At what point does QB confidence become the real problem?

[Runwildboys]

The INT was so bad but the complete whiff on the tackling attempt was also horrible. Dak looks mentally and physically done out there

He's a QB, not a LB. QB's rarely make tackles, and IIRC, he was being blocked at the time.

 

[G2]

So you aren’t saying it’s the calf. You are saying it’s the injury from last year. That’s obvious but how do you explain the early success to start the season then?

I'm saying it's a possibility and there is something to back that idea up. Him being afraid or not confident doesn't seem realistic in my opinion. I would be speculating about earlier in the season, but his rushing yards were non existent all season, maybe teams figured out he's not as mobile and schemed accordingly. The rest of the offense isn't exactly holding their own compared to the early season either.

 

[G2]

A better throw would've gotten a first down.

That's what I mean, keep rolling until the view was clearer.

 

[glimmerman]

But on his pick 6 I noticed he had lanes on both sides he could have and used to he would used to escape or to buy time. There were other receivers. He not only played the position bad, he almost handed the game to them single handed. But here is a question, who called that play at that time in the game. No need for it. Was it a run that Dak audibled out of.

There was nothing wrong with calling that play. His receiver was open and he had plenty of time to hit him. He just made a horrible throw.

He made a terrible decision. The guy was standing right there.. Was no need for that call. Would have been better off playing another WR screen. Maybe have a dump off play to Clement..

 

[Runwildboys]

He made a terrible decision. The guy was standing right there.. Was no need for that call. Would have been better off playing another WR screen. Maybe have a dump off play to Clement..

If he'd thrown higher, it would've been a completion. It was poor player execution, not bad play calling.

 

[Cowpolk]

That's what I mean, keep rolling until the view was clearer.

I thought a pump fake would have moved the defender or just a lil more roll out when I watched the play

 

[G2]

I thought a pump fake would have moved the defender or just a lil more roll out when I watched the play

I think he just didn't see him and rushed the throw. I could be wrong.

 

[LittleD]

Anybody with half a brain and some good glasses can tell that Dak has lost confidence in himself and his OL. His footwork and pass accuracy was mostly horrible yesterday and hasn't been that good for several games.
If we had a real HC who would stand up to Jerry, he would sit Dak for a couple of games to see if his body and mind would right itself. Because of the money Jerry paid, that will never happen. If Dak doesn't get some
help, it won't matter if we win the division cause we will be one and done in the playoffs for sure. The defense won that game yesterday in spite of the offense. Dak's psyche is now a real problem going forward. Not much time to fix it, folks.

 

[glimmerman]

He should have kept rolling out.

Lots of things he could have done. But not seeing that guy standing there was odd. Like his first pick he saw the guy in front but couldn’t drop it over him and into Lamb. He over threw it for a pick. Was it Lamb he was throwing to again for that one. He is looking at Lamb a lot. I don’t like the playcall when up by 2 scores. We don’t have a run game to end games right now. Would love to ding a RB to step in for a few games. I made a call but apparently they don’t want a 52 year old 210 pound..

 

[Cowpolk]

I think he just didn't see him and rushed the throw. I could be wrong.

It was a really bad pass almost looked intentional I know it was not but that pass sucked

 

[CowboyFrog]

Anybody with half a brain and some good glasses can tell that Dak has lost confidence in himself and his OL. His footwork and pass accuracy was mostly horrible yesterday and hasn't been that good for several games.
If we had a real HC who would stand up to Jerry, he would sit Dak for a couple of games to see if his body and mind would right itself. Because of the money Jerry paid, that will never happen. If Dak doesn't get some
help, it won't matter if we win the division cause we will be one and done in the playoffs for sure. The defense won that game yesterday in spite of the offense. Dak's psyche is now a real problem going forward. Not much time to fix it, folks.

Actually plenty of time to fix anything wrong with this offense and good games to do it in. The sky is not falling, QB's have in fact had bad games in seasons and turned it back around to what they were in the good games. Sit Dak and do what let him watch Cooper Rush for inspiration? come on man.

 

[glimmerman]

If he'd thrown higher, it would've been a completion. It was poor player execution, not bad play calling.

Not so sure he could have dropped that in. I know the first pick he could have dropped in but he overthrew it..

