Fix this 1 negative and reap a lit of positives

[Hawkeye19]

Over his career, irregardless of his OC or HC, Dak and the offense have often been plagued by slow, sloppy starts.

He can find his rhythm at times, sometimes even mad-scrambling back into a comeback or near comeback, but over and over and over again— this offense is sluggish out of the gates.

Fix this problem, and a lot starts to change. Doesn’t make the team flawless by any stretch, but it will go a long way towards positioning them to play their brand of football.

1. The D plays better with a lead. This team is built to rush the passer, and can’t do that when teams can pound the rock at will. When the offense grabs the early lead, we win far more games than we lose.

2. Confidence. This team plays best with a swagger, and when they are battling for every yard and dropping passes, and committing drive killing penalties, their morale plummets. Fast, up tempo starts get the good vibes going.

3. Playbook flexibility. When they are in control on the scoreboard, they can utilize the entire gameplan vs becoming one dimensional when playing from behind.

MM and Dak need to come out crisp and efficient. Too often we are out-coached to start games and look unprepared and unfocused.

This single negative pattern has a cascading trickle down effect for the whole team. Why can’t we dictate tempo, pace, and exploit weaknesses to gain an early advantage?

Dak gets blamed for inaccuracy, “deer in the headlights”, not being able to read a defense, failing to find the open guy, having an average arm etc… but IMO, much of his struggles boil down to this one problem:

Starting slow, sloppy, and sluggish. Fix it, and you fix a lot of what ails this team, and at least gives the team a chance to compete.

 

[Ring6]

OL improvement (2 rookies) and WR timing (holdout) will improve tonight. Playing with a lead definitely helps this defense.

 

[ShiningStar]

Pretty bold to assume 1 negative can change a lot of negatives.

 

[Cowboys5217]

To fix the sluggish starts the Cowboys would have to fundamentally change how they use training camp, pre season, and practices.

Even if that were done, how do you change the rotten culture that encourages it? Being a celebrity and THE BAG are all that really matter to the modern Dallas Cowboys. Disciplined, championship football isn't even a priority.

 

[cwbyfan72]

Tackle. That fixes a lot.

 

[Hawkeye0202]

This is so true.......not sure why but slow starts have always been an issue. It's almost as if it takes a series or two to figure out what the defense is doing but shouldn't scouting during the week take care of that? Hell, maybe even script the first 12 plays like the late Bill Walsh used to do.

 

[shabazz]

Over his career, irregardless of his OC or HC, Dak and the offense have often been plagued by slow, sloppy starts.

He can find his rhythm at times, sometimes even mad-scrambling back into a comeback or near comeback, but over and over and over again— this offense is sluggish out of the gates.

Fix this problem, and a lot starts to change. Doesn’t make the team flawless by any stretch, but it will go a long way towards positioning them to play their brand of football.

1. The D plays better with a lead. This team is built to rush the passer, and can’t do that when teams can pound the rock at will. When the offense grabs the early lead, we win far more games than we lose.

2. Confidence. This team plays best with a swagger, and when they are battling for every yard and dropping passes, and committing drive killing penalties, their morale plummets. Fast, up tempo starts get the good vibes going.

3. Playbook flexibility. When they are in control on the scoreboard, they can utilize the entire gameplan vs becoming one dimensional when playing from behind.

MM and Dak need to come out crisp and efficient. Too often we are out-coached to start games and look unprepared and unfocused.

This single negative pattern has a cascading trickle down effect for the whole team. Why can’t we dictate tempo, pace, and exploit weaknesses to gain an early advantage?

Dak gets blamed for inaccuracy, “deer in the headlights”, not being able to read a defense, failing to find the open guy, having an average arm etc… but IMO, much of his struggles boil down to this one problem:

Starting slow, sloppy, and sluggish. Fix it, and you fix a lot of what ails this team, and at least gives the team a chance to compete.

I get the point you're making but this offense will remain slow and anemic because it's just too one dimensional. The drop-off in receivers after Ceedee is real and the running game will remain a non-threat and the Ravens didn't even have to double cover Ceedee all game either.

