MMQB: Dak Is Excelling At Doing What He Didn't Do In College

[drawandstrike]

http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2016/10/16/dak-prescott-dallas-cowboys-week-6-nfl-ben-roethlisberger-surgery

Great point here by Peter King. In college, Dak ran things out of the shotgun, he never lined up under center, did play/action fakes or did 3/5/7 step dropbacks.

So basically, we are watching Dak excel at doing stuff he only started learning AFTER THE COWBOYS DRAFTED HIM IN APRIL OF THIS YEAR.

"On this play, from the Green Bay 36, Prescott did three things that were uncharacteristic of the way he’d learned to play football at Mississippi State. “This is what Dak Prescott did not do in college,” Troy Aikman said on FOX, narrating the replay. “He did not take the ball from under center. He didn’t run play-action. And he didn’t drop back. But on this play, as he works up into the pocket, he’s not watching the pass rush, he’s just managing the pocket—as you should. As a quarterback, he does it outstanding.”

On the play, Prescott received the snap and took his drop, play-action-faking to Alfred Morris on his way back. Then he got flushed back, nimbly avoiding Julius Peppers, then flushed left, bracing for a hit from 322-pound tackle Letroy Guion. Skipping left, Prescott threw the ball about 21 yards in the air to his crosser, Terence Williams, who caught it just shy of the left sideline before getting hit out of bounds. Gain of 15."

 

[drawandstrike]

Realize what's being said here. The biggest reason Dak was there for the taking in the 4th round was because scouts took a look at the offense he was coached to play in at Miss. State and saw it was all gun and read option stuff and said "Man, this kid is far from NFL ready. Kid's gonna hafta learn how to take the snap under center, drop back, do play action fakes....definite project. May have something if he develops right after 2-3 seasons of getting coached up to play the pro game., Think of a larger, black version of Tim Tebow with a better arm."

Either Dak is a prodigy, our coaches did a fantastic job of getting him ready since Spring OTA's or....both!

The reason Goff, Wentz, all these other guys were rated so much higher and drafted so much higher is because they were running pro style offenses in college. Dak was NOT.

 

[NoLuv4Jerry]

Realize what's being said here. The biggest reason Dak was there for the taking in the 4th round was because scouts took a look at the offense he was coached to play in at Miss. State and saw it was all gun and read option stuff and said "Man, this kid is far from NFL ready. Kid's gonna hafta learn how to take the snap under center, drop back, do play action fakes....definite project. May have something if he develops right after 2-3 seasons of getting coached up to play the pro game."

Either Dak is a prodigy, our coaches did a fantastic job of getting him ready since Spring OTA's or....both!

I think Dak is a prodigy. We drafted Stepehn McGee in the 4th round....and he stunk. Brandown Weeden was a 1st rounder...and he stunk. Matt Cassell was a former Pro Bowler...and he was not the answer either. So of course coaching played a part...but this coaching staff had Kellen Moore as the backup....if he does not get hurt...do we even find out about Dak this year?

 

[BoysfanfromCanada]

I think Dak is a prodigy. We drafted Stepehn McGee in the 4th round....and he stunk. Brandown Weeden was a 1st rounder...and he stunk. Matt Cassell was a former Pro Bowler...and he was not the answer either. So of course coaching played a part...but this coaching staff had Kellen Moore as the backup....if he does not get hurt...do we even find out about Dak this year?

Probably not. According to Broaddus and Eatman Dak isn't a great practice qb (nothing against his prep or attention to detail, but his throws early in season practice were erradic). Cowboys only realized what they had when he started to show his ability in real (well, pre season) games

 

[NextGenBoys]

Realize what's being said here. The biggest reason Dak was there for the taking in the 4th round was because scouts took a look at the offense he was coached to play in at Miss. State and saw it was all gun and read option stuff and said "Man, this kid is far from NFL ready. Kid's gonna hafta learn how to take the snap under center, drop back, do play action fakes....definite project. May have something if he develops right after 2-3 seasons of getting coached up to play the pro game., Think of a larger, black version of Tim Tebow with a better arm."

