jday
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I said it a lot in the offseason. Having learned my lesson from previous years, in the months leading up to training camp I refused to predict playoffs. But I honestly felt that if we as a fanbase could set aside our collective obsession with a certain desired destination, we would at the very least be entertained over the course of the journey. That assessment has been admittedly hit and miss thus far in 2018.
This team has a chance to be one we remember for a long time.
~ Jerry Jones ~
Over the course of the last few days, the above quote has garnered quite a bit of attention and not of the flattering variety. Just one short week ago in the wake of an embarrassing loss at the hands of the Titans, Aikman was quoted as saying (paraphrasing) “this organization is in need of an overhaul;” seemingly suggesting they needed to fire everyone, start over and rebuild. But following the win versus the Eagles Sunday night, Aikman crawfished a bit by predicting the Cowboys will win the NFCE. What changed and what are they seeing?
So glad you asked….
Welcome to the 3rd edition of But. What. If.; a concept that acknowledges the Cowboys contender chances are still slim with predators like the Rams, Bears and Saints still roaming the grassy knoll that is the NFC landscape, but also concedes there’s a chance that the Cowboys can in fact be a team we “remember for a long time.”
Without further ado…
But What If…Amari Cooper was totally worth a first round pick and maybe more?
When the news first broke that the Cowboys had acquired Amari Cooper, my first thought (as a Cowboys fan…so of course) was of the Roy Williams and Antonio Bryant infamous nightmare acquisitions. Even then , I knew it wasn’t the epic fail those two achieved just by merit of the fact that the Cowboys didn’t give up nearly as much to go get Amari who at 24 has plenty of tread left on the tires. But still…being the greedy little draft ***** (hattip @Hostile for the expression) that I am, I was not particularly pleased with the cost and honestly didn’t know enough about the player or his situation to understand the slump he had experienced since being a Pro Bowler 2 years ago.
My immediate response wasn’t scorched earth in nature, but I did say he’d need to average over 80 yards per game and pull in 10 plus touchdowns down the stretch to justify the move. In hindsight, I now realize that completely ignores his actual front office anticipated impact. The Cowboys higher ups didn’t just add Amari to be a dangerous weapon on the outside; they did so because after a dose of honest reflection they came to the conclusion that in order for the scheme they employ to work as intended, they needed an Amari….and the stats this team has reaped since adding Cooper sustains that assertion.
If you are reading this, you probably have already witnessed the influence he has had on the team, without even considering his direct impact (hattip @Bobhaze): Dak’s completion rate before Cooper – 62% After Cooper – 70%. Third down conversation rate before: 31% After: 48%. And while Amari has yet to post any eye-popping stats, 9 of the 11 receptions he has had thus far in just 2 games occurred on 3rd down and resulted in a first down. His direct impact has been nominal, but there is no question the opposition has to account for him and because of that, both Dak and Zeke’s impact has improved considerably. So…
(Sing the following to the tune of “That’s Amore” by Dean Martin)
When your Zeke goes for 150 and Dak converts a bunch of 3rd downs, that’s Amari!
But What If…Xavier Su’a Filo Wally-Pipp’s Connor Williams?
In a recent contribution, I mentioned Connor has been a reoccurring member to my weekly blame game following losing efforts this season. Before the season I mentioned on several occasions he simply doesn’t look the part of an NFL Left Guard and thus far his struggles seem to be associated with that truth. To put it simply, at this point in Connor’s career, he has too light of a base and not enough lower & upper-body strength to contend with most NFL caliber Defensive Tackles. I point this out merely to be clear in my assessment that I don’t necessarily think he’s a bust; I just think maybe he’s miscast as a Guard and at the very least he needs an offseason to work on both his weight and strength before we can fairly grade him.
In the meantime, I’m hoping Xavier’s play continues to drive home the point that while what is best for Connor is most likely throwing him out there and letting him learn from the experience, what is best for the Cowboys and by extension Garrett/Linehan’s job, is that Connor ride’s the pine and Xavier remain a starting member of the most important unit on the team. There were several examples of the improvement Xavier brings to that position throughout the game but perhaps none more poignant than this veteran-move Xavier executed on a would-be passrusher (hattip @Mr Cowboy):
Context is important, so for those of you who are unaware of how this play unfolds, this is the screen pass to Gallup that converted a 3rd & 15. The reason you see Xavier moving into the flat following the postering of Michael Galloway, is so he and Tyron Smith can escort Michael up the sideline for 20 yards on a possession that ended in 7 points before the end of the first half. In other words, he did not whiff on the block and then recover…he did exactly what he intended and was supposed to do on that particular play.
