Troy Aikman Does Not Like Dallas' WR Route Running

[Chuck 54]

Unless the coach schemes them open, none of them get any separation. We’ve seen that ourselves in every game. We hear the announcers of the game saying that no 9ne is getting open, forcing mostly tight window throws.

1. There is a price when a skill position player misses the entire offseason. (Lamb)
2. The other guys just are not very good. What attribute does Tolbert or Brooks or Flournoy have that makes any of them any better than Noah Brown was. Not speed or quickness or even size, though we might say Tolbert is the better jump ball guy.

Look what Fehoko is doing. Because he is tall and fast, but not perfect, he’s having a better year than any Dallas receiver not named Lamb. He’s been on several NFL high lights.

We have garbage WRs that we continue to hope will develop, but they are all Noah Brown types, but none of them can block. At least Brown was always blocking and playing hard. Tolbert is our second best WR, and he should be #4 on most teams.

 

[Hawkeye0202]

I remember this........Dak said we didn't have a good week at practice. I hate to say this but he needs to understand this is his team. He's expected to be the ultimate leader. A bad week of practice should never hit the field on Sunday w/o corrections even if that means some tough love for players and/or holding coaches accountable.

Sidenote......I do get a sense he's trying to improve his leadership this season from a few comments but is he doing enough?

 

[dreghorn2]

https://www.si.com/nfl/troy-aikman-jets-problems-trouble

Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman didn’t hold back on the team’s offensive struggles to start the NFL season.

Days after Cowboys owner Jerry Jones threw a tantrum at Dallas radio hosts over probing questions about the team’s offseason moves, Aikman had some harsh words for the current state of the Cowboys’ offense.

Aikman, who played quarterback for the Cowboys for 12 seasons from 1989 to 2000, took his bluntest shots at the team’s wide receivers for running “terrible” routes.

“I think they run terrible routes,” Aikman said on Dallas sports radio show 96.7 The Ticket on Thursday. “And I've thought that beyond this year. I think CeeDee (Lamb) has got to improve in his route running. As a quarterback, if you're not certain where guys are going to be consistently, it's hard to play the position. That's what I see. I see guys lazy coming off the line of scrimmage. Sometimes they run, usually if they do, it's because they're anticipating they're going to get the football on that play, but if they're not, they don't. And it all ties together. I'm not impressed with that part of it.”

Aikman added that he watched film of other teams like the Baltimore Ravens, and the Cowboys’ wideouts paled in comparison to what the likes of Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman were accomplishing under Lamar Jackson.

“It's hard to play the (QB) position if you're not certain how guys are going to run routes or where they're going to be,” continued Aikman. “And I'm not speaking for Dak (Prescott). Dak may say, 'Hey, I think (their routes) are amazing.' But as a former quarterback watching it, it's gotta get a lot better.”

 

[shabazz]

Always. Exactly why I made that thread.

Also, because any criticism here is thought of "hating" the players, I guess old Troy just dislikes our players too, lol

 

[HonoluluCowboy]

or maybe there is some truth to what he is saying. pretty funny how so many former players/QBs come to Dak's defense yet Non-football types claim they are making excuses for them because their eye test supersedes the professionals (because the professional always has an agenda of course /s). When you get metrics to support it (e.g. WR separation), you have to consider the possibility. This does not remove responsibility from Dak who has a lot to cleanup in his game as well. Safe to say there is blame to go around to everyone on this team.

Yeah the professionals all told Jerrah that Dak was worth 60$ milion . Yet the entire world including Non-football types can clearly see Dak is WHACK !

 

[shabazz]

Yeah the professionals all told Jerrah that Dak was worth 60$ milion . Yet the entire world including Non-football types can clearly see Dak is WHACK !

Jerry painted himself into a corner with both the Dak and Ceedee contracts.

I had a slight hope that he would let the season play out but he predictably signed both guys to mammoth contracts and made a REAL change impossible

 

[Zman5]

So let me ask you how do you feel about him in motion? Growing up we were taught to run in motion…..Tyreek does it as a guy I notice. It seems like we walk when running motion and just do it just to say we are doing it. Seems like they jog.

That might help but he can't be doing on every play. He just needs to take pride in running good routes. Every great route runner will tell you that you need to run every route like you are the primary receiver for that play. You can't be running good on some half azzing it on others.

I remember Irvin saying that he ran his routes like it was the last play he was ever going to play. Even in practice. It's been well documented how he would run the same routes over and over again during practice until he felt he got it right. Even when puking due to the Texas heat, he didn't stop until he felt he got it right. That's someone who takes great pride in his work.

