CFZ What Dak is Doing Is Not Normal

[Mac_MaloneV1]

Late-career surge?

I don't know why everyone forgets 2019...or even 2021 lol

 

[DCowboyz]

It clicked for Romo in 14 with bad back and all.

Nah I think he was already a stud in 2007. That 2014 Romo was on another level though. He finally had a team.

 

[Rayman70]

I agree rocky
We are just trying to figure out why dak is playing lights out lately

Its the confidence MM has instilled in him, that HC/OC relationship. The comfort level is so high I'm not sure he has ever had that element. As good as Rookie Dak was, he never had the same comfort level with Linehan. This is much different. Even with a loss Sunday, I feel great about this team going forward. Its Mike McCarthy. He has brought a calming effect to the offense. No panic. A belief. MM and his sidekick Shotty, have been exactly what we needed. Kellen Moore has flamed out in San Diego, in short order. Kellen will be back in college in 2 years. I trust MM more than ever. He has the skins on the wall. ANYTHING can happen in the playoffs, even as a wildcard.

 

[SteveTheCowboy]

How has only one person in here stated the obvious?
The Cowboys have beat 8 crap teams, four of those wins being against the absolute bottom of the barrel in the league, the rest being mediocre to bad. The only somewhat decent team the Cowboys have beat was Seattle. I mean, how hard is it to figure out?

Because it's dangerous to say the truth?

 

[RonnieT24]

Because it's dangerous to say the truth?

But it's not the truth. People act as if the Cowboys are the only ones who have played chumps on their schedule. The fact of the matter is the beat downs the Cowboys have put on teams have been largely responsible for some of these teams falling apart. They been makin teams re-evaluate in much the same way the beat down from the 49ers made US re-evaluate. The Cowboys got Frank Reich fired one week and then Jack Del Rio fired the next. These teams are able to stomach "normal" lost but when Dallas runs you out of the stadium and hangs a 40 burger on you heads must roll. It's okay to acknowledge that the Cowboys have been a different, better team over the past 7 games. The 49er games was a wake up call and they took it to heart. I'm not saying they will win every game here on out.. What I am saying is that this team, especially the quarterback, has taken on a new mentality the last 7 weeks. That alone doesn't guarantee victory of course but it does guarantee that they will fight like madmen to win and if the other team isn't absolutely on point (or get a lot of zebra help) we're gonna win. That's what I see from our team right now and I love it.

 

[SteveTheCowboy]

But it's not the truth. People act as if the Cowboys are the only ones who have played chumps on their schedule. The fact of the matter is the beat downs the Cowboys have put on teams have been largely responsible for some of these teams falling apart. They been makin teams re-evaluate in much the same way the beat down from the 49ers made US re-evaluate. The Cowboys got Frank Reich fired one week and then Jack Del Rio fired the next. These teams are able to stomach "normal" lost but when Dallas runs you out of the stadium and hangs a 40 burger on you heads must roll. It's okay to acknowledge that the Cowboys have been a different, better team over the past 7 games. The 49er games was a wake up call and they took it to heart. I'm not saying they will win every game here on out.. What I am saying is that this team, especially the quarterback, has taken on a new mentality the last 7 weeks. That alone doesn't guarantee victory of course but it does guarantee that they will fight like madmen to win and if the other team isn't absolutely on point (or get a lot of zebra help) we're gonna win. That's what I see from our team right now and I love it.

I said sunday i was proud of our team for not folding with seattle. They stood their ground and won the game.

Okay....so lets not play games about records before, during, or since we played opponents. Would you say the remaining opponents (incl. playoffs), will be easier, the same, or more difficult than the last 4-6?

 

[john van brocklin]

Its the confidence MM has instilled in him, that HC/OC relationship. The comfort level is so high I'm not sure he has ever had that element. As good as Rookie Dak was, he never had the same comfort level with Linehan. This is much different. Even with a loss Sunday, I feel great about this team going forward. Its Mike McCarthy. He has brought a calming effect to the offense. No panic. A belief. MM and his sidekick Shotty, have been exactly what we needed. Kellen Moore has flamed out in San Diego, in short order. Kellen will be back in college in 2 years. I trust MM more than ever. He has the skins on the wall. ANYTHING can happen in the playoffs, even as a wildcard.

