What does Dak need to succeed?

[nalam]

Getting in big holes​

While we’ve had some close games in recent memory, some of them have required the Cowboys to pull themselves out of big deficits. Of the team’s eight playoff games over the last 10 years, half of them have consisted of games in which they have trailed by at least 13 points in the second half.

Digging a hole​

YEAR	WEEK	AGAINST	SCENARIO	QUARTER	OUTCOME
2021	WILD CARD	San Francisco 49ers	Down by 13	Early 4th	Lost by 6
2018	DIVISIONAL	Los Angeles Rams	Down by 15	Early 3rd	Lost by 8
2016	DIVISIONAL	Green Bay Packers	Down by 15	Early 4th	Lost by 3
2014	WILD CARD	Detroit Lions	Down by 13	Late 3rd	Won by 4

We can remember the fight that each of these Cowboys squads had in these instances to work themselves back into the game, and against Detroit in 2014, they were able to come back and win, but it’s a tough task to continuously dig themselves out of these holes. Whether it’s being torched by Aaron Rodgers, an inability to stop the run, or slow starts by the offense (which we’ll get to next), the Cowboys have found themselves behind the eight ball too many times.

The offense is sluggish out of the gate​

Do you know what can get you into big holes? Slow starts.


https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/202...-avoid-slow-start-offense-first-half-deficits

The slow starts have a reason. Against good defenses our O scheme took longer to get going, combined with weaker defenses , except last year , we were in a hole by 3rd quarter.

Hopefully that is what Big Mac want to change, if we rely on JG and KM schemes we dont have a chance against good offenses while beating up bad defenses.

 

[CCBoy]

The slow starts have a reason. Against good defenses our O scheme took longer to get going, combined with weaker defenses , except last year , we were in a hole by 3rd quarter.

Hopefully that is what Big Mac want to change, if we rely on JG and KM schemes we dont have a chance against good offenses while beating up bad defenses.

I'm going to enjoy watching this team with who is there and also the coaching staff. Focus is the driving tool to defeat an opponent and maintaining that to the end of season and hungry for nothing less than being the Champion is the deal now. The team is very talented and the offense should be very Dak friendly now if a pounding runner raises his head. The team better start to learn how to answer the opening whistle and last to the final gun of the Super Bowl.

This fan sees a new season, but it presently projects very strongly now!

 

[Flamma]

he had no chance as a rookie to win. no rookie QB has ever been to the superbowl or won it. there is a reason they need seasoning.

I agree with this only partially. Had Dak had this defense in 2016 I think the Cowboys easily get to the SB. In 2016 we had a defense that had to be hidden with ball control offense, and very few turnovers. The primary reason rookie QBs don't get to the super bowl is because the good one's are usually drafted by crap teams. There's a really small sample size of capable rookies going to good teams. Dak was one of them. Purdy was another. That rarely happens. Big Ben was another. But most of the good QBs get drafted to garbage teams. Of course they're not going to get to the SB.

 

[CowboyoWales]

Dak needs a cleaner pocket. Every player in the NFL has a hole in their game. For Dak, he needs to be less harassed when he sets up to throw. There are two components to the offense which would give Dak the needed extra tic to make a decision and throw the ball. A competent running game, and a competent passing game.
Both of these areas are predicated on the offensive line creating running lanes, and protecting in the passing game. One might make the argument the point of launch for the pass plays a crucial aspect. Moving the pocket would aid in Dak's ability to throw unfettered.

Dallas chose a TE who now looks like he may be a red shirt over an offensive lineman. How many years in a row has the left guard been an after thought for this team?

This team will rely on Tyron Smith and Zach Martin. With Smith I believe you can already check the injury box. I still believe in Zach, but in the Tampa game last year he clearly missed a block which prevented a touchdown. When will his Hall-of-Fame skill set slip? Steele will be trying to make a comeback after a knee injury. So someone will be playing out of position.

The big lie is defenses win championships. They do when they have an offense to show up. If Dak is relied on to create with a porous offensive line that cannot open running lanes or protect because that squad was ignored this season, it will be more of the same.

Does this mean it is Dak's fault? If you are wanting a Mahomes create on the fly result, then I suppose you could blame Dak. I'm not suggesting he is faultless. But what I am saying is every player has warts and coaches coach around those weaknesses. Dak can throw for a lot of yards, but he needs a cleaner pocket. Does that make him a spare? No. It makes the brain trust responsible for creating a way to keep Dak out of trouble areas.

