We've seen him hang 44 on the Rams defense in 2019.. and 30 on them in 2017.. Most consider the Rams to be a pretty good defense. Even in the year they went to the Super Bowl Dak was able to put up 22 on them in the playoffs. That was 9 more than Brady was able to muster against them in the Super Bowl. He also hung 37 on the Eagles defense in 2019.. but the Eagles were only a good defense when they stopped the Cowboys with Dak injured.. The day Dak strafed them for 37 they were using somebody else's defense.. So yeah.. I think we can say we've seen Dak do thangs against great defenses.
A little context:
- You really only point to the Rams. I'll get to them later.
- You cite the Eagles. In 2019, the Eagles defense was ranked 15th, which is middle of the pack.
- I tend to throw out divisional games because you play the teams in your division twice a year and a team is kind of used to playing their division rivals close.
- As for the Rams, in 2019, the Rams defense was ranked 17th in the league. They weren't really among the top defenses that year.
- In the playoffs of 2019, that same 17th rank defense held the Cowboys to 7 points through almost three quarters. The score was 23-7 through the third quarter. Dallas scored with 5:05 left in the quarter, but that game really wasn't in jeopardy. The Cowboys offense proved inept all during the game. And, if memory serves me correctly, I remember a story critical of Dak because he was missing wide open receivers. (If I find it, I will post it.)
- In 2017, the Rams defense ranked 12th. Just outside of the top 10, but not in the top 10.
- You mention the Patriots scoring fewer points than the Cowboys did. But Brady made plays when it counted! When Dak played the Patriots, he had an opportunity to make a play, but he didn't. Brady has a consistency factor that Dak has yet to develop.
- I'm not saying Dak can't have his moments, but against great defenses, he hasn't shown the consistency in his play where he makes the difference.
And the above is why I say I want to see him do it against great defenses (top 10) and the reason why I highlighted the defenses he will play against this year and their 2020 rankings.
I'm not saying you're doing this, but many fans get upset when we point this out. All Dak has to do is prove us wrong. I think he's a good quarterback. But Cowboys quarterbacks are not judged simply for being good. We leave that to the Detroit Lions and the Cleveland Brown fans.
Cowboys quarterbacks are judged by clutch performances against great teams in regular season, through the playoffs and in Super Bowls. And that will always be the standard, which is why Romo gets little love in this forum. He was a really good quarterback, but he couldn't get us over the hump. Is it all his fault? No. Was he the quarterback of the Cowboys and expected to get us over the hump? Yes.
Dems da expectations.
That's the price of wearing the star under center.
