For all the criticism Dak Prescott gets

[Ultra Warrior]

Not even trying to hear that he had a weak receiving group. Most were there in 2016, so not buying that excuse. If you wanted to blame Zeke's suspension on Dak's struggles, I'd buy that excuse.

 

[mattjames2010]

Prescott wasnt the issue. Who would you replace him with rigth now?

Prescott was part of the issue. Again, if all it took was a WR to "fix" Prescott, why did he look even worse against the Colts and below average against the Saints?

Not having Prescott's replacement does not mean he's any good. This is so similar to arguments Bears fans made for Cutler. "Okay he sucks, but like, who would you replace him with tho?"

 

[percyhoward]

The interesting thing is that McClay and the scouts weren't big on Dak coming out of college. The coaches (Linehan, Wilson, Garrett) who loved Prescott are either gone or may be gone after a year.

 

[Brax]

Haven't people realized by now that his worst year (his 2nd), he had one of the worst receiving units in the NFL? An aging Jason Witten, a washed out Dez Bryant, decent Terrence Williams, Cole Beasley, Brice Butler, and Noah Brown. One of the most weaksauce receiving units I can think of. That list of names has no flash at all.

It shouldn't be any surprise why his sophomore campaign was a failure. The majority of the criticism he gets is for his 2nd year (or that 16 game streak from Atlanta 2017 game 9 through Tennessee 2018 game 8). After the Cooper trade, he starts putting up highlights and has his team back in good looking shape. I'm just really shocked Cowboys fans don't seem to recognize what clearly dragged us down in '17.....

Same old song on another thread, it's not Dak's fault everyone else just isn't good enough. The fact that he has/had trouble hitting wide open receivers consistently, couldn't put up points to win and fell apart during Zeke's banishment have nothing to do with it, yes it is everyone else's fault not poor old Dak. No D, no receivers, Run game only mediocre at best, bad coaching, bad OL, yes all these and more from the blinded Dak believers will be posted. To this point Dak is no more than a average QB if you like average up to this point Dak is your guy, Next year hopefully he can elevate his game to above average. Now that that low life really dumb OC (Scott Linehan) who knew nothing, held poor Dak back and had nothing to do with any of Daks wins is gone Dak should not lose a game. Between the Boy genius new OC and Dak's superior skill set a undefeated season should not be out of the question. Dak excuses will keep on growing as the point production stays average to below average. All we need to know is do not blame Dak he is great.

 

[Whyjerry]

Haven't people realized by now that his worst year (his 2nd), he had one of the worst receiving units in the NFL? An aging Jason Witten, a washed out Dez Bryant, decent Terrence Williams, Cole Beasley, Brice Butler, and Noah Brown. One of the most weaksauce receiving units I can think of. That list of names has no flash at all.

It shouldn't be any surprise why his sophomore campaign was a failure. The majority of the criticism he gets is for his 2nd year (or that 16 game streak from Atlanta 2017 game 9 through Tennessee 2018 game 8). After the Cooper trade, he starts putting up highlights and has his team back in good looking shape. I'm just really shocked Cowboys fans don't seem to recognize what clearly dragged us down in '17.....

Dak is a good player. Imagine having to overcome the garbage offensive play calling and scheme every week. Just look at his short playoff record. Guy has been good in every game. People will complain about the Rams game but they were massively out coached and Dak was the best player on the team.

 

[CowboyRoy]

Haven't people realized by now that his worst year (his 2nd), he had one of the worst receiving units in the NFL? An aging Jason Witten, a washed out Dez Bryant, decent Terrence Williams, Cole Beasley, Brice Butler, and Noah Brown. One of the most weaksauce receiving units I can think of. That list of names has no flash at all.

It shouldn't be any surprise why his sophomore campaign was a failure. The majority of the criticism he gets is for his 2nd year (or that 16 game streak from Atlanta 2017 game 9 through Tennessee 2018 game 8). After the Cooper trade, he starts putting up highlights and has his team back in good looking shape. I'm just really shocked Cowboys fans don't seem to recognize what clearly dragged us down in '17.....

