Dak Holding the Ball

[Johnny23]

@Furboy Dak's college coach Dan Mullen is the head football coach at the University of Florida. It's his dream job and the only one that got him to leave Mississippi State for instead of being Dak's personal coach following him around I don't think is enticing. When you have a great recruiter coaching with free reign in the state of Florida or having to coach for Jerry and Stephen where you don't make your own personnel decisions. No thank you, he's been doing a fine job rebuilding Florida.

 

[CB61]

Blogging The Boys: Dallas Cowboys point/counterpoint: Is the biggest issue Linehan or Dak?.
https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/201...ssue-on-offense-scott-linehan-or-dak-prescott

 

[CB61]

Blogging The Boys: Dallas Cowboys point/counterpoint: Is the biggest issue Linehan or Dak?.
https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/201...ssue-on-offense-scott-linehan-or-dak-prescott

Very interesting article, a lot of these things I've addressed in my posts and I'm not even close to an NFL coach but there's a lot of people out there seeing the same thing and if I can see it it's pretty obvious as have a lot of other fans on here

 

[morat1959]

A lot of the time when we go no huddle is because we are trailing and trying to catch up in late in the fourth quarter

Dak looks good during this time because the other team is usually in a prevent defense

And that’s the only reason he looks good at that time!

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

@Furboy Dak's college coach Dan Mullen is the head football coach at the University of Florida. It's his dream job and the only one that got him to leave Mississippi State for instead of being Dak's personal coach following him around I don't think is enticing. When you have a great recruiter coaching with free reign in the state of Florida or having to coach for Jerry and Stephen where you don't make your own personnel decisions. No thank you, he's been doing a fine job rebuilding Florida.

Didn't know that

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

Dak is a bad NFL QB.

IMO its hard to judge our playcalling when Linehan is so limited by Daks talent.

The same could be said in the opposite direction.

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

This is probably the best explanation. A lot of other good points were made as well.

It's most likely that his first year he was asked to only read half of the field. Limiting his reads. Now he's reading the whole field and has "paralysis from analysis". To counter that, he decides to lock in on a WR, hence missing wide open guys.

Coaching, good coaching can help with that, but a lot of that is simply ability. Reading defenses, anticipation, accuracy.

I was a Dak fan. But this his third year and he has regressed now each year.

I also thought Linehan would be more creative. Still not sure if this is really his offense or if Garrett still has his mark on it. Either way, it's atrocious.

Dak will be our QB next year. He's cheap and we have no other options.

This year is done. So I'd pull the trigger and dump Garrett and Linehan. Give Richard's the interim job and see how he does. Not sure who would call plays, but it couldn't be worse than what we have now.

Next year, depending on how Richard's pans out, make him HC and let him find a bright, creative OC and see what he can do with Dak.

If Dak doesn't show any improvement, then do whatever it takes to get a QB in the 2020 draft.

This is probably the best explanation. A lot of other good points were made as well.

It's most likely that his first year he was asked to only read half of the field. Limiting his reads. Now he's reading the whole field and has "paralysis from analysis". To counter that, he decides to lock in on a WR, hence missing wide open guys.

Coaching, good coaching can help with that, but a lot of that is simply ability. Reading defenses, anticipation, accuracy.

I was a Dak fan. But this his third year and he has regressed now each year.

I also thought Linehan would be more creative. Still not sure if this is really his offense or if Garrett still has his mark on it. Either way, it's atrocious.

Dak will be our QB next year. He's cheap and we have no other options.

This year is done. So I'd pull the trigger and dump Garrett and Linehan. Give Richard's the interim job and see how he does. Not sure who would call plays, but it couldn't be worse than what we have now.

Next year, depending on how Richard's pans out, make him HC and let him find a bright, creative OC and see what he can do with Dak.

If Dak doesn't show any improvement, then do whatever it takes to get a QB in the 2020 draft.

Exactly, and if he still sucks, get Tua, and let Dak battle with him. He was drafted to play backup anyway. He could be our version of Kyle Orton.

 

[TwentyOne]

The same could be said in the opposite direction.

no. it cant.

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

no. it cant.

Well, my opinion is that I think Linehan could at least do a bit more, but I am fully aware of Dak's weaknesses.

 

[BlindFaith]

Exactly, and if he still sucks, get Tua, and let Dak battle with him. He was drafted to play backup anyway. He could be our version of Kyle Orton.

Good point. He was drafted to be Romos backup. And he showed a little more.

But that's why I'm worried about Jerras extension talk. I wouldn't pay him anymore than making him the highest paid backup in the league. 6 or 7 mil a year sounds right. 3 years.

Can anyone see another team offering him legit starter money?

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

Good point. He was drafted to be Romos backup. And he showed a little more.

But that's why I'm worried about Jerras extension talk. I wouldn't pay him anymore than making him the highest paid backup in the league. 6 or 7 mil a year sounds right. 3 years.

Can anyone see another team offering him legit starter money?

Oh, I agree. I wouldn't pay him starter money as he hasn't proven that yet. I'd give him probably a 3 year backup deal with an option for a 4th year.

 

[TwentyOne]

Well, my opinion is that I think Linehan could at least do a bit more, but I am fully aware of Dak's weaknesses.

Too often when we lose or look bad people here want the head of the coordinator. In the past it was Marinelli who we wanted to be cut. Now (and last year )its Linehan.

