If Dak can't throw, how do you explain 2016?

[Ring6]

because in 2016 he could successfully make throws. that has obviously changed.

there is hope however for a return to that. he is not panicking yet, as his zero INT stat line shows. but in this league, you can't wait forever on a guy at the QB position. Give someone else just a couple more snaps with the first team in practice, that should light a fire.

 

[percyhoward]

Appreciate the info but it's safe to say that even the best oline will have off days but that shouldn't be the end of the game for us.

Of course. The information I posted is in no way a defense of anybody -- not the QB, not the team that chose him, or the team's OL depth. It's just information.

 

[losersgetcute]

Except for Dak himself.

I find it funny that people actually believe butt fumble coached up Dak Prescott.

I’ll believe Dak not the coaches who in their infinite wisdom kept the better player on the bench when he was needed most.

We can go round and round with this. I’ve my opinion and you have yours and Romo is gone.

Let’s hope Dak improves.

He played one series after getting hit early in that season...he would have been hit again and would have gone right back to the sideline....Romo reached his limit of absorbing contact...he knew it, yet people on here act like he was a serious alternative to Dak.

 

[Vegas_Cowboy]

He's been figured out.

Put 8 men in the box, put pressure on him, stop the run and force him to beat you with his arm. (which he can't do.)

He was an unknown to defenses his rookie year. They caught up to him quickly.

Now It's Dak's job to improve his hame.

 

[percyhoward]

So now he needs a psychiatrist? Geez how bout just finding a new QB with a better mental makeup.

Nothing wrong with that, but in Dak's case, the genie's already out of the bottle.

This team has a history of taking a chance by drafting players with "injuries." Maybe they saw what he did his junior year when he had decent protection and figured he'd be able to thrive behind our offensive line.

 

[CowboysRule]

If dak can't throw, how do you explain 2016?

If zeke was a crutch for dak in 2016, how do you explain week 1?

Tony Romo...think about it...how many games has Dak won without Tony on the sidelines telling him what the defense is doing and what to look for? You think he is getting that kind of insight from Kellen Moore?

 

[Vegas_Cowboy]

Zeke wasn't shut down by Carolina. 4.6 ypc. He was shut down by our OC.

Our OC had to dumb down the playbook because Dak is limited in what he can do. But let's keep blaming the coaches.

 

[G2]

Our OC had to dumb down the playbook because Dak is limited in what he can do. But let's keep blaming the coaches.

To be fair that is one of our weaknesses. I have no faith in Linehan. We've seen he give up on the run in general for years now. And in specific game time situations he calls pass plays when you need to pound the ball running. The scheme just doesn't work. Prescott shouldn't be in the shotgun all game long.

 

[TwentyOne]

If dak can't throw, how do you explain 2016?

If zeke was a crutch for dak in 2016, how do you explain week 1?

This is a NFL thing.

I am following the league for a long time now and what you can recognize is that teams need around 1 season to find out about the strengths and weaknesses of a new QB.

A good example in the past is Colin Kaepernick.

Especially at the QB position the NFL is all about finding strengths and weaknesses. After opposing DCs found them they will take away your strengths and let them beat you by your weaknesses.

In Daks case thats his accuracy and his reading process. He is not able to deliver the long ball precisely and he needs too much time to go thru his progressions. He doesnt handle the pocket well. He is not good when passing on the run (he is good when rolling out to the left but he misses passes when running to the right or foward).

So teams in 2017 took away the short field. That also helped against the strong running game Dallas has. They took away his first receiving target (not Dez but Beasley) They gave him the long field. Dak wasnt able to handle that kind of scheme.

This is how the game in the NFL works. You are strong in some areas as a QB. DCs will take them away. Now its up to the player and his talent level if he can work on his weaknesses and make them strengths too. Then and only then he will establish himself as a good QB. Thats the situation Dak is in right now. And to be honest it doesnt look like he has the talent to overcome his weaknesses.

Lets wait 7 or 8 more games. Especially at the QB position i like Parcells way to give players 3 years before judging hem. But the last season showed it already. And he doesnt look promising after the first game this year. He had a whole offseason to work on it. And TBH he looks like last year.

 

[camelboy]

Dak needs to learn from the story of RG3. The guy went to the owner and forced the coaches to play him like Brady, passing/pocket QB. I know he lost the running aspect of his game because f his knee, but the point here is don't be something you are not at this late stage of your career.

Dak grew up and entered pros stage with him relying on his legs and a little passing. Stick to that, too late to teach an old dog new tricks.