Really there was a complete year stretch between the 2nd half of 2017 and the beginning of 2018 where he played poorly overall. That was the same stretch that saw major injuries, rookies, and replacements along the Oline. We also saw the deterioration of the WR's and scheme that was in place. That also included an 8 game stretch of horrid Oline coaching with Alexander and 6 games suspended by Zeke.

But when this kid has been surrounded by great to average pass blocking and at least some kind or receiving threat he has flourished at a pro bowl level.

Its very plain to see when and what happened and how it affected his play. 32 out of 48 games he has played at a pro bowl level in his first 3 years.

We also saw the maturation begin to take his course where the 2nd half of last year even with an average to poor pass blocking line he started playing great. HE is definitely maturing before our eyes in areas he was weaker at. Anyone that isn't completely thrilled to have found this kid in the 4th round is insane or biased.

The only thing really debatable at this point is how much he should get paid.

 

[Yobwocs]

Same old song on another thread, it's not Dak's fault everyone else just isn't good enough. The fact that he has/had trouble hitting wide open receivers consistently, couldn't put up points to win and fell apart during Zeke's banishment have nothing to do with it, yes it is everyone else's fault not poor old Dak. No D, no receivers, Run game only mediocre at best, bad coaching, bad OL, yes all these and more from the blinded Dak believers will be posted. To this point Dak is no more than a average QB if you like average up to this point Dak is your guy, Next year hopefully he can elevate his game to above average. Now that that low life really dumb OC (Scott Linehan) who knew nothing, held poor Dak back and had nothing to do with any of Daks wins is gone Dak should not lose a game. Between the Boy genius new OC and Dak's superior skill set a undefeated season should not be out of the question. Dak excuses will keep on growing as the point production stays average to below average. All we need to know is do not blame Dak he is great.

You seem to take the opposite side of the extreme here. Can you please tell us more specifically what you're dissatisfied with.

 

[CowboyRoy]

Same old song on another thread, it's not Dak's fault everyone else just isn't good enough. The fact that he has/had trouble hitting wide open receivers consistently, couldn't put up points to win and fell apart during Zeke's banishment have nothing to do with it, yes it is everyone else's fault not poor old Dak. No D, no receivers, Run game only mediocre at best, bad coaching, bad OL, yes all these and more from the blinded Dak believers will be posted. To this point Dak is no more than a average QB if you like average up to this point Dak is your guy, Next year hopefully he can elevate his game to above average. Now that that low life really dumb OC (Scott Linehan) who knew nothing, held poor Dak back and had nothing to do with any of Daks wins is gone Dak should not lose a game. Between the Boy genius new OC and Dak's superior skill set a undefeated season should not be out of the question. Dak excuses will keep on growing as the point production stays average to below average. All we need to know is do not blame Dak he is great.

Yet despite what you say he has been to the pro bowl twice in his first 3 years, won rookie of the year, made the playoffs twice and never had a losing season. So the facts would indicate that your side of the argument is overly exaggerated and the pro Dak fans are more on par with reality.

All you can really say about the kid is that he has missed some wide open receivers and has struggled at times with his pocket awareness and getting rid of the ball. The former you could say about any QB in the NFL and the later about most young QB's that come into this league. Yet you use them as a rallying cry for your hatred. It simply shows a lack of understanding about the QB position and maturation of young QB's in the NFL.

You cant attack his leadership, chemistry with his players, toughness, work ethic, dual threat capabilities and his accuracy and QB skills down the stretch in clutch moments. The kid rises to the occasion and has led the league in 4th quarter and OT comebacks since he has entered the NFL. Which in reality is the most important stat.

Really, all you are left to babble about is some errant passes and need for improved mechanics. Nothing but bitter fodder from a Dak hating troll.

 

[ShiningStar]

Prescott was part of the issue. Again, if all it took was a WR to "fix" Prescott, why did he look even worse against the Colts and below average against the Saints?

Not having Prescott's replacement does not mean he's any good. This is so similar to arguments Bears fans made for Cutler. "Okay he sucks, but like, who would you replace him with tho?"

its part of the machine. again im not going to argue your opinion. but tell me whos better that Dallas can get and they have to work in the same system and philospy. Its not just can a QB do it. we sat with Romo and spent more time wastig his career innstead of using it.

the team is tainted top to bottom sittign on mediiocrity.

