Dak's advancement

[CowboysFaninHouston]

The downside of Dak is that his problems with pocket awareness, seeing the field, and accuracy were all known documented in his draft profiles.

The upside is that we really haven't exploited his running ability and his durability. He's built more like a LB. I see no reason we shouldn't be running him more.

The coaches did him no favors, particularly with appointing the water boy as his position coach last year. Whatever you may think of Boy Genius II in terms of an OC, I don't know how anyone could take him seriously as a QB position coach. Position coaches are where experience matters most, IMO.

I'm encouraged with Kitna as QB coach, and figure that Boy Genius II couldn't be worse than Linehan as OC, and may very well merit all the accolades he's gotten for his football mind.

Reasons for optimism on offense:
Linehan gone, Kitna added as QB coach.

Should both use Dak better, and improve his level of execution.​

The oline should be a monster. Legitimate first round talent across the board, *and* depth everywhere.

Fredbeard back. Yuge!
Martin fully healed. Big!
Although Tyron missed games, it wasn't for his back for a change. Maybe he's turned the corner on the back. He looked like he was moving better last year.
All of the oline back means no transition period in the early season. Yuge!​

Won't spend half the season transitioning to new starting WRs, and will have Cooper the full season. Yuge!
Add Witten and Cobb, lose Swaim and Beasley. A slight net loss from losing Beasley is a loss, but there's a lot of other WRs to take up the slack from him in addition to Cobb.

If Austin stays healthy, which he did for most of his career, and we use him, it's big. He was *very* productive per touch, and I think a great complement to the run game with jetsweep/deepthreat skills. He's a better complement to the run game than Beasley. Big!
Watch out for Devin Smith, an early 2nd rounder who we got for nothing.
Everyone talked big about Cedrick Wilson before his injury.​

I assume the signing of Olawale means we plan on actually using him this year, and I was excited about him going into last season. A well rounded FB with speed and hands.
Rod Smith gone means we might get a real RB#2. Or Darius the Great may Rule!
Lots and lots of very young guys with the arrows pointing up.

Williams, Gallup, Jarwin, Schultz, even Rico.​

I think we're significantly better on offense, and that's before the draft and any other players we might scrounge up.

the water boy? the guy who Dak asked for? the guy who is now the OC and by many accounts was tagged as an up and coming coach? where does Dak taking responsibility to learn his craft fall in all of this? or is he excused from all of that, because.....well he is Dak, he shouldn't be held accountable for anything.....

also, taking advantage of his running ability is a mistake....he is not a LB...he is a QB. Cam Newton is build like a LB. bigger, faster, more accurate and he got too many hits and is dealing with injuries. QBs get paid to throw, not run. RBs get paid to run.

 

[CowboyRoy]

Dude give it a rest.

You sound silly.

At this point you Dak haters just sound like a bunch of whiney trolls. How many pro bowls and 4th quarter comebacks does he have to make until you admit you were wrong?

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

The Cowboys record is a result of the talent that surrounds Dak . The Cowboys have squandered the career of Zeke thus far.

Take Dak away and the Cowboys have the same record if not better
Take Zeke away and we are picking top 10 every draft

Stop gifting him the credit due Zeke

And stop crediting him with all those rushing TD's he's a TD culture who can't rely on his arm in the red zone.

Ps .That Green Bay game and that deficit we were in from the beginning I put that on Dak

that's very very very close to the truth. without zeke, Dak has a .500 record. without zeke performing at high level, we have a losing record even last year...

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

Hahahahaahhaah we’re SO loaded that even with a crappy QB we went 32-16 over 3 years??? Do you watch football?

Yeah, this Cowboys team is LOADED with talent around Dak! Never mind the defense that was trampled to the tune of 273 rush yds in the playoff loss!

We must have the best front office and coaching staff in the league!

Wait, what’s that??? Everyone hates Jerry/Stephen and Garrett too??? Hmmmmmm......

