Cowboys Passing D Amongst Worst in the League the Past 3 Years

[MichaelWinicki]

. While it seems to be common consensus around Cowboy Fans, Romo isn't the only QB in the NFL who occasionally moves and avoids pass rushers. The rest of the NFL QBs don't just crap their pants and fall down as soon as a defender breaks free within 5 yards of them.

NO!

Other QB's suffer with protection breakdowns too and have to avoid sacks???

That's freakin inconceivable.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

I don't know what Around the Horn is. I'm assuming it's some kind of national sport show which I don't watch. I don't give much credit to stats either because as a scientist, I know how stats can be used to either sides advantage. I do watch every Cowboy game and have since I was about 6. Romo has been under pressure on a much, much more consistent basis than any previous Cowboy QB. To his credit, he's adapted as best he can.

A scientist who hates stats? Seems legit.

 

[Rockport]

A scientist who hates stats? Seems legit.

Who said I hate stats? Not nice to miss-quote someone.

 

[junk]

Interesting study....

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B--fKJNUboWWRzlsZ3dta2JGdXM/edit


After reviewing all sacks in the 2011 NFL Season, the initiation of a sack takes place on average 4.3 seconds after the snap of the ball. The average drop and pass attempt is 2.7 seconds. Generally when a sack occurs it's because something forced the QB to hold onto the ball longer than the average drop back and pass situation.

Pressure could certainly do that.

 

[InmanRoshi]

Pressure could certainly do that.

A lot of things could do that. Coverage could do that. Confusion/indecisiveness by the QB could do that. Down and distance situations causing slower developing plays down field could do that. But I think plays people imagine a "normal" sack, which by this definition would be a pass rusher just flat out beating his offensive linemen and initiating contact within 2.7 seconds, is an exception. This isn't to say pass rush doesn't provide value. It's not enough to just create hesitation for the QB, you need someone to seize opportunity once you've created it. It's just that if a QB gets a 3 step drop and a clean release within the average 2.7 seconds, the concept of "consistent" sacking of the QB is pretty much non-existent. Which is why even the best pass rushers in the NFL only get maybe 15 sacks over the course of 450-500 pass rush attempts in a season.