I rewatched the Rams game and Dak was not the issue

Sydla said:

Again, this is the disconnect.

People can't say, "well Dak played well enough to win" and then turn around and claim he's an elite QB. An elite QB has to be better than "good enough to win" in big games, which Sunday was. You can't have it both ways. You can't sit here and get pissy when people criticize Dak and don't agree with other that he's one of the best QBs in football but then turn around and say well, he didn't "lose" us the game and how can he be expected to play great if A or B isn't working?

The best way to look at this, taking Sunday's game specifically, is that Dak didn't cause us to lose. He wasn't the reason we lost. But he also didn't elevate his game enough to get a win either.

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He's a driver...not an elevator. Maybe he can change this with time but this is his 5th year as the starter. Excuses are getting long in the tooth.

erod said:

Dak has failed to lead the offense to more than 17 points in 4 of the last 7 games. He's 2-5 in those games.

Insert Mahomes, Wilson, or many others in those games, and Dallas would have been 7-0 or 6-1.

That's why you don't pay him a big contract. He's limited and non-impactful.

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Interesting stat......here is the Dak led Dallas Cowboys record and average point differential in those lost games when Dallas scores LESS THAN 20 points in a game:


2016 1 Win 3 Losses (6 points) (Losses were -14 vs. PHI, -3 vs. NYG, and -1 vs. NYG; Win was +2 vs. MINN)

2017 2 Wins 5 Losses (20.8 points) (Losses were -9 vs. SEA, -22 vs. LAC, -28 vs. PHI, -20 vs. ATL, and -28 vs. DEN; Wins were +6 vs. PHI, and +16 vs. NYG)

2018 1 Win 5 Losses ( 10.3 points) (Losses were -23 vs. IND, -14 vs. TEN, -3 vs. WSH, -3 vs. HOU, and -11 vs. SEA; Win was +3 vs. NO)

2019 0 Wins 4 Losses ( 6.25 points) (Losses were -8 vs. PHI, -11 vs. BUF, -4 vs. NE, and -2 vs. NO)

2020 0 Wins 1 Loss (3 points) (Loss was -3 vs. LAR)


So, in just over 4 years (65 total games), the Dak led Dallas Cowboys failed to score at least 20 points in 22 games (or 33.8% of those 65 games) and of those 22 games the team record is 4 Wins and 18 Losses (a winning percentage of 18%).

OmerV said:

So whenever any NFL team loses a game its because their QB just isn't good enough?

And no, not every team had a new coaching staff with no OTA's, no preseason and only a limited training camp to work with the team and make changes.

And, realistically, not every QB gets the same quality of blocking every game. We don't have a problem recognizing when Dak has had stronger O-line's to help, so why would we not also recognize when he doesn't?

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if you’re gonna create all these straw men you better buy more straw

Vtwin said:

Each team had ten possessions. Dak took one less snap then Goff.

The offense was just as responsible for that TOP differential as the defense.

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good stat,

wasn't aware,

however we did pass on the Fg would have been chip shot therefore both teams would have scored 20points off 10 possessions.. id say the first game kneejerk sky is falling posts are bit exaggerated, it wasnt as bad as it was being out to be.. they sinply held the ball longer but threw a pick missed a fg etc..

im betting all this talk would have been about 50% less negative if we tie the game at 20 and go win it somehow.. lots of should couldas but losing by 3 on the road given the facts, its not a sinking ship as 90% of the posts suggests,,

CowboyRoy said:

Since when have the Dak trolls ever made sense about anything?

Dak threw for over 400 yards against the packers last year in a loss and these morons tried to say it was his fault.

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Lol...Romo threw for 500 yards and I think 5 TDs/1 Int against Denver once in a 48-51 loss and people here were blaming him. I guess it just goes with the position.

erod said:

Actually, nobody struggles against them.

The Rams defense is below average.

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um when last year? first game new DC suggests otherwise and given Donald and Ramsey are PB players, id say maybe you stop living in the past and use current year proof, we will have to watch the rest of the season to get that debate winner or loser..

xwalker said:

I appreciate anyone that reviews the games.

