Are the Cowboys missing Zeke and Schultz in the red zone?

[blueblood70]

They played the Jets. Top Red zone team in football. No excuses for the Cardinals but the Jets D is legit

the actual excuse the reason against the Cardinals was missing 3 Pro Bowl offensive lineman and then being able to play Max coverage,, I mean are we just gonna ignore that for 72 straight hours now since the game that it was almost impossible to run the offense the way their defense was able to just rush for all night and just play zone and take away all space between the receivers there was none..

 

[Mac_MaloneV1]

Jake---for sure we are missing Shutlz in red zone without a doubt...and why dont we use our fullback/halfback where we use to use Zeke?

Absolutely not. Schultz was terrible.

I can't understand why people miss him. Here he is continuing to be useless in Houston.

 

[LACowboysFan1]

the reason against the Cardinals was missing 3 Pro Bowl offensive lineman

Also didn't help our supposed genius DC letting the Cards have a 45, 44 and 26 yard runs and 69 and 23 yard receptions....

 

[kskboys]

I know some will scoff at this, but they combined to score 35 TDs the past two seasons (22 of them by Zeke). Almost all of them were in the red zone.

So far, their replacements haven't had a ton of success replicating those red zone scores. Should Luepke get some carries there? Will a TE step up?

The Cowboys 40% red zone TD rate is ahead of only 3 teams, and the same as the NY Jets.

Absolutely.

Funny how Polly ended up w/ good numbers, but if you watched the game he wasn't all that effective. He quite simply is a poor inside runner. Dowdle is better at it, but he's not great either.

I have no idea why we're insisting on making Polly do what he does not excel at. Makes no sense. Or why we have 3 lightly built outside runner types at RB. Yes, Loopy would be a much much better option.

While overpaying Schultz was also not the answer, we are sorely missing his ability to get open and his YAC ability. I cannot comprehend why he is so grossly underrated on these boards.

 

[kskboys]

The answer is yes to both players, although I think they miss Zeke more than they miss Schultz. But players come and go on every team. MM and Dak just need to develop new options. I would suggest using Luepke on occasion inside the 5 yard line. He is showing he is not just a straight ahead plodder. The guy has a first cut, vision to the whole and some power. Pitch out to him and let him plow through the DBs for 5 yards.

As for the Schultz question, Dak needs to develop chemistry with someone else. Schultz wasn't especially talented but Dak trusted him. Maybe Ferguson can be that guy or even the 2nd round pick who reminds me of David LaFleur.

But really they just need to be more creative on those goal to go situations.

Schultz is very talented. Quit falling for the hate nonsensical drivel.

 

[erod]

Zeke was still incredibly useful.

Way overpaid, but useful.

 

[kskboys]

Zeke was still incredibly useful.

Way overpaid, but useful.

Applies to Schultz also, if we had paid him. Quite useful and a master at creating separation, but simply was way too greedy.

 

[Mobinvans]

You shouldnt need All Pros at every single position if you have a decent QB......

 

[baltcowboy]

The Cowboys miss not having a healthy offensive line in the Redzone. If healthy Tyron, Tyler S, Tyler B, Martin, and Steele would be as efficient as any offensive line in football. Sadly I don’t see them ever being healthy together. Hopefully we can get them all healthy by play time.

 

[erod]

Schultz is very talented. Quit falling for the hate nonsensical drivel.

He's averaging 2 catches for 16 yards per game this year.

Dak always blows up his tight end's numbers. Those are his comfort throws.

Ferguson will have a big statistical year.

 

[LACowboysFan1]

Absolutely.

Funny how Polly ended up w/ good numbers, but if you watched the game he wasn't all that effective. He quite simply is a poor inside runner. Dowdle is better at it, but he's not great either.

I have no idea why we're insisting on making Polly do what he does not excel at. Makes no sense. Or why we have 3 lightly built outside runner types at RB. Yes, Loopy would be a much much better option.

While overpaying Schultz was also not the answer, we are sorely missing his ability to get open and his YAC ability. I cannot comprehend why he is so grossly underrated on these boards.

Schultz and Dak had a good connection, the Pats/Brady were so successful in part because of the connecgtion with Gronk. Brady got Gronk to come to Tampa, won a SB, but next year with no Gronk? 8-9 and a first-round home playoff loss.

Hopefully Dak can establish a Schultz-type connection with Ferguson, etc....

 

[austin88]

Schultz was the Cowboys' most targeted receiver in the Red Zone last year (16, according to Yousuf article in The Athletic), so I'm sure that replacing him w/ less experienced TEs has played a part. That said, I still think the scheme changes are the bigger factor. Plus, it's just a really small sample size right now.

 

[GORICO]

Well that was the direction I thought they would go but we haven't seen much creativity in the red zone so far.

and it is ticking many people off too...we have reached the red-zone more than any other team at this point....like 15...but last 3 for 11 hit pay dirt....you run the ball

in ....bring in our fullback/halfback dude who is a bruiser and has some wiggle and can lay the wood

 

[GORICO]

Absolutely not. Schultz was terrible.

I can't understand why people miss him. Here he is continuing to be useless in Houston.

Houston i guess not a good change of scenery for Dalton Shutlz....what is Houston's record if you know off top of your head?

 

[charron]

and it is ticking many people off too...we have reached the red-zone more than any other team at this point....like 15...but last 3 for 11 hit pay dirt....you run the ball

in ....bring in our fullback/halfback dude who is a bruiser and has some wiggle and can lay the wood

1. I was told teams don't even use or have guy who specialize in short yardage roles. Kinda find it amusing as it's exactly what this team needs regardless if it was zeke or leupke or whomever. Zeke has a knack for churning out 3-4 yards even against solid walls, he finds or makes a crack to slip through.

