2020 Draft Redo. What if

[TheMarathonContinues]

I am a Cowboys fan and I try to be fair regardless of any current disappointment. It's easier to put the blame on a single player and make him the scapegoat than it is to confront the broken aspects of the team's system and even the inescapable degree of luck that must accompany a Championship team.

If they were to repeat the playoffs three times I truly believe that you would end up with possibly three different champions, or at least two.

if Pollard had not been injured, would Dak have been forced into making some of those throws? With the game deadlocked and even for most of the game, why in the world are you passing the ball in the redzone on 2nd and short, especially with every WR not named Lamb totally ineffective?

Why did the Cowboys revert back to their penalty ridden, sloppy play? How many decisions were made as a result of loss of faith in Maher?

Let me extend an olive branch and admit that when the Cowboys do win the SB, I expect Dak to receive too much of the credit. That's the life of a QB in the NFL.

As far as Dak himself, it's not his fault that this franchise constantly deprives itself of contract leverage by not introducing any other realistic option at the position. His agent is simply doing his job as best he can to get the most favorable results.

Obviously, Dak is not entirely blameless for the playoff loss, but there is more than enough to share the wealth.

Well said.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

Hurts would have taken over by now and the cowboys would be in the SB at least. Dak is not the answer as we have seen.

But Hurts is lol?

 

[mcmvp]

Last year was his first official season starting.

Except it wasn’t

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

Except it wasn’t

Ouch you're right. HE sucked in '21.

 

[mcmvp]

Ouch you're right. HE sucked in '21.

You’re catching on

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

You’re catching on

So he sucked in 2020, sucked in 2021, great in 2022.....that's getting better every year? I guess the last year it is....

 

[CowboysLakerBamaFan]

Y’all quickly forgot how much the league adjusted to Dak after his rookie season. The same thing is about to happen to Hurts .

Last season wasn't Hurts rookie season

 

[Swagger]

His first two years he was under average. QB rating under 90 is pretty bad. He made a huge jump of over 14 points last season. Now he is on every DCs radar. It will be interesting to see how they respond.

The Eagles were ridiculously banged up for one of those seasons backups all over the offense and the season before the team struggled with and without him starting. Prescott has never had to play those type of weakened rosters throughout a season.

The irony being the only season the o line was completely banged up was when Prescott broke his leg. Andy Dalton had to play behind that decimated o-line.

People don't appreciate how well constructed the Cowboys' rosters have been since 2016. Prescott has consistently been given so much more than the vast majority of other quarterbacks in the league.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

The Eagles were ridiculously banged up for one of those seasons backups all over the offense and the season before the team struggled with and without him starting. Prescott has never had to play those type of weakened rosters throughout a season.

The irony being the only season the o line was completely banged up was when Prescott broke his leg. Andy Dalton had to play behind that decimated o-line.

People don't appreciate how well constructed the Cowboys' rosters have been since 2016. Prescott has consistently been given so much more than the vast majority of other quarterbacks in the league.

Prescott never had a rating in the 70s either. We developed a pretty stacked roster last year but we have had issues at OL, WR, TE, DT, LB, S, and CB over Daks tenure.

 

[AsthmaField]

His first two years he was under average. QB rating under 90 is pretty bad. He made a huge jump of over 14 points last season. Now he is on every DCs radar. It will be interesting to see how they respond.

Philly better hope like heck that defensive coordinators haven’t figured out that funky offense they ran last season because everything they do starts with Hurts ability to run the ball. Because he was such a threat to run, that changed the coverage significantly, making some really clean open windows for Hurts to throw in. Without that threat of Hurts taking off, the passing lanes would constrict, the coverage would be different and it would be much more difficult to find WR’s running free through the secondary.

Not only did the threat of a run make the coverage different, but it was efficient in keeping the chains moving, which wore out opposing defenses. It also kept the Philly defense off the field, keeping them fresh. Plus, because Hurts running kept the Philly offense on the field, they scored early and often, which put pressure on the opposing offense to score a lot… which allowed Philly’s defense to tee off on the QB, who was having to throw to keep up, giving the Eagles a ton of chances to get sacks.

So yeah, if DC’s figured out a way to play that wonky offense, it will literally change just about everything for Philly on both sides of the ball. Maybe they didn’t figure it out… but defenses usually do given a whole summer.

Like I said… Philly better hope they haven’t because they will regret that contract they just gave Hurts.

 

[CWR]

Should have taken Hurts. He wins the starting job over Dak in no time.

Picking him should have been a no brainer, but we have Jerry - who doesn't have a brain

I'm sure, as if the Eagles weren't roasted for the pick. Now it's a "no brainer." That Tom Brady in the 6th was so obvious. The book is far from written on Hurts, so maybe it's not time to Tarzan quite yet.