Throwing/Passing is not a trick to learn anytime you want, it is mechanics, muscle memory, reads, foot work. If you didn't grow up establishing these attributes you are not going to get it when you are older and fully grown up.

 

[Vegas_Cowboy]

To be fair that is one of our weaknesses. I have no faith in Linehan. We've seen he give up on the run in general for years now. And in specific game time situations he calls pass plays when you need to pound the ball running. The scheme just doesn't work. Prescott shouldn't be in the shotgun all game long.

Fair enough. It's JMO that Linehan has Dak in the shotgun all game long because he needs extra time to go through his reads and he can't handle it when he's pressure now.

Linehan is also limited to when he can call run plays when you constantly have 8 men in the box trying to stuff the run and put pressure on Dak.

Dak needs to get the ball downfield and spread the defense. That would open up everything.

JMO

 

[nate dizzle]

Dak has thrown 0 TD passes in 6 of his last 9 games. In that same span, he's thrown 6 TD's and 9 Int's and had 181 yards or less in 7 of those 9 games. Even mediocre QB's on bad teams don't go through stretches like that.

Whatever you think he is or isn't, right now, he isn't good and hasn't been for the better part of a season.

 

[65fastback2plus2]

Because he was a rookie and had a built in excuse and was willing to take more chances....he could flub up and tony was right there.

Now theres no excuses and he cant handle the pressure.

 

[jrumann59]

Part of 2016 is I think he played loose, he had nothing to lose at that point. If he stunk it up he would have been replaced or he would have played until Romo could come back. Now he is the entrenched starter and the things that come with that adds more weight to what he is carrying. He has everything to lose, I thought last year he may be pressing and he is letting the "pressures" of the job to get to him. The fact it is rumored he cannot handle the buzzing of a receiver in his ear, if he can't handle that well maybe he needs a new job. I am sure Zeke is telling him in the huddle "feed me". He has this year to improve and he has a lot to work on which makes it hard to believe that we will see Dak 2016 but more Dak 2017. Remember he was never a world beater, he is closer to Case Keenum, Alex Smith type QB more bus driver then a guy like Brady, Brees, Even rivers.

 

[links18]

Dak was missing open receivers in 2016 too. He used to throw high. Now he is throwing into the turf like McNabb. He just isnt very good. Defenses know to crowd the line. Its also not the same OL anymore.

 

[G2]

Fair enough. It's JMO that Linehan has Dak in the shotgun all game long because he needs extra time to go through his reads and he can't handle it when he's pressure now.

Linehan is also limited to when he can call run plays when you constantly have 8 men in the box trying to stuff the run and put pressure on Dak.

Dak needs to get the ball downfield and spread the defense. That would open up everything.

JMO

You might be right. I just don't like the shotgun, it's comes across predictable. And Prescott has to take his eyes off the field when the ball is snapped. I'd expect some variety, like some bootlegs and roll outs. Something.

 

[Ring6]

Here's a thought - defenses now stack the box at a higher rate than average against Dak. So, theoretically, this should actually make it easier than normal for a passing game, fewer defenders in coverage. But, since Dallas often runs the ball anyway against those alignments, it puts the team behind the chains, which ironically makes it more difficult for a passer that doesn't do as well beyond short passes.

Hate to say it, but does this suggest that a fix would be to actually pass the ball more often against stacked boxes rather than continue to run it? Takes the ball out of best players hands, but should it be considered? It may be a way to determine once and for all if this QB is worth another contract.

 

[Vegas_Cowboy]

You might be right. I just don't like the shotgun, it's comes across predictable. And Prescott has to take his eyes off the field when the ball is snapped. I'd expect some variety, like some bootlegs and roll outs. Something.

I here ya. I just believe that Linehan has been reduced to short passes and check downs because of the lack of Dak's ability.

It's hard to run bootlegs and roll outs when the defense is stacking the box on every play now.

At some point, Dak is going to have to learn to become a deep threat. Otherwise the coaches have very few options.

Dak needs to spread the defense. I'm beginning to question his ability to do it. I hope he does though.

 

[SoupcanSam]

Haha if Romo didn’t have it all then Dak doesn’t have it at all because Romo was 10x the QB Dak Prescott is at this moment.

Romo is gone. He’s no longer anyone’s scapegoat. The focus now is on Dak and how he has steadily regressed since he entered the league.

He didn’t exactly light the league on fire in 2016 anyway. He was missing throws and having difficulty seeing the field then too.

10x the QB you would expect to have at least one piece of hardware.

Laughable.

 

[EPL0c0]

Having Tony Romo on the sidelines between drives had to help a little