Last year, the Cowboys upcoming opponent victimized Dak Prescott to the tune of 8 sacks in one game; 6 of which by Adrian Clayborn who now plays for the Patriots lined up opposite Chaz Green who now plays for the Saints. Both the Falcons and Cowboys are very different teams from who they were a year ago, but it would behoove the Cowboys to prepare like they are playing the best version of the Falcons, who are also 4 & 5 and currently placed 3rd in their division behind the Panthers and Saints. Both the Cowboys and the Falcons NFL backs are against the wall and therefore both teams will likely be expecting the others best punch.
Xavier could not ask for a better narrative to surround this matchup. This is an opportunity for Dak to exercise some inner-demons he has seemingly harbored since the last time these two franchises met up. If Dak emerges from this game comparatively unscathed, it will be very difficult for the coaching staff to make any changes to the current starting offensive line rotation, regardless of Connor’s health.
The below picture of Dak and Xavier following Sunday night’s game should tell you everything you need to know about how Dak feels about the prospect of Xavier finishing the year as the starter:
Dak’s expression doesn’t say “Don’t get comfortable.” That look says, “Did we just become best friends?”
But What If…I like LVE flavored crow?
I'm like:
I have admitted I was wrong several times now; but no harm in doing so again. Thus far it seems pretty clear that LVE was a better selection by a country mile over Rashaan Evans, who landed on the Titans 3 picks after the Cowboys selected Leighton in the first round this past April. Rashaan has done very little in the early going of his career to suggest Dallas misplaced their first pick. To be fair to me, it is possible Rashaan would have had a promising impact here as well, but I struggle to say it would be on the same level as Leighton “Darth Vader” Esch who reportedly is now our father (hattip @ Scooter MacGruder), and leads the team in tackles, despite only starting in 4 out of 9 games this season.
Aptly dubbed “The Wolf Hunter” by the front office, Leighton is not particularly great at any one thing, which is part of the reason why I whiffed on him in my evaluations in the first place. When I watched both Rashaan and Leighton’s limited tape available, Rashaan was more explosive/sudden, he hit with bad intentions, and seemingly had the mean-spirited temperament I look for in linebackers. Meanwhile, Leighton came across as a good ole boy, who was nice to an NFL fault (think Demarcus Ware) and I projected he would be a little fish in a big pond that would require a year or two before we could call him a solid starter at best.
His demeanor and temperament off the field does a fantastic job of disguising who he is when the pads come on and when a scope presses up against his right eye socket. Do not let that “gee golly” mild-mannered Eddie Haskell exterior fool you; whatever he lacks in killer-instinct, he more than makes up for with his elite athleticism to size ratio, Sean Lee-like instincts, and fastidious preparation habits. That has been clear and evident from the very beginning. He may not be the big hitter I had hoped for, but if he does get his hands on you, you are not going much farther, if anywhere…so in a “head to head” comparison…(if you are squeamish, scroll down quickly to the next topic)
…I am very glad the Cowboys selected Leighton over Rashaan.
But What If…despite everything, the Cowboys do have a winning formula in place?
Clearly, everything hinges on Garrett & company, but the Cowboys roster gives them a chance to be great and I think that is exactly what Jerry and Troy are looking at (along with the NFCE outlook in general) considering their recent votes of confidence. For those of you reading between the lines, I suspect Garrett is fresh out of job-saving excuses. If Jerry has high expectations, nothing short of those expectations being met will be accepted.
The formula has 3 prongs: Good to great defense (check). Good to great running game (check). A quarterback that makes good to great decisions with the ball and protects it like his favorite child (check). It’s a tried and true formula that tends to work best when games matter the most, and...
Dak is not consistently accurate with his ball placement and he does struggle with his footwork and pocket awareness, but in general, Dak is exceptionally good about protecting the football. The majority of the interceptions he has thrown this season have been off the hands of his receivers. While he has had a weird issue with inexplicably fumbling the ball for no apparent reason at times, Dak is not a quarterback that will get you beat with careless and costly turnovers as a general rule. With the right pieces around him (which I believe the Cowboys presently have) you can win with Dak. In consideration of his ability to run with the ball when things break down, Dak can be the perfect conductor of this train if/when he gets back to being decisive in taking what the defense gives him as he routinely did in 2016 and in the early going of 2017.
Wrap It Up
The ugly truth is the odds are still very much stacked against the Cowboys making the play offs at this point in the season. They are going to need luck, outside help from teams playing the Commanders down the stretch and be perfect over the course of the next 7 games. Considering the up and down nature of their play thus far, that last point in particular feels and sounds pretty season-damning all things considered.
But what if the ascension of the above discussed players continues; what if Dak and Cooper start connecting on those Go-Routes; what if the offensive line continues to look more like 2016 with improved play at the LG spot; what if Leighton Manster-Esque starts taking over games??? .
