Diagnosis and Prognosis: Not good

[ALBIT]

Reality has a way of kicking you in the shin right before it's time to start your race.

Forget 2-2 and just look at the football before us. It ain't good for Dallas the way these games are playing out. This is an 8-8 team, maybe, unless some things get figured out quickly. Most likely, that's an offseason or two or three away.

The defense is wilting. The running game is surrounded. The quarterback is lost and failing. The coaches are hamstrung by the reality of an mediocre team that needs both time to develop, but better hurry up quick for the aging side of its roster. The answers don't seem attainable at the moment.

The curtain has been pulled back from the illusion of 13-3. The NFL waited for Romo to return like we did last year, but he never did. Dak and Zeke piled up wins against easy and injured opponents to the tune of 11 amazing wins in a row. The future promised to be unstoppable and spectacular.

But quietly, the league went to work. Good defenses showed the template to stop this offense, and as of now, that's got this team hog-tied. Minnesota, Philadelphia, and the Giants showed the way, even in losing efforts. They provided the plan.

Time of possession won last year for Dallas in spades. Dallas just drained the life out of opponents with brutally long and exhausting drives that left QBs standing, watching, and waiting. That is not happening this year. Too many third-and-longs and three-and-outs have turned that table upside down.

The book is out. Dak Prescott can't beat you from the pocket. Not today anyway.

Gang up on Zeke Elliott by stacking the line tight. Dallas is struggling at left guard and right tackle, so run blitz it to death. Sell out on Zeke. Make the Cowboys throw the football. Cover everything short with man coverage, especially on Beasley and Witten. Single high safety. Pass rush with discipline and don't allow the quarterback to escape outside the pocket. Watch for the rollouts to the right. Keep that quarterback in the pocket where he's hesitant and inaccurate.

That's it. It's working, at least for teams with good defenses.

The Cowboys defense has some good, young talent, but they won't hold up, especially if they have to log too many minutes. There are holes to expose, especially if you have a good quarterback and a reasonable offensive line.

The answer screams for coaching, but what are they to do with so much baby-young talent at all the key positions. This team needs time, as in seasons, before we really know what we have.

I know this. This team is not a contender this season. This is a middle-of-the-pack poser with great rankings that isn't ready for the big stage right now. Borderline playoff team thanks to a division lacking a great team.

Its a sad reality but its true. I been saying this all offseason. I really wanted to be wrong. Nothing that is happening has surprised me.

 

[CanadianCowboysFan]

Their schemes create wide open receivers against those fronts. We don't have anything like that from our coaching staff.

Whenever Jordy Nelson catches the ball, it seems like there is rarely anyone within 5 yards of him. That's not all route running, that's scheme. Same for Brady. A ridiculous percentage of his TDs and 3rd down conversions are to receivers who have no defender within 3 yards. That's scheme. Lots of picks, lots of misdirection clear out routes, drags under zones. We just don't have those plays in the playbook.

exactly, our receivers never seem to be wide open, we need a better offensive scheme to get our guys open

 

[Diehardblues]

Our dominating running game masked our other weaknesses . Without it we aren't as good a team.

Our defense is only part of the problem unless we build a dominating defense which will take more years.

If we don't have a prolific passing QB to make these defenses pay for stacking the lines we're in trouble. No one really wants to discuss this yet because it's not as obvious against lesser defenses but as you said it was exposed end of last year.

 

[CanadianCowboysFan]

Can't disagree. The miss to Dez in that last drive was unreal.

yeah it was a bad throw, no ifs ands or buts about it, but we also had a drop on a 2 pt conversion, the drop by Williams on the first throw of the drive etc.

Other teams can make guys like Cooper Kupp look good, we rarely do. Hell our defence is a WR's best friend.

 

[CanadianCowboysFan]

Our dominating running game masked our other weaknesses . Without it we aren't as good a team.

Our defense is only part of the problem unless we build a dominating defense which will take more years.