Dak isnt te problem. having a system nnot built for a mobile qb is.

 

[mattjames2010]

its part of the machine. again im not going to argue your opinion. but tell me whos better that Dallas can get and they have to work in the same system and philospy. Its not just can a QB do it. we sat with Romo and spent more time wastig his career innstead of using it.

the team is tainted top to bottom sittign on mediiocrity.

Dak isnt te problem. having a system nnot built for a mobile qb is.

What the hell is a system built around "mobile QB"? There are 32 teams, tell me, how many of those teams have "mobile QBs" and how many of them win Super Bowls?

And what scheme "Scheme" do you think we need to run for Prescott? The read option? He's not Cam Newton or Michael Vick, dude. I don't know what "system" you think would make things better, calling more rollouts? Not really a system, just different playcalls.

Dak's issues are fundamentals - stuff he has ADMITTED to. He has admitted his feet and mind don't match up, and because of this, he'll throw ducks and inaccurate passes. He had this same problem in college and it's still a problem his third years in the league. One of the worst throws I saw last year is when Aikman was laughing at him for having 5 guys wide open and he threw the football into the dirt near a receivers feet (while rolling out)

You're jumping through hoops for a fix - the simple fact is, Dak is an average to below average QB. He's the Walmart version of Alex Smith.

 

[CowboyRoy]

Dak is a good player. Imagine having to overcome the garbage offensive play calling and scheme every week. Just look at his short playoff record. Guy has been good in every game. People will complain about the Rams game but they were massively out coached and Dak was the best player on the team.

Most people don't understand the career of Prescott and what type of QB he was in college. In college, he was NOT a pocket passer, never had to be. IF a guy was wide open, he hit him, if nothing great was there he could simply pull the ball down and run with it. And he tore up the college game doing that. Never really had to sit in the pocket and be disciplined, anticipate, or "throw guys open". Didn't really need good pocket awareness or had to throw the ball away because he could simply take off.

Now he enters he NFL and his first year he is mostly handing off to Zeke and plays behind the best Oline in football. Piece of cake. Had plenty of time to survey the field, dump off some passes and hit some guys down the field that broke open. No pressure. Then 2017 comes along half way through the season and the line collapses, the scheme is redundant and figured out, and Zeke gets suspended. Coaches have film on his and take away his tendencies. All of a sudden the pressure is all on him, the pass rush is getting to him, and he doesn't have his workhorse. So its taken him a year of going through that maturing to learn to develop handling the pocket better when things don't go well. He has HAD to learn this.

Anyone that doesn't look at the QB he was and see he had a learning curve simply doenst understand the game. Growing pains are part of the game. He has come out the other side better than before and still made the pro bowl. The players around him are coming back together and I expect the kid to take off at this point.

 

[CowboyRoy]

its part of the machine. again im not going to argue your opinion. but tell me whos better that Dallas can get and they have to work in the same system and philospy. Its not just can a QB do it. we sat with Romo and spent more time wastig his career innstead of using it.

the team is tainted top to bottom sittign on mediiocrity.

Dak isnt te problem. having a system nnot built for a mobile qb is.

I think Dak was definitely part of the problem. Being a young QB that needed to develop his pocket game is part of the issue. But that's just young QB maturation. Hardly an excuse for a rallying cry that some of these laughable haters use it as.

And he 100% wasn't the biggest issue, far from it.

 

[CowboyRoy]

What the hell is a system built around "mobile QB"? There are 32 teams, tell me, how many of those teams have "mobile QBs" and how many of them win Super Bowls?

And what scheme "Scheme" do you think we need to run for Prescott? The read option? He's not Cam Newton or Michael Vick, dude. I don't know what "system" you think would make things better, calling more rollouts? Not really a system, just different playcalls.

