Troy Aikman: Yards are not what we should be looking at

[kskboys]

Its getting like basketball where scoring is expected on every possession and not scoring is the exception. And it doesnt matter where a drive starts. Gone are the days when field position was important.

It's getting boring to me.

 

[Brax]

Fantasy Football is driving most of the fringe fans the league is attracting with these new rules and emphasis on passing offense generating interest which translates to revenue.

That’s fine if it’s the direction the league wants to go . As long as we don’t let those stats cloud our evaluations which is what Troy is basically saying.

Stats are all that matter to most including the players, it is about the $$$ not the W. Sad this is what football is evolving to.

 

[MRV52]

I'm fine with saying Mahomes is better than Wilson, but no way there's that much of a gap. If you put Wilson in Andy Reid's offense, he'd be doing much the same thing. Seattle's entire offense is designed around Wilson making plays out of nothing.

I over exaggerated and Wilson is much closer. But Rodgers at this stage of his career is behind him.

 

[Diehardblues]

Agreed on Goff. I wrote that pretty quickly and didn't check off the list as I went.

Allen and Jackson could both be there, but they're wildly inaccurate at times. Accuracy is so critical in crunch time and in the playoffs.

Watch Spencer Rattler at OU and tell me he doesn't throw and move very similarly to Patrick Mahomes. It's like he's trying to imitate him, a la Kobe and Jordan.

I’ve only had one game to watch Rattler. At times I can see some similarities but then who saw at Texas Tech what Mahomes would become?

We could start another thread on discussing OU but I’d be wary about validating Rattler just yet in the same category.

I don’t want to defuse your Sooner Boomer excitement but I don’t see them in playoffs this year. Bad loss at home after 21 points up on unranked team that lost to Arkansas St.

Riley still can’t build a defense. And if he doesn’t have a Heisman caliber QB his offense isn’t as dominating. But I will be watching. He’s just a freshman. Prob nowhere to go but up. BTW.. I dont see anyone from Little 10 ( Big 12) making playoffs.

 

[Cowboysheelsreds053]

Agree, you need the win. Look at James Harden during the regular season and then the PO. Enough said!

 

[RonnieT24]

You’re using one particular stat for your spin. No doubt int were a big differential. But the topic of Troys comments were yards. And their teams results were very similar as well. 7-9 and 8-8. I would agree with your effects of pass happy league.

Jameis
5109 Yards
33 TD

Dak
4902 Yards
30 TD’s

No turnovers where not "A big differential" they were THE big differential. Turnovers are always cited as the number one indicator of wins and losses. To ignore them because all the other stats are similar reeks of agenda. The Cowboys won more games in past years with Dak putting up fewer yards because he (and the team) committed very few turnovers. Last year they turned over 18 times.. in 2018 it was 17 .. in 2017 it was 22 .. in 2016 it was 15. This year they are on pace for 36 . They cannot continue on that pace or they will be drafting in the top 5 again. We know the defense doesn't force any turnovers so the offense can't afford too many. Dak is clearly still trying to find that balance between being aggressive down the field and putting the ball in harm's way.

 

[Diehardblues]

No turnovers where not "A big differential" they were THE big differential. Turnovers are always cited as the number one indicator of wins and losses. To ignore them because all the other stats are similar reeks of agenda. The Cowboys won more games in past years with Dak putting up fewer yards because he (and the team) committed very few turnovers. Last year they turned over 18 times.. in 2018 it was 17 .. in 2017 it was 22 .. in 2016 it was 15. This year they are on pace for 36 . They cannot continue on that pace or they will be drafting in the top 5 again. We know the defense doesn't force any turnovers so the offense can't afford too many. Dak is clearly still trying to find that balance between being aggressive down the field and putting the ball in harm's way.

The differential in turnovers last year didn’t result in much of a differential in team wins.

 

[pitt33]

You know I hate stats.

The only ones I pay attention to are:

• turnover ratio
• 3rd down efficiency on offense and defense
• red zone conversion rate
• points

The rest is drivel.

very meaningful stats no doubt.

I would like to include another one:

Scoring defense

 

[Diehardblues]

Stats are all that matter to most including the players, it is about the $$$ not the W. Sad this is what football is evolving to.

I don’t have a problem with this segment of fans as long as they don’t run over into mainstream analysis which again was Troys point.

I’m sure Dak is attracting many fans who are using him as their Fantasy QB. And that’s fine . Not trying to rain on that parade but it’s a different mindset.

 

[erod]

I’ve only had one game to watch Rattler. At times I can see some similarities but then who saw at Texas Tech what Mahomes would become?

We could start another thread on discussing OU but I’d be wary about validating Rattler just yet in the same category.

