Why does the offense get a free pass?

[CATCH17]

There's one guy on the roster earning his money right now - Dak Prescott. I'll find a way to get rid of anyone else I have to before I get to him.

He's the sole reason why this team isn't terrible and winless. And I'm not dumb enough to want to lose that one guy. Get over your anger over how much all of the top quarterbacks make because you're not changing the market. It's irrational.

That’s the trap we are in..

He’s playing good but he isn’t 40 million good and we have to cave to his demands and watch our team suffer because of it.

We didn’t learn from Romo and I guess you guys with Rockport mentality think we will pay the QB and win a championship even though that method works for nobody in this league and it takes years to recover from their contracts for the most part..


As good as Seattle and Russel Wilson are their downfall is still going to be that trash defense and will stop them from ever realistically winning anything.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

Interesting. Had to see how we compared to the league to determine if this was good or bad. Here are our rankings in points per quarter:

1st quarter: Tie 14th with 1 other team
2nd quarter: Tie 12th with 5 other teams
3rd quarter: Tie 6th with 2 other teams
4th quarter: Tie for 1st with Chicago

Data can be found here: https://www.teamrankings.com/nfl/stat/1st-quarter-points-per-game

there is nothing like facts to dismantle a perception.

checking out the defense, we are bottom of the league fin scoring defense in the first quarter. similarly in 2nd quarter we are a little better, 31st. 25th in 3rd and jump up to respectable in 4th.

simply put we are playing from behind because of defensive incompetence. .

 

[PAPPYDOG]

We are all well aware of the defensive struggles, but to be fair the defense is learning a brand new scheme, has many new starters, along with an abundance of injuries across the board.

The offense was kept pretty much the same. Same scheme, same playcaller, basically the same personnel, but they did add a legitimate top 10 talent at WR. Yes, this unit also has had it's share of injuries, but all the playmakers have yet to miss a single start.

This offense is pretty much getting the same results. Start off slow on a consistent basis, always playing from behind chasing the scoreboard. The team is -7 in turnovers and the offense is 31st in time of possession. This is the exact opposite way to protect a poor defense and is impossible way to be successful.

This league is a bottom line business, it's about winning. This team has been terrible in one score games since last season. Garbage time stats mean nothing, when the team is losing games. This unit is littered by 1st rd picks across the board, why are they getting a free pass?

Because there great Garbage men.....

 

[Aviano90]

there is nothing like facts to dismantle a perception.

I wonder what the defensive stats would be.....

Oh, they are there and they are ugly. LOL

Here is a link to the first quarter rankings: https://www.teamrankings.com/nfl/stat/opp-1st-quarter-points-per-game

You can go up to more stats and just switch quarters to get 2nd-4th.

 

[jaythecowboy]

In other words, they can never get off the field. Even when it's close as in 3rd and a mile, guess what happens? lol

When Jaylon Smith got a face mask on a useless gang tackle I lost all hope for the season.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

Oh, they are there and they are ugly. LOL

Here is a link to the first quarter rankings: https://www.teamrankings.com/nfl/stat/opp-1st-quarter-points-per-game

You can go up to more stats and just switch quarters to get 2nd-4th.

I checked it out
1st quarter: 32nd
2nd quarter: 31st
3rd quarter: 25th
4th quarter: 8th,

but by then the team is playing from behind and the other team is playing prevent offense to kill the clock.

 

[Stash]

That’s the trap we are in..

He’s playing good but he isn’t 40 million good and we have to cave to his demands and watch our team suffer because of it.

Our team is already suffering. And not because we're paying Prescott $31 million. He's the one guy doing his job.

We didn’t learn from Romo and I guess you guys with Rockport mentality think we will pay the QB and win a championship even though that method works for nobody in this league and it takes years to recover from their contracts for the most part..

I'm watching undefeated team after undefeated team with the highest paid quarterbacks in the league.

1. Kansas City
2. Green Bay
3. Seattle
4. Pittsburgh

Check your own "mentality" before you go questioning others'.

As good as Seattle and Russel Wilson are their downfall is still going to be that trash defense and will stop them from ever realistically winning anything.

Tell us about it if it happens, right now, you've got nothing.