If we don't have a prolific passing QB to make these defenses pay for stacking the lines we're in trouble. No one really wants to discuss this yet because it's not as obvious against lesser defenses but as you said it was exposed end of last year.

is it the passer or the scheme? In the past we have beaten by buttheads like Mike Flynn Trevor Semian and other nobodies who find guys open. No one can argue they are better than Dak.

 

[ALBIT]

Tom Brady was pedestrian his first three, four years in the league. He was considered a bus driver.
Rodgers didn't even start until year four and sucked up until he did.
Not sure how you make an assesment until at least after next season.

Brady and Rodgers never missed open receivers by 8 yds in the pocket. How can u say Rodgers sucked before he started? He was playing behind Favre. I remember a thursday night game when we beat on Favre and the Packers. Farve got hurt and Rodgers came in the game and moved the Packers down the field. So not sure how anyone can say he sucked. Anyway Dak is what he is and always be. The league knows this. So if things arent working well for us in game than we are not going to win many of them.

 

[Gameover]

No, the difference is last year's schedule was easy. This one isn't.

Wouldn't say it's all schedule. I wouldn't say any of it is schedule concerning Dak. I saw it in the preseason. Hell I saw it in the clips from training camp practices.

He just isn't the same guy he was last year. This Prescott doesn't win @ Pittsburgh last year.

Example: First(2nd half) third down throw to Dez. Last season Dak hits Dez in his chest! This year it's at Dez's feet.

The rollout to Williams that should've been intercepted, Dak of last season holds the ball till Williams has cleared his man.

This is deeper than just better defenses

It's mental with him.



All plays from the pocket. Not same confidence and composure from the QB


Night and day. All these plays but one is from the pocket. This is deeper than tougher schedule. Look at that last pass to Beasley! This is the same guy who couldn't hit a wide open Dez on a slant yesterday.

 

[Cowboy89]

Dak isn't nor will he be an elite level QB. The D isn't good enough.

 

[Corso]

Wouldn't say it's all schedule. I wouldn't say any of it is schedule concerning Dak. I saw it in the preseason. Hell I saw it in the clips from training camp practices.

He just isn't the same guy he was last year. This Prescott doesn't win @ Pittsburgh last year.

Example: First(2nd half) third down throw to Dez. Last season Dak hits Dez in his chest! This year it's at Dez's feet.

The rollout to Williams that should've been intercepted, Dak of last season holds the ball till Williams has cleared his man.

This is deeper than just better defenses

It's mental with him.



All plays from the pocket. Not same confidence and composure from the QB


Night and day. All these plays but one is from the pocket. This is deeper than tougher schedule. Look at that last pass to Beasley! This is the same guy who couldn't hit a wide open Dez on a slant yesterday.

He's got the yips. That's ended careers...
He needs my Corso "Winning" Therapy Sessions.
Only $49.95 per session, 12 bi-weekly sessions on contract!
Cheap!

 

[Gameover]

Tony Romo Daks coach(more than likely Sanchez)? One thing I do know it's not Garrett, Wilson, or even Linehan.

Talk about tougher defenses all you want, but the guy of this year couldn't hold this guys jock:

Play after play from the pocket. Standing tall in the pocket. Look at that throw to Dez before the TD! Beautiful drop step, perfect mechanics and a perfect strike.

 

[Gameover]

Dak isn't nor will he be an elite level QB. The D isn't good enough.

He was elite last year

 

[kevm3]

Dak and Goff had virtually similar stat lines, except Dak had 1 more touchdown, and yet this was the game that exposed Dak and showed just how elite Goff was

 

[IheartRomo]

Wouldn't say it's all schedule. I wouldn't say any of it is schedule concerning Dak. I saw it in the preseason. Hell I saw it in the clips from training camp practices.

He just isn't the same guy he was last year. This Prescott doesn't win @ Pittsburgh last year.

Example: First(2nd half) third down throw to Dez. Last season Dak hits Dez in his chest! This year it's at Dez's feet.

