Pollard was actually not in the protection plan for this play

[buybuydandavis]

Bigger question is why didn't Dak throw it at Witten or Pollards feet?

Witten is partially shielded by the blitzer and Pollard. Not a good throwing lane. Also likely that the real play is to Pollard, as a swing to the right is a wide open field by play design, Dak expects that and has to recalculate when he doesn't get it. He's winging it on a broken play at that point.

Maybe he turns because left is the next read and he sticks to the plan as best he can. Seems like an annoying progressing for a QB, though, having to entirely flip right to left, particularly in the context of a blitz from the right.

 

[JoeKing]

Hate to be that guy, but I've seen Zeke make that block coming off the play fake. Schemed or not, Elliott understands the offense well enough to know when he's got to pick a guy up.

It's hard for Zeke to pick up that block from the Cabo. You just don't get it. Of is own volition, the guy didn't show up to get better with his teammates. He's a deserter, a defector, a turncoat. He put his own interests before the team and so, he could not make that block. Elliott cares nothing about the offense so stop kissing his feet and understand he's not about anything that you say he is. He's just about himself.

 

[xwalker]

Witten is partially shielded by the blitzer and Pollard. Not a good throwing lane. Also likely that the real play is to Pollard, as a swing to the right is a wide open field by play design, Dak expects that and has to recalculate when he doesn't get it. He's winging it on a broken play at that point.

Maybe he turns because left is the next read and he sticks to the plan as best he can. Seems like an annoying progressing for a QB, though, having to entirely flip right to left, particularly in the context of a blitz from the right.

Dak looked left before he ever looked right.

He stayed with the look left a bit long and as soon as he looked right the closest pass rusher was about 4 yards away and running full speed right at him.

The do want rusher coming into the backfield because they were going to throw over or around them.

The primary was likely intended to be Pollard and Dak was selling the look left to keep them from covering Pollard.

If they could have gotten it to Pollard he would have a lot of room to run.

 

[buybuydandavis]

Dak looked left before he ever looked right.

He stayed with the look left a bit long and as soon as he looked right the closest pass rusher was about 4 yards away and running full speed right at him.

The do want rusher coming into the backfield because they were going to throw over or around them.

The primary was likely intended to be Pollard and Dak was selling the look left to keep them from covering Pollard.

If they could have gotten it to Pollard he would have a lot of room to run.

The fake handoff was to his right. He was facing right to make it. He was looking right before his "a bit long" look left.

Dak could see that Pollard didn't go right. He's not blind. He could also see the defender charging him in front of Pollard.

If Pollard had *actually* gone right there would have been no reason for Dak to look left first. Pollard would have been entirely uncovered. Just throw him the ball.

But Pollard didn't go right, so Dak looked left, and failing to find a target to the left, Dak came back to the right.

 

[ConstantReboot]

I posted this in another thread too. That was La'el Collins guy. I'm worried about Collins this year, too many busts last season. I don't see any way he's back after this year.

Here is Mike Lombardi's breakdown:

That play was Lael Collins fault. I don't know why he collapsed onto the DT giving a free lane to his man on Dak.

Frankly, Lael Collins is terrible as pass protector. I wish they just put Conner Williams in his place and call it a day. He has gotten Dak killed too many times last year.

 

[DandyDon52]

Bigger question is why didn't Dak throw it at Witten or Pollards feet?

That is the best option, he needs to think fast and be coached to do just that.
It all comes back to the coaches, they need to have the players prepared for that, and obviously they were not.
It also shows that it was a bad play design to begin with.
Crap play design, and Crap coaching results in Crap!

 

[xwalker]

The fake handoff was to his right. He was facing right to make it.

 

[xwalker]

That is the best option, he needs to think fast and be coached to do just that.
It all comes back to the coaches, they need to have the players prepared for that, and obviously they were not.
It also shows that it was a bad play design to begin with.
Crap play design, and Crap coaching results in Crap!

Kellen Moore said they would try some things in the preseason just to see if they worked and would toss out the ones that didn't work.

 

[Kevinicus]

Bigger question is why didn't Dak throw it at Witten or Pollards feet?

Can't hurt that completion %, even in preseason.

 

[Future]

Pollard needs to “just do your job.”
The rush doesn’t matter. If he’s not in the protection plan and was supposed to be in the flat as a receiver, then that’s where he should have been, giving Dak the outlet to burn the blitz. If this was accurate information, staying in to help slow them down, even if done accurately, throws the play off. Rookies gots to learn.

This. Hard to say for sure, but if he hadn't slowed down to try to block, Dak might've been able to dump it off to him. He got caught in no man's land.

 

[JustChip]

- If they're going to run this play, Dak has to know that he is vulnerable to the pass rush at that spot.

Spot on. It looked to me Dak was on the FB from the start and only came back to the right when it was too late. My guess is Witten adjusted because of the blitz & Dak failed to read the blitz. No doubt this will be cussed and discussed in their film session and meeting.

 

[JustChip]

Doesn't matter. It shows how terrible and overmatched he is on the pro level. Even if he's in the right position he's going to get run over.

Having said that, he reminds me of Adrian Peterson.

Dang, so he beats his kid too?

 

[xwalker]

This. Hard to say for sure, but if he hadn't slowed down to try to block, Dak might've been able to dump it off to him. He got caught in no man's land.

That's actually a good point; although, if Dak could throw he had Witten wide open standing 1 yard past the line of scrimmage.

 

[xwalker]

That play was Lael Collins fault. I don't know why he collapsed onto the DT giving a free lane to his man on Dak.

Frankly, Lael Collins is terrible as pass protector. I wish they just put Conner Williams in his place and call it a day. He has gotten Dak killed too many times last year.

The player that Collins could have blocked was the 2nd player to get to Dak.

 

[xwalker]

Dang, so he beats his kid too?

He beats Peterson's kid also?...

 

[Cowboy4ever]

3 people made mistakes on this play after having watched it a few times. I believe the play design was a good one. The guy over Witt was designed to go free, Prescott is reading him. If he bypasses the back and continues to rush, the ball goes to the RB in the flat with space. If the rusher takes the RB and goes into coverage, then the throw goes to Witt or someone further down in the route tree.

1st Mistake: Collins gets to far inside and is unable to get back out to block the stunting DL, this is the second free rusher.
2nd Mistake: Running back stopped his route and didn't turn around in time
3rd Mistake: Prescott didn't get rid of the ball. Once he saw the back hesitate or wasn't in the proper area, he should went to his second read or just threw the ball at the rb feet. Should not have taken a sack on that play.

 

[viman96]

IMO as long as Pollard learns from this then no biggie. The game did not matter and no one got hurt.

 

[Rogerthat12]

I posted this in another thread too. That was La'el Collins guy. I'm worried about Collins this year, too many busts last season. I don't see any way he's back after this year.

Here is Mike Lombardi's breakdown:

That was dope...

 

[Bullflop]

The Cowboys are beginning to utilize their new tweaks now and refine them before the start of the regular season. Hopefully, they'll have them mastered in time to avoid similar incidents in the future. It's much better to test things out now than to try doing so when it really counts.

 

[CalPolyTechnique]

Well, that edge rusher is either Witten's or Pollard's responsibility to slow down. Witten and Pollard both let him blitz untouched on by. Inexcusable. One of them, if not both, should have clipped that edge rusher and slowed him down in order to give Dak an extra second or two to dump it off to either one of them.

Agreed.

What also is failed to mention is that if Pollard was indeed supposed to leak out as an outlet for a check down by Dak he was waaaaaay to slow in turning around and facing Dak to be a target.