Addressing Dak’s “Sophmore Slump”

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Just to be clear, Dak is one of the league's best over the last two years under pressure -- unless he's pressured an inordinate amount of times in the game.

These are all attempts when pressured in games during which the QB was pressured on less than 40% of his dropbacks in 2016-17. That's more than two-thirds of all games played over the last two seasons.

Brady 115 212 1708 14 4 95.0
Prescott 85 158 1118 8 1 90.6
Cousins 135 243 1743 10 5 83.4
Mariota 91 190 1176 12 3 82.3
Rodgers 87 194 1215 13 3 81.4
Stafford 128 240 1807 8 5 80.3
Ryan 131 258 1711 8 3 77.5
Keenum 55 109 646 3 1 74.2
Winston 105 212 1211 11 6 72.7
Goff 57 135 849 5 2 69.6
Brees 116 211 1260 2 5 66.1
Manning 124 256 1428 9 7 66.0
Newton 70 148 965 5 5 65.9
Smith 100 211 1210 5 4 65.5
Rthlsbrgr 102 206 1362 7 9 64.0
McCown 50 104 725 3 5 60.8
Bortles 133 272 1504 6 9 59.4
Rivers 70 146 1011 4 8 57.2
Carr 115 231 1434 5 12 55.0
Flacco 114 236 1211 5 9 54.9
Wentz 97 226 1123 7 10 50.4
Siemian 59 153 792 3 7 43.3

Dak's problem has been when he is pressured on 40% or more of his dropbacks in the game. In those games, he's been terrible, whether or not he was pressured on the play.

In 2017 alone, Dak had a 94.6 rating on pressured attempts in the <40% pressure games, and a 74.0 rating from a clean pocket in the ≥ 40% pressure games. The ≥ 40% pressure games only made up about 30% of all games over the last two years.

I've read your narrative before percy, but as I said last time it's not that cut and dry. Kind of like how Dez's drops spiked when Dak was under pressure it is not that simple or straightforward. Like how Dak struggles making reads. He will hold onto the ball way too long and make the situation worse. He often creates pressure in that way.

Compare with a player like Eli Manning who can face a sell out pass rush by getting the ball out quickly even if he has to throw it away down after down. Dak obviously does not do that.

Now what does help Dak is that he is very good at making passes on the run so while it is considered "pressure" because he has a DE unblocked chasing after him on a waggle it is a designed play where he was never in danger of being sacked.

And I have no idea why you just throw out those high pressure games like he should just get a pass for letting his mechanics and reads going into the toilet. Getting hit as you are throwing is one thing. Spitting the bit and doing what he did is egregiously bad.

 

[northerncowboynation]

D

It is how player acquisition works.

I am not against drafting more QB’s. But the truth is, QB’s as good as Dak are not easy to find. It will probably take a first round pick. If the cowboys drafted a QB round one I wouldn’t hate it. But no guarantee he bears out Dak either.

Hey we aren't married to Dak. Fix the hole at G and maybe T and keep Zeke out of trouble and see what young turk has. Pretty cheap QB actually. Tell you what the returns have exceeded the cost. Excellent ROI so far. ROI? Return on investment

 

[HungryLion]

Acting like top QBs only come out once a decade or that you only pull the trigger if it is a sure thing is not how it works.

I'm glad you agree that we need to bring in competition.

QB’s who can play at as high a level as Aaron Rodgers do come out about once in a decade or so. Give or take a bit.

There’s a difference between Rodgers and even other “franchise QB’s”.

That’s why I made that comment.

 

[Aviano90]

Lol now he wasnt close to being ready? You dont remember the training program he did in Cabo? You dont remember him coming back in tip top shape?

Just maybe Zekes performance suffered because teams loaded up vs the run because we have a suspect passing attack.

He was supposed to drop 200 on the Seahawks. At least he wasn’t held to single digits again.