The rollout to Williams that should've been intercepted, Dak of last season holds the ball till Williams has cleared his man.

This is deeper than just better defenses

It's mental with him.



All plays from the pocket. Not same confidence and composure from the QB


Night and day. All these plays but one is from the pocket. This is deeper than tougher schedule. Look at that last pass to Beasley! This is the same guy who couldn't hit a wide open Dez on a slant yesterday.

This is what I'm seeing too. Dak's discomfort in the pocket from staring down receivers, holding the ball too long, and not feeling the pressure coupled with the inaccuracy we've seen over the first month of this season simply wasn't there last year.

Those that have been trying to tear Dak down from game 1 will try to say that this is how he played last year, etc, etc. It's simply not true. I don't know what has caused these issues to pop up with him this year, but he truly doesn't look to be the same yet this season.

 

[Gameover]

This is what I'm seeing too. Dak's discomfort in the pocket from staring down receivers, holding the ball too long, and not feeling the pressure coupled with the inaccuracy we've seen over the first month of this season simply wasn't there last year.

Those that have been trying to tear Dak down from game 1 will try to say that this is how he played last year, etc, etc. It's simply not true. I don't know what has caused these issues to pop up with him this year, but he truly doesn't look to be the same yet this season.

Night and day.

I noticed it in preseason. He missed two deep balls, one to Dez and one to Butler. He wouldn't miss those throws last year! Then he let the play clock run down. A Romo move.

Said it here:https://cowboyszone.com/threads/esp...fense-shows-cracks.383581/page-2#post-7463736

Better defenses is lazy and simplistic

This started before things got real

 

[rags747]

Reality has a way of kicking you in the shin right before it's time to start your race.

Forget 2-2 and just look at the football before us. It ain't good for Dallas the way these games are playing out. This is an 8-8 team, maybe, unless some things get figured out quickly. Most likely, that's an offseason or two or three away.

The defense is wilting. The running game is surrounded. The quarterback is lost and failing. The coaches are hamstrung by the reality of an mediocre team that needs both time to develop, but better hurry up quick for the aging side of its roster. The answers don't seem attainable at the moment.

The curtain has been pulled back from the illusion of 13-3. The NFL waited for Romo to return like we did last year, but he never did. Dak and Zeke piled up wins against easy and injured opponents to the tune of 11 amazing wins in a row. The future promised to be unstoppable and spectacular.

But quietly, the league went to work. Good defenses showed the template to stop this offense, and as of now, that's got this team hog-tied. Minnesota, Philadelphia, and the Giants showed the way, even in losing efforts. They provided the plan.

Time of possession won last year for Dallas in spades. Dallas just drained the life out of opponents with brutally long and exhausting drives that left QBs standing, watching, and waiting. That is not happening this year. Too many third-and-longs and three-and-outs have turned that table upside down.

The book is out. Dak Prescott can't beat you from the pocket. Not today anyway.

Gang up on Zeke Elliott by stacking the line tight. Dallas is struggling at left guard and right tackle, so run blitz it to death. Sell out on Zeke. Make the Cowboys throw the football. Cover everything short with man coverage, especially on Beasley and Witten. Single high safety. Pass rush with discipline and don't allow the quarterback to escape outside the pocket. Watch for the rollouts to the right. Keep that quarterback in the pocket where he's hesitant and inaccurate.

That's it. It's working, at least for teams with good defenses.

The Cowboys defense has some good, young talent, but they won't hold up, especially if they have to log too many minutes. There are holes to expose, especially if you have a good quarterback and a reasonable offensive line.

The answer screams for coaching, but what are they to do with so much baby-young talent at all the key positions. This team needs time, as in seasons, before we really know what we have.

I know this. This team is not a contender this season. This is a middle-of-the-pack poser with great rankings that isn't ready for the big stage right now. Borderline playoff team thanks to a division lacking a great team.

And that my friend is very sad.