Is Dak a so-called bus driver?

[CowboysFaninHouston]

Aikman averaged less than 200 yards per game for his career. Bus driver?

Aikman played 25 years ago...when a 4000 yard passer was considered great....we have had multiple 4000 yard passers each year in the past few years and Brees broke the 5000 yard barrier...come on man

 

[Irvin88_4life]

Who is Dak elevating around him with his passing ability? This might make a good thread on its own.

Cole Beasley best season came with Dak and Cooper went from terrible trade to resurrecting his career......Dak was also the QB

 

[jnday]

Aikman played 25 years ago...when a 4000 yard passer was considered great....we have had multiple 4000 yard passers each year in the past few years and Brees broke the 5000 yard barrier...come on man

You are exactly right. These posters that have to look back at the QBs in the NFL that played in different eras when the running game was dominating are really stretching it thin to defend Dak. It has been said many times that Aikman would have numbers out of this world if he played in the current pass-happy league. Aikman has the accuracy and pocket presence that Dak doesn’t possess. A 200 yard passing game in today’s game is an embarrassment. There was many rules that had changed to make the passing game easier in the last few years.

 

[BHendri5]

So!!! what if he is a bus driver? I rmember when we had a bus driver and won 3 SBs!!!! There was a time back then when being a bus driver was a good thing to be. Now it's not good to be a bus driver? When you have the defense, the WRs, the Oline(most importantly), TEs and the running game second important thing, then all you need to do is drive the bus!!!

 

[jnday]

Dak could not even compare to Romo when it come to passing accuracy and pocket awareness. Romo became one of the best QBs in the league in his last few years. When Romo quit trying to do too much and started playing smarter, he was an elite QB. It was also about the time that injuries started to take their toll. Romo was capable of making his teammates better. I only wished that he had the talent around him that Dak has.

 

[RoboQB]

I caught my mistake later on the 20 TD season, and have said that in this thread. And though it's unofficial, it wouldn't shock me in the least if it were true he completed more passes to the 1 yard line than any Cowboy QB, both from the standpoint that Aikman was very good at moving the ball within that offense, and the fact that he threw more passes than any QB in Cowboy history.

I want to make sure you aren't missing the context of my comments though. I'm not downgrading Aikman at all. I think he was a great QB. I just think he can't be fairly judged simply by looking at statistics. Same goes for Dak - not that Dak is as good as Aikman was (he isn't), but the point is there are more factors that go into what makes an outstanding QB than yardage and TD totals. The primary goal is directing an offense that functions at a high level.

I didn't miss the context of your comments. I just knew you were mistaken on the stats.
Just clarifying it. I'm guilty of not reading the entire thread. A cardinal mistake.
I added a bit a humor at the end, but it looks like it was missed.

 

[Diehardblues]

Cole Beasley best season came with Dak and Cooper went from terrible trade to resurrecting his career......Dak was also the QB

Beasley was already an item. So was Cooper and why we gave up a first round pick.

 

[Irvin88_4life]

Beasley was already an item. So was Cooper and why we gave up a first round pick.

You said Dak didn't make players better. Beasley averaged 500 yards until Dak and he had over 800 yards.

Doesn't matter what we gave up. Most of you trashed the Cooper trade and said things like he is a bust and leads the league in dropped passes. With Dak throwing the ball to him how many drops did he have.

Also Jarwin had one of the best TD game by a TE in how long.

 

[lonestar2288]

When it comes to Dak, its perception and opinion. Some point to stats, others his W/L record, and intangibles get batted about. The perception/test that matters most, IMO, is the eyeball test. Dak for my money plays timid, and doesn't diagnose quickly enough to be elite. That's not me saying he cant play and/or win, just that he is not elite and shouldn't be paid as such. Team friendly is the term Stephen has used often in reference to Dak's next contract. You don't say that about elite talent. Dak is more Kirk Cousins than Russel Wilson QB skill wise, and there's no shame in that. Just know what your paying for

 

[Diehardblues]

You said Dak didn't make players better. Beasley averaged 500 yards until Dak and he had over 800 yards.

Doesn't matter what we gave up. Most of you trashed the Cooper trade and said things like he is a bust and leads the league in dropped passes. With Dak throwing the ball to him how many drops did he have.

Also Jarwin had one of the best TD game by a TE in how long.

I didn’t trash Cooper. The trade saved our season and possibly Daks career.