There will be a little bit of this…
And a little bit of that…
And we fans can sit back and…
Thoughts?
This team has a chance to be one we remember for a long time.
~ Jerry Jones ~
Over the course of the last few days, the above quote has garnered quite a bit of attention and not of the flattering variety. Just one short week ago in the wake of an embarrassing loss at the hands of the Titans, Aikman was quoted as saying (paraphrasing) “this organization is in need of an overhaul;” seemingly suggesting they needed to fire everyone, start over and rebuild. But following the win versus the Eagles Sunday night, Aikman crawfished a bit by predicting the Cowboys will win the NFCE. What changed and what are they seeing?
So glad you asked….
Welcome to the 3rd edition of But. What. If.; a concept that acknowledges the Cowboys contender chances are still slim with predators like the Rams, Bears and Saints still roaming the grassy knoll that is the NFC landscape, but also concedes there’s a chance that the Cowboys can in fact be a team we “remember for a long time.”
Without further ado…
But What If…Amari Cooper was totally worth a first round pick and maybe more?
When the news first broke that the Cowboys had acquired Amari Cooper, my first thought (as a Cowboys fan…so of course) was of the Roy Williams and Antonio Bryant infamous nightmare acquisitions. Even then , I knew it wasn’t the epic fail those two achieved just by merit of the fact that the Cowboys didn’t give up nearly as much to go get Amari who at 24 has plenty of tread left on the tires. But still…being the greedy little draft ***** (hattip @Hostile for the expression) that I am, I was not particularly pleased with the cost and honestly didn’t know enough about the player or his situation to understand the slump he had experienced since being a Pro Bowler 2 years ago.
My immediate response wasn’t scorched earth in nature, but I did say he’d need to average over 80 yards per game and pull in 10 plus touchdowns down the stretch to justify the move. In hindsight, I now realize that completely ignores his actual front office anticipated impact. The Cowboys higher ups didn’t just add Amari to be a dangerous weapon on the outside; they did so because after a dose of honest reflection they came to the conclusion that in order for the scheme they employ to work as intended, they needed an Amari….and the stats this team has reaped since adding Cooper sustains that assertion.
If you are reading this, you probably have already witnessed the influence he has had on the team, without even considering his direct impact (hattip @Bobhaze): Dak’s completion rate before Cooper – 62% After Cooper – 70%. Third down conversation rate before: 31% After: 48%. And while Amari has yet to post any eye-popping stats, 9 of the 11 receptions he has had thus far in just 2 games occurred on 3rd down and resulted in a first down. His direct impact has been nominal, but there is no question the opposition has to account for him and because of that, both Dak and Zeke’s impact has improved considerably. So…
(Sing the following to the tune of “That’s Amore” by Dean Martin)
When your Zeke goes for 150 and Dak converts a bunch of 3rd downs, that’s Amari!
But What If…Xavier Su’a Filo Wally-Pipp’s Connor Williams?
In a recent contribution, I mentioned Connor has been a reoccurring member to my weekly blame game following losing efforts this season. Before the season I mentioned on several occasions he simply doesn’t look the part of an NFL Left Guard and thus far his struggles seem to be associated with that truth. To put it simply, at this point in Connor’s career, he has too light of a base and not enough lower & upper-body strength to contend with most NFL caliber Defensive Tackles. I point this out merely to be clear in my assessment that I don’t necessarily think he’s a bust; I just think maybe he’s miscast as a Guard and at the very least he needs an offseason to work on both his weight and strength before we can fairly grade him.
In the meantime, I’m hoping Xavier’s play continues to drive home the point that while what is best for Connor is most likely throwing him out there and letting him learn from the experience, what is best for the Cowboys and by extension Garrett/Linehan’s job, is that Connor ride’s the pine and Xavier remain a starting member of the most important unit on the team. There were several examples of the improvement Xavier brings to that position throughout the game but perhaps none more poignant than this veteran-move Xavier executed on a would-be passrusher (hattip @Mr Cowboy):
Context is important, so for those of you who are unaware of how this play unfolds, this is the screen pass to Gallup that converted a 3rd & 15. The reason you see Xavier moving into the flat following the postering of Michael Galloway, is so he and Tyron Smith can escort Michael up the sideline for 20 yards on a possession that ended in 7 points before the end of the first half. In other words, he did not whiff on the block and then recover…he did exactly what he intended and was supposed to do on that particular play.