Either Dak is a prodigy, our coaches did a fantastic job of getting him ready since Spring OTA's or....both!

The reason Goff, Wentz, all these other guys were rated so much higher and drafted so much higher is because they were running pro style offenses in college. Dak was NOT.

Definitely both. You can tell he has the right mindset and the it factor. Combine that with some great coaching (I was dead wrong on Wilson) and you have the results that we have.

 

[Pessimist_cowboy]

I can't believe scouts were comparing Dak to Tim tebow.

 

[Tusan_Homichi]

I can't believe scouts were comparing Dak to Tim tebow.

I have no idea what they were looking at. Anyone who ever watched that windup of Tebow's knew he wasn't going to make it in this league unless he underwent an extensive throwing motion overhaul.

Dak was far and away a more NFL ready passer than Tebow.

 

[drawandstrike]

I can't believe scouts were comparing Dak to Tim tebow.

Ha ha no no that's just me PRETENDING to be an NFL scout looking at Dak. But yeah, I'm sure comparisons were made. "Big kid, doing the read option, runs a lot out of the shotgun, never played the pro style....probably a late round pick here."

 

[CowboyRoy]

Realize what's being said here. The biggest reason Dak was there for the taking in the 4th round was because scouts took a look at the offense he was coached to play in at Miss. State and saw it was all gun and read option stuff and said "Man, this kid is far from NFL ready. Kid's gonna hafta learn how to take the snap under center, drop back, do play action fakes....definite project. May have something if he develops right after 2-3 seasons of getting coached up to play the pro game., Think of a larger, black version of Tim Tebow with a better arm."

Either Dak is a prodigy, our coaches did a fantastic job of getting him ready since Spring OTA's or....both!

The reason Goff, Wentz, all these other guys were rated so much higher and drafted so much higher is because they were running pro style offenses in college. Dak was NOT.

From what players and coaches say, its mostly Dak himself.

 

[RS12]

His pocket feel and sense is amazing considering he played in a spread offense at MSU.

 

[Doomsday101]

I have to say I like it when he was asked about playing at Lambeau Field and evidently said he thought it was pretty cool but that he played at Death Valley vs LSU and played at Alabama. As most know those stadiums are packed on Saturday holding over 100,000 fans. Dak knows what it is like playing in a hostile environment

 

[RS12]

I can't believe scouts were comparing Dak to Tim tebow.

I dont know who these scouts were but I hope they never get a job here. Like comparing a Yugo to a Corvette.

 

[tyke1doe]

but this coaching staff had Kellen Moore as the backup....if he does not get hurt...do we even find out about Dak this year?

Yes. Dak would have been starting by Week 3 after an 0-2 record.

Moore isn't the quarterback Dak is now. I think Garrett and Co. would have realized that Moore is not the future and would have pulled him before the season was ruined.

 

[Broges74]

Whatever reason.. I'm glad he was still there for us to grab in the late 4th. We'd be 1-5/2-4/3-3 otherwise.

 

[ghst187]

I can't believe scouts were comparing Dak to Tim tebow.

yeah hindsight is 20/20 but I would argue that were it not for Tebow, Prescott would not have fallen as far as he did.
I think a lot of folks still had Tebow in their minds when they looked at Prescott, a big tough QB that won a lot of games in the SEC by running and throwing, but a lot of running and a largely spread offense. They both carried their teams on their backs and were class acts. Sure, Prescott threw a lot more and farther down the field and a more complex passing tree than Tebow, but i think the mental image of Tebow was still too fresh in everyone's mind and they saw too many similarities.
I will openly admit that I did not think Prescott would be a good pro, I just didn't see his game translating that well and he ran a lot more in college than he has in the pros and I didn't think he could go through progressions, look off defenders, stay in the pocket, not turn the ball over, throw as accurately, etc., like he has been doing. I thought he was a better prospect than Tebow but I always saw him as a career backup. This has been the most fun i've ever had being wrong.

