side note, the love for Filo continuously cracks me up!!!!

 

[Kaiser]

On a side note, the love for Filo continuously cracks me up!!!!

Exactly. He is a good backup at a low price and run blocks well. But he gets massacred in pass protection but some fans defend him purely on seeing a few run blocking highlights.

 

[kskboys]

Exactly. He is a good backup at a low price and run blocks well. But he gets massacred in pass protection but some fans defend him purely on seeing a few run blocking highlights.

Looking at his skillset, offhand I'd conclude that he doesn't seem to be too interested in football. Reminds me of that big DT we had for a while, Siavii. Very talented, but just collecting a paycheck.

 

[Alexander]

Looking at his skillset, offhand I'd conclude that he doesn't seem to be too interested in football. Reminds me of that big DT we had for a while, Siavii. Very talented, but just collecting a paycheck.

Or he could be really really trying and just not all that good.

 

[kskboys]

Or he could be really really trying and just not all that good.

Also possible, but since he has the physical skillset to succeed, I'm thinking it's a lack of desire.

 

[CCBoy]

Why make a post on the negatives when the OL was short the most important piece, i.e. the center and had a rookie playing RG? Why? Are you ignorant?

 

[CCBoy]

so the most important piece is center. not the LT? OK. got it...

and what about the other 31 teams who don't have a Fredrick at center?

let the excuses and finger pointing at everybody else begin...

go....

Since when does what could have been a positive and informational added point, end up just being an insult...intended for just that.

One couldn't have picked up on a valid disappointment by the person posting initially?

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

Since when does what could have been a positive and informational added point, end up just being an insult...intended for just that.

One couldn't have picked up on a valid disappointment by the person posting initially?

that was in response to the OP, who said, the OL most important piece is a center...which I full heartedly disagree with. so my sarcastic response was in regards to that...and the post sounded like an excuse....

 

[CCBoy]

that was in response to the OP, who said, the OL most important piece is a center...which I full heartedly disagree with. so my sarcastic response was in regards to that...and the post sounded like an excuse....

The post was directed at returning to high production....what was missed here? Smith only missed parts of the past three seasons.

As to a contribution, Smith looks healthier right not...and that is significant, as well.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

The post was directed at returning to high production....what was missed here? Smith only missed parts of the past three seasons.

As to a contribution, Smith looks healthier right not...and that is significant, as well.

I fully agree with that....again, the response was the OP said center is the most important position on the OL...which its not.... smith is a sure fire HOF we are watching in action and will discuss his dominance for years to come.

 

[kskboys]

I fully agree with that....again, the response was the OP said center is the most important position on the OL...which its not.... smith is a sure fire HOF we are watching in action and will discuss his dominance for years to come.

Being weak in the middle can negate talent at other positions. OLT might be more important, but if your C sucks it doesn't matter.

 

[CCBoy]

I fully agree with that....again, the response was the OP said center is the most important position on the OL...which its not.... smith is a sure fire HOF we are watching in action and will discuss his dominance for years to come.

"Physically, [being in the meeting rooms only] hasn't helped a lot, but mentally in the way that I've approached defensive recognition — I think it's made a big difference," he said. "I see the game a little bit differently than I did before. ...A lot of times during the season you are so focused on your technique and so focused on what it takes physically to get your job done, that you don't get a great chance to advance mentally. You do your best to do that during the offseason, but to get to see real live looks all the time and to see the way defenses are disguising things, and what kind of coverages they're moving to — I think it was really beneficial to me.

"I've seen the benefits of that already in OTAs."

That's a terrifying thought for opposing defensive linemen who know just how elite Frederick was, and must now face the possibility that the bulldozer isn't simply knocking off rust, but might've also located a new gear...


https://247sports.com/nfl/dallas-co...tened-grasp-of-how-to-dominate-NFL-132470050/

 

[jterrell]

Like a great band, Sturm, might occasionally put out a dud, but it's really rare and the "bangers" stack up quick.

He is also uniquely positioned as a Wisc-raised GB fan and Romo-stan to understand the goofball fan-base who dogs Dak because they love Romo. He has a son named ... Brett.

People that ignore him on Dak are missing out.

CWill was drafted for his potential very much like Tyron Smith. I saw CWill get eaten alive by a very mediocre, ok bad by D1 standards,, Texas Tech DL.
But his athletic profile is insane. And that will allow him to do insane things in time.
The easiest thing for a man aged 21-25 to do is put on weight and add strength.
Getting faster and jumping higher (without PEDs) are really tough to do in more than tiny increases but weight and muscle is easy to add(especially with PEDs).