 

[Captain-Crash]

He's averaging 2 catches for 16 yards per game this year.

Dak always blows up his tight end's numbers. Those are his comfort throws.

Ferguson will have a big statistical year.

the TE's are his safety blanket. Safe throw over the middle, it's not rocket science. sheesh.

 

[blueblood70]

Schultz and Dak had a good connection, the Pats/Brady were so successful in part because of the connecgtion with Gronk. Brady got Gronk to come to Tampa, won a SB, but next year with no Gronk? 8-9 and a first-round home playoff loss.

Hopefully Dak can establish a Schultz-type connection with Ferguson, etc....

And yet three games in Ferguson has the same amount of receptions and yards and add in a touchdown Schultz did not have after three games can we stop judging players after three games unless we actually bring it up apples to apples.. And right now Ferguson is doing just fine came out of the gate about the same pace as Schultz did last year..smdh!! In fact these games were so crazily different in had some weird scenarios and situational football with all the rain outdoors game one and the lopsided scores in game two similar facts and you're playing against a really good defense even though people are going to say they weren't they still are especially in the red zone in short yardage and then we go and have that debacle where none of the team played well in Arizona and we're judging individual players where we just need to say we're two and one and let's move on past stats..

 

[LACowboysFan1]

And yet three games in Ferguson has the same amount of receptions and yards and add in a touchdown Schultz did not have after three games can we stop judging players after three games unless we actually bring it up apples to apples.. And right now Ferguson is doing just fine came out of the gate about the same pace as Schultz did last year..smdh!! In fact these games were so crazily different in had some weird scenarios and situational football with all the rain outdoors game one and the lopsided scores in game two similar facts and you're playing against a really good defense even though people are going to say they weren't they still are especially in the red zone in short yardage and then we go and have that debacle where none of the team played well in Arizona and we're judging individual players where we just need to say we're two and one and let's move on past stats..

Easy there guy.
Your post would indicate that you think I'm attacking Ferguson or that I think Schutlz was a much better tight end than Ferguson.

Not at all. Neither have set the NFL world on fire, but then tight ends typically don't early on. Even future HOF'er Witten only had 35 receptions and 1 td his first year. And if anyone checks my posts on Cowboys draftees, I have consistently said I will give anyone a chance to prove themselves.

So you can quit with the indignation, it doesn't apply.

But by comparing those stats, it does raise the question of why Ferguson would "blossom" when, as you state, he has about the same yards and catches as Schutlz in those 3 games. If Schultz never "blossomed" it's entirely possible Ferguson may not either. We'll find out sooner or later.

You also missed the main thrust of my post, in that a tight end can, and is often, a go-to guy for a quarterback, and I would love for Ferguson to get to that level with Dak.

Geez, if you get so upset about a mild comment as mine you must get incensed on a regular basis, that's not good for a person, though it's pretty much de rigeuer for a Cowboys fan, lol....

 

[blueblood70]

Easy there guy.
Your post would indicate that you think I'm attacking Ferguson or that I think Schutlz was a much better tight end than Ferguson.

Not at all. Neither have set the NFL world on fire, but then tight ends typically don't early on. Even future HOF'er Witten only had 35 receptions and 1 td his first year. And if anyone checks my posts on Cowboys draftees, I have consistently said I will give anyone a chance to prove themselves.

So you can quit with the indignation, it doesn't apply.

But by comparing those stats, it does raise the question of why Ferguson would "blossom" when, as you state, he has about the same yards and catches as Schutlz in those 3 games. If Schultz never "blossomed" it's entirely possible Ferguson may not either. We'll find out sooner or later.

You also missed the main thrust of my post, in that a tight end can, and is often, a go-to guy for a quarterback, and I would love for Ferguson to get to that level with Dak.

Geez, if you get so upset about a mild comment as mine you must get incensed on a regular basis, that's not good for a person, though it's pretty much de rigeuer for a Cowboys fan, lol....

Not yet that's my point right now Ferguson with very limited time on the field last year and starting out this year in some really odd circumstances and situational football he is already as good as Dalton Schultz and I think his upside is much more than we're seeing right now.. So people are complaining about the tight ends and the output production red zone percentage all this stuff after three games it's ridiculous let the season unfold let all the targets unfold the situations will call for more or less tight end things will get better it also is a brand new offense..

I mean they changed the playbook they even changed the calls they're changed the offensive coordinator the play caller the the coaches on the the line the running backs all of it's new.. I mean they didn't do it from scratch but it is the same thing it's gonna take some time for it to all come together and it would be nice to have our offensive line all together which we have not had yet and missing three players last game with dictate having some issues on offense..

That's my point given time I think Ferguson has got way more upside than Dalton Schultz he is Dalton Schultz right now and he's very early on in his career where Dalton took his full four years before he splashed into what he was when he left.. So I think most fans can agree that Ferguson is already on par with Schultz but has more upside and I believe these other guys are gonna develop we have them on the team you have to develop players I think Schoonmaker can be Dallas Goddard I think he's that kind of guy but he needs some time he just got here...

 

[GORICO]

1. I was told teams don't even use or have guy who specialize in short yardage roles. Kinda find it amusing as it's exactly what this team needs regardless if it was zeke or leupke or whomever. Zeke has a knack for churning out 3-4 yards even against solid walls, he finds or makes a crack to slip through.

we better get back to it...Dak is not getting it done