Here's why Dez Bryant is the real problem for the Dallas Cowboys

[plymkr]

It's started haven't you seen that wackjob running around talking crap about Zeke calling him average and that the Cowboys would be 11-2 with any RB.

Are you serious? no way. I haven't seen that. McFadden said that Zeke is average? Wow that's kind of bold coming from someone who's been hurt all year.

 

[Idgit]

Sounds like someone is jealous he isn't Michael Lombardi.

For those who don't know...Lombardi is a very well respected football mind and a crazy smart guy.

Mike’s one of the smartest people I know,” Belichick said. “He’s one of the smartest people I’ve worked with. He was a huge asset to me for the two years he was here. Mike’s a smart guy and he studies football and he knows it very well.”
-Bill Belichick, November 2016
​

If you think the guy has an agenda, Adam, how about you man up and tell us your grand conspiracy theory.

It's a talk show so Michael was speaking short-hand. No, the Dak-Dez combo isn't the lowest percentage pair in all football...but that combo is in the bottom 10% of those with significant passing volume.

If someone does have an agenda in this discussion...I don't think it's Lombardi.

The bad data came from Nick Wright and not Lombardi. And it was a bad stat, not shorthand.

Dak and Dez both had a bad game last weekend. Pretty simple. Dez has had several this year, I don't think anybody disputes that. Other than most of the PHI game, Dak really hasn't had a game like last week's where he just didn't play well. Definitely not in MIN, though everybody jumps on that because of the passing yardage.

 

[lukin2006]

Could we package him with Romo for a number 1 and a backup TE who can block and catch to eventually replace Witten...

Sometimes you got to move on from guys like Dez and I'm not really sure he is a number 1 anymore...

 

[Gameover]

It's started haven't you seen that wackjob running around talking crap about Zeke calling him average and that the Cowboys would be 11-2 with any RB.

Good 1

1. Never said he was average

2. We would have a good record without Zeke

You think Cleveland would have a winning record with Zeke?

Now bashing Dez has become a sport that most around here like to participate in, I was bashing Dez Bryant when he was putting up 93, 1300+, 13TD.. 88, 1300, 16TD seasons

Why was I bashing him then? Because I could see then what is obvious now.

When he cant out athlete an opponent, he's useless.

 

[Gameover]

Are you serious? no way. I haven't seen that. McFadden said that Zeke is average? Wow that's kind of bold coming from someone who's been hurt all year.

He's talking about me. I never said Zeke was average though.

 

[T-RO]

What does Lombardi have to do with anything I said?

I didn't say anything about Lombardi or what Lombardi said.

If you're going to attack someone, you should at least know what's going on.

You are the one with some real puzzlers in this thread and you were the one attacking.

The show is the Lombardi/Wright show. They were jointly discussing Dez's stats and shortcomings. Lombardi knows his **** as well as anyone.

Here are the facts they alluded to:
Out of 83 Wide Receivers documented on Football Outsiders Dez ranks 76th in catch rate.

He has been targeted 80 times this season, with 38 catches...a 48% catch rate. The Dez-Dak combo catch rate isn't *literally* the worst but it's in the bottom 10%.

The combo was 1-8 and 2 INT on Sunday's game.

The stat they referenced was catch rate, not YPG, YPC, DYAR or other metrics.

Clearly the gist of what they were saying was accurate...it is very relevant to the Cowboys current problems...and your attacks of Lombardi/Wright are really more about you then about them.

You wrongly attacked their facts and even stranger...you questioned their motives. I'd still love to hear this grand conspiracy you imagine...what dark intrigue you suspect of them.

 

[Wood]

interesting take that Dez is more of the problem than Dak. Might help to explain some of Romo erratic play also thur his career.

 

[T-RO]

interesting take that Dez is more of the problem than Dak. Might help to explain some of Romo erratic play also thur his career.

Dez could be unpredictable when he was younger, not understanding (or forgetting) his assignments. There were times--as you likely recall--where Romo and he had some animated conversations after certain plays.

A bit more about Lombardi's history:
--He worked with the 49ers and Bill Walsh as a scout
--2014 to 2016--Assistant to Bellichick w/Pats
--Worked w/Lurie and Eagles
--Was Pro Personnel director for Browns...w/Bellichick

When Lombardi says Dez is a problem...it's worth looking at.

 

[Wood]

Dez could be unpredictable when he was younger, not understanding (or forgetting) his assignments. There were times--as you likely recall--where Romo and he had some animated conversations after certain plays.

A bit more about Lombardi's history:
--He worked with the 49ers and Bill Walsh as a scout
--2014 to 2016--Assistant to Bellichick w/Pats
--Worked w/Lurie and Eagles
--Was Pro Personnel director for Browns...w/Bellichick

When Lombardi says Dez is a problem...it's worth looking at.

I listen to bunch of podcast and Lombardi is certainly near top. I definitely listen closely when he discusses Cowboys.

 

[T-RO]

I listen to bunch of podcast and Lombardi is certainly near top. I definitely listen closely when he discusses Cowboys.

Your a step ahead of me. I didn't know he had a podcast until tonight.

I was very, very impressed with the quality of the talk.

 

[NoLuv4Jerry]

At the end of the day....Dez is not the best route runner....and that spells DISASTER when you have a rookie QB that does not have a cannon and needs to improve in the accuracy/footwork department. BUT....BUT....I am baffled how easily people forget all of the plays Dez has made that NO ONE ELSE on this team could come close to making. All of the TDs he has caught in the redzone with multiple defenders draped all over him....are you kidding me?

