Twitter: Pickens was wide open

[nalam]

No killer instinct.

This ,

 

[Vtwin]

One irony here is that a QB known for being a bit slow to pull the trigger goes off half cocked in a situation where being a tick slow to pull the trigger would have been the right thing.

Somebody here the other day described Prescott as being reactive while many other QB's are proactive. I thought that was a great description, and this play supports that description.

 

[Tommy]

what other coach a design throw away in their playbook? seriously, who has a design throw away?

This is a case of the coach taking the heat for his player. I think there is no way Schotty told him to purposely just throw the ball out of bounds when you’re inside the 5yd line going for the win.

What was most likely said is to throw it away if the play isn’t there. Don’t force anything. The last thing you want in that situation is a TO.

I think Dak panicked and threw it away without seeing how open Pickens was.

 

[plymkr]

As we know now he was told to throw it away

Why did they run a play just to throw it away. That doesn’t make sense. Why didn’t he run around or bootleg then throw it away? That would have at least killed some time. I don’t buy the story he was told to throw it away.

 

[Creeper]

Nothing about the play and the so-called explanation makes no sense to me. I dont even know who to blame. LOL
Like you said, Dak doesnt throw that ball away 99 times out of 100. If anything, his error is going to be holding on to the ball too long waiting for the route to develop or throwing a tight window ball giving his WR a chance. Again, what happened makes no sense.

And im sorry whatever Schottenheimer said doesnt fly with me.

It makes no sense, I know, but watching the play, Dak throws it away immediately before Pickens even has a chance to make his cut and turn for the ball. Dak had Flournoy breaking open over the middle too. But he got rid of it so quickly the receivers barely got into the end zone. This is why I think Schotty did tell him to throw it away.

The take-away from this game, which was evident in the first half, is Schottenheimer is not a good head coach. He's actually worse than McCarthy. At some point we have to assume, given all the personnel changes, Schottenheimer is in large part responsible for why this team has a losing record under his command.

Schottenheimer has to go or this team will never win anything.

 

[xwalker]

Exactly. Deer in the headlights. Could have won the game.

Yet again, he comes up small in a big game.

You have to watch Pickens at the exact time Dak threw the ball.
- Pickens had not turned around at that point.
- Then watch Dak relative to the RT and the pass rusher that he is blocking.
- Dak basically has to alter his follow-thru to avoid hitting his hand on the RT.
- i.e. Dak couldn't wait any longer.
- Pickens looks wide open but that's 1 second later than when Dak threw the ball.
- Maybe Dak could have throw at Pickens back and hoped he would be open and turn around.
- There was a play earlier this season when Dak tried to throw over the pass rusher/blocker in his face and it ended up sailing on him with a near INT.

 

[CT Dal Fan]

You have to watch Pickens at the exact time Dak threw the ball.
- Pickens had not turned around at that point.
- Then watch Dak relative to the RT and the pass rusher that he is blocking.
- Dak basically has to alter his follow-thru to avoid hitting his hand on the RT.
- i.e. Dak couldn't wait any longer.
- Pickens looks wide open but that's 1 second later than when Dak threw the ball.
- Maybe Dak could have throw at Pickens back and hoped he would be open and turn around.
- There was a play earlier this season when Dak tried to throw over the pass rusher/blocker in his face and it ended up sailing on him with a near INT.

Exactly. Watching it again makes it clear Dak intended to throw it away. Which was the direct order from Schotty.

Never seen a coach give up on 3rd and goal until Sunday. Embarrassing.

 

[Cowboys5217]

Why did they run a play just to throw it away. That doesn’t make sense. Why didn’t he run around or bootleg then throw it away? That would have at least killed some time. I don’t buy the story he was told to throw it away.

You shouldn't buy it because it doesn't make any logical sense. This is most definitely operation "protect Dak on social media", and the order came from the top.

 

[Bamx]

That is a massive choke job. Our QB gets so nervous in those moments.

I think he gets more hyped than nervous. His blood pressure is probably elevated at that point. ( Which can make it difficult to concentrate.)

 

[xwalker]

Exactly. Watching it again makes it clear Dak intended to throw it away. Which was the direct order from Schotty.

Never seen a coach give up on 3rd and goal until Sunday. Embarrassing.

It's common for coaches to play it conservatively in those situations.

Announcers have drone-d on and on about avoid a negative play in such and such situation and just take the field goal if the obvious play is not there.

 

[Sydla]

Exactly. Watching it again makes it clear Dak intended to throw it away. Which was the direct order from Schotty.

Never seen a coach give up on 3rd and goal until Sunday. Embarrassing.