 

[jaythecowboy]

Here are some interesting stats about Dak Prescott and the offensive approach:


Dak Prescott Passing by Quarter

1st 27 of 40 67.5% Comp % 370 Yards 2 TD's 0 Int's

2nd 29 of 35 82.9% Comp % 333 Yards 2 TD's 1 Int

3rd 24 of 38 63.2% Comp % 356 Yards 1 TD 0 Int's

4th 57 of 88 64.8% Comp % 631 Yards 4 TD's 2 Int's


You can see based on stats that the Dallas offense is amassing a lot of passing yards in the 4th quarter simply because the offense is not performing early on thereby putting a lot of pressure on the Dallas defense.


To further this point, here is a breakdown of scoring by Dallas per quarter:

1st 23

2nd 30

3rd 24

4th 49


Opponents scoring per quarter:

1st 42

2nd 53

3rd 24

4th 26

The bulk of Dallas' offensive scoring takes place in the 4th quarter because games have gotten away from them and by then opposing defenses are sitting back more which allows for the scores.



The last stat that is somewhat interesting is Ezekiel Elliott's carries and yards per carry based on quarter:

1st 20 carries 51 yards 2.5 ypc 1 TD

2nd 18 carries 90 yards 5.0 ypc 2 TD's

3rd 17 carries 68 yards 4.0 ypc

4th 15 carries 64 yards 4.3 ypc


Zeke, much like the passing game, simply does not get going in the 1st quarter and Dallas begins to slowly but surely abandon the running game as the game goes on.

You could also look at those stats and come to the conclusion that the defense can't do anything till the opposing offense shells up because they already have have a huge lead.

 

[Stash]

Yards have come when teams are playing prevent defense, hoping that they take time off the clock.

Again, not true. Go look up the actual stats.

 

[Jake]

We are all well aware of the defensive struggles, but to be fair the defense is learning a brand new scheme, has many new starters, along with an abundance of injuries across the board.

The offense was kept pretty much the same. Same scheme, same playcaller, basically the same personnel, but they did add a legitimate top 10 talent at WR. Yes, this unit also has had it's share of injuries, but all the playmakers have yet to miss a single start.

This offense is pretty much getting the same results. Start off slow on a consistent basis, always playing from behind chasing the scoreboard. The team is -7 in turnovers and the offense is 31st in time of possession. This is the exact opposite way to protect a poor defense and is impossible way to be successful.

This league is a bottom line business, it's about winning. This team has been terrible in one score games since last season. Garbage time stats mean nothing, when the team is losing games. This unit is littered by 1st rd picks across the board, why are they getting a free pass?

Where are they getting a free pass? They get blamed for not outscoring their own defense. Offense has been sloppy but they score points. Defense can't stop the run or the pass. I'd like to see them figure out one of them, at least.

 

[Jake]

Because the box score nerds who are biased towards Dak and want him to sink us into mediocrity with his contract just look at how well they do after the game has gotten out of hand and the defense loosens up.

As opposed to the sufferers of Dak Derangement Syndrome who have decided that anything Dak does will never be good enough?

Objectivity is in very short supply here.

 

[SumGuy]

Here’s our drives during CLE’s 34-0 run:

*3 plays, 1:44, turnover at own 34
*1 play, 0:00, turnover at own 25
*7 plays, 3:20, punt
*3 plays, 1:07, punt
*9 plays, 2:24, turnover on downs.

So in the 29:21 where CLE was on a 34-0 run, our offense had 23 plays, 8:35 in possession, 3 turnovers, with two on short fields, and 0 points. How is that not contributing to the loss? Bash the D all you want. They deserve it. But the offense is where most of our money is spent and that’s what you get for literally 50% of the game at home in perfect conditions. 23 plays, 8:35, 3 turnovers, 0 points. The offense is culpable for some of the points scored by turning it over on our side of the 50. They are culpable for having virtually no T.O.P.; and then of course for not scoring.

Yes exactly. I don't think any reasonable person is "giving the offense a pass". The offense had as much to do with us falling behind as the defense. 5 series resulting in 3 turnovers and no scores is as much to blame. The Browns can't go on a 34-0 run without being completely inept on both sides of the ball.

 

[CATCH17]

As opposed to the sufferers of Dak Derangement Syndrome who have decided that anything Dak does will never be good enough?

Objectivity is in very short supply here.

He’s good.. He just can’t overcome that contract.. We need a beast team with him.

A Seattle Seahawk level of a team would never be enough.

 

[Aviano90]

Yes exactly. I don't think any reasonable person is "giving the offense a pass". The offense had as much to do with us falling behind as the defense. 5 series resulting in 3 turnovers and no scores is as much to blame. The Browns can't go on a 34-0 run without being completely inept on both sides of the ball.

