What’s with Malik Hooker?

[visionary]

He's the least of our worries right now.

The defense is giving up like 200 yards a game against the run....

yeah, we didn’t give up 3 passing TDs to a rookie last week and we are only allowed to focus on one issue per season

 

[fivetwos]

I'm more concerned about what's going on with Cox.

Oh that ole’ gag!

 

[fivetwos]

ASK DQ... im just saying hard top play man with 1 single high safety etc that has to cover that much ground and choose who to help KJ or Bland., Lewis and Brown aren't great but are far better then KJ and Bland. most hate on those guys a lot.

Yeah right now Brown and Lewis are better than Joseph and Bland, but the upside on the latter two is probably higher. There would be growing pains in a transition and I think we are seeing some of that now.

At least there was some depth there and we aren’t bringing in street guys.

 

[quickccc]

On these deep balls ( Watson over Brown for example ) the closest safety is nowhere in view ? Wilson & Kearse are at least in the vicinity on run stops would like to see Hooker somewhere on these long passes Brown in particular needs support . Mukuamu had a stellar pre season and has pretty much been forgotten . Marquise Bell ?

Bell is next year's project.
Been compared to Kearse, but with both Kearse and Wilson available and healthy, there hasn't been an urge to bring Bell inactive.

Watch what happens to Wilson in FA this offseason. Team will offer him a high dollar contract, and Cowboys may allow Wilson to walk,
Leading the opening for Bell or Israel M.

 

[jazzcat22]

He was garbage last week.

He was the reason Brown and Bland looked bad on those touchdown passes. Those were on Hooker, not them.

Can we have a breakdown of why it was on Hooker? Instead of the typical statement because someone says it.

Those were absolutely on Bland and Brown. There that is my counter.

 

[Mr_437]

Yeah right now Brown and Lewis are better than Joseph and Bland, but the upside on the latter two is probably higher. There would be growing pains in a transition and I think we are seeing some of that now.

At least there was some depth there and we aren’t bringing in street guys.

Excellent point. Bland has been good, but had his "welcome to the NFL moment". When looking at these young CBs the hope is that towards the end of the season their playing at a much higher level.

 

[quickccc]

Kind of why I was asking in the OP.

PFF is all over the map but I thought there might be some metric that defies the eye test, or someone that saw something that I haven’t.

At any rate he isn’t the playmaker he once was, but I don’t know if scheme is a big part of that vs maybe being a tick slower due to Achilles.

We all recall Kevin Smith pre and post Achilles injuries.

Hooker is taking on a much wider field range role and he just may not be the rangy sideline to sideline athlete he was before the achilles injury.

Players have been well known to return from ACL without much fall off , but achilles heel injury, today's medicine hasn't mastered that yet.

 

[xwalker]

I remember him at Ohio St and with the Colts as a playmaker that couldn’t stay on the field.

He seems to have shed his inability to avoid injury, but also seems to be non existent as far as making the plays he once did.

Is it the scheme? Is he playing differently? Did the injury change his game?

He had been very good before he missed the Bears game. He struggled in the Packers game. They played more zone in that game. He was late picking up coverage on the right to left route TD by Watson. Joseph had initial coverage but passed him off to Hooker. Joseph pulled up to stay in his zone. Hooker didn't have the speed to make up for the late start. Watson is a 4.36 forty WR.

Hooker had been drastically better than last year's starting FS until the Packers game. Not hearing about or seeing the FS is a good thing. We saw plenty of Kazee on replays of big plays allowed last season.

Quinn's scheme is more geared towards the CBs getting INTs. Good play by the Safeties, especially FS allows Diggs and the Nickel CB to take more chances.

In this scheme the FS aligns left/right based on helping Diggs and the Nickel CB. They generally don't give Brown much help. That's why Brown often plays far back from the line. Quinn does it to give Diggs more opportunities for INTs.

Brown has 4.3 speed which makes it possible, but occasionally they get burned by that style. The 1st TD by Watson was almost impossible for Brown to defend without deep help. A perfect pass a 6-4, 4.36 forty WR with good arm length requires deep help to defend. Earlier this season Watson was dropping those passes but he he didn't drop them vs the Cowboys.

