jday
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If you are reading this, chances are you saw the game against the Rams, have read at least 3 breakdowns of Dak’s performance, and at this point you are steadily analyzing all of the data internally, both seen in the moment during the game and absorbed from various media outlets in the wake of that game, in an attempt to decide if Dak is for real. The ugly conclusion for all of us is that we need to see more. And once we see it 3 more times, we will still need to see it in the regular season for our mind to believe the testament of our eyes.
Therein is the burdensome truth we must shoulder for the next month and potentially longer dependent on rather or not Romo can stay healthy for the entirety of the 2016 season. Think about it! It could be years from now before we really know what we think we know now about Dak. We think we may have just saw something very special happen for our Cowboys in the form of a compensatory 4th rounder, but we don’t know because we only saw it once and that in a preseason game where game-planning and the opposition’s best attempt at winning was not on display. For now, all we can say for a certainty is that Dak did everything he was supposed to do for 30 minutes. In those 30 minutes of regulation he made good decisions with the ball and his feet , his ball placement was top notch (despite the many arguments against his accuracy) and based on the 10 passes he completed, there is not a throw he cannot make. So, again he did what he was supposed to do…now he just has to do that game in and game out. That’s really the only box left for him to check. If you are deep into the subtle nuances of professional quarterbacking, you might like to see him exhibit some passes from different drops with snaps taken directly from the center, but for the most part, you could not have asked for a more encouraging performance from the Cowboys current backup QB.
But that’s not what the following is really about…I thought about delivering a more in-depth breakdown of what made Dak’s night so unbelievably special, but the truth is, 48 hours removed from that moment, it has already been done by every media outlet in the nation. As a result of what he did, many scouting departments are likely in the process of defending their job attempting to explain why a bottom of the fourth compensatory pick exhibited that kind of perfection, while many organizations mortgaged their future to land guy’s that came nowhere close to looking as composed and comfortable behind center as did Dak. That line of thinking brought me to uncharted territory in the form of a question. Why was Dak’s night so much better than all of the QB’s that were drafted before him in their preseason opener?
One of the things that stood out to me was comments made by both Dak and Linehan during their post-game interview. When asked if at any time he felt nervous Dak said something to the effect that he kept waiting to feel that way but he did not because he was prepared for the moment. As he took the field one of the offensive linemen told him this is just another practice and he played accordingly. Linehan also indicated that a big part of why Dak looked so polished in his first outing was due to his preparation. These two quotes set the wheels in my mind in motion. I have often wondered why so many can’t miss prospects turn out to be bust and I think the following formula may very well provide at least part of the explanation:
Execution = Talent + Athleticism + (Preparation * 2)
Another way to say that is Execution is 1 part talent, 1 part athleticism and 2 parts preparation. Therein is the key to success in the NFL. Chances are if you are drafted you check those first two boxes; talent and athleticism by default are requisite attributes. Granted, there are varied degrees of both, but you really can’t have one without the other at the NFL level…you will get exposed otherwise…no way around it. But the key point here is that you can have all the talent in the world and off the charts athleticism, but if you do not prepare, you are bust waiting to happen. The good news for those who only check the first two boxes is one part of preparation is showing up to practice/meetings and being engaged. Those that check 3 boxes and 3 boxes only make up the majority of the NFL. What separates players within this category are the varied levels of talent and athleticism. But the Super Stars of the football world know that practice and practice alone is not enough to be the best. For Super Stars extra preparation, beyond what is force fed to them is now, and has been since the beginning of the NFL, the secret to their success.
Sure the coaches break down film for each position group following the game and they will also look at tape of the upcoming opposition, but the amount of time they spend is nominal and not enough to truly be prepared for what the opposition is going to do. To truly understand the opponent you are facing in the upcoming contest you really have to study the player(s) play after play after play; looking for tendencies, weaknesses, tells…anything that can provide a competitive advantage. These same Super Stars will then take it to the gym to put in an extra lift, stretching, aerobics to ensure that there is not a single person on the opposing field come Sunday that worked harder to prepare for the game.
Think back to the all the great’s in your time; one of the things you always hear and/or read is that they were not content with the film study that their coaches held their hand through. They were not satisfied with the gym work and aerobic work that their team did together. These were the players that were always the first one on the field and last one off. I have heard it said of many Hall of Famers, but locally here on the Cowboys it has also been said of Witten, Dez, Romo, Lee, Beasley, Scandrick, and now the latest addition to the breakfast club, Dak.
