Since the end of the Cowboys run, I have been thinking about the season and Dak, since he is a favorite topic. But mostly I have been thinking about the team and what needs to transpire to get to the next level.
I am still riding with Dak for the time being. I think he brings some very positive attributes to the team. His leadership is as strong as any QB I have seen under center for this team. Be advised I watched EVERY one of them play, from Eddie LeBaron to Dak Prescott, and all the back-ups.
It is my belief, when given time, Dak can be remarkably effective.
This team is closer to the top than it has been in over twenty years. The right moves this off season and Dallas could be vying for the top seed in the NFC.
The grass is greener set wants to jettison Dak, but he is not the entire problem. He may be the least of the problems, in fact.
Every player in the NFL from Mahomes to the last player on the Houston Texans' practice squad has holes in their game. Every player. The job of the coaches is to teach the player where teaching applies, and to disguise, or put that player into a position to succeed, and not fail because of the shortcomings.
Dak is the same. The real problem with this team is two fold. Jerry ran off Cooper, which left a wounded Gallup, Cee Dee coming into his own, and a bunch of crap on a swizzle stick for wide receivers.
The second aspect is the line going into 2022 was deteriorating due to age and lack of focus by the GM to keep it at the top. Tyron is perhaps one of the best linemen I have seen on this team, but his injuries are holding this franchise hostage. His skill and promise yesterday is now betting on the come today that he will be healthy. McGovern is another version of Connor Williams. Biadasz is serviceable, but the configuration of the line, especially with Steele going down was why the team struggled at the end.
The running game disappeared because the holes disappeared.
Football is based on balance. Especially on the offensive side of the ball. Passing and running go hand in hand as the weapons used to confuse and defeat the other team. When the pocket collapses, and you have WR's who struggle to find separation, Dak will fail. Hurts will fail. Mahomes will fail. Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman will fail.
Think on the fact when you mention Aikman and the early 90's Cowboys to fans of other teams, it seems they suggest Aikman wasn't really that good. It was his line and Emmitt that made him look good. In this example is the nugget of truth about QB's. As the line goes, so does the QB.
***As a side note, if you think Aikman wasn't great, you either didn't watch him play back in the day, or you missed out on his greatness.
You see Dak, when he has a fairly clean pocket and receivers who can gain separation beat the snot out of other teams. Not just lousy teams, but good teams. But this is ignored because he threw too many picks this year. Yet the very people who use this as an excuse to dislike Dak ignored this very aspects about EVERY QB this team has fielded since 1960.
The 9ers game was not lost because of two picks. It was lost because the 9ers broke Pollard's leg. That game would have been tight no matter what. But once you subtract the running game, the game was over.
The two picks did not influence the game as much as people suggest. The team's were tied within one minute of the 4th quarter. Dallas just did not have the horses to go out and score with the 9ers once they figured out how to keep their rookie QB upright and the pass rush off him.
Think that isn't the case. Then explain how it is the Eagles beat the snot out of them once their QB went down. It is a very similar situation where their offense became unbalanced.
So if 2023 is the year things change for the positive, then the brain trust needs to figure a way to rebuild this offensive line to one of the best in the league. The offense will need good running backs. Not league leaders, but guys who can exploit running lanes. And a WR corps that can get separation.
Dak will surprise many people here with his success if these things occur. And don't tell me about Mahomes and how he and other top QB seem to create miracles out of nothing. Because the scheme change for the Chiefs in the second half allowed Mahomes to thrive, and the Chiefs defense did just enough to stop Hurts.
***This Super Bowl reminds me of the 1993 Super Bowl when the Bills had a rematch with the Cowboys. Aikman played a really vanilla game that day and the Cowboys were behind, until James Washington picked up the fumble by Thurman Thomas on his first carry of the third quarter and ran it back for a TD. Jimmy used the passing game to keep the Bills guessing, and Emmitt broke one off in them. The similarities were there.
This truly is a simple game if you put the right pieces in place. Dak can succeed. But this means Jerry must succeed in building the right team around him.
And more than anything else, Jerry is where this team will fail in the future more than anything else on the field.