Any time the offense doesn't outscore the other team, they can technically be as much to blame. But we also have to be somewhat reasonable as to what is closer to the norms. An offense not scoring on the majority of their possessions isn't nearly as abnormal as a defense allowing scores on the majority of their possessions. Example, the last 2 games the KC Chiefs have done the following on offense to start games:

• Chargers - KC scored 6 points on their first 6 possessions (TD on 4th possession and blocked PAT)
• Patriots - KC scored 6 points on their first 6 possessions ( 2 FGs)

If the Chiefs had our defense they would be playing garbage time instead of winning both of those games.

Turnovers definitely hurt your own defense and help the other offense, but even with the turnovers, our defense can't allow scores on almost very possession. It is abnormal. Offenses just can't be expected to play mistake free football. It would be like asking our defense to go pitch shutouts every week in order to win games. It's just not going to happen.

Same thing occurred in 2013 like the Denver game. 2 turnovers gave Denver 10 points. But the defense couldn't get a stop to save their life. Against GB in the 2nd half of 2013, the defense just didn't seem like they were on the field and the offense had 2 turnovers to end the game (the first allowing GB a short field to take the field). But when the offense puts up so many points, it's not unreasonable to expect the defense to do their part and make a few stops to prevent games from becoming out of reach.

 

[Aviano90]

He’s good.. He just can’t overcome that contract.. We need a beast team with him.

A Seattle Seahawk level of a team would never be enough.

You focus too much on contracts. If you don't pay Dak, who do you pay? I guarantee you whoever it is we would be saying they are overpaid. We already do it with the players we pay right now.

 

[SumGuy]

Any time the offense doesn't outscore the other team, they can technically be as much to blame. But we also have to be somewhat reasonable as to what is closer to the norms. An offense not scoring on the majority of their possessions isn't nearly as abnormal as a defense allowing scores on the majority of their possessions. Example, the last 2 games the KC Chiefs have done the following on offense to start games:

• Chargers - KC scored 6 points on their first 6 possessions (TD on 4th possession and blocked PAT)
• Patriots - KC scored 6 points on their first 6 possessions ( 2 FGs)

If the Chiefs had our defense they would be playing garbage time instead of winning both of those games.

Turnovers definitely hurt your own defense and help the other offense, but even with the turnovers, our defense can't allow scores on almost very possession. It is abnormal. Offenses just can't be expected to play mistake free football. It would be like asking our defense to go pitch shutouts every week in order to win games. It's just not going to happen.

Same thing occurred in 2013 like the Denver game. 2 turnovers gave Denver 10 points. But the defense couldn't get a stop to save their life. Against GB in the 2nd half of 2013, the defense just didn't seem like they were on the field and the offense had 2 turnovers to end the game (the first allowing GB a short field to take the field). But when the offense puts up so many points, it's not unreasonable to expect the defense to do their part and make a few stops to prevent games from becoming out of reach.

Agreed, that's why I said both sides are culpable. Now if you want to talk about which side is more culpable, that's a different story. But when the offense is shutout for two straight quarters by a bad Browns defense, I don't think anyone should be getting a pass.

 

[gjkoeppen]

We are all well aware of the defensive struggles, but to be fair the defense is learning a brand new scheme, has many new starters, along with an abundance of injuries across the board.

The offense was kept pretty much the same. Same scheme, same playcaller, basically the same personnel, but they did add a legitimate top 10 talent at WR. Yes, this unit also has had it's share of injuries, but all the playmakers have yet to miss a single start.

This offense is pretty much getting the same results. Start off slow on a consistent basis, always playing from behind chasing the scoreboard. The team is -7 in turnovers and the offense is 31st in time of possession. This is the exact opposite way to protect a poor defense and is impossible way to be successful.

This league is a bottom line business, it's about winning. This team has been terrible in one score games since last season. Garbage time stats mean nothing, when the team is losing games. This unit is littered by 1st rd picks across the board, why are they getting a free pass?

