In Defense of the Two Dak Interceptions

[T-RO]

All interceptions are not equal in end-result and some are 100% on the receiver and 0% the fault of the quarterback.

Consider these two interceptions
-A throw to the sideline that is returned sixty for a TD.
-A fifty-yard hail-mary at the end of a half....that gets batted around and caught by a defender.

The first is really, really bad...The second is 'meh.'

Good quarterback play and winning football mandates a level of risk that sometimes results in an interception. If there is 5 seconds left in the game and you are down 4 points...you damn well better throw a catchable ball into the end zone and risk an interception.

Dak has had four interceptions all season.

Consider the two intercepted passes on Sunday night:

-We all know on the first one where Dez cut awkwardly and fell down. I want to emphasize: that was a very well thrown ball. 0% blame on Prescott there. It's a timing throw...you can't wait for the receiver.

-The second throw has been widely criticized but I don't believe it was all that bad. Yes there was double coverage, but you've got to trust Dez in that situation...that he can make a good play on the ball...and if he can't he will play defender and bat the ball down. And let's not forget it's 3rd and 15...so even if Dez can't catch it...you like to think he can tackle the interceptor and pin the Giants inside the 10 yard line. In other words: it's the equivalent of a good punt.

The reality is that Dez never seemed to see the ball at all. I don't understand why.

Dak's worst 'interceptions' this year--ones where the throw or his decision-making was really bad--have been dropped. There have been a handful of those, but nothing overly problematic. He's been superb in ball protection all season, including Sunday.

 

[daveferr33]

He needs no defense. He is a rookie learning the pro game. Given that he appears to be a student of the game, it will come with time.

 

[T-RO]

He needs no defense. He is a rookie learning the pro game. Given that he appears to be a student of the game, it will come with time.

Those weren't rookie throws. They were good decisions and good throws, period.

 

[Doomsday101]

My own take 1st one was on due to slip by Dez, Dak put the ball where he needed it to be and on time there is no way to know the WR is going to slip.

2nd in my view was on Dak trying to force the issue.

 

[BoysfanfromCanada]

The more worrisome INTs to me are the ones where the qb doesn't see the defender and it gets picked, like the one in red zone vs Philly. All the others have been either good reads but errand throws or that deep pass, which Romo has thrown more times than we can count to Dez. Dez just didn't expect it so didn't go up for it.

The fumbles should decrease as he gets more comfortable in the pocket and his mental timer gets more refined.

 

[T-RO]

My own take 1st one was on due to slip by Dez, Dak put the ball where he needed it to be and on time there is no way to know the WR is going to slip.

2nd in my view was on Dak trying to force the issue.

All true. But why not force the issue on third and fifteen. Failure on that play should have been an incomplete or a tackle inside the ten.

That's a good decision and throw *under the circumstances* and considering the likely possibilities.

 

[T-RO]

The more worrisome INTs to me are the ones where the qb doesn't see the defender and it gets picked, like the one in red zone vs Philly. All the others have been either good reads but errand throws or that deep pass, which Romo has thrown more times than we can count to Dez. Dez just didn't expect it so didn't go up for it.

The fumbles should decrease as he gets more comfortable in the pocket and his mental timer gets more refined.

Tony is very aggressive. He will throw more interceptions, but he will move the ball more too against top defenses.

 

[Deep_South]

If your receiver falls down or doesn't even look up for the ball, there are going to be some picks. But, they go on Dak's stats anyway. Barry Church couldn't catch all of those picks that Eli threw to him, so Eli got a pass on them. Dak has made some bad throws to the other team that were dropped as well. Maybe it evens out in the end, but Eli and the Giants sure seem to get lucky more often than we do.

 

[xwalker]

All interceptions are not equal in end-result and some are 100% on the receiver and 0% the fault of the quarterback.

Consider these two interceptions
-A throw to the sideline that is returned sixty for a TD.
-A fifty-yard hail-mary at the end of a half....that gets batted around and caught by a defender.

The first is really, really bad...The second is 'meh.'

Good quarterback play and winning football mandates a level of risk that sometimes results in an interception. If there is 5 seconds left in the game and you are down 4 points...you damn well better throw a catchable ball into the end zone and risk an interception.

Dak has had four interceptions all season.

Consider the two intercepted passes on Sunday night:

-We all know on the first one where Dez cut awkwardly and fell down. I want to emphasize: that was a very well thrown ball. 0% blame on Prescott there. It's a timing throw...you can't wait for the receiver.

-The second throw has been widely criticized but I don't believe it was all that bad. Yes there was double coverage, but you've got to trust Dez in that situation...that he can make a good play on the ball...and if he can't he will play defender and bat the ball down. And let's not forget it's 3rd and 15...so even if Dez can't catch it...you like to think he can tackle the interceptor and pin the Giants inside the 10 yard line. In other words: it's the equivalent of a good punt.

The reality is that Dez never seemed to see the ball at all. I don't understand why.

Dak's worst 'interceptions' this year--ones where the throw or his decision-making was really bad--have been dropped. There have been a handful of those, but nothing overly problematic. He's been superb in ball protection all season, including Sunday.

