The Condemning Air Yards Stat

[Wangchung83]

Did Cooper Rush play the entire game or just against mostly soft zones when the game was basically over?

Lie, go get the game film

 

[cowboysfan99]

That first sack he took where he danced around instead of either throwing or taking off running really ticked me off...especially since he had a wide open WR running down the sideline due to broken coverage. I knew we were doomed yesterday after that.

 

[DanTanna]

The Jerry's Cowboys. Not my Dallas Cowboys.

 

[Wangchung83]

The

I appreciate you trying to understand the game. Unfortunately, your take here is not accurate.

Air yards are normally a great indicator of how a QB performs but not in an isolated game or handful of games.

For instance, your analysis fails to mention that Cousins was going against our horrific defense. Of course, you have more time to sling it downfield.

It also fails to include the clear objective of the game plan to use the short passing game as an extension of the run game.

It also fails to mention that this approach was scrapped when Rush came in as they needed two scores.

Not only this...but Dak for his career is very high in this category. I am sure he just forgot how to play the position though.

lol more excuses that just can’t hide how bad the boy is. Any other industry if you perform this badly you are canned

 

[FVSTONE]

IMO Air Yards tell you more about a QB than many other stats. I went back and manually looked at all 3 QBs in tonight’s game and looked at air yards relative to the line of scrimmage. While some screens are designed to be negative air yards, in general you want a QB that’s able to throw downfield when needed.

Kirk cousins had a net of 73 yards through the air, with everything else coming through YAC. That’s 3.7 Yards beyond the LOS per completion. Not bad bus driving.

Cooper Rush also had 73 yards on only 14 throws, and he would’ve had way more if Ceedee or Jaylen could’ve snagged their deep balls. That’s 5.2 air yards beyond LOS per completion. Well done, Coop. Way to sling it.

Dak had 22 completions, and netted a whopping 35 net air yards the whole game. He only had 8 net air yards in the whole first half! That’s 1.7 yards beyond the LOS per completion. That is objectively awful.

The question is, who do we blame this on? The Oline? The coaches for the scheme and play calling, or Dak for not seeing the field or having bad accuracy down range? Or maybe the scheme is a reflection of Daks issues.

You tell me

I put all on Prescott! Rush came in and was slinging it all over the yard and threw some nice balls that would have been caught if he played for anyone without a star on their helmet. Prescott on the other hand struggled on every ball he threw, nothing was on target, I've never seen so many balls there were so off target, that it disrupted the receivers, RBs and TEs ability to run after the catch. Targets that didn't come down with a circus catch were met by Prescott going back to the huddle with him making all kinds of hand signs like it was the target's fault that a pass that was thrown so badly wasn't pulled down for a catch. This is probably how CeeDee's shoulder got so messed up, once he made a catch he was so off balance it allowed his opponents to pile on and slam him to the ground after every catch!!!!!!!!!!!! If Prescott would have hit CeeDee in stride it would have allowed him the ability to fight off his tacklers, but nothing like this was thrown his way..............

 

[Whirlwin]

You realize they do this because he struggles with his post snap read. They have to push him to be more decisive. Greg Olsen mentioned this yesterday. Dak admitted to struggling against GB with it. But guess what? It’s always been a problem you should dive down that rabbit hole. This is a long standing issue, and now his athletic ability is in decline he can’t lean on it regularly to overcome his struggles with it.

You’re not going to get those playoff wins with a declining Dak if you didn’t get them with a young athlete Dak.

Not getting there with Cooper rush either

 

[Whirlwin]

Oh but all you d done is stick up for him. Face it he sucks

When he was playing good. But he hasn’t all season. So I won’t now.

 

[Whirlwin]

And you got 2 wildcard wins in 9 seasons.................Giddy up.

What’s your problem. I know Prescott sucks this season. But you think Cooper Rush is better. And I wasn’t the one who picked Atlanta to win like you did.

 

[CowboyStar88]

Not getting there with Cooper rush either

Who said we were getting there with Rush? Certainly not me.

 

[DIAF]

Been saying for a while that Dak is not a down the field passer. People love to trot out that "deep passes" stat but those stats only consider "deep" 20 yards. When I looked at the charts to compare 30+ air yard passes from the LOS on the NextGen site, Dak has the worst completion percentage among some of the top QBs with at least 4 attempts this year. Russell Wilson has only played 2 games but is arguably the best modern day bomb ball thrower out there.

Purdy .......... 3/4
Wilson ......... 3/5
Goff .............. 5/9, 3 TDs
Darnold......... 5/9, 2 TDs
Hurts ............ 7/14, 3 TDs, 1 INT
Herbert ........ 3/6, 1 TD
Mahomes ..... 2/4, 1 TD
Rodgers ....... 2/4, 1 TD, 1 INT
Burrow .......... 4/9, 2 TDs
Allen .............. 4/10
Lawrence ...... 3/10, 1 TD, 1 INT
Stafford ......... 3/11, 2 INTs
Jackson ........ 3/12, 1 TD
Dak ............... 2/11, 2 INTs

The bad thing about relying on 30+ air yard passes as a stat to compare offenses or QBs is that these are all very low percentage, small sample size plays that they are effectively meaningless for a comparison unless you just want to say "x team attempts more bombs than y team". I mean, two of the strongest armed QBs in the leage in Stafford and Lamar are near the bottom.

 

[NotForLong]

I appreciate you trying to understand the game. Unfortunately, your take here is not accurate.

Air yards are normally a great indicator of how a QB performs but not in an isolated game or handful of games.