Last year, the Cowboys upcoming opponent victimized Dak Prescott to the tune of 8 sacks in one game; 6 of which by Adrian Clayborn who now plays for the Patriots lined up opposite Chaz Green who now plays for the Saints. Both the Falcons and Cowboys are very different teams from who they were a year ago, but it would behoove the Cowboys to prepare like they are playing the best version of the Falcons, who are also 4 & 5 and currently placed 3rd in their division behind the Panthers and Saints. Both the Cowboys and the Falcons NFL backs are against the wall and therefore both teams will likely be expecting the others best punch.
Xavier could not ask for a better narrative to surround this matchup. This is an opportunity for Dak to exercise some inner-demons he has seemingly harbored since the last time these two franchises met up. If Dak emerges from this game comparatively unscathed, it will be very difficult for the coaching staff to make any changes to the current starting offensive line rotation, regardless of Connor’s health.
The below picture of Dak and Xavier following Sunday night’s game should tell you everything you need to know about how Dak feels about the prospect of Xavier finishing the year as the starter:
Dak’s expression doesn’t say “Don’t get comfortable.” That look says, “Did we just become best friends?”
But What If…I like LVE flavored crow?
I'm like:
I have admitted I was wrong several times now; but no harm in doing so again. Thus far it seems pretty clear that LVE was a better selection by a country mile over Rashaan Evans, who landed on the Titans 3 picks after the Cowboys selected Leighton in the first round this past April. Rashaan has done very little in the early going of his career to suggest Dallas misplaced their first pick. To be fair to me, it is possible Rashaan would have had a promising impact here as well, but I struggle to say it would be on the same level as Leighton “Darth Vader” Esch who reportedly is now our father (hattip @ Scooter MacGruder), and leads the team in tackles, despite only starting in 4 out of 9 games this season.
Aptly dubbed “The Wolf Hunter” by the front office, Leighton is not particularly great at any one thing, which is part of the reason why I whiffed on him in my evaluations in the first place. When I watched both Rashaan and Leighton’s limited tape available, Rashaan was more explosive/sudden, he hit with bad intentions, and seemingly had the mean-spirited temperament I look for in linebackers. Meanwhile, Leighton came across as a good ole boy, who was nice to an NFL fault (think Demarcus Ware) and I projected he would be a little fish in a big pond that would require a year or two before we could call him a solid starter at best.
His demeanor and temperament off the field does a fantastic job of disguising who he is when the pads come on and when a scope presses up against his right eye socket. Do not let that “gee golly” mild-mannered Eddie Haskell exterior fool you; whatever he lacks in killer-instinct, he more than makes up for with his elite athleticism to size ratio, Sean Lee-like instincts, and fastidious preparation habits. That has been clear and evident from the very beginning. He may not be the big hitter I had hoped for, but if he does get his hands on you, you are not going much farther, if anywhere…so in a “head to head” comparison…(if you are squeamish, scroll down quickly to the next topic)
…I am very glad the Cowboys selected Leighton over Rashaan.
But What If…despite everything, the Cowboys do have a winning formula in place?
Clearly, everything hinges on Garrett & company, but the Cowboys roster gives them a chance to be great and I think that is exactly what Jerry and Troy are looking at (along with the NFCE outlook in general) considering their recent votes of confidence. For those of you reading between the lines, I suspect Garrett is fresh out of job-saving excuses. If Jerry has high expectations, nothing short of those expectations being met will be accepted.
The formula has 3 prongs: Good to great defense (check). Good to great running game (check). A quarterback that makes good to great decisions with the ball and protects it like his favorite child (check). It’s a tried and true formula that tends to work best when games matter the most, and...
Dak is not consistently accurate with his ball placement and he does struggle with his footwork and pocket awareness, but in general, Dak is exceptionally good about protecting the football. The majority of the interceptions he has thrown this season have been off the hands of his receivers. While he has had a weird issue with inexplicably fumbling the ball for no apparent reason at times, Dak is not a quarterback that will get you beat with careless and costly turnovers as a general rule. With the right pieces around him (which I believe the Cowboys presently have) you can win with Dak. In consideration of his ability to run with the ball when things break down, Dak can be the perfect conductor of this train if/when he gets back to being decisive in taking what the defense gives him as he routinely did in 2016 and in the early going of 2017.
Wrap It Up
The ugly truth is the odds are still very much stacked against the Cowboys making the play offs at this point in the season. They are going to need luck, outside help from teams playing the Commanders down the stretch and be perfect over the course of the next 7 games. Considering the up and down nature of their play thus far, that last point in particular feels and sounds pretty season-damning all things considered.
But what if the ascension of the above discussed players continues; what if Dak and Cooper start connecting on those Go-Routes; what if the offensive line continues to look more like 2016 with improved play at the LG spot; what if Leighton Manster-Esque starts taking over games??? .
There will be a little bit of this…
And a little bit of that…
And we fans can sit back and…
Thoughts?