One thing I've noticed is that all people at CZ that appear to actually review games, rate Dak somewhere between good and great.

The other thing that I've noticed is that none of the Dak haters appear to ever review game footage.

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What is a Dak hater? Someone that doesn't think he is an "elite" QB? Maybe you would call me a hater, Jimmy Johnson a hater? Who else?

By the way, I review all Games a couple of times a week on gamepass, been doing it for years. You and I have spared over reviews.

So, if you call me a hater and I review games, looks like your wrong again.

On another note, I do agree on a lot of your other takes. Just like polictics, most people really agree on 85% of what we want for everyone, good jobs, good wages, opportunities and all people treated fair. As Cowboys fans, we all want to win, but if someone disagrees on a certain player, coach or scheme, many assume and paint the other person as a complete football idiot.

Just for the record, I don't agree with you on our QB, but I don't think you are a complete football idiot.

Defense didn't do any favors for the offense. (Shocker there, same defense, same result, CRAP)

Nor did Dak on the offense help out the Defense at all. Short drives, etc..

The loss , like every loss , is EVERYONE'S fault. Not one player, not the refs. EVERYONE'S fault on the team.

visionary said:

if you’re gonna create all these straw men you better buy more straw

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There was content to my e-mail. Your e-mail essentially just said "nuh uh".

Vtwin said:

I am not trying to rewrite history. If you had even the slightest ability to apply some critical thinking instead of running on emotion you would understand that.

You offered a couple rankings based on stats alone as proof of Dak's superior abilities. I simply wondered how the rankings may have changed by taking out that one very significant factor used in determining those rankings. A TD pass gets the same weight whether it is a 15 yard rope threaded between three defenders in the middle of the endzone. a 50 yard bomb perfectly thrown over the outside shoulder of a streaking WR or a lob to the RB in the flat who then takes it 20 yards into the endzone.

Are you not able to comprehend the vast differences in degree of difficulty between those three examples? Apparently not.

In a way it is the same thing as moving you up in the CZ poster rankings because of excellent grammar even though the content of your posts is clearly third rate.

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LOLLL yeah, you don’t know football.

Nobody cares about “degree of difficulty” except kids watching the highlights on YouTube.

No, rankings shouldn’t be weighted differently based on degree of difficulty. I can’t believe I needed to type that out to a grown man.


Sometimes the best plays are the most simple ones. Sometimes a 5-yard checkdown on 2nd and 6 is a better play than forcing a “rope between 3 defenders” which has a much higher chance at being picked off.

This wasn’t some screen pass in which Zeke was the only real option on the play. Dak scanned the field, went through his progressions and decided that giving his Pro Bowl RB a chance on a short pass was the best option for success. He was right... and therefore, Dak deserves just as much credit for the success of the play as he would on a “rope between 3 defenders.”

I know this is all over your head. Just smile and nod.

Vtwin said:

Each team had ten possessions. Dak took one less snap then Goff.

The offense was just as responsible for that TOP differential as the defense.

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Fair point, but allowing 9-17 on 3rd down is still garbage.

That means the offense needed to overcome the awful pass protection to dominate 3rd down in order to keep up.

xwalker said:

I appreciate anyone that reviews the games.

One thing I've noticed is that all people at CZ that appear to actually review games, rate Dak somewhere between good and great.

The other thing that I've noticed is that none of the Dak haters appear to ever review game footage.

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Exactly, they just parrot what they hear from the talking heads.

Nav22 said:

Fair point, but allowing 9-17 on 3rd down is still garbage.

That means the offense needed to overcome the awful pass protection to dominate 3rd down in order to keep up.

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As well as two 3rd down drops by Schultz in the 2nd half

Future said:

There aren't 5 QBs in the league who win that game for Dallas. Russ, Pat, maybe Rodgers, and Lamar if he can run. That's the entire list.

