The dominoes and fallout of last night

[Alexander]

We will find out more about Dak for sure,but we will be OK is if we can still run the ball. Is our OL that good now? We will learn that answer as well.

All we will likely learn about Prescott is how he reacts to having to step up his game. He will not have the same running game to lean on, I don't care how much people think that "anyone can run behind this line". He has never had to play without Elliott. And the few times Elliott has been eliminated from the attack, we have seen what happened in Denver.

We are going to do the same things we have done for his whole short season and a half career. He will have to step up the little things to compensate. Then if things get ugly, he will be asked to get better. That means do more. We should have a very good and definitive answer at the end of this stretch on whether or not he is as elite as we seem to think he is.

 

[Alexander]

At some point you really gotta accept that Dak is for real. Seriously.

The "real" is what we have seen with Elliott and a dominant run game supporting him.

If he is going to be "for real", he will have to elevate beyond what he has done so far. I know that sounds unfair and dismissive of some remarkable things he has done, it is just the reality of the situation.

He will have to function outside the incubator.

It is the same with any QB. There is some structure around them that compensates. How many times have people whined that Romo never had a defense?

Well, Prescott does not have that and will now have a diminished run game.

 

[Fla Cowpoke]

I think a couple things will happen. First, I think we will be a little less predictable without Zeke. Defenses pretty much know we are running on first down with Zeke. I think we will see more of a 50-50% split with a short passing game on first down, passes to Beasley and Witten.

I think we will see more of the rollouts/bootlegs with Dak. It seems like it is ALWAYS open. We have a guy running short, medium and deep and stresses the coverage. I'd bet his completion percentage on these plays is like 80%.

I hope we will try taking some more chances down the field.

I hate that people are calling the season over. Is our team that weak ad soft that we can't make up for the loss of one player? Seriously, our offense is 100% intact right now with the exception of Zeke. I know he is a big part of what we do, but it would be pretty pathetic if we can't have a functional running game without Zeke. I look at team's like the Vikings that have lost their QB and their RB and are still finding ways to get it done. I look at the Pats losing guys and just plugging the next one in. Several teams do it. Ours should be good enough with our OL and other skill positions to get by without Zeke. We aren't talking about putting Lincoln Coleman or Sherman Williams back there. Morris and McFadden both have had a lot of success in the league.

 

[erod]

I think a couple things will happen. First, I think we will be a little less predictable without Zeke. Defenses pretty much know we are running on first down with Zeke. I think we will see more of a 50-50% split with a short passing game on first down, passes to Beasley and Witten.

I think we will see more of the rollouts/bootlegs with Dak. It seems like it is ALWAYS open. We have a guy running short, medium and deep and stresses the coverage. I'd bet his completion percentage on these plays is like 80%.

I hope we will try taking some more chances down the field.

I hate that people are calling the season over. Is our team that weak ad soft that we can't make up for the loss of one player? Seriously, our offense is 100% intact right now with the exception of Zeke. I know he is a big part of what we do, but it would be pretty pathetic if we can't have a functional running game without Zeke. I look at team's like the Vikings that have lost their QB and their RB and are still finding ways to get it done. I look at the Pats losing guys and just plugging the next one in. Several teams do it. Ours should be good enough with our OL and other skill positions to get by without Zeke. We aren't talking about putting Lincoln Coleman or Sherman Williams back there. Morris and McFadden both have had a lot of success in the league.

Good pass rushes can stop the rollouts. The Vikings, Eagles, and Giants have proven that. They can force Dak to throw from the pocket, which is where he struggles.

Without Zeke to rely on, Dak has a big challenge these next few weeks to prove that he can move this offense consistently without him.

Wentz doesn't have a Zeke, so he has to be a one-man show. He's doing great for the most part, but he struggles at times.

Now we get to see Dak in a similar situation.

 

[canters]

All we will likely learn about Prescott is how he reacts to having to step up his game. He will not have the same running game to lean on, I don't care how much people think that "anyone can run behind this line". He has never had to play without Elliott. And the few times Elliott has been eliminated from the attack, we have seen what happened in Denver.

We are going to do the same things we have done for his whole short season and a half career. He will have to step up the little things to compensate. Then if things get ugly, he will be asked to get better. That means do more. We should have a very good and definitive answer at the end of this stretch on whether or not he is as elite as we seem to think he is.

Yes, but the Oline was not playing well in Denver like they seem to be doing now. Fingers crossed on this.

 

[Alexander]

I hate that people are calling the season over. Is our team that weak ad soft that we can't make up for the loss of one player?

Well it fell apart on D with Lee out.

It has been mentioned several times around here, this will test how good Linehan is just like Lee being out exposed Marinelli.

 

[Established1971]

Here's the fallout of Zeke's suspension moving forward in my opinion....

1. If Zeke does anything else, he's gets a full year suspension now. (He has six weeks coming all by himself to his own devices, so yikes.)

2. As I understand it from local reporters, the guaranteed money in Zeke's contract is no longer guaranteed. This is actually GREAT for Dallas if #1 happens.

3. I think this may doom Goodell from an extension. There will be a massive showdown between Jerry's gang and Mara's gang.

4. If Jerry wins, look for a lawsuit from Goodell.

5. Dak Prescott must now be the focus of the offense. Not sure he's ready for that, but we'll know in six weeks.

6. The Cowboys' 2017 season is, for all intents and purposes, over. Time to start thinking free agency and draft. (EDIT: The Cowboys are certainly in the wild card hunt, but the NFC East is lost.)

the 2017 season is definitely not over