 

[Cowboysheelsreds053]

Both things can be true. Dak isn’t playing well and the WRs are not running great routes, by design or lack of effort.

This, they both stink.

 

[Bullflop]

It's entirely possible that the entire Cowboys' team isn't really into being especially mindful of making the most of their situation. With McCarthy likely just going through the motions, knowing he's destined to be in his last year, the rest of the offense isn't doing their best at all. As far as the defense is concerned, it seems much the same. Jerry decided to do little or nothing in the offseason, knowing this year isn't one to go "all in." Of course, that's nothing new, so here we are -- just doing as little we please. Let's hope next year has far more to offer! The FO asked for it -- now, they've got it.

 

[Sheepherder]

Troy might be defending Dak a little bit, but if McCarthy can not get this offense in sync and producing what is he good for then? Isn't offensive football his whole schtick? I saw a some receivers ran into each other last game.

I understand this happening on week 1 not on week 5, this team is lazy and sloppy and that reflects on the head coach and gm.

I thought that pro players worked on getting the kinks out before regular season started. Other nfl teams seem to.

 

[Zman5]

Aikman was always a perfectionist. Old habits die hard. Because when he eas playing if a receiver ran a bad route he would get on their *** about it and not allow it.

Of course Aikman was a better leader and true field general, unlike Dak.

He also had Irvin, who was as much, if not more of a perfectionist when it came to running routes.

 

[Redsfan_83]

So we are going to beat the 9ers, Jerry is stepping down, and we don't have a capable HC or WR coordinator who can teach our players how to catch a football? Good news, good news

 

[Cebrin]

I've said this forever. Even when they're in motion they do it lazily so that the opposition knows you're just doing it for reads. Add on no run game, and one of the worst OL's in football statistically this year and you get this disaster. I have 0% faith in this coaching staff. It's dated football.

 

[Shane612]

I too haven't liked their route running for years (great minds think alike).
Everybody want speed speed speed and more speed.
Good sharp crisp route runner can freeze a corner for split second, and that's all a NFL receiver needs to get separation.

 

[Shane612]

Not saying Troy is wrong, but he's always defending Dak and making excuses for him.

He doesn't want to make enemies. Why would he?
Besides, what difference does it make what he says?

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

Former Cowboys QB Troy Aikman on @dfwticket on Dallas' wide receivers: "I think the routes are terrible. I think they run terrible routes. And I've thought that beyond this year. I think CeeDee (Lamb) has got to improve in his route running. As a quarterback, if you're not certain where guys are going to be consistently, it's hard to play the position. That's what I see. I see guys lazy coming off the line of scrimmage. Sometimes they run, usually if they do, it's because they're anticipating they're going to get the football on that play, but if they're not, they don't. And it all ties together. I'm not impressed with that part of it."

"I just finished watching the Baltimore Ravens because I have them this week. You put on film of theirs and watch their receivers run routes and they come off the football, so does San Francisco's and Green Bay's and others. But it's hard to play the (QB) position if you're not certain how guys are going to run routes or where they're going to be. And I'm not speaking for Dak (Prescott). Dak may say, 'Hey, I think (their routes) are amazing.' But as a former quarterback watching it, it's gotta get a lot better."

What does he know about our offense and after so many year, what does he know about NFL anymore, this is all because of Dak, the WR don't know where to run because they are unsure where Dak is going to deliver the ball and they don't trust him. being Dak is inaccurate anyway, makes it that much more difficult. the route running issues are traced back straight to Dak...and he is inability to be an NFL level QB

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

Not saying Troy is wrong, but he's always defending Dak and making excuses for him.

or so it seems to you...because I do remember him criticizing Dak as well....but you don't notice those.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

100% CORRECT. Bad route combinations and they have no one that excels at running really good routes. No one that knows how to get themselves open by how they run specific routes. Teams do this to the cowboys all the time but the boys rarely if ever do that to their opponents. The only time I see CD get separation consistently is when he runs a slant.

that is one of the biggest culprits. I have noticed its getting worse each game. the coaches have given up. they are going through the motions. the players feel it, so they are now going through the motions. its just throwing stuff on the board and saying, this is our game plan for this week. pathetic.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

or so it seems to you...because I do remember him criticizing Dak as well....but you don't notice those.

I don't, except in the most minor way.

 

[Doomsday]

Considering Dallas is 32 in separation it isn't much of a stretch to say they are not running good routes.

You can see it on the comeback routes they run all the time, they don't drive hard up field to get the defender to turn and run with them before stopping which leads to contested catches almost every time.