For instance, your analysis fails to mention that Cousins was going against our horrific defense. Of course, you have more time to sling it downfield.

It also fails to include the clear objective of the game plan to use the short passing game as an extension of the run game.

It also fails to mention that this approach was scrapped when Rush came in as they needed two scores.

Not only this...but Dak for his career is very high in this category. I am sure he just forgot how to play the position though.

You fail to mention Rush

 

[NotForLong]

Look, no one thought Dak deserved $60 million. I don't even think his strongest supporters felt he deserved that kind of deal. But at the same time no one here is blessed with seeing the future either. We knew what Dak was, but he has never been as bad as he has been this year, and it is not close. First, his passes are softballs. He looks like he is throwing beach balls out there, especially on sideline throws. His decisions are suspect too, much more so than last year. Keep in mind Dak was running up to the MVP last year. So if you expected Dak to be as bad as he has been so far before the season, they you are a fortune teller.

But, this is why I would not have given him $60 million, even if it meant Dak becoming a free agent after this year. There is always a risk. He could get hurt. He could regress, as he has. Every contract is a risk, but a good GM wants to minimize those risks. For example, If you sign a QB you think is a franchise QB, get him some protection. Get him a good RB. Get him a good offensive line. Get him some quality WRs. Jerry gave Dak $60 million and did none of those things. It is irrational.

I think Dak is better than he is playing just not worth the money they paid him. In fact, IMO, Dak will never be worth the money they paid him I don't care how high QB contracts go over the next 4 years. I just wonder what the Cowboys coaches are thinking when they see him lob a balloon to the sidelines. I imagine they are holding their breath hoping it is not picked off.

It was plain as day

 

[NotForLong]

Maybe who cares our fans are just selling their season tickets for years now.

This franchise by the time Dak is benched will have reached new lows and ya we can primarily thank Jerry the idiot GM!

We told them so years ago

 

[NotForLong]

Dak limits the play calling. He always has. Why are his limitations so hard to see? He’s had them for 9 years.

Exactly

 

[morat1959]

add to that the awful play on the edges from the worst tackle duo in the nfl, and you've got 3 negatives on the line. THAT is what is limiting the play calling, if anything. If your QB can't get time you can't run deeper routes.

He doesn’t throw it to them if they are open. He doesn’t see the field. He never throws a receiver open because his accuracy is awful.

 

[CowboyStar88]

You fail to mention Rush

He’s gonna say something about it being garbage time without realizing the irony. Just wait.

 

[HonoluluCowboy]

IMO Air Yards tell you more about a QB than many other stats. I went back and manually looked at all 3 QBs in tonight’s game and looked at air yards relative to the line of scrimmage. While some screens are designed to be negative air yards, in general you want a QB that’s able to throw downfield when needed.

Kirk cousins had a net of 73 yards through the air, with everything else coming through YAC. That’s 3.7 Yards beyond the LOS per completion. Not bad bus driving.

Cooper Rush also had 73 yards on only 14 throws, and he would’ve had way more if Ceedee or Jaylen could’ve snagged their deep balls. That’s 5.2 air yards beyond LOS per completion. Well done, Coop. Way to sling it.

Dak had 22 completions, and netted a whopping 35 net air yards the whole game. He only had 8 net air yards in the whole first half! That’s 1.7 yards beyond the LOS per completion. That is objectively awful.

The question is, who do we blame this on? The Oline? The coaches for the scheme and play calling, or Dak for not seeing the field or having bad accuracy down range? Or maybe the scheme is a reflection of Daks issues.

You tell me

Yes the scheme is built around Dak's limited field vision and soft arm . He only throws after a receiver is open . Thus why they run out of the Shotgun and go into hurry up mode ( which kills ours D, especially the 3 and outs ) to make Dak comfortable . But D coordinators now know this , and stack the Box . This is why we are seeing such a drop off this year from last . No one is scared of Dak !

 

[HonoluluCowboy]

Ridiculous stat. It’s about playcalling, dink and dunk. That’s what they call for Prescott. They make him get the ball out fast. I’m not sticking up for him or anybody else but it’s ridiculous. Just like all the rest of them. The only statistic I care about playoff wins.

Because if they dont, Dak Statue just crumbles and takes the sack . Classic damn if you do and damn if you dont

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

I put all on Prescott! Rush came in and was slinging it all over the yard and threw some nice balls that would have been caught if he played for anyone without a star on their helmet. Prescott on the other hand struggled on every ball he threw, nothing was on target, I've never seen so many balls there were so off target, that it disrupted the receivers, RBs and TEs ability to run after the catch. Targets that didn't come down with a circus catch were met by Prescott going back to the huddle with him making all kinds of hand signs like it was the target's fault that a pass that was thrown so badly wasn't pulled down for a catch. This is probably how CeeDee's shoulder got so messed up, once he made a catch he was so off balance it allowed his opponents to pile on and slam him to the ground after every catch!!!!!!!!!!!! If Prescott would have hit CeeDee in stride it would have allowed him the ability to fight off his tacklers, but nothing like this was thrown his way..............

wait. what? Rush was slinging it!!!

his first two drives where it mattered with 11 minutes to go he was 6/13 (46%) for 33 yards, then it was less than 5 minutes to go....and Atlanta went prevent defense and then there was garbage time....

 

[DIAF]

He doesn’t throw it to them if they are open. He doesn’t see the field. He never throws a receiver open because his accuracy is awful.

All three of those are at least partly a function of what happens when you have an OL that cannot pass block. Look, im not trying to sell you that dak is awesome or even good this year, but it should come as no surprise that when an OL struggles hard, the rest of the offense suffers HARD.