But you play a kid that is very young at a new position and you live with some growing pains. Tyron was a RT as a rookie and at times looked bad there.
Couple years later he was making All Pro at LT.
Now he's had a back flare up and had some serious wear and tear ion his body.
CWill is likely his replacement in a few years.

As noted in this thread the biggest offensive issue was an over reliance on OL last year. The offensive DESIGN was with a WR corps no more than 30th best to have plenty of time to get open and plays to longer developing because we carry all these All Pro OL. But it was a very banged up/patchwork OL and that didn;t work.
Add Amari and a lot of things changed.
But we still couldn't run in the red zone except for Dak.
The challenges with run blocking in the red zone and pass blocking outside it were real issues all year.
But it is also an area that should be vastly improved.
OL is starting out far healthier/deeper and even more depth.
Amari is there day 1. RB has a speed option for pass duties so the team doesn't just have Zeke roll out there a she pleases then sub in a far lesser back asked to do exact same job.
Kellen Moore may not be a savant (maybe he is), but at least the other teams dont have years of him running the exact same sets.

The team has grown up and it was pretty darn good last year overall. With OL play at mediocre they still controlled the ball and clock fairly well and allowed defense to shine most games. They learned some lessons about playoff rest and home field advantage and they field a very young but also experienced team.

If you are an optimist this is a great year to look forward to. Plenty of signs to suggest this is a TRUE title contender for the first time in a long time.

 

[JMech]

Your words not mines. You are so wrong btw.

A 2in1 deal

Seriously, what the serious hate? You don't like the analysis? Enjoy living in your fantasy world?

 

[SoupcanSam]

Seriously, what the serious hate? You don't like the analysis? Enjoy living in your fantasy world?

Where is your tardy slip? You are way late with this response.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

Being weak in the middle can negate talent at other positions. OLT might be more important, but if your C sucks it doesn't matter.

let me try it another way...

being weak at the LT can negate talent at other positions. Cneter maight be important, but if you LT sucks, it doesn't matter

that's why LTs are often highest paid players on the OL. that's why the RDE are often highest paid....its all about getting sacks, and protecting the QB's blind side given most NFL QBs are right handed.

you can't spin this one any other way.... every OL is important...but LT is the MOST important... plus Looney played pretty well. better than 75% of other centers in the league....

 

[Ken]

Do an evaluation on how many sacks Dak skipped right into.

Those were the 15...der...

 

[Ken]

Lost in all the good feelings about Connor Williams adding weight and muscle this offseason is an analysis of just how poorly he played in his rookie year.

Bob Sturm is writing another 4-part series in The Athletic, this time a deep dive into all 56 sacks the Cowboys allowed in 2018 - second in the NFL.

For context, teams that are second in the league in sacks allowed do not usually make the playoffs. That’s a testament to just how good the defense played last year.

I have read too often here that these sacks were Dak’s fault because he holds the ball too long. It’s not true. According to Pro Football focus, only 15 of those 56 sacks were on Dak. And, in fact, Dak and the Cowboys were one of the best teams in the league at not allowing sacks in 2016 and 2017.

So, clearly 2018 was the problem.

In the articles, there is video of every sack and commentary. What’s clear is that Conner Williams had no business starting last year. He did much better in the final quarter of the season, and I have no doubt he’ll be better this year, but a great deal of 2018’s sacks were either errors from CWill or him being outright bull rushed into the quarterback.

In one instance against Seattle, Dak was sacked in 2.6 seconds! As Sturm wrote, “At some point, you feel like the player was let down here by the organization. 2.6 seconds from snap to sack is ridiculous from an inside player.”

Here is Sturm’s description of CWill’s first of many sacks to be given up in 2018:

“We may one day get to a point of Connor Williams’ career when NFL Films will do a feature on how he has progressed and all signs will go back to Week 1 of 2018 when he was asked to deal with Kawaan Short in his “Welcome to the NFL” moment. That game was when everyone quickly realized the growth and development for the college tackle-turned-NFL guard was going to be much longer than anyone let on in Oxnard. This is why we should all slow our roll when practice reports and camp reports tell us a kid is fitting right in and everything is great. You truly don’t know until they’re facing live ammunition. Here, Short destroys Williams for a sack that you would hope a guard would not allow all season. But this, unfortunately, was a sign of things to come for the rookie. He was pulled off balance, and any time you end up on your stomach watching your man blindside your quarterback, something went very wrong.”

Ya i broke down all of the sacks at one point last season and evaluated each one of them. My findings were consistent with Sturm's. The peanut gallery here said I was biased and didn't know what I was talking about.

LOL.