And your username was made after this past season was over. So what’s your point? The reason my username is Dak-centric is because I just came to this board this past fall. I used to post on another message board- the scout message board for about 15 years. But that board is a pile of rubble at this point practically.
Maybe going with a Dak-centric username will come back to haunt me, if he does indeed fail. That remains to be seen.
I think some people around here have a short memory about Dak and the good things he has done and shown. I guess it’s understandable because he sucked the last half of this season. But, the first season and a half had a lot of very good things happen with Dak, that shouldn’t be ignored either.
All this talk about Dak’s accuracy. Dak completed 67.8% of his passes as a rookie with a very solid YPA average. Quarterbacks don’t do that over the course of a season, without having the ability to be very accurate for extended periods of time. Is consistency an issue? Sure it is. I have said as much many times on this board. I have been watching Dak’s footwork since his first game. I pay attention to it. When his footwork gets sloppy, his accuracy struggles. And when his footwork isn’t sloppy, he is very accurate. He has made a lot of very tough throws into very tight windows during his first two seasons. The ability is there. It’s the consistency he needs.
Dak has showcased natural leadership ability. His teammates love him. He has good communication skills with his teammates. Dak also doesn’t panic during games and has shown an ability to play well when the pressure is on. Again, opinion. But I think he carries himself well during those situations and has.
He has led quite a few game winning or game tying drives late in the 4th quarter. When the game is on the line he showed the ability to play well when needed most. He did that well for a young QB. A lot of Young QB’s get picked off or fumble when trying to lead a last minute drive the team needs. But Dak handled them very well overall his first season and a half.
The biggest game of his career, a playoff game, he played exceptional. Now, we all know that the packers defense stunk. No argument there. However, you could tell the game wasn’t too big for him. Look at the history of rookie QB’s starting in the playoffs. Even the best rookie quarterbacks have historically struggled bad in the playoffs, when the spotlight is shining bright. Dak didn’t, he played very very well and was a big part in the cowboys comeback that day. It certainly wasn’t anybody on the offenses fault the cowboys lost that game.
Also, he has shown an ability to read defenses and call audibles. He isn’t at a veteran level yet. Like we were used to with Romo. But for a rookie/ second year player. He is good at it. Many times I have seen him audible and change a route which led to a big play. This year against the giants and last year against the lions to Brice butler for a TD are the two that immediately come to mind, but there are more.
So, I am not sure that Dak will be THE guy for the cowboys. He still has to improve the consistency of his mechanics, most notably his footwork. His footwork in particular gets sloppy under pressure. This is problematic and he willl need to improve it to have sustained success.
But I also think that he has enough physical ability, plus the leadership, work ethic, intellect, and calmness under pressure to be a quality starting QB. He has made some amazing plays that showcase that physical ability.
So I am not ready to throw the towel in on him yet.
