Addressing Dak’s “Sophmore Slump”

[G2]

It wasn't Zeke, it was Tyron.

I submit both. yeah we lacked the playmaking ability of Elliott, but he is a complete back. Running, passing and blocking. He's actually pretty decent at picking up the blitz. But last season with him out and even when he came back he wasn't the same as . Smith there's zero argument, he was sorely missed. Plus LG and RT had some issues.

 

[Falco78]

And Linehan. I won't say Garrett, it should be understood. They failed to adjust to the circumstances. Imo.

Adjust? Explain this theory to me and the coaching staff please....

 

[Ranching]

Adjust? Explain this theory to me and the coaching staff please....

Every offense should be tailored to their personnel, you lose two huge parts of the offense, you cannot expect to go on business as usual.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Dak is fine under ideal conditions. No doubt that OL play needs to be better and depth needs to be found but that was him throwing the ball all over the place and into coverage while he let his mechanics go into the toilet.

Dak is better than a bus driver but he is not able to carry a team. That is the overall take here.

 

[zrinkill]

A consistent QB??!!

He has it.

Now all he needs to do is catch and hang on too the ball.

 

[glimmerman]

Most qb aren’t very good when under pressure all game.

 

[phildadon86]

Dak is fine under ideal conditions. No doubt that OL play needs to be better and depth needs to be found but that was him throwing the ball all over the place and into coverage while he let his mechanics go into the toilet.

Dak is better than a bus driver but he is not able to carry a team. That is the overall take here.

Not able to carry a team? Alright then. Only been doing it since college but hey. You are right.

 

[Aviano90]

Most qb aren’t very good when under pressure all game.

Yessirr. It's no big secret. Putting pressure on the QB is good for the defense and bad for the offense. Well, it may be a secret to Jerry and I'm not sure why. He knows Haley was the player that put the 90's team over the top. His young brain must have forgotten.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Not able to carry a team? Alright then. Only been doing it since college but hey. You are right.

This is not college. No doubt he is needed but he is not Russell Wilson or Aaron Rodgers who can still function without ideal OL play and a running game.

This discussion is not going to be in play for a couple years now but no way on Earth should he be paid like those guys.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Most qb aren’t very good when under pressure all game.

Sure and that puts him in JAG territory for all the excuses you guys are trying to make for him. Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson are examples of guys who can function in a poor pass protection environment. He is not at those guys level.

If you want to be content with him being Blake Bortles then more power to you.

 

[phildadon86]

This is not college. No doubt he is needed but he is not Russell Wilson or Aaron Rodgers who can still function without ideal OL play and a running game.

This discussion is not going to be in play for a couple years now but no way on Earth should he be paid like those guys.

I take it you didn't see the OL he played behind in College when he led his team to their best season in its history. lol

 

[CouchCoach]

Not able to carry a team? Alright then. Only been doing it since college but hey. You are right.

Carried it where? And Miss St. had a good D to help him out.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

I take it you didn't see the OL he played behind in College when he led his team to their best season in its history. lol

I watched a dozen or games of him after we drafted him. If this were college then perhaps he could carry the Cowboys like he was able to Mississippi State.

The takeaway here is that he was not able to do so in the pros. Your argument makes sense when Tyron goes down and you are trying to tell us Dak will be fine. Well he did face NFL pressure and he wasn't fine. You ship sailed months ago.

 

[phildadon86]

Carried it where? And Miss St. had a good D to help him out.

He led them to one of their best seasons. With no offense and no OL. I get that its college but the kid is a leader.

 

[jsb357]

What does Dez need?

to be traded....

 

[phildadon86]

I watched a dozen or games of him after we drafted him. If this were college then perhaps he could carry the Cowboys like he was able to Mississippi State.

The takeaway here is that he was not able to do so in the pros. Your argument makes sense when Tyron goes down and you are trying to tell us Dak will be fine. Well he did face NFL pressure and he wasn't fine. You ship sailed months ago.

My ship sailed months ago? In 2016 he was more than fine. He had a rookie year in his second year. I am not making any judgement until his next full season.

 

[Idgit]

I submit both. yeah we lacked the playmaking ability of Elliott, but he is a complete back. Running, passing and blocking. He's actually pretty decent at picking up the blitz. But last season with him out and even when he came back he wasn't the same as . Smith there's zero argument, he was sorely missed. Plus LG and RT had some issues.

Yeah, we dinked around at LG too long, Collins got better over time. We certainly did miss Elliott in the passing game, where, yeah, he's a really good blocker. Right around the time of the Chiefs game it looked like we were hitting our stride and it just fell apart when the protection broke down.

They were far from getting it back, too, even with Elliott back in the lineup. Smith missed basically the last two games again with the knee injury and we saw what it did to the offense and to Dak.

 

[Whyjerry]

Before Zeke was suspended, these were Dak’s numbers over the first eight games:

Total Yards - 2,013
Total TDS - 20
Interceptions - 4

Project those stats over an entire season:

Total Yards - 4,026
Total TDs - 40
Interceptions - 8

Compare that to his rookie year:

Total Yards - 3,949
Total TDs - 29
Interceptions - 4

So even with some early struggles from the offensive line and a worsening connection with Dez, Dak’s trajectory was pointing way up.

So had Dak & Zeke played the entire season together, we’d be talking about what a monster year Dak just had.

If you take away his best weapon, injure his best offensive lineman [and do nothing to compensate for it] and leave him with receivers who struggle to get open, your QB is bound to struggle.

But since Zeke will be playing a full season next year and the front office is using draft picks to make the offense “Dak friendly”, we have absolutely no reason to believe his trajectory won’t go back to pointing up.

Dak is the man and we’re fortunate to have him.

Thanks for this. Lots of Dak bashing around here.

 

[percyhoward]

It wasn't Zeke, it was Tyron.

Yep.

Translated into points per game in a game with a typical (for Dallas) number of drives:
with starting OL -- 28.4 points
without -- 8.1 points

with Zeke -- 24.2 points
without -- 18.1 points

 

[zrinkill]

Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson are examples of guys who can function in a poor pass protection environment. He is not at those guys level.

Wow a second year QB is not at the lvl of Aaron Rodgers.

You know who else was not at the level? Aaron Rodgers in his second year in the league.