Dak’s a terrific leader and a damn good QB. He’s winning at life and you’re clearly losing. His rich new deal and your subsequent tears will be VERY satisfying. YUMMY!

and the sad thing is when defense can't perform, the offense can't have one of those days and just get into a scoring fest against a good team...against the giants, hapless giants they can...but not against a good team.....and to that point, again, when things aren't perfect around Dak, we seem to fall short...

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

2016 I was on the Dak hype train his rookie year! I almost made the big mistake of buying his jersey too. What threw up a red flag and stopped me was his awful passing games against the Vikes and Giants. There was always a lingering doubt but I couldnt put my finger on it until those two games at the end of the season. Thats when I realized oh boy this dude doesnt have an arm! 2017 when he was exposed by being raped by Denver, Falcons, Eagles, Chargers was when I realized this guy isnt a true franchise QB. If it wasnt for the loaded talent on this team Dak would be a nobody and he showed his true colors against those teams I mentioned. When the tables were turned the following year 2018 when the Eagles and Falcons were all beat up like Dallas was in 2017, those games were very close and thats what a true franchise QB does. Even when the team is beat up Matt Ryan and Wentz made those games very interesting unlike when the Cowboys were beat up the games werent even competitive because Dak was that bad!

I never bought into his hype in 2016. even that year he was average as a passer. it was clear that Zeke was the central point of the offense and our offensive philosophy was evident. run the ball. control the clock. dak needs to just manage the game. as you pointed out, when they put the game on his back, he came up short in big moments...except the giants.

 

[HungryLion]

and the sad thing is when defense can't perform, the offense can't have one of those days and just get into a scoring fest against a good team...against the giants, hapless giants they can...but not against a good team.....and to that point, again, when things aren't perfect around Dak, we seem to fall short...

Football is a team sport. It takes a team effort to beat other good teams.

If you’re waiting for a QB who is able to carry a bad team to a championship, you’re going to be waiting for a very very long time.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

Football is a team sport. It takes a team effort to beat other good teams.

so once again, you take responsibility/accountability away from Dak....things aren't always perfect and sometimes you need to have a great day....and so if its a team sport, the TEAM needed him to have a great game and he couldn't...except against the hapless giants in a meaningless game at the end of the season.

 

[HungryLion]

so once again, you take responsibility/accountability away from Dak....things aren't always perfect and sometimes you need to have a great day....and so if its a team sport, the TEAM needed him to have a great game and he couldn't...except against the hapless giants in a meaningless game at the end of the season.

I didn’t once absolve Dak from any blame. You’re letting your emotions cause you to put words in my mouth.


There have been plenty of occasions where Dak and the rest of the offense have had great games and the defense also let them down too. Yet you want to ignore those games and just bring up the ones where he played bad and wasn’t able to carry the rest of the squad who also played bad.

The point I was making, if you would open your eyes and get out of your feelings, is that no QB carries bad teams to anything of significance. It takes teams to beat other good teams. Entire team efforts to beat other good teams. The reason they haven’t won a title yet is because the entire team hasn’t been good enough to do so yet. And that includes Dak.

Dak is part of the team. Me saying the whole team isn’t good enough yet includes Dak.

 

[HungryLion]

so once again, you take responsibility/accountability away from Dak....things aren't always perfect and sometimes you need to have a great day....and so if its a team sport, the TEAM needed him to have a great game and he couldn't...except against the hapless giants in a meaningless game at the end of the season.

Also you saying that things have to be “perfect” around him is just complete nonsense. Things have never been perfect around him. Not even close.

Does he require more help than some other QB’s? Sure. But that isn’t exactly surprising given he is only a 3rd year QB.

I’ll wait for you to name a 3rd year QB in NFL history who won a championship without SIGNIFICANT help around them....... I’m sure the list you can compile is really lengthy.

My position has never been that Dak doesn’t deserve blame. I’ve been on record saying Dak played like crap early this past season and
The second half of 2017.