But the key take away from all of this is that if at any point Dak stop’s putting in the extra work, he could very well see a huge drop off in his comfort level accordingly. If he falls in love with him some him reading his name in the headlines, he may at some point think, “I don’t need that extra lift. I don’t need the extra film study. I got this…I have arrived!” If that thought wins, he loses…and by extension, so do the Cowboys and their many faithful fans.
Therein is the burdensome truth we must shoulder for the next month and potentially longer dependent on rather or not Romo can stay healthy for the entirety of the 2016 season. Think about it! It could be years from now before we really know what we think we know now about Dak. We think we may have just saw something very special happen for our Cowboys in the form of a compensatory 4th rounder, but we don’t know because we only saw it once and that in a preseason game where game-planning and the opposition’s best attempt at winning was not on display. For now, all we can say for a certainty is that Dak did everything he was supposed to do for 30 minutes. In those 30 minutes of regulation he made good decisions with the ball and his feet , his ball placement was top notch (despite the many arguments against his accuracy) and based on the 10 passes he completed, there is not a throw he cannot make. So, again he did what he was supposed to do…now he just has to do that game in and game out. That’s really the only box left for him to check. If you are deep into the subtle nuances of professional quarterbacking, you might like to see him exhibit some passes from different drops with snaps taken directly from the center, but for the most part, you could not have asked for a more encouraging performance from the Cowboys current backup QB.
But that’s not what the following is really about…I thought about delivering a more in-depth breakdown of what made Dak’s night so unbelievably special, but the truth is, 48 hours removed from that moment, it has already been done by every media outlet in the nation. As a result of what he did, many scouting departments are likely in the process of defending their job attempting to explain why a bottom of the fourth compensatory pick exhibited that kind of perfection, while many organizations mortgaged their future to land guy’s that came nowhere close to looking as composed and comfortable behind center as did Dak. That line of thinking brought me to uncharted territory in the form of a question. Why was Dak’s night so much better than all of the QB’s that were drafted before him in their preseason opener?
One of the things that stood out to me was comments made by both Dak and Linehan during their post-game interview. When asked if at any time he felt nervous Dak said something to the effect that he kept waiting to feel that way but he did not because he was prepared for the moment. As he took the field one of the offensive linemen told him this is just another practice and he played accordingly. Linehan also indicated that a big part of why Dak looked so polished in his first outing was due to his preparation. These two quotes set the wheels in my mind in motion. I have often wondered why so many can’t miss prospects turn out to be bust and I think the following formula may very well provide at least part of the explanation:
Execution = Talent + Athleticism + (Preparation * 2)
Another way to say that is Execution is 1 part talent, 1 part athleticism and 2 parts preparation. Therein is the key to success in the NFL. Chances are if you are drafted you check those first two boxes; talent and athleticism by default are requisite attributes. Granted, there are varied degrees of both, but you really can’t have one without the other at the NFL level…you will get exposed otherwise…no way around it. But the key point here is that you can have all the talent in the world and off the charts athleticism, but if you do not prepare, you are bust waiting to happen. The good news for those who only check the first two boxes is one part of preparation is showing up to practice/meetings and being engaged. Those that check 3 boxes and 3 boxes only make up the majority of the NFL. What separates players within this category are the varied levels of talent and athleticism. But the Super Stars of the football world know that practice and practice alone is not enough to be the best. For Super Stars extra preparation, beyond what is force fed to them is now, and has been since the beginning of the NFL, the secret to their success.
Sure the coaches break down film for each position group following the game and they will also look at tape of the upcoming opposition, but the amount of time they spend is nominal and not enough to truly be prepared for what the opposition is going to do. To truly understand the opponent you are facing in the upcoming contest you really have to study the player(s) play after play after play; looking for tendencies, weaknesses, tells…anything that can provide a competitive advantage. These same Super Stars will then take it to the gym to put in an extra lift, stretching, aerobics to ensure that there is not a single person on the opposing field come Sunday that worked harder to prepare for the game.
Think back to the all the great’s in your time; one of the things you always hear and/or read is that they were not content with the film study that their coaches held their hand through. They were not satisfied with the gym work and aerobic work that their team did together. These were the players that were always the first one on the field and last one off. I have heard it said of many Hall of Famers, but locally here on the Cowboys it has also been said of Witten, Dez, Romo, Lee, Beasley, Scandrick, and now the latest addition to the breakfast club, Dak.
But the key take away from all of this is that if at any point Dak stop’s putting in the extra work, he could very well see a huge drop off in his comfort level accordingly. If he falls in love with him some him reading his name in the headlines, he may at some point think, “I don’t need that extra lift. I don’t need the extra film study. I got this…I have arrived!” If that thought wins, he loses…and by extension, so do the Cowboys and their many faithful fans.
