Yes, this old college linebacker who is now 25 pounds overweight said it. Here is why I believe so even is Dak is or is not the best QB in our division (heck, at this point it might be Foles).
The NFL and the NBA have something in common with wanting to create more offense over the years, and that is using analytics the way MLB has done. Ironically, the impact has been far greater in the NBA and NFL than MLB.
The key is creating ways to more efficiently create offense. It took a while for coaches in the NBA to break tradition, but the 3 point shot is simply more efficient than the 2 point shot. This realization have virtually made the lumbering big post players who sucked on offense obsolete in today's NBA. Even post players who were offensively elite in college are useless--see Jahlil Okafor for a great example. Why is this? Because with the emphasis on perimeter play, "bigs" have to be able to switch cleanly and effectively while playing defense away from the basket. Coaches scheme this way. The few teams that are holdouts, such as Memphis, have no shot of going deep into the playoffs. Teams with individual outlier players like the 76ers with Embiid can play both ways, and in a way they are the only team who can play the game from the inside out today in the NBA with any degree of success. For most teams, it doesn't make sense to play any other way. If you don't have 3 point shooters, you aren't winning in today's NBA.
How has this happened in the NFL? There have always been coaches with a unique twist on schemes--Bill Walsh on offense, Buddy Ryan on defense--but variations of the West Coast offense have proven to be the most efficient way for most teams to move the ball. Fans wanted to see more action within the football games. Pass minded coaches like Sid Gillman, Don Coryell, and Bill Walsh won championships with passing offenses. What I believe caught the attention of many observers was that Walsh's offensive philosophy was unlike previous air attacks that threw only in long-yardage situations or to surprise the opponent.
Why was Walsh so successful? He was lucky enough have a smart QB who was also accurate by the standards of his day. Walsh identified something: a strong, inaccurate arm that throws long incompletions accomplishes nothing (see Jeff George, Jay Cutler, etc.). The most important component of a QB's arsenal is the ability to accurately deliver short passes in the 5-15 yard range to WR's and RB's.
Dak doesn't have the strongest arm for sure, but he has become very accurate. He also has a running game to support him. An accurate passer in that 5-15 yard range plus a RB that can move the chains can win most games on any day with the proper scheme. And that is the kicker...
Who creates the schemes? The coaching staff, and the lead role is taken by the head coach. We don't have Bill Bellicheat, Bill Walsh, Sean Payton, or even Andy Reid. We have Jason Garrett. Garrett has one of the most accurate QB's in the NFL. He has one of the best, if not the best, RB in the NFL. He has a certifiable weapon in Cooper. The defense is very good; when healthy, the o-line is top three in the NFL.
We just watched in two weeks a Philadelphia team led by Nick Foles rip apart the Rams and Texans defenses with a worse running game, o-line, and defense. That team looks like they can beat anyone in the league right now, and are not as good as we are.
If Garrett can't get it done by next year, he must go. Period.