 

[CWR]

In reality:

• Andy Dalton was signed in May
• Dak Prescott's ankle injury occurred in October
• Jerry Jones signs Prescott to the four-year, $160 million dollar contract the following March

What if scenario: Jalen Hurts impresses in training camp and preseason. Then, in a surprise move, is slotted as the backup quarterback for the regular season.

Does the events of 2016 repeat themselves in 2020? Jones would have been part of the decision making involving the transition of quarterbacks again. I believe the answer would have been yes.

I dont think we had the team to support those events back in 2020. Maybe he was ready, but most aren't. In either event 2016 was about a very dominant run unit. I dont know we'd have been able to hang our hats on any paticular strength in 2020. Sure Hurts looked awesome last year, but he had an all around great team as well as some actual NFL experience.

 

[Swagger]

Prescott never had a rating in the 70s either. We developed a pretty stacked roster last year but we have had issues at OL, WR, TE, DT, LB, S, and CB over Daks tenure.

Every team has issues at a position or more every single season. Prescott would have done well to have had a rating in the 70s with the team Hurts had to contend with.

Look at the rankings of the defense and offensive line Prescott has had over his entire career compared with other quarterbacks in the league during that same period.

 

[mcmvp]

Philly better hope like heck that defensive coordinators haven’t figured out that funky offense they ran last season because everything they do starts with Hurts ability to run the ball. Because he was such a threat to run, that changed the coverage significantly, making some really clean open windows for Hurts to throw in. Without that threat of Hurts taking off, the passing lanes would constrict, the coverage would be different and it would be much more difficult to find WR’s running free through the secondary.

Not only did the threat of a run make the coverage different, but it was efficient in keeping the chains moving, which wore out opposing defenses. It also kept the Philly defense off the field, keeping them fresh. Plus, because Hurts running kept the Philly offense on the field, they scored early and often, which put pressure on the opposing offense to score a lot… which allowed Philly’s defense to tee off on the QB, who was having to throw to keep up, giving the Eagles a ton of chances to get sacks.

So yeah, if DC’s figured out a way to play that wonky offense, it will literally change just about everything for Philly on both sides of the ball. Maybe they didn’t figure it out… but defenses usually do given a whole summer.

Like I said… Philly better hope they haven’t because they will regret that contract they just gave Hurts.

I’m sure DCs will try some new wrinkles in attempts to defend it, but that is just where it will become a coaching chess match of which defender(s) becomes the read(s) on a given play. It will remain extremely difficult offense to defend, with the offense winning more often than the defense, as long as Hurts continues to be a good decision maker and is a running threat. He was already a running threat prior to last season…he just took dramatic leaps with his decision making and timing. He will be just 25 years old this season so, barring any major injury, he should remain a running threat throughout this contract.

 

[DallasEast]

I dont think we had the team to support those events back in 2020. Maybe he was ready, but most aren't. In either event 2016 was about a very dominant run unit. I dont know we'd have been able to hang our hats on any paticular strength in 2020. Sure Hurts looked awesome last year, but he had an all around great team as well as some actual NFL experience.

All backup quarterbacks are thrusted into starting after the starter goes down. Dak Prescott did go down. How well Jalen Hurts would have performed individually in 2020 is questionable but this is a what if scenario.

It does not commonly happen but sometimes starting units' performance as a whole improves after a quarterback change occurs. That might not would have happened in 2020 with Hurts but it could have happened also. What Jerry Jones might have done becomes a what if conclusion based on his history if the latter had occurred and how well Hurts would have impressed him.

 

[CWR]

All backup quarterbacks are thrusted into starting after the starter goes down. Dak Prescott did go down. How well Jalen Hurts would have performed individually in 2020 is questionable but this is a what if scenario.

It does not commonly happen but sometimes starting units' performance as a whole improves after a quarterback change occurs. That might not would have happened in 2020 with Hurts but it could have happened also. What Jerry Jones might have done becomes a what if conclusion based on his history if the latter had occurred and how well Hurts would have impressed him.

Oh yeah, we are arguing a hypothetical. My stance remains, we weren't set up for a rookie Hurts to come in a take the team from Dak. I also don't automatically believe Hurts was ready made in year one, although good coaching could have overcome a lot.

I do agree Jerry would have kept Hurts in if he was successful, AND Dak hadn't been recently paid.

 

[kskboys]

At present, Hurts is Cam Newton, a 1 year wonder. No, Cam was never more than OK aside from his one superman year. Look it up.

Isn't it funny how QBs look good w/ stacked teams?

 

[nalam]

What part don’t you agree with?

That he is good or very good, he started out promising but hasnt shown anything last year, be it pass rush or run stop.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

That he is good or very good, he started out promising but hasnt shown anything last year, be it pass rush or run stop.

I never said he was good or very good lol. I just said people thought highly of him when we drafted him.

 

[basel90]

But Hurts is lol?

heck yes, any GM would take Hurts over Dak. Hurts got his team all the way to the SB and almost won . Dak never sniffed it in 8 years. Enough of the dak delusion