I just don’t ignore the large stretches of games where he has played really well like some fans like to do.

My position has been that it’s stupid and idiotic for Fans to think that any QB in the entire league carries bad teams to anything significant. No QB has ever carried a bad team to a championship.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

I didn’t once absolve Dak from any blame. You’re letting your emotions cause you to put words in my mouth.


There have been plenty of occasions where Dak and the rest of the offense have had great games and the defense also let them down too. Yet you want to ignore those games and just bring up the ones where he played bad and wasn’t able to carry the rest of the squad who also played bad.

The point I was making, if you would open your eyes and get out of your feelings, is that no QB carries bad teams to anything of significance. It takes teams to beat other good teams. Entire team efforts to beat other good teams. The reason they haven’t won a title yet is because the entire team hasn’t been good enough to do so yet. And that includes Dak.

Dak is part of the team. Me saying the whole team isn’t good enough yet includes Dak.

I have not ignored those games. like you said its a team sport. but even offensively, most of the games have been Zeke's outstanding performance as opposed to Dak's. there is much much much less of those. I am not emotional, in fact quite objective.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

Also you saying that things have to be “perfect” around him is just complete nonsense. Things have never been perfect around him. Not even close.

Does he require more help than some other QB’s? Sure. But that isn’t exactly surprising given he is only a 3rd year QB.

I’ll wait for you to name a 3rd year QB in NFL history who won a championship without SIGNIFICANT help around them....... I’m sure the list you can compile is really lengthy.

My position has never been that Dak doesn’t deserve blame. I’ve been on record saying Dak played like crap early this past season and
The second half of 2017.

I just don’t ignore the large stretches of games where he has played really well like some fans like to do.

My position has been that it’s stupid and idiotic for Fans to think that any QB in the entire league carries bad teams to anything significant. No QB has ever carried a bad team to a championship.

its not about winning championship in the 3rd year and the 3 year things is becoming an old excuse and pretty soon its that he is only a 4th year player and only a 5th year player and on and one.

what we expect from a 3rd year player that he has shown improvements in the 3rd year, yet he is still has pocket awareness issues. he still has accuracy issues. he still has foot work issues. his throwing motion is very inconsistent. same as his first year. and what we have seen from Dak lovers is that in 2018, he didn't have a good OL like 2016 (which was one of the all time best OLs). he didn't have a great WR, so he should be excused claimed Dak lovers, we give him cooper. and in the end, this team is built around Zeke. we have won when zeke performs. we have one when zeke performs consistently. we have won when defense improved. Dak needs a lot of help. churn the team around him and he falls apart., he hasn't shown the ability to lift the players around him, its been exactly the opposite. and therein lies the issue

Tom brady consistently carries his team....there has been churn around his team constantly and yet he is always among the best. Brees has lifted his team consistently. for several years, they were the worst, all time worse defensively and he liften his team to be among the best offensively and allow the team to compete. yes, technically no QB does it all by themselves, but are they able to lift the players they are given to be at their best. are they able to lift the team. are they able to maximize the talent they are given.

 

[HungryLion]

its not about winning championship in the 3rd year and the 3 year things is becoming an old excuse and pretty soon its that he is only a 4th year player and only a 5th year player and on and one.

what we expect from a 3rd year player that he has shown improvements in the 3rd year, yet he is still has pocket awareness issues. he still has accuracy issues. he still has foot work issues. his throwing motion is very inconsistent. same as his first year. and what we have seen from Dak lovers is that in 2018, he didn't have a good OL like 2016 (which was one of the all time best OLs). he didn't have a great WR, so he should be excused claimed Dak lovers, we give him cooper. and in the end, this team is built around Zeke. we have won when zeke performs. we have one when zeke performs consistently. we have won when defense improved. Dak needs a lot of help. churn the team around him and he falls apart., he hasn't shown the ability to lift the players around him, its been exactly the opposite. and therein lies the issue

Tom brady consistently carries his team....there has been churn around his team constantly and yet he is always among the best. Brees has lifted his team consistently. for several years, they were the worst, all time worse defensively and he liften his team to be among the best offensively and allow the team to compete. yes, technically no QB does it all by themselves, but are they able to lift the players they are given to be at their best. are they able to lift the team. are they able to maximize the talent they are given.