 

[maryquality]

Oh that ole’ gag!

I was actually being serious. LOL

 

[xwalker]

Excellent point. Bland has been good, but had his "welcome to the NFL moment". When looking at these young CBs the hope is that towards the end of the season their playing at a much higher level.

A deep crossing type route by a 6-4 WR with 4.36 forty speed is very difficult to defend without help for any Nickel CB. The NCB will be trailing unless he guesses because a WR in the slot has a 3 way option due to no sideline. The NCB has to wait for the WR to break before turning his hips.

 

[Mr_437]

A deep crossing type route by a 6-4 WR with 4.36 forty speed is very difficult to defend without help for any Nickel CB. The NCB will be trailing unless he guesses because a WR in the slot has a 3 way option due to no sideline. The NCB has to wait for the WR to break before turning his hips.

No disputing any of your post, but Bland had his worse game. Bland's tackling and lack of awareness to be a force player in the run game on top of getting beat in the passing game is why I stated what did...it wasn't just one play.

 

[RonWashington]

Bell is next year's project.
Been compared to Kearse, but with both Kearse and Wilson available and healthy, there hasn't been an urge to bring Bell inactive.

Watch what happens to Wilson in FA this offseason. Team will offer him a high dollar contract, and Cowboys may allow Wilson to walk,
Leading the opening for Bell or Israel M.

I like Wilson but I like Cee Dee Lamb even more . Cowboys can not lose another productive receiver with so much invested at QB ,

 

[Cowboyny]

Kind of why I was asking in the OP.

PFF is all over the map but I thought there might be some metric that defies the eye test, or someone that saw something that I haven’t.

At any rate he isn’t the playmaker he once was, but I don’t know if scheme is a big part of that vs maybe being a tick slower due to Achilles.

We all recall Kevin Smith pre and post Achilles injuries.

Cowboys are one of the best pass defenses in the entire league, Hooker is apart of that. He might not be getting turnovers, but usually is where he is suppose to be and not a terrible tackler like Kazee.

 

[RonnieT24]

He was garbage last week.

He was the reason Brown and Bland looked bad on those touchdown passes. Those were on Hooker, not them.

I wouldn't go so far as to say the long balls were on him but he needs to be in the picture somewhere. The fact that he was not means he was helping over the top with Diggs, which was stupid. If you're going to help to one side it needs to be the side with the rookie and 2nd year guy with no experience ..

 

[stilltheguru]

Yall finally got smoke for him. He seemed to get a pass all off-season.

 

[fivetwos]

Cowboys are one of the best pass defenses in the entire league, Hooker is apart of that. He might not be getting turnovers, but usually is where he is suppose to be and not a terrible tackler like Kazee.

I’m not complaining. Just trying to find out what others may be seeing that I’ve missed, one way or the other. Just doesn’t seem like the same guy.

 

[erod]

I wouldn't go so far as to say the long balls were on him but he needs to be in the picture somewhere. The fact that he was not means he was helping over the top with Diggs, which was stupid. If you're going to help to one side it needs to be the side with the rookie and 2nd year guy with no experience ..

No, you help on the receiver that nobody can keep up with. Especially with Rodgers.

 

[erod]

Can we have a breakdown of why it was on Hooker? Instead of the typical statement because someone says it.

Those were absolutely on Bland and Brown. There that is my counter.

Bland and Brown can't run with Watson. Virtually nobody can. You have to have safety help with him on deep routes.

 

[Bullflop]

Malik Hooker has been a valuable addition to the defensive backfield, despite his injury. It occurs with many others. He'll be back.

 

[America's Cowboy]

On these deep balls ( Watson over Brown for example ) the closest safety is nowhere in view ? Wilson & Kearse are at least in the vicinity on run stops would like to see Hooker somewhere on these long passes Brown in particular needs support . Mukuamu had a stellar pre season and has pretty much been forgotten . Marquise Bell ?

I have never liked Hooker in coverage. Wish Dan Quinn would give Mukuamu and Bell some reps.