We're not dinking and dunking

[TheCount]

We are absolutely dinking and dunking, the problem is the perception that dinking and dunking is somehow a bad strategy when you're winning.

The idea that efficiency is somehow is bad thing is silly, and we just proved last week that we're capable of coming back when we're down a couple of scores - which is the main worry when you have an offense that doesn't get a ton of chunk yardage.

 

[haleyrules]

Same as Dak's TD passes. Who cares. He gets us down to the 1 yard line and then we run it in. A TD is a TD. Some of the media just gets on my nerves.

lol. These media types have got to come up with something all the time. That must be difficult also.Its a lot easier for them when the club is losing...plenty of villians to revile!!

 

[NextGenBoys]

You don't think he knows how to throw the deep ball? Did you happen to watch the preseason games?

Of course I did. I'm not saying he doesn't "know how" to throw a deep ball, let's be realistic here.

I'm saying some QB's are better at throwing deep than others, and so far 1/8 is both low attempts and low connection rate. It's not all on him though, and I'm not overly concerned. Just saying, he has missed several deep reads, and also had some accuracy issues on deep ball in the regular season. Preseason be damned.

 

[Bullflop]

Dak is the first to admit that his QB skills are a work in progress. When questioned about what he needs to do to improve himself as a QB, he candidly responded "everything." The offensive staff is calling plays that allow for the offense to exercise ball control, hence time of possession as well, in essence. I think the deep ball likely is and will be a work in progress.

Given due time, I'm sure Dak and the coaches will do all they can to improve his downfield passing distance and accuracy but in the meantime, what is now being implemented at this point in time has proven successful. It might quite possibly be a mistake to mess with that approach right now. With further development to come, it'll only get better with this young man.

 

[CowboyStar88]

Dak will throw down the field in time, I am not worried..

Protect the ball..Kid

 

[Paniolo22]

As long as his dunks and dunks get first downs, I'll take it. Other QB's need 8 and get 6, or need 5 and get 3. Dak for the most part gets what is needed, 4, 6, 10, 12. It doesn't matter, he usually gets the first. I can live with that

 

[Meat-O-Rama]

I see a lot of comments online about how the Cowboys offense isn't throwing the ball downfield, suggesting that it's a dink and dunk offense, and it's nonsense.

What's true: We're not throwing a ton of deep balls, so don't have as many 40+ and 20+ yard passing plays as the top half of the league.

What's true: Dak's 7.7 YPA is in the top 10 in the league amongst passers with 50+ attempts, and one long pass would push him top 5, as most of the guys in the top 10 are between 7.7-8.0.

What I think a lot of people are failing to understand is that the Cowboys running game is working so well, their 3rd down distance is the lowest in the league. When you're constantly facing 3rd and 2 and 3rd and 3, you throw a lot of intermediate passes to move the chains.

If the Cowboys can run the ball and be successful passing between 11-20 yards, move the chains, control the clock, and score TDs in the red zone then that's much better for the team than chucking 50+ yard bombs in the hopes that you get big plays.

Dink and Dunk implies to me an offense that is afraid or does not trust it's QB, so takes the easy stuff the defense is giving them. I agree with you that this isn't what Dallas is doing. They are going out and taking what they want, using the plentiful weapons they have.

 

[DenCWBY]

Great points. We all like to see the deep ball though, especially to Dez. It's like a dunk in basketball or a home run in baseball, or a long drive in golf. Just gets the juices goin' a bit, but I'll take production in any form.

This. Who cares how it gets done (except the fantasy people) as long as the outcome is productive. I like dink and dunk. It uses up the clock and tires and frustrates the opposing defenses. It also makes opposing offenses more impatient. It's controls our tempo and decreases our chance of turning over the ball.
No problem with it.

 

[NextGenBoys]

This. Who cares how it gets done (except the fantasy people) as long as the outcome is productive. I like dink and dunk. It uses up the clock and tires and frustrates the opposing defenses. It also makes opposing offenses more impatient. It's controls our tempo and decreases our chance of turning over the ball.
No problem with it.

Controlling the clock with our awful defense is a key aspect to what we're trying to do. So perhaps this dink and dunk is done by design. Good point.

 

[Derinyar]

Going short right now is working for us rather well because teams are having to put an extra man or two into the box meaning that there's less guys on the perimeter. Get the ball out and let the WR make a play isn't a bad strategy. It can work, but the down side is its not a great recipe for coming back if you end up down for some reason.

 

[Sydla]

16th in air yards per attempt. 550 in the air 450 after catch.

They havent needed to go down the field much but when they try to, dak overthrows. A lot. He needs a lot of work in that regard.

Just out of curiousity, would you happen to have the stats for Wentz?

 

[Toruk_Makto]

As has been mentioned he is 16th in Air yards per attempt.

Now one can say we are "dink and dunking" as a strategy like the Pats and Chargers do. But that isn't true. We are dinking and dunking because Dak is a 4th round rookie QB and he has a long way to go before he is a finished product.

He is a year away from being a year away.

 

[Baileyneverfailey]

Dak has thrown exactly 8 passes that went 20+ yards down the field. He's competed one of them.

Dak has 9 20+ yard passing plays. You may care if the ball flew 22 yards in the air or 15 and the guy ran after the catch, but I just don't. Bombs that hang in the air for 50 yards and get caught are exciting plays, but you win games by getting 1st downs and scoring points in the red zone.

The Cowboys are first in the league in 1st downs. I do think they need to keep improving their red zone TD%, but it's getting better each week.

 

[haleyrules]

This. Who cares how it gets done (except the fantasy people) as long as the outcome is productive. I like dink and dunk. It uses up the clock and tires and frustrates the opposing defenses. It also makes opposing offenses more impatient. It's controls our tempo and decreases our chance of turning over the ball.
No problem with it.

Only need some gimmicks and long balls to keep the defenses off balance. Predictablity is an Offense and QB killer.

 

[Baileyneverfailey]

Don't get me wrong, I want to see more PA bombs down field on those 2nd and 2 plays, and I think they'll come eventually. I think right now the coaching staff is just playing it relatively safe because moving the chains and eating up the clock is working well for them.

Our defense has been performing better than we expected, but they're still not a unit we want to see on the field for 35+ minutes in a game.

 

[aikemirv]

Don't get me wrong, I want to see more PA bombs down field on those 2nd and 2 plays, and I think they'll come eventually. I think right now the coaching staff is just playing it relatively safe because moving the chains and eating up the clock is working well for them.

Our defense has been performing better than we expected, but they're still not a unit we want to see on the field for 35+ minutes in a game.

Honestly how many times has Romo done that? That is really not Garrett's mindset at all.

 

[MRV52]

What bothers me the most is when it third and 12 and we throw a 4 yard pass. Dak get it down the field!!!

 

[aikemirv]

What bothers me the most is when it third and 12 and we throw a 4 yard pass. Dak get it down the field!!!

But that is why he has not thrown any interceptions either. You can't have both all of the time. At some point he will have to do that to get a win, probably in the next few games, and maybe you will see an int because of it but that is the NFL. Right now he is playing low risk football and with our Oline and running game that is working well.

 

[Fletch]

You don't think he knows how to throw the deep ball? Did you happen to watch the preseason games?

Tony has never been a good deep ball passer.

 

[aikemirv]

Tony has never been a good deep ball passer.

Neither was Aikman.