Interesting take, never thought of that perspective.
Appreciate you sharing.

 

[glimmerman]

He is getting used to how the O-Line is playing. After niners beat down he knew he would have to start using his legs, not just to escape pressure but taking off with the ball…Once he started doing that his game improved. He is now putting more fear in defenses..

 

[DFWJC]

We are playing bottom feeder teams. I would hope he would light them up. He’s been playing great but I just hope he can remain competent under brighter lights. I’m not saying he should light them up but he needs to be zeroed in next week, in Buffalo, and in Miami.

Well, he's playing well no matter how you cut it. But you have a point...

As far as pass defenses go, even the 30th-ranked Philly Pass D is a bottom feeder too....as Purdy's, 149 passer rating and 4 TD passes last night verified. He did that on the road too.

We have 5 games this year vs the 3 worst (rated, anyway). Pass Defenses in the the NFL

 

[CATCH17]

He is playing better this year, but he is literally the best quarterback in the NFL this year. He was still a very good franchise quarterback before this. It’s just that now he’s outplaying all the guys everyone always said he could never play at the level of.

This idea that he was Kirk Cousins or Derek Carr though was always laughable.

No it wasn’t.

The fact you think it’s laughable is laughable.

But you’re a Cowboys fan so I understand why you would not be able to put your bias to the side.

 

[CATCH17]

Because it's dangerous to say the truth?

It’s not the teams.

There is a clear difference in his play.

When he was putting up empty calorie bs stats against these type of teams in the past I called it out.

He is making throws that he normally wouldn’t make, extending plays, and just has a real command of this offense.

Heck the game we lost to Philly he was clearly the best player on the field for both team.


Saying it’s just the teams we are playing is just lazy or not being able to tell the difference in real QB play vs the fools gold we’ve seen in the past.

 

[TWOK11]

No it wasn’t.

The fact you think it’s laughable is laughable.

But you’re a Cowboys fan so I understand why you would not be able to put your bias to the side.

His career QBR in one score games is 10 and 13 points higher than Cousins and Carr, respectively. His career QBR in games against teams who finished .500 or better is 8 and 11 points higher respectively. Those are MASSIVE gaps in production.

 

[OGSixshooter]

This performance surge is not normal. In fact, I can’t think of another QB that had late career surges like this. I give up trying to project QB play. For me it goes back to Wentz vs Dak. I went back and forth on that 10x before Wentz fell off the cliff.

But Dak was no saint then, and until after this years bye week, I saw the same Dak I always have seen since after his rookie year. Consistently inconsistent, game to game and even qtr to qtr. He COULD be awesome, but also COULD be a tragedy at times.

All this time I have assumed Hurts had the ultimate higher ceiling due to youth, and yet Dak has become randomly…consistent. But he’s also randomly….better. ALOT better. Better than he’s ever played, and that makes 0 sense to me at this stage of his career. I keep waiting for his inconsistency to pop out and say hi and it just hasn’t yet.

I know we’ve played some bad teams in that stretch, but he was great against the eagles and the Seahawks (who admittedly played their best game of the season IMHO).

My complaints against Dak have almost all gone sideways. His pocket presence and footwork has improved ALOT, despite not great pass pro. He keeps his eyes downfield. He is balancing using his legs better than I’ve seen since his rookie year. He even throws the ball away ON PURPOSE when he needs to. He’s throwing with anticipation and letting his instincts control his aen and he seems so relaxed doing it. Maybe my only complaint that still has life is his accuracy isn’t always great on every throw, but he’s throwing some dimes lately.

Am I wrong in this? No one can convince me that he was this good all the time. I’m not looking for a Dak worshipper to tell me it was always like this because I know it wasn’t. Even you apologists have to admit it’s on another level right now. But the Dak critics also have to see it.

