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

[T-RO]

It's a 1-read throw. It's not an anticipation throw. Take something like a crossing route against a Cover-3 shell where the QB has to scan the defense, look the other side and feel for when he needs to throw the ball and where he needs to throw as the receiver will get to the ball. All he's doing on a slant is making 1-read and leading him to the spot. Not even close to being the same thing.YR

I can't believe I'm defending xWalker a second time in the same year. This after he's repeatedly trying to assassinate my character with repetitive barbs, "T-Ro just wants attention." He's going to owe me a steak dinner before the night is out.

Anyway...I'm a bigger man than to hold judges. (most of the time)

An anticipation throw may have different definitions. Perhaps xWalker's use of the term didn't match a formal definition.

However casual fans often refer to a throw that is made *in anticipation* of a receiver coming open...or "in ancipation" of a cut that hasn't been made yet but will have been made before the ball arrives. This, in contrast to waiting for a receiver to come open before throwing the ball.

I had no problem at all w/ xWalker's use of that term in that context.

 

[Yakuza Rich]

I had no problem at all w/ xWalker's use of that term in that context.

I do. It's not an 'anticipation throw.' It's a simple 1-read throw where he's leading the receiver because the receiver is running a quick slant. There's no anticipation required.

I


YR

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

By Andrew LynchDec 14, 2016 at 4:29p ET


For a team that didn't suffer its second loss of the season until December, the Dallas Cowboys sure have a lot of drama.



Between a rough schedule for the remainder of the year, the shine coming off of rookie quarterback Dak Prescott, and the very real possibility that the Cowboys could tumble down the standings before the playoffs, one might even argue that Dallas is on the verge of disaster. And in this week's episode of the "Make Me Smarter" football podcast, NFL insider Michael
Lombardi argues that Dez Bryant is the major reason for the Cowboys' relative struggles of late.





Nick Wright: Let me give the audience a stat, because this is jarring. The least-efficient quarterback-to-wide receiver combo in football this year is Dak Prescott to Dez Bryant. 80 targets, only 38 completions.



Lombardi: I think the narrative here is completely wrong. ... I was a bartender in college, and the guy that you're bartending with says to the owner, "Watch that other guy, he's stealing." But the guy who says that is the guy stealing.



This is the narrative: "Watch Dak, he's not playing good," right? But Dez is the guy who's not playing good. Let's be real honest here, Dez is the problem. The shift in the narrative is on someone else. ... I mean, look at the numbers. Dez is 12th out of the 13 [receivers] on the Cowboys in completion percentage. He's had 80 targets and has had 38 catches.



It's ridiculous. He's a No. 1 — paid like a No. 1 receiver in the NFL — and behaving like a 2 and a 3. I mean, Beasley's outplaying him. Terrance Williams is outplaying him. So for me, it starts with Dez.



And here's why Dez is a difficult guy for anybody who plays quarterback, okay? Dez is a guy who plays fast when he knows where he's going. When there's a little bit of hesitation in Dez's game, like let's just take the two slants. The one that was intercepted, he did an outside release technique, kind of a funky one because Janoris Jenkins lured him into making that release, and he wasn't comfortable with what he did. And he got all tangled up and tried to get back inside, and that was the interception.



Was that Dak's fault? I'd say no, that was more the receiver's fault on the release. But most of America is going to say, "Well, the quarterback threw a bad ball." Then he makes the right release, and he fumbles. ...



When you watch the Cowboys, encourage Dez Bryant to start making some plays.

It's worth noting, of course, that Bryant has battled injury for most of this season. Still, Lombardi's criticisms have nothing to do with effort or health. Bryant's technique is off, which in turn is throwing off Prescott, and that has the Cowboys in serious trouble headed into the final weeks of the season.



Just how poorly has Bryant played this year? Bryant is on pace for the worst full season of his career in catch percentage and receptions per game, as well as his worst season in total yards and receptions since his rookie campaign in 2010. The one bright side: Bryant's 16.9 yards per reception would be a career best.



Between Dallas' defensive woes and the potential for weather to be a factor in the playoffs, the Cowboys can't afford many mistakes if they truly are Super Bowl contenders. Yet if Jerry Jones' team is going to get back on track before the postseason, it won't be thanks to a quarterback change. These Cowboys need their top receiver to play like he's actually elite.

http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/...ntroversy-change-super-bowl-contenders-121416

Dez.
If you cannot catch the ball, let someone Else do it. Make room for better talent, hungrier talent with better hands. Blimey! Westchester Cathedral!!! TWILL IS BETTER THAN YOU!!!!!

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

I think it goes both ways with DAK and Dez.

This throwing the ball when Dez is covered has to stop.

We were doing fine when Dez was hurt because DAK was only throwing to the open man.

Now he's throwing into coverages and it's not working.

And by throwing 10-14 passes a game..

that leaves much less for the rest.

Reduce Dez to a decoy and give him 5-6 passes and get it to everybody else.

Problem cured.

We are better when Dez is getting less.

Yes please. Well said, antiquarian person! You remain a good lad!

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

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...