Until this team gives him the talent around him to play without constant disturbance, will anyone every really understand what Dak can do and cannot do.

But surely part of that's down to Dak's inability to manoeuvre within the pocket, a standing target's easier to hit.

 

[CCBoy]

But surely part of that's down to Dak's inability to manoeuvre within the pocket, a standing target's easier to hit.

Nope, just a part of the process...remember when a line was composed by cast offs and unknowns and it gave Emmitt holes blowing out defenses and Troy time to set up his throws....the same would work for Dak. It's not just all a crapload by Jerry and Dak.

 

[noshame]

He needs to challenge defenses in the medium to deep routes. That's all there is to it.
Oh, yeah, hes also gotta throw to his wide out if the corner is 12 yd off of him.
If you can't do that you won't last in this league.

 

[DandyDon52]

Dak needs a cleaner pocket. Every player in the NFL has a hole in their game. For Dak, he needs to be less harassed when he sets up to throw. There are two components to the offense which would give Dak the needed extra tic to make a decision and throw the ball. A competent running game, and a competent passing game.
Both of these areas are predicated on the offensive line creating running lanes, and protecting in the passing game. One might make the argument the point of launch for the pass plays a crucial aspect. Moving the pocket would aid in Dak's ability to throw unfettered.

Dallas chose a TE who now looks like he may be a red shirt over an offensive lineman. How many years in a row has the left guard been an after thought for this team?

This team will rely on Tyron Smith and Zach Martin. With Smith I believe you can already check the injury box. I still believe in Zach, but in the Tampa game last year he clearly missed a block which prevented a touchdown. When will his Hall-of-Fame skill set slip? Steele will be trying to make a comeback after a knee injury. So someone will be playing out of position.

The big lie is defenses win championships. They do when they have an offense to show up. If Dak is relied on to create with a porous offensive line that cannot open running lanes or protect because that squad was ignored this season, it will be more of the same.

Does this mean it is Dak's fault? If you are wanting a Mahomes create on the fly result, then I suppose you could blame Dak. I'm not suggesting he is faultless. But what I am saying is every player has warts and coaches coach around those weaknesses. Dak can throw for a lot of yards, but he needs a cleaner pocket. Does that make him a spare? No. It makes the brain trust responsible for creating a way to keep Dak out of trouble areas.

Until this team gives him the talent around him to play without constant disturbance, will anyone every really understand what Dak can do and cannot do.

This is flawed , because what about the games where dak and offense roll up 40 points ?

The teams they play change each week and it is about matchups, and who wins those matchups.

In the playoffs it is the best teams and defenses they are playing, so he is going to have pressure in the pocket.
Last year he looked great against a very weak TB team,(no pressure things go as planned) but next week against SF he looked inept.

What your statement is saying is that he also needs a all pro OL, with depth, and an all pro at RB and TE, as both be good at blocking or providing
escape targets.
Well with all that pretty much any QB could win with all that. Why not roll with grier or rush or any avg qb and spend the 40 mil saved on some all pros
on OL etc.

 

[CCBoy]

This is flawed , because what about the games where dak and offense roll up 40 points ?

The teams they play change each week and it is about matchups, and who wins those matchups.

In the playoffs it is the best teams and defenses they are playing, so he is going to have pressure in the pocket.
Last year he looked great against a very weak TB team,(no pressure things go as planned) but next week against SF he looked inept.

What your statement is saying is that he also needs a all pro OL, with depth, and an all pro at RB and TE, as both be good at blocking or providing
escape targets.
Well with all that pretty much any QB could win with all that. Why not roll with grier or rush or any avg qb and spend the 40 mil saved on some all pros
on OL etc.

Some days, you just find the porta-potty locked...overcome adversity.

 

[CCBoy]

Some days, you just find the porta-potty locked...overcome adversity.

Tyler Smith and Martin at guards could actually become a god send...

 

[baltcowboy]

Wow, Dak loses to the best defense in the NFL after forcing the GOAT into retirement and now he is the 4th/5th best quarterback in the NFC behind Hurts, Mr. Irrelevant, Goff and Geno. The NFL season can’t get here fast enough.

 

[CCBoy]

... But it's also important to consider the context of the Cowboys offense last season. Prescott was expected to carry on producing while relying on Dalton Schultz, Noah Brown and Michael Gallup as the secondary options.