The Cowboys may get up early over a scrub team like the Giants tonight but it's just not gonna happen against the next 6 we face after them.

 

[Hadenough]

Dak gets blamed for inaccuracy, “deer in the headlights”, not being able to read a defense, failing to find the open guy, having an average arm etc… but IMO, much of his struggles boil down to this one problem:

Starting slow, sloppy, and sluggish. Fix it, and you fix a lot of what ails this team, and at least gives the team a chance to compete.

This sounds like putting lipstick on a pig!
I fully believe expect Dak to blowout the Giants. He always has. It's just a temporary feel good game with the Steelers coming up.

 

[CATCH17]

Over his career, irregardless of his OC or HC, Dak and the offense have often been plagued by slow, sloppy starts.

He can find his rhythm at times, sometimes even mad-scrambling back into a comeback or near comeback, but over and over and over again— this offense is sluggish out of the gates.

Fix this problem, and a lot starts to change. Doesn’t make the team flawless by any stretch, but it will go a long way towards positioning them to play their brand of football.

1. The D plays better with a lead. This team is built to rush the passer, and can’t do that when teams can pound the rock at will. When the offense grabs the early lead, we win far more games than we lose.

2. Confidence. This team plays best with a swagger, and when they are battling for every yard and dropping passes, and committing drive killing penalties, their morale plummets. Fast, up tempo starts get the good vibes going.

3. Playbook flexibility. When they are in control on the scoreboard, they can utilize the entire gameplan vs becoming one dimensional when playing from behind.

MM and Dak need to come out crisp and efficient. Too often we are out-coached to start games and look unprepared and unfocused.

This single negative pattern has a cascading trickle down effect for the whole team. Why can’t we dictate tempo, pace, and exploit weaknesses to gain an early advantage?

Dak gets blamed for inaccuracy, “deer in the headlights”, not being able to read a defense, failing to find the open guy, having an average arm etc… but IMO, much of his struggles boil down to this one problem:

Starting slow, sloppy, and sluggish. Fix it, and you fix a lot of what ails this team, and at least gives the team a chance to compete.

Yep. Been saying this.

The Cowboys, especially Dak, are front runners.

 

[CWR]

Over his career, irregardless of his OC or HC, Dak and the offense have often been plagued by slow, sloppy starts.

He can find his rhythm at times, sometimes even mad-scrambling back into a comeback or near comeback, but over and over and over again— this offense is sluggish out of the gates.

Fix this problem, and a lot starts to change. Doesn’t make the team flawless by any stretch, but it will go a long way towards positioning them to play their brand of football.

1. The D plays better with a lead. This team is built to rush the passer, and can’t do that when teams can pound the rock at will. When the offense grabs the early lead, we win far more games than we lose.

2. Confidence. This team plays best with a swagger, and when they are battling for every yard and dropping passes, and committing drive killing penalties, their morale plummets. Fast, up tempo starts get the good vibes going.

3. Playbook flexibility. When they are in control on the scoreboard, they can utilize the entire gameplan vs becoming one dimensional when playing from behind.

MM and Dak need to come out crisp and efficient. Too often we are out-coached to start games and look unprepared and unfocused.

This single negative pattern has a cascading trickle down effect for the whole team. Why can’t we dictate tempo, pace, and exploit weaknesses to gain an early advantage?

Dak gets blamed for inaccuracy, “deer in the headlights”, not being able to read a defense, failing to find the open guy, having an average arm etc… but IMO, much of his struggles boil down to this one problem:

Starting slow, sloppy, and sluggish. Fix it, and you fix a lot of what ails this team, and at least gives the team a chance to compete.

I wish we'd just start off in the 2 minute drill. It's seems to be our best offense. Sadly I think that's when coaches have the least input. Maybe it's just because defense play softer in those scenarios.

 

[ClappingCarrot]

One thing that is specific to the McCarthy era as it relates to this is drive killing penalties.

It's like all of them are constantly not in a good head space.

I love it when we hold on first down and then call a draw play on 1st and 20 and run straight into a pile of bodies. Maybe one day it will work.