Dez is on the decline. It happens.
Romo to Dez, Romo to MeShawn. They come and go.
Why should Dez be special? Or, now, Romo?

 

[rpntex]

Is it valid to judge a quarterback by his completion percentage?

Not in my opinion. It's not the number of passes you complete, or the percentage of completion. Rather, it's YPA that matters. It doesn't matter if you're only completing 50% of your throws if you're averaging 8 yards per. As like not as you can manage 2 yards on one of the other plays in the series you keep moving the chains.

 

[T-RO]

Not in my opinion. It's not the number of passes you complete, or the percentage of completion. Rather, it's YPA that matters. It doesn't matter if you're only completing 50% of your throws if you're averaging 8 yards per. As like not as you can manage 2 yards on one of the other plays in the series you keep moving the chains.

OK, fair enough.

But bear in mind that the vast majority of fans, coaches, players and analysts believe that completion % is a meaningful stat.

Catch Rate is no different than quarterback completion %...both equally valid.

All football stats are going to be impacted by a players' teammates. All of them, including the YPA that you seem to respect.

 

[Cowboysfan917]

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?

I think this is spot on. Dez doesn't get seperation and Dak isn't accurate enough to squeeze passes into tight spots consistently.

 

[RomoFor6]

Lombardi said we wouldn't even be the best team in the CFL on cowherd and he was fired From the Browns. Move along

This ant be true? He said this this year?

 

[dallasdave]

 

[xwalker]

It's a 1-read throw. It's not an anticipation throw. Take something like a crossing route against a Cover-3 shell where the QB has to scan the defense, look the other side and feel for when he needs to throw the ball and where he needs to throw as the receiver will get to the ball. All he's doing on a slant is making 1-read and leading him to the spot. Not even close to being the same thing.




YR

Semantics.

 

[xwalker]

Which you pulled out of your butt just like the initial statement.

Go watch Concussion for the 100th time.

 

[xwalker]

I can't believe I'm defending xWalker a second time in the same year. This after he's repeatedly trying to assassinate my character with repetitive barbs, "T-Ro just wants attention." He's going to owe me a steak dinner before the night is out.

Anyway...I'm a bigger man than to hold judges. (most of the time)

An anticipation throw may have different definitions. Perhaps xWalker's use of the term didn't match a formal definition.

However casual fans often refer to a throw that is made *in anticipation* of a receiver coming open...or "in ancipation" of a cut that hasn't been made yet but will have been made before the ball arrives. This, in contrast to waiting for a receiver to come open before throwing the ball.

I had no problem at all w/ xWalker's use of that term in that context.

Bob's Steak and Chop House...

 

[T-RO]

Bob's Steak and Chop House...

That'd work, i guess.

 

[DandyDon52]

Couldn't we see that coming. If you had to pick one guy on the team other than Rolando McClain that would be affected by a big contract, it had to be Dez.

well I saw the possibility, and also by not signing him early on, and trying to franchise him, that was a big mistake, it messed with
his mind, and imo got him focused on getting the contract, not staying in shape, so when they did sign him, he wasnt ready to play
and his mindset wasnt the same.
That imo led to the injury, and now he just isnt the same player, then his dad dies, so that affects him mentally.
only time will tell if they get their moneys worth.

I thought back then, either sign him early or franchise him and stick to it, and let him go if need be.

They had no intention of letting him go, so the contract delay and franchise move was stupid.

So far they are paying for a elite wr and have got avg to less than avg out of him.

 

[darthseinfeld]

Then we'll have a huge division between McFadden fanatics and Zeke lovers.

I'm not sure who's side I'm going to pick. Maybe McFadden cuz he broke his back or arm or something trying to save his iPhone and I like apple products.

But seriously tho, this is the crabbiest 11-2 fan base in the history of sports. Some cats need to lighten up.

I lol'd at the middle paragraph

 

[crashintonickdm]

There is absolutely no denying that he's a mental midget.

 

[mugsybows]

This ant be true? He said this this year?

He did before we were taking on the Eagles I believe. He said that we were pretenders and we wouldn't be the best team in CFL and defense couldn't even stop a CFL team. In fact he's hated a lot on us this year. Every time I see a negative headline this year it's usually Lombardi saying it. Think he just might be going for publicity

 

[T-RO]

This ant be true? He said this this year?

He did before we were taking on the Eagles I believe. He said that we were pretenders and we wouldn't be the best team in CFL and defense couldn't even stop a CFL team. In fact he's hated a lot on us this year. Every time I see a negative headline this year it's usually Lombardi saying it. Think he just might be going for publicity

If you can provide a link great. If you can't I call you a liar. That was NEVER said.

I think we'll just cut to the chase and say: Your a liar. Pulling stuff out of your butt and dishing that here is disrespectful to all parties.

 

[mugsybows]

If you can provide a link great. If you can't I call you a liar. That was NEVER said.

I think we'll just cut to the chase and say: Your a liar. Pulling stuff out of your butt and dishing that here is disrespectful to all parties.

Lol. I knew I had you on ignore for a reason.