Dak's issues are fundamentals - stuff he has ADMITTED to. He has admitted his feet and mind don't match up, and because of this, he'll throw ducks and inaccurate passes. He had this same problem in college and it's still a problem his third years in the league. One of the worst throws I saw last year is when Aikman was laughing at him for having 5 guys wide open and he threw the football into the dirt near a receivers feet (while rolling out)

You're jumping through hoops for a fix - the simple fact is, Dak is an average to below average QB. He's the Walmart version of Alex Smith.

I don't think a scheme needs to be made for a mobile QB. I think Dak needs to improve his pocket game and more plays needed to be added to take advantage of his dual threat capabilities. But I think making this a running QB offense is the wrong way to go. Dak is too good of a QB to risk him like that week in and week out.

But talking to trolls like you is a waste of time. You hate Dak. LOL Its either a complete lack of understanding of the QB position or a blind hatred from the Romo cry baby days of 3 years ago. At this point, trolls like you are really nothing more then a chat room joke.

Average to below average QB's don't make the pro bowl 2 out of 3 years. And especially their first 3 years in the league. Below average QB's don't lead the NFL in 4th quarter and overtime comebacks his first 3 years in the league. Average to below average QB's rarely have 3 out of 3 winning seasons, make the playoffs 2 out of 3 of their first 3 years.

But by all means continue to show your ignorance and hatred. Like I said, at this point, its funny.

 

[Yobwocs]

Most people don't understand the career of Prescott and what type of QB he was in college. In college, he was NOT a pocket passer, never had to be. IF a guy was wide open, he hit him, if nothing great was there he could simply pull the ball down and run with it. And he tore up the college game doing that. Never really had to sit in the pocket and be disciplined, anticipate, or "throw guys open". Didn't really need good pocket awareness or had to throw the ball away because he could simply take off.

Now he enters he NFL and his first year he is mostly handing off to Zeke and plays behind the best Oline in football. Piece of cake. Had plenty of time to survey the field, dump off some passes and hit some guys down the field that broke open. No pressure. Then 2017 comes along half way through the season and the line collapses, the scheme is redundant and figured out, and Zeke gets suspended. Coaches have film on his and take away his tendencies. All of a sudden the pressure is all on him, the pass rush is getting to him, and he doesn't have his workhorse. So its taken him a year of going through that maturing to learn to develop handling the pocket better when things don't go well. He has HAD to learn this.

Anyone that doesn't look at the QB he was and see he had a learning curve simply doenst understand the game. Growing pains are part of the game. He has come out the other side better than before and still made the pro bowl. The players around him are coming back together and I expect the kid to take off at this point.

I watched him in college and some of the defenses he played was pretty bad. The SEC has better defenses than the dogpoo defenses of the other conferences, but Dak played in an era when SEC defenses were down, but ultimately I think that's the main challenge facing every college QB going to the NFL - overcoming being used to playing only weak defenses.(in college)

I think your point is well made. No matter what anyone says, anyone who goes on winning streaks like he does (it's not like he started great and got worse every year) - he legitimately has two winning streaks sandwiched between a not-so-good streak. But point is, anyone who can manufacture that should get a legitimate QB contract - and not the dog scrap change he currently lives on.

 

[CowboyRoy]

I watched him in college and some of the defenses he played was pretty bad, and I think ultimately that's the biggest challenge every college QB faces. The SEC has better defenses than the dogpoo defenses of the other conferences, but Dak played in an era when SEC defenses was down.

I think your point is well made. No matter what anyone says, anyone who goes on winning streaks like he does (it's not like he started great and got worse), he legitimately has two winning streaks sandwiched between a not-so-good streak. But point is, anyone who can manufacture that should get a legitimate QB contract - and not the dog scrap change he currently lives on.

He needs to improve his game as a pocket passer. And he is doing that. Par for the course really. Its not like this kid isn't a 10 out of 10 in most other important categories for a QB. Anyone that has watched some of his shortcomings and makes the assumption that he will never improve is just ignorant. Its pretty plain for me to see that he loves the up tempo, no huddle, spread formations. I think Moore is going to make a big difference. Linehan and Garrett were morons. Lets hope they give him the rope he needs.

 

[fansince68]

Dak is serviceable,. However, he really needs to improve in his pocket awareness, timing, and accuracy. Using the receiving corps, injured o line, older Jason Witten as excuses won't cut it. Dak should be somewhere studying film and working on his weaknesses and getting his timing down with his receivers. Hopefully Witten gets the receivers togethar during the off season to bud comrotiery.