The guy is absolutely balling. Let’s pray he had some late career eureka moment and that this sticks, cause if so, I’m not worried about QB for a while. Hopefully MVP Dak is here to stay.

I'm no Dak fan, but I was NEVER fooled by people who were bedazzled by Hurts. Why? Steve Young said he figured out QBing when he realized that "making plays doesn't win you games but running the offense does." Jaylon can't run an on-schedule offense without the "brotherly shove". He does make plays...and he does have more "play-making" ability than Dak, but as Rodgers said...the art of QBing is a FINE art. And Hurts can't skip the steps to master that...he has to go through the same transition of staying in the pocket, developing his ability to deliver from the pocket and not on the move...etc...but right now his reflex is to move off script. When he doesn't have a stacked team...that won't work out so well.

One advantage that Purdy has is that he had 50+ starts in college. And he was actually running an offense not being a part-time Tim Tebow. Running the ball is great...but it can slow down the development of a QB's pocket-passing ability. Dak has taken YEARS to develop his craft...and even then...under pressure...he reverts back to some bad habits in the past. Hurts is going to have to go through that same development progression. I mean, he has already drastically improved his accuracy and ball placement...and he throws really well on the run. But there's more to QBing than just "making plays".

 

[CATCH17]

His career QBR in one score games is 10 and 13 points higher than Cousins and Carr, respectively. His career QBR in games against teams who finished .500 or better is 8 and 11 points higher respectively. Those are MASSIVE gaps in production.

lol yeah.. Spout about some numbers..


I’m talking about real football not your geeky numbers.

 

[Chuck 54]

People keep thinking it’s Dak. Dak has always been good. The offensive system wasn’t sustainable, and the play calling was inconsistent. He now is in a system that even the receivers are excited about. There’s accountability and understanding of route combinations and the importance of being somewhere on time. The light didn’t just come on; someone installed the light, and for the first time since Cooper left, gave him a #2. Last year’s number 2 is showing he’s not even a good #3.

Even Noah Brown is having a good year now that he’s in a system that isn’t just predicated on beating the guy covering you.

 

[Wezsh0T]

I dont know - I remember a couple of years ago - 21 season - the first like 7 games he was absolutely ballin', even all the talking heads were saying he was front runner for MVP then we played Denver...

He seems to have gotten better but we all know that "until he does it in the play-offs" mantra will remain til he proves otherwise.

That was right before Dak got injured in 21. Since that time, Dak has played a bit tentatively.

He kind of got knocked around during that SF game before the bye but it seemed like there was a point during game where Dak made up his mind "No more of this conservative stuff prevent injury stuff. I'm just going to play football." Since that time, he's run when he needs to run and seems much more decisive. I think he's finally all the way back from the injury (mentally).

I see two other big improvements: Dak's footwork is better now and he's not sailing passes long because of it. He's also climbing and sliding in the pocket better than I've ever seen him. He used to do the Madden backpedal or run himself into a sack. We've seen very little of that in recent weeks despite getting pressure up the middle and off the right tackle particularly.

 

[DandyDon1722]

This performance surge is not normal. In fact, I can’t think of another QB that had late career surges like this. I give up trying to project QB play. For me it goes back to Wentz vs Dak. I went back and forth on that 10x before Wentz fell off the cliff.

But Dak was no saint then, and until after this years bye week, I saw the same Dak I always have seen since after his rookie year. Consistently inconsistent, game to game and even qtr to qtr. He COULD be awesome, but also COULD be a tragedy at times.

All this time I have assumed Hurts had the ultimate higher ceiling due to youth, and yet Dak has become randomly…consistent. But he’s also randomly….better. ALOT better. Better than he’s ever played, and that makes 0 sense to me at this stage of his career. I keep waiting for his inconsistency to pop out and say hi and it just hasn’t yet.