The bigger point is without elite talent surrounding Dak he plummeted.

Dak elevated Beasley’s production but not his talent level. Mainly because there wasn’t anyone else.

 

[Diehardblues]

When it comes to Dak, its perception and opinion. Some point to stats, others his W/L record, and intangibles get batted about. The perception/test that matters most, IMO, is the eyeball test. Dak for my money plays timid, and doesn't diagnose quickly enough to be elite. That's not me saying he cant play and/or win, just that he is not elite and shouldn't be paid as such. Team friendly is the term Stephen has used often in reference to Dak's next contract. You don't say that about elite talent. Dak is more Kirk Cousins than Russel Wilson QB skill wise, and there's no shame in that. Just know what your paying for

Pretty good analysis.

Intangible factors are Daks greatest assets. He’s a leader and clutch performer. Just not a consistent or prolific passer. We obviously can win games with him but he must have elite support at key positions and OL. Hopefully we can always provide him that.

All QB’s need surrounding support. What they do with it separates the greatest from the average.

 

[Aerolithe_Lion]

Looking at every 4th down play is looking at history, not just play by play. So, again, history does matter, and individual plays can't be looked individually to judge a QB. Your talk about Rivers just highlights that point. Obviously there are some people whose perceptions can change that readily, but history shows that neither a fair or rational method of developing perceptions. Time truly is what tells, not individual plays or games or even a short stretch of games.

That's true when defining someone's overall career. But individual games or a short stretch of games helps establish where a player is at the current moment, and no one epitomizes that more than Dak. He was just better in in his rookie year than he was in 2017 and even in 2018. He's not the same QB. I don't know why, maybe it's defenses figuring him out, maybe it's Zeke not quite having that big of a year to take pressure off of him. But he's evolving as a QB every year, and maybe he'll get better again. But what he is right now is his last 4, 8, 16 games. Because they're pretty different from the previous 16 and the 16 before that. They're all Dak, but only the end of 2018 explains who he is right now.

 

[RoboQB]

Of course he's a bus driver.

But what we need to stop doing is acting like bus driver is synonymous with "bad." You know who else is a bus driver? Drew Brees.

Lol.
Did you just call Drew Brees a bus driver!?!
75,000 yards passing and 520 tds.
I want to know what's under the hood of that bus.
Plus, he must be a helluva wheel man.

 

[RoboQB]

He had 23 in 1993...

Actually, it was 1992. But you're right on the number.

 

[lonestar2288]

I'm in the bus driver camp on this. Personally, I'd rather see Zeke or Cooper extended before Dak, and see what he does this season. Status quo...tag him. If he excels, it will only help his foothold to bigger money. Guess we'll see soon enough

 

[percyhoward]

What's our record when Zeke gets the ball over 20 times?

21-5. In fact, Zeke averages 23 carries in wins compared to less than 20 carries in losses.

But that's only because teams run more late in the game when they're winning. For the first three quarters, there's very little difference in the pass/run ratios between the Cowboys' wins and losses.

2016-18
Play selection
1st-3rd qtr
WINS
54% pass / 46% run
Elliott 15.7 carries
LOSSES
56% pass / 44% run
Elliott 15.6 carries

4th qtr
WINS
39% pass / 62% run
Elliott 7.1 carries
LOSSES
75% pass / 25% run
Elliott 4.1 carries

 

[RoboQB]

Different era, he certainly wouldnt now when all they do is pass. And another thing Aikman could strike the head of a match at 40 yards, Dak not so much.

I like that analogy.
John Madden used to say on air to Pat Summerall
"Pat, we were at the Cowboys practice this week and the ball never touched the ground."
Something like that.
Also, Michael Irvin said many times "I could run the slant blindfolded 10 times and catch 8 of them"
because of Aikman's accuracy.

 

[RoboQB]

Peyton Manning was the ultimate bus driver. Trent Dilfer has this reputation of being one but that’s not bus driving to me.

Wow.
Go ask Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne if Manning was merely a bus driver.

Dilfer is the only starting QB in history to be released after winning a Super Bowl.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

Wow.
Go ask Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne if Manning was merely a bus driver.

Dilfer is the only starting QB in history to be released after winning a Super Bowl.

I don’t think Dilfer was a bus driver or game manager.

 

[RoboQB]

I don’t think Dilfer was a bus driver or game manager.

Dude, you called Peyton Manning the ultimate bus driver.