1. Ton Brady has the best coach ever as his HC.

2. If another Tom Brady is available, sign me up. Until that time, which could be a decades long wait, they will have to try and win without another Tom Brady. Also, Brady doesn’t carry his teams. I think Brady is the best QB ever. But even he doesn’t always carry his team. When he did have to carry his team, last season against the eagles in the super bowl, they still sadly came up short and lost. If you watched the patriots this past season and thought Brady was “carrying” the team, I don’t know what to tell you because you weren’t paying attention to the rest of the patriots team. They are incredibly well coached and filled with smart and talented players who execute the coaches gameplan. A true team.

3. Drew Brees is a hall of fame QB. And based on your comments I’m going to assume you didn’t watch Drew Brees much his first few years in the league. Drew Brees consistently improved beyond his 3rd year. And also, if there’s another Drew Brees available, sign me up. Listing hall of fame QB’s of which there are usually only 3-4 in the league at a time, as a reason to just dump Dak doesn’t make much sense. You can’t just go to the corner store and pick up QB’s like that with ease.

4. Dak still has weaknesses, but saying he hasn’t improved is poppycock. He has improved in multiple facets of his game since entering the league.

5. I do find it funny that you mention that Dak’s OL was nowhere near as good as it used to be this season and allude to the fact that he had the WORST receiving Corp in the league this past season, until they traded for Cooper. Most QB’s in the league would struggle mightily under those circumstances.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

1. Ton Brady has the best coach ever as his HC.

2. If another Tom Brady is available, sign me up. Until that time, which could be a decades long wait, they will have to try and win without another Tom Brady. Also, Brady doesn’t carry his teams. I think Brady is the best QB ever. But even he doesn’t always carry his team. When he did have to carry his team, last season against the eagles in the super bowl, they still sadly came up short and lost. If you watched the patriots this past season and thought Brady was “carrying” the team, I don’t know what to tell you because you weren’t paying attention to the rest of the patriots team. They are incredibly well coached and filled with smart and talented players who execute the coaches gameplan. A true team.

3. Drew Brees is a hall of fame QB. And based on your comments I’m going to assume you didn’t watch Drew Brees much his first few years in the league. Drew Brees consistently improved beyond his 3rd year. And also, if there’s another Drew Brees available, sign me up. Listing hall of fame QB’s of which there are usually only 3-4 in the league at a time, as a reason to just dump Dak doesn’t make much sense. You can’t just go to the corner store and pick up QB’s like that with ease.

4. Dak still has weaknesses, but saying he hasn’t improved is poppycock. He has improved in multiple facets of his game since entering the league.

5. I do find it funny that you mention that Dak’s OL was nowhere near as good as it used to be this season and allude to the fact that he had the WORST receiving Corp in the league this past season, until they traded for Cooper. Most QB’s in the league would struggle mightily under those circumstances.

you asked for examples, I provided. so we agree, that Dak is not in those QBs league....and I can name 10 more.

with that said, I see the same issues plugging him in 2018 as it did in 2016. he maybe more experienced, but he is making the same fundamental mistakes. I expected a lot more. sorry, not seeing it.

and my point regarding the OL, is to my original post. he needs everything around him to be strong and perfect for him to succeed, because he can't lift himself or those around him. he needs strong support to succeed, which makes him a bus driver. and there is nothing wrong with being a bus driver, because then you can plan around him and still succeed.

I disagree that he had the worst receiving group in the league.... it was average group. cooper was a #1 WR....perhaps a top 5 WR. and that again, is to my point, Dak needs really strong players around him to succeed.