 

[WillieBeamen]

He was supposed to drop 200 on the Seahawks

Couldnt because the other team didnt respect the QB

 

[CowboyRoy]

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.

Great analysis. Really all common sense stuff. Any lamen could see the obvious. But your are wasting your time talking to the Romo cry babies.

 

[CowboyRoy]

Hes already playing at an nfl level. I dont see people talking about how carr regressed or how had a great ol and off around when he excelled. Or how wentz has a great d, great ol and very good rbs and a good receiving core including te. Hell foles didnt drop a beat. So either they have two great qbs or it is the system and surrounding talent. i believe it is the latter and dak is held to a different standard for whatever reason

Dak is a great young QB. Lucky to have him.

 

[Aviano90]

Couldnt because the other team didnt respect the QB

Sounds like Zeke needs a perfect situation to perform. I think another couple players on the team face the same situation. 88 and 4. Interesting.

 

[WillieBeamen]

Sounds like Zeke needs a perfect situation to perform. I think another couple players on the team face the same situation. 88 and 4. Interesting.

Strawman


This is about Dak

 

[Aviano90]

Strawman


This is about Dak

Much more fun tagging on Dak, right?

 

[WillieBeamen]

Much more fun tagging on Dak, right?

The thread is about Dak. I dont know why you are bringing up Zekes ypc in here.

 

[Aviano90]

The thread is about Dak. I dont know why you are bringing up Zekes ypc in here.

We are talking about Dak. He is the reason Zeke sucked last year, right?

 

[WillieBeamen]

We are talking about Dak. He is the reason Zeke sucked last year, right?

Zeke didnt suck tho.


Dak did

 

[Aviano90]

Zeke didnt suck tho.


Dak did

For a 4th overall pick, dropping from 5.1 to 4.1 while Morris averaged more YPC while facing more 8 man fronts? Yeah Zeke sucked. And Morris had to play the games Tyron missed.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Much more fun tagging on Dak, right?

Spare me. You started the narrative because you are trying to deflect from Dak's issues.

There is no one here that is not willing to admit that the WR, OL, RB or anyone else has issues. What is absent is a contingent that act like Dak can do no wrong and that anything that appears so is someone else's fault.

 

[Aviano90]

Spare me. You started the narrative because you are trying to deflect from Dak's issues.

There is no one here that is not willing to admit that the WR, OL, RB or anyone else has issues. What is absent is a contingent that act like Dak can do no wrong and that anything that appears so is someone else's fault.

Nope won’t spare you. Sorry

And the funny thing is with your extreme point of view that people believe "Dak can do no wrong" is that I haven't seen anyone with that extreme view. I've seen them admit Dak has improvement opportunities. I have see other players like Dez and Zeke's problems being pinned all on Dak though.

 

[WillieBeamen]

For a 4th overall pick, dropping from 5.1 to 4.1 while Morris averaged more YPC while facing more 8 man fronts? Yeah Zeke sucked. And Morris has to play the games Tyron missed.

Let me walk you through this. Read slowly.


Go to google. Type in Espn NFL RB Stats. Go look at Leveon Bell’s YPC. Compare to Zekes. Then go to yards per game column. Tell me which RB led that category.

Come back to this site. Apologize.

 

[Aviano90]

Let me walk you through this. Read slowly.


Go to google. Type in Espn NFL RB Stats. Go look at Leveon Bell’s YPC. Compare to Zekes. Then go to yards per game column. Tell me which RB led that category.

Come back to this site. Apologize.

You do the same. Take Zeke's carries, multiply it by Alf's average and tell he how many yards Alf would have had if we given the same amount of carries. k, thanks

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Nope won’t spare you. Sorry

Ah so trolling for cheap thrills, eh?

 

[WillieBeamen]

You do the same. Take Zeke's carries, multiply it by Alf's average and tell he how many yards Alf would have had if we given the same amount of carries. k, thanks

You should be ashamed of this post