I think people are misrepresenting what Schotty is doing here. He's trying to take the heat for Dak. I have little doubt the discussion was that we can't take a sack here, so if that first read isn't there, chuck it away. Dak simply chucked it away thinking the first read wasn't there (which I think it was). So Schotty is just trying to take some heat on himself.

 

[Sydla]

You have to watch Pickens at the exact time Dak threw the ball.
- Pickens had not turned around at that point.
- Then watch Dak relative to the RT and the pass rusher that he is blocking.
- Dak basically has to alter his follow-thru to avoid hitting his hand on the RT.
- i.e. Dak couldn't wait any longer.
- Pickens looks wide open but that's 1 second later than when Dak threw the ball.
- Maybe Dak could have throw at Pickens back and hoped he would be open and turn around.
- There was a play earlier this season when Dak tried to throw over the pass rusher/blocker in his face and it ended up sailing on him with a near INT.

QBs throw to a spot all the time before a WR makes his break, etc. So Pickens not being in the spot looking at the ball isn't an excuse for Dak not throwing it.

 

[CT Dal Fan]

I think people are misrepresenting what Schotty is doing here. He's trying to take the heat for Dak. I have little doubt the discussion was that we can't take a sack here, so if that first read isn't there, chuck it away. Dak simply chucked it away thinking the first read wasn't there (which I think it was). So Schotty is just trying to take some heat on himself.

No I think Dak is only partly to blame. It almost looked like he took the snap and intended to throw the ball away just to kill a couple seconds and then force overtime. Of course a sack or a pick there is a disaster but the playcalling needed to be better.

 

[Bamx]

You have to watch Pickens at the exact time Dak threw the ball.
- Pickens had not turned around at that point.
- Then watch Dak relative to the RT and the pass rusher that he is blocking.
- Dak basically has to alter his follow-thru to avoid hitting his hand on the RT.
- i.e. Dak couldn't wait any longer.
- Pickens looks wide open but that's 1 second later than when Dak threw the ball.
- Maybe Dak could have throw at Pickens back and hoped he would be open and turn around.
- There was a play earlier this season when Dak tried to throw over the pass rusher/blocker in his face and it ended up sailing on him with a near INT.

I doubt any other NFL team with a premiere QB would ask that QB to throw the ball out of bounce no matter the look. More so with the game on the line .

Schotty should have had more confidence in his QB.

 

[xwalker]

QBs throw to a spot all the time before a WR makes his break, etc. So Pickens not being in the spot looking at the ball isn't an excuse for Dak not throwing it.

Throwing over a pass rusher and RT makes that a very dangerous throw.

Pickens stopped and the DB continued into the end zone.
- The DB easily could have checked-up which would have meant that Pickens was tightly covered.

Without the pass rusher in the throwing lane, then yes Dak could have thrown it short of the goalline where only Pickens had a chance at it. But in reality the pass rusher was there.

If he had thrown an INT in that situation then I would be on here complaining about it.

 

[Bamx]

Throwing over a pass rusher and RT makes that a very dangerous throw.

Pickens stopped and the DB continued into the end zone.
- The DB easily could have checked-up which would have meant that Pickens was tightly covered.

Without the pass rusher in the throwing lane, then yes Dak could have thrown it short of the goalline where only Pickens had a chance at it. But in reality the pass rusher was there.

If he had thrown an INT in that situation then I would be on here complaining about it.

Coach should be trusting his QB to make the correct read. Not telling him before the play to throw it out of bounce.

 

[Dorsett99Yards]

Dak, Schottenheimer one or both are just cowards. Tell them I say, "Hello... you play to win the game".

 

[xwalker]

I doubt any other NFL team with a premiere QB would ask that QB to throw the ball out of bounce no matter the look. More so with the game on the line .

Schotty should have had more confidence in his QB.

He didn't say "throw it out of bounds regardless of situation".
- There would be no point running the play.
- Shott said play it safe. If in doubt throw it away.


Parcells would stand behind Romo in practice screaming "throw it away".
- I think Parcells was counting out load and when he got to 2 he started screaming and if he got to 3 before Romo threw the ball then Parcells declared it a sack.

 

[plymkr]

You shouldn't buy it because it doesn't make any logical sense. This is most definitely operation "protect Dak on social media", and the order came from the top.

I agree. It doesn’t make any logical sense to run a play there just to get a down over with.

 

[mldardy]

I think he gets more hyped than nervous. His blood pressure is probably elevated at that point. ( Which can make it difficult to concentrate.)

Yeah it could be that too.