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I don't dislike the guy, but he just isn't a playmaker. He goes as the Cowboys go, but he doesn't make them better.
Do you really think a marquee type quarterback would have settled for what he gave?
He didn't make anything happen that wasn't scripted in the playbook. That's why he's not marquee.

visionary said:

That is not the point

Every single team has issues of the kind you are bringing up

A great QB finds a way to overcome those issues and get his team past the finish line

Dak needs every other facet to be perfect for the team to win
That ain’t happening in the NFL against the best teams in the playoffs

We have to come to terms with the fact that Dak is not that QB. He will not be THE REASON we won despite other deficiencies

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Wrong. Great coaches put QB’s in a position to succeed with a good game plan. Execution from there is what separates the levels of QB’s. And if you thought the offensive game plan vs the Rams was acceptable you don’t know what you’re looking at. The Cowboys are playing an offensive scheme that is a decade behind what most good nfl teams are running

leeblair said:

I don't dislike the guy, but he just isn't a playmaker. He goes as the Cowboys go, but he doesn't make them better.
Do you really think a marquee type quarterback would have settled for what he gave?
He didn't make anything happen that wasn't scripted in the playbook. That's why he's not marquee.

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Aikman wasn't an improvisational QB. Neither is Brady and neither was Peyton Manning. I'm not saying Dak is that level of player (he's not), but there are plenty of examples of QBs working within the confines of an offense and doing very well.

Nav22 said:

Fair point, but allowing 9-17 on 3rd down is still garbage.

That means the offense needed to overcome the awful pass protection to dominate 3rd down in order to keep up.

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....but only 4 of 9 of those successful 3rd down conversions came in the 2nd Half.

LA Rams 3rd Down Opportunities:

1st Half

5 for 9 (55.6% conversion rate)

2nd Half

4 for 8 (50% conversion rate)


So the Rams were actually less successful at converting 3rd downs in the 2nd half when Dallas when 1 for 7 on 3rd down in the 2nd Half so as much as people want to blame the defense, had Dallas converted better in the 2nd Half chances are they would have won the game.

USArmyVet said:

....but only 4 of 9 of those successful 3rd down conversions came in the 2nd Half.

LA Rams 3rd Down Opportunities:

1st Half

5 for 9 (55.6% conversion rate)

2nd Half

4 for 8 (50% conversion rate)


So the Rams were actually less successful at converting 3rd downs in the 2nd half when Dallas when 1 for 7 on 3rd down in the 2nd Half so as much as people want to blame the defense, had Dallas converted better in the 2nd Half chances are they would have won the game.

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50% (4-8) is still awful.

Baltimore led the league last year at 48% (Dallas was 2nd at 47%).

mperfection said:

Fantastic analysis and on point on every point!

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Thanks man... I re watched the game after I was calm so I could look at it critically. Not because I'm a masochist, but more because I really wanted to dissect the play on the field.
I played ball myself and also coached a little so I understand the game pretty well, and after looking at the game again I came away being thankful for Prescott quite honestly as much as that pains some haters around here. Our team has some real problems, and the biggest ones is our lack of flexibility with our defense and inability to adjust and win at football chess. I'm seriously hoping that Big Mike implements some things that get us over that hump because if he does I think you will see Dak putting up 30 a game quite honestly... If you look back to when we played the Saints last year with Teddy Bridgewater at QB you will see that that game mirrored the Ram's game quite a bit.

The Ram's dinked and dunked us and had big runs after the catch and we had no answer for how they kept our defense off balance. The big problem with the Ram's game was the freckled puppet or Kellen the Beaver Moore kept forcing runs up the middle which was ludicrous considering the Saints defensive line.

Our issues are in the trenches, we gotta get that figured out along with more advanced coaching. I'm not ready to write off our coaches though, they deserve a full season before I do that.

Nav22 said:

50% (4-8) is still awful.

Baltimore led the league last year at 48% (Dallas was 2nd at 47%).

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Allowing a 50% success rate isn't great for the defense but I am more bothered by the offense going 1-7 (14.3%) on 3rd downs in the 2nd Half when the game was within easy reach for Dallas to win.