I know we’ve played some bad teams in that stretch, but he was great against the eagles and the Seahawks (who admittedly played their best game of the season IMHO).

My complaints against Dak have almost all gone sideways. His pocket presence and footwork has improved ALOT, despite not great pass pro. He keeps his eyes downfield. He is balancing using his legs better than I’ve seen since his rookie year. He even throws the ball away ON PURPOSE when he needs to. He’s throwing with anticipation and letting his instincts control his aen and he seems so relaxed doing it. Maybe my only complaint that still has life is his accuracy isn’t always great on every throw, but he’s throwing some dimes lately.

Am I wrong in this? No one can convince me that he was this good all the time. I’m not looking for a Dak worshipper to tell me it was always like this because I know it wasn’t. Even you apologists have to admit it’s on another level right now. But the Dak critics also have to see it.

The guy is absolutely balling. Let’s pray he had some late career eureka moment and that this sticks, cause if so, I’m not worried about QB for a while. Hopefully MVP Dak is here to stay.

Here’s my complaint that has not gone sideways.

If regular season success is your barometer then that’s fine.

If however you are old enough to remember Super Bowls and Championship games then Dak has done nothing to change that narrative. If he does then I agree this year will be extraordinary.

If he doesn’t he’s the same player he’s always been except - Jerry will cripple us with a big extension thereby costing us players Dak desperately needs to win.

So by all means enjoy December but nothing really matters until January.

 

[Rockport]

Because it's dangerous to say the truth?

Always hating….. SMH

 

[Rockport]

Here’s my complaint that has not gone sideways.

If regular season success is your barometer then that’s fine.

If however you are old enough to remember Super Bowls and Championship games then Dak has done nothing to change that narrative. If he does then I agree this year will be extraordinary.

If he doesn’t he’s the same player he’s always been except - Jerry will cripple us with a big extension thereby costing us players Dak desperately needs to win.

So by all means enjoy December but nothing really matters until January.

Don’t have the nads to say you’ve been wrong all these years huh. Expected.

 

[Gorgon]

This performance surge is not normal. In fact, I can’t think of another QB that had late career surges like this. I give up trying to project QB play. For me it goes back to Wentz vs Dak. I went back and forth on that 10x before Wentz fell off the cliff.

But Dak was no saint then, and until after this years bye week, I saw the same Dak I always have seen since after his rookie year. Consistently inconsistent, game to game and even qtr to qtr. He COULD be awesome, but also COULD be a tragedy at times.

All this time I have assumed Hurts had the ultimate higher ceiling due to youth, and yet Dak has become randomly…consistent. But he’s also randomly….better. ALOT better. Better than he’s ever played, and that makes 0 sense to me at this stage of his career. I keep waiting for his inconsistency to pop out and say hi and it just hasn’t yet.

I know we’ve played some bad teams in that stretch, but he was great against the eagles and the Seahawks (who admittedly played their best game of the season IMHO).

My complaints against Dak have almost all gone sideways. His pocket presence and footwork has improved ALOT, despite not great pass pro. He keeps his eyes downfield. He is balancing using his legs better than I’ve seen since his rookie year. He even throws the ball away ON PURPOSE when he needs to. He’s throwing with anticipation and letting his instincts control his aen and he seems so relaxed doing it. Maybe my only complaint that still has life is his accuracy isn’t always great on every throw, but he’s throwing some dimes lately.

Am I wrong in this? No one can convince me that he was this good all the time. I’m not looking for a Dak worshipper to tell me it was always like this because I know it wasn’t. Even you apologists have to admit it’s on another level right now. But the Dak critics also have to see it.

The guy is absolutely balling. Let’s pray he had some late career eureka moment and that this sticks, cause if so, I’m not worried about QB for a while. Hopefully MVP Dak is here to stay.

Well, when Roger took over a little over half way in the 71 season, he went on a tear. Didn't lose a single game. Doing this from memory but I don't think he threw a pick in the post season. Threw at least 3 TDs. Remember, that team ran about 60% of the time, too