The reality is that the 29-year-old wasn't quite good enough to elevate that kind of supporting cast into an elite passing attack.

That supporting cast should be a lot better this season. Brandin Cooks could be the piece of the puzzle that was missing last season. He's a legitimate field-stretching second receiver who can take some pressure off CeeDee Lamb and give Prescott a legitimate second weapon to find against good secondaries.

Gallup is another year removed from his ACL injury, and Jalen Tolbert could be ready to contribute after a disappointing rookie campaign.
Either way, the Cowboys' passing weapons are going to be better and that's going to help Prescott return to Pro Bowl form.

 

[Momanpr100]

I would not call myself a dak fan boy, and you probably are not going to get people to respond seriously by being derogatory to start with...

However, to answer your question he needs to read the defense better and make better decisions. Additionally he's got to know when to give up on a play and dump it or run for a couple. Far too many times he forces when nothing is there or holds the ball way too long. He doesn't have a cannon but he's got enough to make all the throws.

At 30, the clock is pretty much up for him to get it right but we will see this year since he has one of if not the best set of wrs he has had

I can agree with this, I feel he reads the defense pretty good, but there's times where the defense baits him in thinking it's a blitz and then backs out after the snap. He definitely needs to work on that aspect.

 

[BHendri5]

What he had his first 3yrs a better play caller than he has had the past 4 yrs.

 

[stilltheguru]

This is to the Dak fans. I think 99.9% of the fanbase actively roots for the team over any player which means we are all rooting for Dak to figure it out.

Question is to the fans, what is he missing? Are there any traits or skills that you believe he has that he has not shown or given the chance to show? What gets him over the hump?

Aren't you a Washington fan?

 

[5Stars]

Wow, Dak loses to the best defense in the NFL after forcing the GOAT into retirement and now he is the 4th/5th best quarterback in the NFC behind Hurts, Mr. Irrelevant, Goff and Geno. The NFL season can’t get here fast enough.

lmao...you Dak lovers are insane, forced Brady into retirement? Yeah, Dak can do magic according to some.

Hey, he forced Romo into retirement and he forced Moore to leave, he is just so damn good that there is nobody in the NFL that compares to that! smfh.

@Qcard...hey, come take care of your kids!

 

[KJJ]

This is to the Dak fans. I think 99.9% of the fanbase actively roots for the team over any player which means we are all rooting for Dak to figure it out.

Question is to the fans, what is he missing? Are there any traits or skills that you believe he has that he has not shown or given the chance to show? What gets him over the hump?

There’s a lot of fans who aren’t rooting for him because they want him replaced. What’s missing is a good enough team around him. Too much is being put on him for us to win. The two QBs in Cowboys history that won championships had great teams around them. Those teams had great running games, great defenses and great coaching by a couple of Hall of Fame coaches.

 

[TwoDeep3]

This is flawed , because what about the games where dak and offense roll up 40 points ?

The teams they play change each week and it is about matchups, and who wins those matchups.

In the playoffs it is the best teams and defenses they are playing, so he is going to have pressure in the pocket.
Last year he looked great against a very weak TB team,(no pressure things go as planned) but next week against SF he looked inept.

What your statement is saying is that he also needs a all pro OL, with depth, and an all pro at RB and TE, as both be good at blocking or providing
escape targets.
Well with all that pretty much any QB could win with all that. Why not roll with grier or rush or any avg qb and spend the 40 mil saved on some all pros
on OL etc.

That is exactly the point. When you make time for him he looks and performs great. So explain why Brady looked like a scrub in that same game. Because the defense of Dallas was camped out on his arse all day long.

Because Rush cannot do what dak does.

 

[Rockport]

This is to the Dak fans. I think 99.9% of the fanbase actively roots for the team over any player which means we are all rooting for Dak to figure it out.

Question is to the fans, what is he missing? Are there any traits or skills that you believe he has that he has not shown or given the chance to show? What gets him over the hump?

 

[KJJ]

he had no chance as a rookie to win. no rookie QB has ever been to the superbowl or won it. there is a reason they need seasoning.

He had a chance if we had a defense/pass rush that season.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

He had a chance if we had a defense/pass rush that season.

its really hard for a rookie in the playoffs. it takes experience and lots and lots and lots of support. great coaching. as you go deeper into playoffs, you run into more experienced teams, coaches, players, QBs.