 

[JoeKing]

That's what I do, been doing that a long time. I am not an X's and O's fan, bores the hell out of me, so I focus in on the other stuff.

We are saying the same thing. This is what you do. I'll even say you do it well. I see you! Sometimes I even love it. Sometimes. Other times I just need to get away from it. The Cowboys have evolved into something other than what they were designed to be. Because it is not according to the design, the critique is it's wrong. But maybe it's okay, it still wins games. The run game final results were acceptable. The special teams did well, 4 of 4 on FGs. And that D dominated. If we can get those three things every game then we can win consistently.

 

[Runwildboys]

Not so sure he could have dropped that in. I know the first pick he could have dropped in but he overthrew it..

He may not have been able to "drop it in", but he could have put it where only Schultz(?) could reach it.

 

[LittleD]

Actually plenty of time to fix anything wrong with this offense and good games to do it in. The sky is not falling, QB's have in fact had nad games in seasons and turned it back around to what they were in the good games. Sit Dak and do what let him watch Cooper Rush for inspiration? come on man.

None of the QB's selected in Daks draft have amounted to much. Dak is hit or miss if the OL isn't opening giant holes for the RB's. If something isn't done quickly, Dak will end up like Wentz.

 

[Runwildboys]

It was a really bad pass almost looked intentional I know it was not but that pass sucked

I agree, my first thought was that the conspiracy theorists would be saying he got paid off.

 

[glimmerman]

He may not have been able to "drop it in", but he could have put it where only Schultz(?) could reach it.

Yeah I agree. But he may several bad choices this game. I was hoping he would shine in this game and wonder wth has happened..

 

[Clove]

Bare with me on this long post.

It's an accumulation of things in my opinion. (These are just my opinions, disagree if you'd like)

1. (The obvious) His health. Anyone who's played and been injured know that coming back from injury can severely limit you. (Example) If you know your leg isn't right, then you try to use another part of your body to help you throw the ball.

2. Confidence in play calls - I think MM has told Dak not to audible out of plays as much, thus you see the WR screens on 3rd and 7 instead of lining up and firing it. (He may have to go to Jones for permission as Romo did) but that's selfish IMO.

3. Defensive Strategies - Back when he was tearing up the league, his number one target was always Schultz and now it's rare to throw to him. Just as in the Witten days, Witten was his bread and butter. If defenses are taking Schultz away and CAN take him away, we need a dynamic
TE that can cause fear in the middle of the field, either that, or Moore/MM needs to scheme around them. OR, Dak doesn't know how to
survive without the comfort of his TE, and he needs to learn to.

4. WR - If you play against NE the first thing they do is to identify your #1 threat and take him out of the game - once that happens, you take the #2 out of the game which is Schultz. From there you try to beat guys up at the line and ride them. Ceedee is showing his inexperience as a route runner. When you're not where you're supposed to be or looking over the wrong shoulder, dropping passes etc, the entire process
breaks down. Once Ceedee has the ball in his hands, he's deadly, but to me, he doesn't know how to effectively use his body to post up defenders draped on him, none of our receivers are good at that. The perfect example of a receiver who used his body well, Dez Bryant.
In another year or two, Ceedee will be the perfect receiver, but he's not yet.

5. Offensive line - The line had it's best game last night but you could tell Dak had a little PTSD from previous excursions/games. It was like he was seeing ghosts that weren't there. If you learn to move around in the pocket as Brady and Rogers do, you will have all of the confidence in the world. You don't always have to escape the pocket, just reposition yourself in a more clean area of the pocket and or completely abandon it by running. But I don't think Jones wants Dak running. At times you see Brady with 8 or 9 seconds to throw the ball, and at times he fires it off in under a second. He repositions himself in the pocket, has an idea of his hot read, and when he's in terrible trouble, he goes down before the crunching hit and that's why he's 44 and still playing at an elite level.

6. The run game - His favorite piece of arsenal has abandoned him. Get this run game going and see the old Dak.

Summary: Unfortunately Dak is not Rodgers with elite arm talent, or Brady with elite intelligence, or Kyler Murray with elite movability, but we can win a Super Bowl with him if we use him properly because he has a little of all of those qualities. QBs don't grow on trees and you could spend a lifetime finding one, ask Washington and a plethora of other teams . Garrett and Jerry Jones wasted Romo, but you have to learn to use what you have, and that starts with building a first class defense to help your QB. Our defense saved us yesterday, and our defense should be able to save us at anytime.