I like Dak. The NFL has shown you can win with his type of QB. BUT....BUT....you have to have a certain type of team around him. Look at Kapernick when he had success. Look at Russell Wilson when he had success. Look at Cam last year when he was 15 - 1. Dak does not throw people open. Most kids straight out of college do not. Will he? I would argue that because of his work ethic....Dak will get better. In the interim...we don't have to spend a lot of money on the position....which allows us to build the other parts of our team. It has worked for Seattle. So the onus is on the organization to take advantage of this window where we are getting "cheap" QB play....to build out the roster and continue to establish the right culture.

I was tempted to put Tony back in after the Green Bay game. Because I saw some things that led me to believe the Dak train would come to a screeching halt. If this organization does not think this defense will hold up in the playoffs...and if it thinks we are going to need 27 - 31 points in the playoffs....then a less than stellar performance from Dak against Tampa would prompt me to make the switch. NOT because I don't think Dak is the future...but because I think the NFC is ripe for the picking this year...and although I have enjoyed the magic carpet ride this year...a one and done playoff appearance after 13 - 3 year would feel like a failure. Because remember...when Seattle switched to Wilson...or Frisco switched to Kappernick...there were no better options on the team...Romo is a better QB than Dak TODAY...so losing in the playoffs because of poor QB play...when a better QB sits on the bench..would be a tough pill to swallow.

 

[DandyDon52]

He got paid. Yes. To be fair though, he also lost his QB. There's a trust with Romo that is impossible to be matched by Prescott
based solely on time together. Not hatin' on Dak at all here. They just aren't going to be on the same page very often until next
season. I expect they will spend time working together in the offseason.

time will tell , I just dont see the intensity or effort since he got his money.
Not saying he wont have some good games, but you wont know when those games will be or when he takes a game off.
80 targets 38 catches isnt very good, and those targets could have produced more going to other players ??
He has made some good plays and helped win some of the games, so I wont hold this one game on him,
lets see what he does rest of season.

Also I dont buy into the whole he needs romo to be good, he has had practice all year with dak.

 

[drawandstrike]

1. Dez is often drawing double coverage other receivers aren't getting. Teams don't scheme to double cover TWill or Witten.
2. Even when he's facing a 1 on 1 matchup, Dez is often going against the other teams #1 CB. 1 reason for the monster year Beasley is having is because he's often matched up with the other teams #3 or #4 CB
3. It's not a popular statement around here, but Dak has accuracy & passing mechanic issues that need to be fixed this offseason. He wasn't supposed to be starting yet and he's learning on the fly.
4. The other team's entire game plan when it comes to our passing game is to keep Dak from getting the ball to the #1 WR and force him to go elsewhere. In the previous 4 games before Sunday night's Giants game, the Vikings, Commanders, Ravens and Steelers all sought to keep Dez from getting the ball. He still caught 4 TD's and amassed 352 yards on 21 catches.

That was a pretty damn good 4 game span there. Then came Sunday night, and all of a sudden we're back to the 'Dez was loafing out there' narrative.

 

[T-RO]

The bad data came from Nick Wright and not Lombardi. And it was a bad stat, not shorthand.

Dak and Dez both had a bad game last weekend. Pretty simple. Dez has had several this year, I don't think anybody disputes that. Other than most of the PHI game, Dak really hasn't had a game like last week's where he just didn't play well. Definitely not in MIN, though everybody jumps on that because of the passing yardage.

A bad stat as in one you don't like? Me personally...I think the national debt is an ugly stat. Ignore it as much as I can.

Sorry bro, the data is real and Lombardi was the more vehement of the two in pinpointing Dez as a problem. He specifically discussed why too.

He didn't suggest Dez wasn't talented. He didn't imply benching. He didn't say the Cowboys should cut or trade or diminish his role. But there is a problem and it's serious and it needs to get fixed.

Dak's success will depend on mapping out a way to deal w/Dez's limitations.

 

[Cmac]

Can I blame Dez for somebody cutting me off in rush hour traffic.......C'mon Man!....We're 11-2 and this is crap.

 

[1972COWBOY]

If I was paid what Dez was paid, Id be slacking off and thinking about years spent in Maui sitting on a beach drink a nice cold drink.

 

[Toruk_Makto]

So Dez played well with Romo, great chemistry, tore the league up from 2012 to 2014. A new QB comes in, and the "lack" of production is on Dez, not the rookie QB...

Pretty much this.

 

[superonyx]

We all know Dez isn't able to create much seperation. Could it just be that Dak isn't as comfortable as Romo was throwing to Dez when he is tightly covered?

Actually the stats would argue the opposite.
In fact this whole failed article is based on Dez's targets to catches. Since Dez has so many targets and a relatively few catches it points to 3 scenarios the article didn't want to mention.
1. Dez is getting balls thrown to him when he is covered yet Dak feels confident that he may be able to catch it.
2. Dak is throwing to a receiver who he shouldn't be because he isn't open.
3. Dak doesn't trust T Will to make plays so he only gets a ball when he is clearly open.

Dez has made catches over the last several weeks that could be said was the difference between winning and losing. This kind of goofy article is only written because journalism has taken a nosedive and a hate Dez article gets more clicks.

 

[cds99]

Taking Dez having chemistry with romo. I agree with that and I think that is what hurts him with Dak. However at the end of the day that is nonsense and junk talk. They paid him 70 million dollars. Adapt and get comfortable with the new future starter qb, period.

 

[Chuck 54]

I'll live with every problem we have on offense, defense, special teams, and front office forever.....if it means we will be 11-2 every year at this point.