erod
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After a day of retrospection, and another watch of that horror movie....
- Let's take a big old deep breath. Tom Brady is 3-7 playing in that stratosphere, and the Broncos are the only team he has a losing record against. Denver simply always wins in Denver in September, except for once in the past 21 games. That was ugly, but just move on. Even if it revealed some serious flaws in this team, just turn the page.
- Dak was poor. I have no doubt he'll bounce back, but there are some disturbing trends. First, he needs to slow down on the "Romo impersonation" for now. He doesn't see the defense like Romo yet, and he doesn't need to be making umpteen changes at the line of scrimmage. He needs to trust the call like last year for the most part because his changes just aren't working. His throws are erratic and too often short of the sticks. He's not even looking downfield most of the time at all, and he's not comfortable throwing from the pocket still. More plays to get him outside. I'd also like to see him scramble more so long as he slides or gets out of bounds. He's simply trying to be a QB that he's not ready to be yet. Simplify things, and focus on what he's good at.
- Demarcus Lawrence has 4 sacks. Last year, it wasn't until mid-November that a DE had four sacks. That guy is killing it, and if his back holds together, he's head for a $50 million dollar deal or a franchise tag. Help is coming with Moore returning this week, and Irving soon.
- La'el Collins had a rough time with the best pass rusher in football, but it wasn't as bad as my first impressions. He battled, which is obviously in his DNA. Miller created conflict, but Dak held the ball too long on plays at times, and Miller was offsides multiple times. Overall, Collins held up as well or better than most do against this speed demon. It was not that bad at all.
- I'm really concerned about Jaylon Smith. His instincts are good, but he was really bad in pass coverage, playing way off guys, and he couldn't get to anything. Sean Lee was having to cover for him, and that made Lee look late and poor as well. They have to wrap that foot so tight that it's basically a stump, and the lateral movement and power is just gone. Jaylon was getting steamrolled backward. Let's just hope he'll heal and get better because this isn't going to get it done. Dallas needs Hitchens back in the worst way.
- Dez just isn't an elite receiver, and Linehan and Dak have to stop forcing him the ball. The completion rate is low and if he keeps drawing the top corners (Peterson this week?), he is going to be blanketed all game long. Accept that, and throw it to better options when he's covered. Romo could throw Dez open with perfect back-shoulder and high-point targets, but that isn't in Dak's bag just yet. Just treat him like another receiver and get more creative. As Aikman and many, many others have said repeatedly, he doesn't run good routes, or very many, and he doesn't get separation, so let's stop pretending he's like Antonio Brown, Julio Jones, and DeAndre Hopkins. He's not. He's a useful cog in the wheel, but he's not elite.
- Zeke.... That was not a pretty display, and I'm more concerned about the sulking on the sideline than anything. This guy needs to take inventory of where he is in this world asap, because it doesn't feel like his career is going to end well. He's chubby, a step slower, and disconnected from his reality right now. If anything, Dallas needs to use and abuse him this year because future years look less than promising. Get what we can out of him before he goes full Eddie Lacey or Randy Gregory. I don't see him here beyond his rookie contract unless some serious maturing takes place in multiple areas.
- Jeff Heath looks decent, but Byron Jones not so much. Perhaps Jones is just a slot corner, or maybe he's close to getting it, but so far, he's just not reacting quickly enough to make any plays. Better get ready because the league sees it, too.
- The defense as a whole is starting to smell bad. Let's hope the pass rushers on the way helps loads, and better health at corner happens soon. It just feels eerily familiar already.
- Jason Garrett needs to feel Jerry's impatience. I certainly do. I support Garrett because he manages and tolerates Jerry well, and he was the impetus for this youth movement. But all coaches' voices grow tiresome, and this is a get-it-done year for him. With that Hall of Fame under Jerry's belt, I suspect he is more comfortable paying a name coach now. He's growing damn tired of waiting.
- Lastly, and this is a hard one, but there is no way on God's green earth that this is a Super Bowl team. Atlanta will likely annihilate Dallas worse than Denver did, and the Broncos are a fringe playoff team at best. The defense needs work, and the offense needs to overcome what top defenses do to it. If the Giants had any semblance of an offensive line and a healthy Beckham, we'd be 0-2 right now. Can't sit on the sidelines next offseason. Fix the defense while Dak remains cheap. Unless an epic evolution takes place during the season on defense, this is just a stepping stone season.