 

[gimmesix]

Realize what's being said here. The biggest reason Dak was there for the taking in the 4th round was because scouts took a look at the offense he was coached to play in at Miss. State and saw it was all gun and read option stuff and said "Man, this kid is far from NFL ready. Kid's gonna hafta learn how to take the snap under center, drop back, do play action fakes....definite project. May have something if he develops right after 2-3 seasons of getting coached up to play the pro game., Think of a larger, black version of Tim Tebow with a better arm."

Either Dak is a prodigy, our coaches did a fantastic job of getting him ready since Spring OTA's or....both!

The reason Goff, Wentz, all these other guys were rated so much higher and drafted so much higher is because they were running pro style offenses in college. Dak was NOT.

It certainly had something to do with it. It's hard to project if a player who plays primarily shotgun and read option can operate a traditional offense. NFL teams don't play the spread (or at least don't succeed at it) so that certainly created some doubts.

There also were issues with his technique and throwing motion. Apparently in college, he had a tendency to go up on his tiptoes when he threw.

Because of those issues, he was viewed as a project, an unfinished product who might be several years away or might never get it. Some credit definitely goes to the Cowboys' coaching staff for him, but Dak has shown those intangibles that are so hard to measure in being able to adapt so quickly.

 

[drawandstrike]

yeah hindsight is 20/20 but I would argue that were it not for Tebow, Prescott would not have fallen as far as he did.
I think a lot of folks still had Tebow in their minds when they looked at Prescott, a big tough QB that won a lot of games in the SEC by running and throwing, but a lot of running and a largely spread offense. They both carried their teams on their backs and were class acts. Sure, Prescott threw a lot more and farther down the field and a more complex passing tree than Tebow, but i think the mental image of Tebow was still too fresh in everyone's mind and they saw too many similarities.
I will openly admit that I did not think Prescott would be a good pro, I just didn't see his game translating that well and he ran a lot more in college than he has in the pros and I didn't think he could go through progressions, look off defenders, stay in the pocket, not turn the ball over, throw as accurately, etc., like he has been doing. I thought he was a better prospect than Tebow but I always saw him as a career backup. This has been the most fun i've ever had being wrong.

That's a pretty good summation of what the NFL scouts no doubt saw when they looked at Dak playing as Miss. State. Who could possibly know how fast he'd pick up the pro game once he was introduced to it?

Goff played all his college ball in a pro system and still had a deer in the headlights look in his first NFL game action. Dak took to it like a duck to water.

 

[bayeslife]

Goff was NOT running a pro offense but he has magnificent footwork

 

[NoLuv4Jerry]

Yes. Dak would have been starting by Week 3 after an 0-2 record.

Moore isn't the quarterback Dak is now. I think Garrett and Co. would have realized that Moore is not the future and would have pulled him before the season was ruined.

We need to make out minds. Someone just said Dak was not a great practice QB...so why would they switch to him at 0-2 if he did not show them anything in practice?

 

[ghst187]

That's a pretty good summation of what the NFL scouts no doubt saw when they looked at Dak playing as Miss. State. Who could possibly know how fast he'd pick up the pro game once he was introduced to it?

Goff played all his college ball in a pro system and still had a deer in the headlights look in his first NFL game action. Dak took to it like a duck to water.

haha yeah true, why scouting is an art and not a science.
Since I became a draft nut in the early 2000s, I would've hit on a ton of picks that our front office whiffed on. However, they hit a grand slam on Dak that I would've whiffed.
Yeah, I don't think ANYONE saw this kind of performance in his rookie season coming from Dak, even the most die hard Miss St fans.
He's making a lot of veterans look bad.