 

[Idgit]

Your the blind one, you fail to see what Dak is and what this team is. After another failed season a new coach and Jerry blaming everyone but himself and you will be spewing the company line. Wish you would take off the rose colored glasses and see what his team really is.

I do fail to see all the wrong things you’re describing here. Good point. Sorry your sad.

 

[817Gill]

All he ever does is poach Zekes TD's because his green zone passing is atrocious. 13 tds in 9 games. Is sub par to be honest

I think we see an uptick this year without the atrocious red zone scheme Linehan had. Dak did miss a few opportunities but I think this is one of those things we see improve this year.

 

[817Gill]

you asked for examples, I provided. so we agree, that Dak is not in those QBs league....and I can name 10 more.

with that said, I see the same issues plugging him in 2018 as it did in 2016. he maybe more experienced, but he is making the same fundamental mistakes. I expected a lot more. sorry, not seeing it.

and my point regarding the OL, is to my original post. he needs everything around him to be strong and perfect for him to succeed, because he can't lift himself or those around him. he needs strong support to succeed, which makes him a bus driver. and there is nothing wrong with being a bus driver, because then you can plan around him and still succeed.

I disagree that he had the worst receiving group in the league.... it was average group. cooper was a #1 WR....perhaps a top 5 WR. and that again, is to my point, Dak needs really strong players around him to succeed.

How would he be in HOF’s league lol? Dudes only players 3 seasons? Reply to this asking me for the stats of all 3 in their first years and I’ll gladly show you. I’ve already done a 3 year comparison for Dak, Wilson, Brady, and Big Ben and Dak’s stats were on par with if not one of better stat-lines.

 

[817Gill]

Like I said
I'll wait for your new excuse next year when Cooper will have been on the team all year

Better get those 'but but but so and so was hurt' excuse ready

Ok so you have nothing and are hoping Dak fails next year? Sounds like a classic hater lmaoo feel bad for you man

 

[Irvin88_4life]

Yeah I saw, and now those teams have their QB. Going into last season I would agree. But going into this upcoming season? Not so much. All you have to do is a head count. Dak's market are teams that need starting QBs, of which there are only a handful. That's made smaller after Murray, Lock, and Haskins get drafted. Things can change, but as of right now we're probably looking at Miami and Cinci (I may have missed a team) that need a starting QB. That's Dak's market if we're talking about big money contracts. That's why I said Transition tag him. We're only competing against a few teams. You might even be able to toss Miami. They're rebuilding and looking for a rookie. They have a ton of dead cap and I doubt they'd want an obscene amount of space eaten up by dead cap and QB while rebuilding.

I see you point but Denver isn't staying with Flacco, Giants with Eli, rumors that Wilson wants out ( could be true or false) Wentz can't stay healthy, Commanders, Carr is being shopped, Rivers isn't young neither is Brady, Brees or Ben. Cousins isn't going to finish out his contract and who knows what will happen with Winston. How long will Foles be in Jacksonville? Tons of teams are always in the market for QBs and not just a team or two.

If you have a franchise QB, which Dallas does, you lock him up as soon as you can. The longer you wait the more expensive it will be. You guys are complaining about Dak getting 25-28 million a year, imagine when it goes over 30-35 million a year.

 

[NotForLong]

I think we see an uptick this year without the atrocious red zone scheme Linehan had. Dak did miss a few opportunities but I think this is one of those things we see improve this year.

Ill keep an eye out for it. And if he does improve I'll be the 1st to admit it

 

[visionary]

Ok so you have nothing and are hoping Dak fails next year? Sounds like a classic hater lmaoo feel bad for you man

You brought up rubbish 'extrapolated stats'
I called you out and you got your panties in a knot
I said lets wait till next year and you called me a hater

There is a reason they compile season stats and don't extrapolate, because things change

The reality is people like you will always have an excuse to 'explain ' failure