 

[ShiningStar]

I think Dak was definitely part of the problem. Being a young QB that needed to develop his pocket game is part of the issue. But that's just young QB maturation. Hardly an excuse for a rallying cry that some of these laughable haters use it as.

And he 100% wasn't the biggest issue, far from it.

i dont see it as a problem so much as growth. its up to the coaches to work with or against it. When Romo started, he was a gun slinger turned pocket passer. Some qbs can do taht, others cant. Dak is a mobile qb, play to his strenghts, gauage him ad work with it or get rid of him. I like him but for Dallas to advance it will take the team to help. This organization is nnot streamlined enough. I like some of the changes, but a lot more has to happen.

 

[ShiningStar]

Dak is serviceable,. However, he really needs to improve in his pocket awareness, timing, and accuracy. Using the receiving corps, injured o line, older Jason Witten as excuses won't cut it. Dak should be somewhere studying film and working on his weaknesses and getting his timing down with his receivers. Hopefully Witten gets the receivers togethar during the off season to bud comrotiery.

yes, and its up to dallas to put him in his strenghts and compensate or cut bait. but its up to the coaches.

 

[xwalker]

Haven't people realized by now that his worst year (his 2nd), he had one of the worst receiving units in the NFL? An aging Jason Witten, a washed out Dez Bryant, decent Terrence Williams, Cole Beasley, Brice Butler, and Noah Brown. One of the most weaksauce receiving units I can think of. That list of names has no flash at all.

It shouldn't be any surprise why his sophomore campaign was a failure. The majority of the criticism he gets is for his 2nd year (or that 16 game streak from Atlanta 2017 game 9 through Tennessee 2018 game 8). After the Cooper trade, he starts putting up highlights and has his team back in good looking shape. I'm just really shocked Cowboys fans don't seem to recognize what clearly dragged us down in '17.....

Would anybody, even Dak critics deny that both Goff and Wentz have had much better Offensive Coordinators?

The fact that Dak has done as well as he has with a sub-par OC should be considered by anybody trying to evaluate him.

Dak has an above average completion percentage and his yards per completion show that it's not because he is dink-and-dunk type QB.

I don't think any QB could have had great success under the constraints of the Cowboys 2017 offense. The OC was not very good, Witten played 100% of the snaps but his speed had taken a dive even from just the previous year. By far the biggest problem was the Dez fell off the map from an ability perspective. Defenses rarely doubled him and some defenses used their 2nd or 3rd CB to cover him. That put double-coverage on Beasley which is rare for a slot WR. Some defenses used their top CB on TWill or Brice Butler.

Fan obsess about Wow type players. Winning teams focus on players that win Super Bowls.
Wow: Barry Sanders
Win: Emmitt Smith

Wow: Brett Farve, Dan Marino
Win: Troy Aikman (His passing stats are minimal compared to Marino's).

If Aikman had been on bad teams, fans would have hated him because he didn't rack up big passing stats and often just threw the ball away instead of trying to make Wow plays that could easily end up as INTs (i.e. the Farve style).

Dak does not Wow fans with a Farve type arm or Mike Vick type of athletic ability. He does take big risks like Romo did which sometimes resulted in Romo losing 20 plus yards before ending up with a big completion or other type of heroics such as Romo throwing 5 INTs and still winning the game.

 

[Kaiser]

You seem to take the opposite side of the extreme here. Can you please tell us more specifically what you're dissatisfied with.

Life?

I agree with the OP but IMO its really about a third of the issue.

One third was the declining play of the WRs and TEs.

One third was the OL having horrible games. If you put any HOF behind center in the Atlanta game where Chaz Green gave up five sacks in a half....... that superstar will get sacked five times.

One third was Dak pressing when he was facing that kind of onslaught for the first time in his career. Its part of the normal development path for any young QB.

So IMO there is plenty of blame to go around, but the problems were half fixed by acquiring Cooper (and Jarwin developing) and the other half will be fixed when Frederick comes back.