 

[CowboyFrog]

None of the QB's selected in Daks draft have amounted to much. Dak is hit or miss if the OL isn't opening giant holes for the RB's. If something isn't done quickly, Dak will end up like Wentz.

Lol easy man, why dont we let the rest of the season play out before we throw away a season we are 9-4 in.

 

[BleedSilverandBlue]

Bare with me on this long post.

It's an accumulation of things in my opinion. (These are just my opinions, disagree if you'd like)

1. (The obvious) His health. Anyone who's played and been injured know that coming back from injury can severely limit you. (Example) If you know your leg isn't right, then you try to use another part of your body to help you throw the ball.

2. Confidence in play calls - I think MM has told Dak not to audible out of plays as much, thus you see the WR screens on 3rd and 7 instead of lining up and firing it. (He may have to go to Jones for permission as Romo did) but that's selfish IMO.

3. Defensive Strategies - Back when he was tearing up the league, his number one target was always Schultz and now it's rare to throw to him. Just as in the Witten days, Witten was his bread and butter. If defenses are taking Schultz away and CAN take him away, we need a dynamic
TE that can cause fear in the middle of the field, either that, or Moore/MM needs to scheme around them. OR, Dak doesn't know how to
survive without the comfort of his TE, and he needs to learn to.

4. WR - If you play against NE the first thing they do is to identify your #1 threat and take him out of the game - once that happens, you take the #2 out of the game which is Schultz. From there you try to beat guys up at the line and ride them. Ceedee is showing his inexperience as a route runner. When you're not where you're supposed to be or looking over the wrong shoulder, dropping passes etc, the entire process
breaks down. Once Ceedee has the ball in his hands, he's deadly, but to me, he doesn't know how to effectively use his body to post up defenders draped on him, none of our receivers are good at that. The perfect example of a receiver who used his body well, Dez Bryant.
In another year or two, Ceedee will be the perfect receiver, but he's not yet.

5. Offensive line - The line had it's best game last night but you could tell Dak had a little PTSD from previous excursions/games. It was like he was seeing ghosts that weren't there. If you learn to move around in the pocket as Brady and Rogers do, you will have all of the confidence in the world. You don't always have to escape the pocket, just reposition yourself in a more clean area of the pocket and or completely abandon it by running. But I don't think Jones wants Dak running. At times you see Brady with 8 or 9 seconds to throw the ball, and at times he fires it off in under a second. He repositions himself in the pocket, has an idea of his hot read, and when he's in terrible trouble, he goes down before the crunching hit and that's why he's 44 and still playing at an elite level.

6. The run game - His favorite piece of arsenal has abandoned him. Get this run game going and see the old Dak.

Summary: Unfortunately Dak is not Rodgers with elite arm talent, or Brady with elite intelligence, or Kyler Murray with elite movability, but we can win a Super Bowl with him if we use him properly because he has a little of all of those qualities. QBs don't grow on trees and you could spend a lifetime finding one, ask Washington and a plethora of other teams . Garrett and Jerry Jones wasted Romo, but you have to learn to use what you have, and that starts with building a first class defense to help your QB. Our defense saved us yesterday, and our defense should be able to save us at anytime.

I pretty much agree with everything you said here. Lingering impacts of injury + shaken confidence + a stretch of very poor pass blocking + run game that was anemic until yesterday is really the perfect storm for the horrific level of play we have seen from Dak recently. He is not an Aaron Rodgers type who can overcome all of those things however when he is playing at the level we have come to expect from him, he is plenty adequate to take this roster to the Superbowl.

That being said, I think we all need to calm down. Dak has been comically bad for the last month and honestly I simply don't see that level of play holding up. The law of averages implicates that we will drift back to a normal performance for him sooner rather than later. His performance over his entire career has shown that he is a good/above average NFL starter and there is no reason to think he shouldn't find that groove again soon. Of course I could be wrong, but I think it would be very difficult to continue to play as poorly as he has been.