If you study the play where Dez fell down, it was not really an accident. He made an exaggerated but that was likely to result in a fall on an indoor perfect field. On that cold surface in NY, it was almost a guarantee that he was fall.

NFL teams spend a lot of time teaching WRs proper footwork and balance on cuts to avoid falling down. This play showed a complete lack of proper technique.

 

[DFWJC]

Most interceptions have multiple reasons as to why they possibly occurred.

 

[Nova]

My own take 1st one was on due to slip by Dez, Dak put the ball where he needed it to be and on time there is no way to know the WR is going to slip.

2nd in my view was on Dak trying to force the issue.

It's true the second was bad, but it was on 3rd and 15 with a deep pass.

The shame is Dez not being in the vicinity to make the tackle soon after the catch, because it would have basically been a punt with upside.

Not placing blame on Dez, I just think the two guys weren't on the same page.

 

[aikemirv]

My own take 1st one was on due to slip by Dez, Dak put the ball where he needed it to be and on time there is no way to know the WR is going to slip.

2nd in my view was on Dak trying to force the issue.

I agree , it is pretty simple on both Ints. The 2nd on 3rd and 15 would not have been an issue if we had just tackled the guy quickly but that is the reason that a long int on 3rd down is not the same as a punt because the possiblility for a big return is much greater. The 2nd was a bad decision and a bad throw. I really don't fault Dak too much on the ints in the game. It was the rest of the game that was a big problem. We had plenty of opportunities to overcome those Ints.

 

[Nova]

Tony is very aggressive. He will throw more interceptions, but he will move the ball more too against top defenses.

I kind of disagree here.

Romo was aggressive prior to the loss inaugural new stadium game in 09. After that he changed and had been pretty conservative opting for the best matchups.

He really didn't throw deep much with a safety in the area. If he threw deep, it was usually one on one.

 

[aikemirv]

If you study the play where Dez fell down, it was not really an accident. He made an exaggerated but that was likely to result in a fall on an indoor perfect field. On that cold surface in NY, it was almost a guarantee that he was fall.

NFL teams spend a lot of time teaching WRs proper footwork and balance on cuts to avoid falling down. This play showed a complete lack of proper technique.

Stop making stuff up. Dez slipped from the beginning of the cut, there was nothing exaggerated about it. You attempts to blame Dez on everything just magnifies your bias. Have a little dignity!

 

[Super_Kazuya]

The interceptions he threw were way down the list of any problems on Sunday. The problem is that people were propping him up on his low interception total when it is largely a luck/situational stat. He could have double the amount of interceptions right now and it wouldn't mean he was playing any better or worse.
No, his low interception total was basically because he simply wasn't trying enough and playing it safe... and I was actually proud of him for giving Dez a shot in a situation where he wasn't obviously open. It was a good play.

 

[slick325]

There is no defending the 2nd pick. Ball should never have gone to Dez. His progressions should have led him elsewhere with a safety high shading to the post on #88's side.

The 1st pick was a fluke play caused only because Dez slipped. It happens. Can't blame Prescott for that pick.

 

[LucaBrasi]

I didn't see the all 22, but I think he had Witten and maybe Zeke (unless it was dopey Dunbar) on the 3rd and 16 in the flat for check-downs, something Dak has been willing to do to avoid negatives, but he threw it down the middle into double coverage instead. He's been terrific all year in protecting the ball, made a bad decision there and it cost them.

This guy has been so good at avoiding the bad plays, I mean 4 picks all year, I cant complain too much. He wasnt very good Sunday, the Giants had a great deal to do with it though. That pick and the dumb sack in the 2nd qtr on a play that started at the Giants 31 really grated on me.

 

[Fla Cowpoke]

Stop making stuff up. Dez slipped from the beginning of the cut, there was nothing exaggerated about it. You attempts to blame Dez on everything just magnifies your bias. Have a little dignity!

He has no dignity. He did the same thing to Free. His latest target is Dez,because DEZ SUCKS.

No one is blaming Dak for the first int. The pass was on the money. Dez slipped on a bad surface. It happens.

The second one was clearly on Dak....first he had Dez open well before he threw it but waited too long and then basically threw a jump ball. Poor decision.

 

[T-RO]

If you study the play where Dez fell down, it was not really an accident. He made an exaggerated but that was likely to result in a fall on an indoor perfect field. On that cold surface in NY, it was almost a guarantee that he was fall.

NFL teams spend a lot of time teaching WRs proper footwork and balance on cuts to avoid falling down. This play showed a complete lack of proper technique.

I'm not a coach or a scout but my eyes see the same thing on that play. I didn't see a lot of players slipping on the field and it looked awkward the way Dez made his cut.

But...but(!) I haven't seen a close-up or any definitive footage. I'm not comfortable issuing a 'verdict' so I'll just say he slipped or even perhaps the defender 'helped' him to slip.

 

[T-RO]

The second one was clearly on Dak....first he had Dez open well before he threw it but waited too long and then basically threw a jump ball. Poor decision.

I'd welcome seeing camera views that bear that out.