I don’t want to defuse your Sooner Boomer excitement but I don’t see them in playoffs this year. Bad loss at home after 21 points up on unranked team that lost to Arkansas St.

Riley still can’t build a defense. And if he doesn’t have a Heisman caliber QB his offense isn’t as dominating. But I will be watching. He’s just a freshman. Prob nowhere to go but up. BTW.. I dont see anyone from Little 10 ( Big 12) making playoffs.

I hear ya, but he's going to be good. One of the highest rated QBs to come out of high school, and these were his first two starts. Threw some picks, but Mahomes threw a ton of them, too, his early days in college.

 

[erod]

very meaningful stats no doubt.

I would like to throw out another one:

Scoring defense

I agree with that one. Kind of goes hand in hand with red zone and third down efficiency, but I get your point. Especially if a team is giving up 50-yard touchdowns like a certain team I know.

 

[Future]

I over exaggerated and Wilson is much closer. But Rodgers at this stage of his career is behind him.

This is true. I never like ranking players 1-10, but I think now, more than ever, tiers are appropriate.

Mahomes, Wilson

Rodgers, Dak, Lamar, Watson, Brady, Allen

Ryan, Stafford, Brees, Roeth, Murray

Cousins, Jimmy G, Rivers

Move em around if you want, but I think the point is that there's a clear 1 and 2, and then 3-8 or so are much more muddled together.

 

[erod]

Stats are all that matter to most including the players, it is about the $$$ not the W. Sad this is what football is evolving to.

Case in point to support you.....

Michael Irvin would catch 2 passes for 38 yards in a victory, and he's smiling and celebrating at the front of the bus.

Dez Bryant would catch 2 passes for 38 yards in a victory, and he'd storm out of the locker room. Same for lots of today's receivers.

 

[G2]

It's getting boring to me.

I think it's the fantasy football aspect of it. It's like defense doesn't matter.

 

[kskboys]

I think it's the fantasy football aspect of it. It's like defense doesn't matter.

This PI call crapp is simply getting out of hand. Cost us majorly, and gave BUFF the game yesterday, and both were bad calls.

 

[kskboys]

This is true. I never like ranking players 1-10, but I think now, more than ever, tiers are appropriate.

Mahomes, Wilson

Rodgers, Dak, Lamar, Watson, Brady, Allen

Ryan, Stafford, Brees, Roeth, Murray

Cousins, Jimmy G, Rivers

Move em around if you want, but I think the point is that there's a clear 1 and 2, and then 3-8 or so are much more muddled together.

If Rodgers keeps doing what he's doing, he's moved back into first 3.

However, I agree w/ you, except that I'd say the next 4-15 are muddled.

 

[SteveTheCowboy]

I'm curious to see how he holds up once the pieces start leaving because of his salary. Tom Brady's single best decision was to sign for a lower salary to keep a competitive team around him. That's what got him those titles. Had he not done that he would have won a single titles and been like Rodgers.

One of the things I noticed last night is he totally trusts his receivers...and that team has some serious discipline blocking downfield. Mahomes has some serious awareness of pressure and puts consistently himself in position to make a play even when there is pressure. I am not sure Dak has that. It's like he's playing hot potato.

Can he? I think so. "Early" in his career it was said he throws better on the run....not sure we...I? ...am seeing it lately.

 

[TheCoolFan]

It's all about turnovers. Give up 500 yards if you want, even allow 3-4 TDs a game (league scoring average is 25 pts). But if you can force 2 turnovers a game, you are in good shape (as long as you don't choke on the onside kick recovery like Atlanta). Look at Tennessee and Seattle - they are near the bottom of the league in yards given up but they are at the top of the league in forcing turnovers and turnover differential. That's a big reason why they're 3-0.

Unfortunately, this team still can't reel in the INTs. Diggs has had an opportunity in every game so far and can't come down with one. We had one wiped out by a penalty in the secondary too

 

[erod]

It's getting boring to me.

My interest continues to wane. I watched The Last Kingdom on Sunday night instead of Saints-Packers. That would have been impossible a few years ago.

 

[Philmonroe]

Yep, because Brady, Brees, Roethlisberger, and Rivers are in a steep downturn. I still think Stafford has been a victim of circumstance, as is Ryan to a degree.

Burrow looks very promising if he can survive his offensive line, and Lamar Jackson is uniquely talented and might get there. We'll see if Murray, Tua, Mayfield, Locke, Watson, or Herbert can get there. Darnold may be too mentally damaged from playing in that disaster, and I think Dak, Watson, Tannehill, Allen, Carr, Garapollo, and Cousins, are what they are. Good, but flawed quarterbacks.

Every time I mention bold I always get accused of disliking Dak for some "off the field" reason lol.