Dak was below Average

[T-RO]

That is no top 5 defense.

It 100% was in 2023 and they didn't lose anyone notable. By stats and by DVOA rankings Browns #1 or #2. And they had no notable injuries coming into the game.

Dallas sure made them look quite human, didn't they?

 

[ConstantReboot]

Dak never plays really well the first game of the year when he hasn’t gotten time in the preseason. He played well enough and the defense played great. Im happy to get out with a win and Dak will play better next week.

Yes true. I think he could have played better. But at least good enough to win.

 

[StarLord]

I call Dak fool's gold and am inwardly raging about the contract, want him gone... BUT that said, he didn't hurt the team today. He was ok.

 

[ConstantReboot]

Dude this is such a lame take.

Browns have what is regarded as best secondary in league and terrific pass rush. We were up by twenty at half-time and coasted to an easy road win.

Just unreal that you can think that...let alone post it.

Well do you want to say that he played awesome? There was another thread regarding who played well and many mentioned that the RBs and Wide Receivers played terrible. Why is it such a bad thing to point out that he didn't play that well also?

 

[LACowboysFan1]

A win is a win, it counts in the standings whether the score is 49-0 or 2-0 or 51-50.

Add to that Dallas beat a very good defensive team, on the road and had zero turnovers and it becomes a good win.

I'll take it....

 

[BleedSilverandBlue]

Oh good. We get another 4 years of these threads after every win.

Give it a rest.

 

[Proof]

so we blew out a quality team with dak playing below avg? awesome.

 

[AbeBeta]

Dak got paid big today but plaid below average. He was a bit to hasty with lots of his passes when they went on an all out blitz. A little disappointed but hoping he can perform better than what we saw to day next week.

Let's see. A win, on the road against last year's #1 defense?

Your take is pitiful.

 

[IceBowler]

Wow, once again, money related to the first game of the season….THEY WON ….what are you whining about….
Whine some more if it makes you feel better…right now I am enjoying the win.

I am pleasantly surprised by the win as well. Perhaps it’s just that I’ve been watching this organization choke and puke when it counts since 1997. Been watching em since 1965 but they didn’t tend to leak oil back then. Or, just numb from watching Dak choke at MS ST for years and seem not to have overcome it in the pros. I’m an old man and I don’t whine. But I don’t pump a lot of sunshine either ..

 

[plasticman]

Yeah, he was average.

He was average against last year's #1 defense overall and #1 against the pass.

.....which means he played better against that Cleveland defense than 80% of the QB's that faced them last season.

Dak completed 59% of his passes against the #1 passing defense in the league last season. Joe Burrow completed 45.2%. Brock Purdy completed 44.4%.

In 17 games last season only 5 QB's didn't throw an INT against this defense last season. Both Lamar Jackson and Russell Wilson lost two fumbles against the Browns

"Average" productivity against this defense is nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, Dak should be graded higher simply for being able to protect the ball from this aggressive defense, a rare achievement last season.

The defense won this game. Next week, a different person or group of persons will be responsible for the victory. That is one of the characteristics of a contender.

There will be many games this season in which Dak will be the reason they won.

 

[AbeBeta]

How is 19/32 and 179 yards with 1 TD against a meddling Browns team playing well?

Let me ask you -- and this may reveal some of your deep misunderstandings of averages.

We blew out the 2023's best defensive team. Their D got them to 11-6 last year.

Their opponents averaged 164.7 passing yards per game. Almost as many int's as TDs. A 57% completion rate.

How is 179 yards, 1 TD vs no into, and a 59% completion rate ... on the road, below average?

This is one of the league's best defenses.

Do you actually watch football?

 

[AbeBeta]

Yeah, he was average.

He was average against last year's #1 defense overall and #1 against the pass.

.....which means he played better against that Cleveland defense than 80% of the QB's that faced them last season.

Dak completed 59% of his passes against the #1 passing defense in the league last season. Joe Burrow completed 45.2%. Brock Purdy completed 44.4%.

In 17 games last season only 5 QB's didn't throw an INT against this defense last season. Both Lamar Jackson and Russell Wilson lost two fumbles against the Browns

"Average" productivity against this defense is nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, Dak should be graded higher simply for being able to protect the ball from this aggressive defense, a rare achievement last season.

The defense won this game. Next week, a different person or group of persons will be responsible for the victory. That is one of the characteristics of a contender.

There will be many games this season in which Dak will be the reason they won.

Thank you @plasticman for making sense.

 

[Kwyn]

 

[McMicah]

I’m happy they won, but not sure why the OP is getting beat up. Dak would tell you he played below average himself, against the standard of himself. He had an 84 passer rating without ever having to press for a first down. That’s below average.

I just did an intense rewatch of the O Line. Dak completely whiffed Cooks in the flat, sailed one over Tolbert, had two picks dropped (one to CeeDee on the sideline, and one over the middle), and underthrew multiple deep passes (CeeDee was wide open on one).

He also threw some dimes in the first half and I’ll go on record and say his first TD pass might be the best ball he’s ever thrown.

All in all, they punted ALOT, and some of that was inaccurate throws, even when unpressured.

 

[Mark]

Dak engineered two TD drives. Special teams produced another TD. And, of course, it is immense help when your kicker can put the ball through the uprights with it marked anywhere over the midfield stripe.

Now, if Turpin didn't return that punt, Aubrey wasn't money from long range, and the defense wasn't relatively dominant, things may have looked a little different. It took a total team effort to make this one look easy.

Dak wasn't required to carry the team on his back on opening day, after not having played at "game speed" at all in the preseason. We can probably all be glad for that.

 

[Shane612]

He was just average. He’s just average most of the time, or slightly above. So, it’s just par for the course for Dak.
He’s just an average QB who just signed a $250,000,000.00 contract.
lol

 

[Loso86]

Dak got paid big today but plaid below average. He was a bit to hasty with lots of his passes when they went on an all out blitz. A little disappointed but hoping he can perform better than what we saw to day next week.

Your one of those fans

 

[ElGatoGrande]

Dak got paid big today but plaid below average. He was a bit to hasty with lots of his passes when they went on an all out blitz. A little disappointed but hoping he can perform better than what we saw to day next week.

That's what Dak looks like against good defenses, expecting anything different after all these years is unrealistic. I do think there's some rust having not played the preseason so he can be a little bit better and he did protect the ball.

 

[SackMaster]

Dak historically is not a hot starter. In his career he has only topped 300 yards passing twice Week 1, 2019 and 2021.

Like other have pointed out, he and the offense never played in real game conditions during the preseason. Not only was Dak not the sharpest, but the receivers dropped their fair share of very catch-able balls.

Hell, last year he started off worse with a stat line of: 13/24 for 143 yards with 0 TDs and 0 Ints
So if you were expecting 300+ yards and 3+ TDs, week 1, then you might not see it for a long time. Especially if Dallas always sits key offensive starters all of preseason.

JMHO


In any case, he was easily the best QB on the field, so there is that.

 

[KMY_Amber]

I don't trust Dak and McCarthy as a duo. Not yet. Maybe never.