Here's what you omitted. The 2016 offensive line made it possible to be a run first team chewing up the clock and moving the ball. This line isn't anywhere remotely as good and then Elliott this season has been turning the ball over. Until last week against the browns Elliott's longest run was 8 yards and then against the browns he got off a 24 yard run BUT also turned the ball over. You say the offense doesn't do anything early yet against the browns they had a 41-7 lead until the very next browns possession when they made it 14-14 and then a fumble by Prescott who got the ball ripped out of his hands, the browns went up 21-14. Not that fumble when a cowboy rips the ball out of a player's hands we say it was a good play but when it happens to Prescott it's all his fault. Not every team scores on long time consuming drives. Believe it or not other teams do have to use their punters and when other teams punt their defenses don't let the other team's offense go on long time consuming scoring drives most of the time.

The long and the short of it is the running game for most of this season has been nothing and continuing to go nowhere running and having to punt is just making the defense play that much more.
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[Jarntt]

Hmmm...If I had to guess why the Offense is getting a pass I'd have to say it's because they are ranked 1st in the NFL and the defense is ranked down around last. It's not rocket science.

That doesn't mean the Offense is perfect and doesn't need to be better with ball security as well as some other things, but come on. How can this even be a discussion...

 

[DandyDon52]

We are all well aware of the defensive struggles, but to be fair the defense is learning a brand new scheme, has many new starters, along with an abundance of injuries across the board.

The offense was kept pretty much the same. Same scheme, same playcaller, basically the same personnel, but they did add a legitimate top 10 talent at WR. Yes, this unit also has had it's share of injuries, but all the playmakers have yet to miss a single start.

This offense is pretty much getting the same results. Start off slow on a consistent basis, always playing from behind chasing the scoreboard. The team is -7 in turnovers and the offense is 31st in time of possession. This is the exact opposite way to protect a poor defense and is impossible way to be successful.

This league is a bottom line business, it's about winning. This team has been terrible in one score games since last season. Garbage time stats mean nothing, when the team is losing games. This unit is littered by 1st rd picks across the board, why are they getting a free pass?

Great post, but most here wont understand what your saying, I read the posts after this, and excuses galore, the defense is main culprit lol.

Most people dont understand TOP and what that does if your bad or good in that area.
Dallas is 31? that is awful lol and this directly means the defense is out on the field way too much and no rest.
People love quick scores, but they can have same effect as a 3 and out on a defense, right back out there after a minute or 2 of rest.
The turnovers also put defense, right back out there, defending a short field.
As for balance , kellen had no intention of a balanced attack in any of the games, he wants to have a mostly air attack, I now
call it Air Kellen lol. The game plan has been to pass pass pass. That is what boy genius wanted and MM seemed to be behind him on it,
which surprised me.

The reason for the pass for most, is the offense is what the avg fan focuses on, they like the passes, mainly long passes, and pass td's.
Then with Dak passing for 500 yds, 5 tds, they love that. They ignore all the other details and just focus on that.
So to them all they see is dak is great, the offense is great, shame on them for the turnovers lol but that is minor
and the whole problem is the defense.

Now that said Nolan is a moron, a square peg into a round hole guy, so sure the defense isnt too good, but if our offense were more balanced
as you say and could do some long drives, and score at end, then that would help the defense.
But I am afraid Nolan is going to keep the defense bad as long as he is in charge, I think players have quit on him,so
I think defense continues to be a problem until they put someone else in charge who can design a defense for the players we have.

The team will win some games but will continue to lose games against good teams, as long as they continue Air Kellen offense.

 

[Cowboyny]

Here's what you omitted. The 2016 offensive line made it possible to be a run first team chewing up the clock and moving the ball. This line isn't anywhere remotely as good and then Elliott this season has been turning the ball over. Until last week against the browns Elliott's longest run was 8 yards and then against the browns he got off a 24 yard run BUT also turned the ball over. You say the offense doesn't do anything early yet against the browns they had a 41-7 lead until the very next browns possession when they made it 14-14 and then a fumble by Prescott who got the ball ripped out of his hands, the browns went up 21-14. Not that fumble when a cowboy rips the ball out of a player's hands we say it was a good play but when it happens to Prescott it's all his fault. Not every team scores on long time consuming drives. Believe it or not other teams do have to use their punters and when other teams punt their defenses don't let the other team's offense go on long time consuming scoring drives most of the time.

The long and the short of it is the running game for most of this season has been nothing and continuing to go nowhere running and having to punt is just making the defense play that much more.
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In my opinion, this offense is becoming somewhat like a Chip Kelly Offense. Fast tempo that leads to quick points, but also causes quick, three and outs. For a defense that is really struggling, without much depth, they are asked to defend way too much.