Of course he could do something else so even with Dak as the QB we would be looking great. If we had a great playcaller he would know how to negate the influence of the QB position and be able to win even without one on the field.

Seriously: Every playcaller has his limitations. Linehan showed (not only in) 2016 that he is a very capable playcaller. Linehan is also a well respected coach in the league. To me that means something. I also see a QB who is... well i dont want to beat a dead horse.

IMO we should upgrade the obvious before we get rid of people who are proven ones.

 

[Vtwin]

Holding the ball too long has been his MO since college. It's due to his lack of anticipation and decision making ability.

His college scouting report pretty much lays all this out.

I don't understand why people continue to ignore this.

Dak's fundamental flaws are beyond coaching.

Any scheme that plays to his limited strengths would be immediately exposed by defenses.

 

[LocimusPrime]

• It's has been reported that Dak doesn't perform well in practice. I find it difficult to believe that if you can't perform in low stress level situations that you will "raise your level" during a game.
• Although I do believe that this scheme lacks imagination and creativity, what playbook looks good if you can't make the throws
• If you watch some all 22 clips, you'll see that there are guys that are open on almost all the plays but either the qb doesn't make the correct read, doesn't get the ball off soon enough, or is being pressured (whether real or self created)

By no means am I giving this coaching staff a pass but I believe that Dak is also a huge problem

 

[ClintDagger]

Romo and Dak held on to the ball for different reasons. If something was there, Romo would get rid of the ball and find it. If nothing was there, he was stubborn and would hold on to it until he saw something he could make happen. That was a double edged sword as sometimes just throwing it away is the right play to make vs forcing something or taking unnecessary hits.

Dak holds onto it because he can’t throw people open nor anticipate somebody coming open. He waits for people to get “college open” as the scouts say. Meaning, he doesn’t throw it until he sees them open vs anticipating that they will be open and throwing to a spot. There is only one edge to that sword.

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

Too often when we lose or look bad people here want the head of the coordinator. In the past it was Marinelli who we wanted to be cut. Now (and last year )its Linehan.

Of course he could do something else so even with Dak as the QB we would be looking great. If we had a great playcaller he would know how to negate the influence of the QB position and be able to win even without one on the field.

Seriously: Every playcaller has his limitations. Linehan showed (not only in) 2016 that he is a very capable playcaller. Linehan is also a well respected coach in the league. To me that means something. I also see a QB who is... well i dont want to beat a dead horse.

IMO we should upgrade the obvious before we get rid of people who are proven ones.

Fair enough, and I think you have a fair point about Linehan. The problem, imo, is that, if I'm not mistaken, he's using Garrett's playbook. I'd be interested to see what would happen if he was using his own playbook.

 

[JustChip]

I don't like blanket statements like Linehan isn't helping. I want to know why people believe Dak can't hot route, motion a WR, or adjust blocks to account for the free rusher. We're sitting at 6-2 or better if Dak were to utilize pockets better, connect on passes that are open, not run into sacks when there's no pressure, and stop fumbling. Then we'd be singing a different tune on the problems. It's the same thing his rookie year, we were winning so most people were ignoring the actual problems behind the scenes. Dak isn't the same player he was his rookie year, it's been a nosedive, and now those same flaws are more prevalent. But now we're trying to focus on other people for why it's that way.

I'm not understanding how underthrowing/overthrowing a wide open fly route would be fixed by adjusting routes. We already run a basic offense because, I believe, of his limitations, what more can we do for him? Out routes take forever to come out of his hand. Sure coaches continuously work with the players, but we are legit running into a dead end with what else we can ask Dak to successfully execute.

I heard a very interesting quote by a local sport reporter. He was quoting an unnamed NFL scout (not with the Cowboys) that said he's seeing the things in Dak this year that he saw at Mississippi State which caused the scout to have a 4th round grade on him in the draft. He didn't see those things in 2016. And you can see it in the int in the Titans game. He NEVER looks away from Cooper which, in one sense, was a positive because it move the safety to go with Cooper on the crossing. That left Hurns 1 on 1 with the DB and, just like the later Hurns TD, he schooled the DB and was wide open for a TD. And this wasn't because the OL was getting beat - it wasn't. It was a beautiful pocket with plenty of time.

I've been to every game this year and there are more problems than Dak, but receivers are open and he's just not finding them for whatever reason.

 

[TwentyOne]

Fair enough, and I think you have a fair point about Linehan. The problem, imo, is that, if I'm not mistaken, he's using Garrett's playbook. I'd be interested to see what would happen if he was using his own playbook.

I didnt know about that. Would be interessting to know more about this.

 

[Alexander]

Where did this QB go?

 

[Blake]

Romo and Dak held on to the ball for different reasons. If something was there, Romo would get rid of the ball and find it. If nothing was there, he was stubborn and would hold on to it until he saw something he could make happen. That was a double edged sword as sometimes just throwing it away is the right play to make vs forcing something or taking unnecessary hits.

Dak holds onto it because he can’t throw people open nor anticipate somebody coming open. He waits for people to get “college open” as the scouts say. Meaning, he doesn’t throw it until he sees them open vs anticipating that they will be open and throwing to a spot. There is only one edge to that sword.

Romo holding onto the ball and not simply getting rid of it when needed showed to me that inspite being gifted with talent and high football IQ, that he was infected with the same hubris as Garret and the f.o. It's arrogance