 

[DeaconMoss]

Be prepared for something ugly tonight. No time to fix or improve from Sunday. Little to no prep/practice time on the short week. Not saying they can't win just don't think it gonna be pretty. And it will be raining.

 

[Floatyworm]

To fix the sluggish starts the Cowboys would have to fundamentally change how they use training camp, pre season, and practices.

Even if that were done, how do you change the rotten culture that encourages it? Being a celebrity and THE BAG are all that really matter to the modern Dallas Cowboys. Disciplined, championship football isn't even a priority.

 

[thunderpimp91]

Be prepared for something ugly tonight. No time to fix or improve from Sunday. Little to no prep/practice time on the short week. Not saying they can't win just don't think it gonna be pretty. And it will be raining.

I would agree. Dallas should win on talent alone, but when you have to look at fixing these glaring holes on a short week instead of preparing for your opponent it makes it really tough.

Cowboys really need someone to make a big play early on to set the tone in this one or it's gonna be a lot closer than people think.

 

[Flamma]

Over his career, irregardless of his OC or HC, Dak and the offense have often been plagued by slow, sloppy starts.

He can find his rhythm at times, sometimes even mad-scrambling back into a comeback or near comeback, but over and over and over again— this offense is sluggish out of the gates.

Fix this problem, and a lot starts to change. Doesn’t make the team flawless by any stretch, but it will go a long way towards positioning them to play their brand of football.

1. The D plays better with a lead. This team is built to rush the passer, and can’t do that when teams can pound the rock at will. When the offense grabs the early lead, we win far more games than we lose.

2. Confidence. This team plays best with a swagger, and when they are battling for every yard and dropping passes, and committing drive killing penalties, their morale plummets. Fast, up tempo starts get the good vibes going.

3. Playbook flexibility. When they are in control on the scoreboard, they can utilize the entire gameplan vs becoming one dimensional when playing from behind.

MM and Dak need to come out crisp and efficient. Too often we are out-coached to start games and look unprepared and unfocused.

This single negative pattern has a cascading trickle down effect for the whole team. Why can’t we dictate tempo, pace, and exploit weaknesses to gain an early advantage?

Dak gets blamed for inaccuracy, “deer in the headlights”, not being able to read a defense, failing to find the open guy, having an average arm etc… but IMO, much of his struggles boil down to this one problem:

Starting slow, sloppy, and sluggish. Fix it, and you fix a lot of what ails this team, and at least gives the team a chance to compete.

This should be as big of a problem as it is right now. I've seen worse Cowboys teams back in 2011, '12, and '13, and we didn't have this problem. They were 8-8 teams that could still make comebacks. The team we have now is better, but the second they go down by 2 scores, the game is over.

The problem is our run D is that bad. QBs only have to throw the ball 15 or 16 times and we still get blown out. We were down 28-6 to the Ravens and Jackson only threw the ball about a dozen times. That's ridiculous. Combine that with our offense just not being that good, and we might lose to the Giants.

 

[pancakeman]

Pretty bold to assume 1 negative can change a lot of negatives.

Don’t know why you use the word “assume,” OP spelled out how it could happen pretty clearly.

 

[Mac_MaloneV1]

Yep. Been saying this.

The Cowboys, especially Dak, are front runners.

Every team is better when they have a lead.

That's why teams try to get the lead...

 

[Quickdraw]

Too many glaring needs to be able to fix 1 thing. Having said that, the 1 thing I would start with is firing Jerry as GM. The 2nd thing is to tell Jerry he can no longer make the "football" decisions. Just pay the bills.

 

[diamonddelts]

OL improvement (2 rookies) and WR timing (holdout) will improve tonight. Playing with a lead definitely helps this defense.

The only improvements tonight is from playing a cupcake team.

 

[Hawkeye19]

One thing that is specific to the McCarthy era as it relates to this is drive killing penalties.

It's like all of them are constantly not in a good head space.

I love it when we hold on first down and then call a draw play on 1st and 20 and run straight into a pile of bodies. Maybe one day it will work.

Definitely. Our offense is fragile. Doesn’t take much to stall us out