Twitter: WR coach Sanjay Lal: Being able to hit those deep balls in games is going to change everything

[cern]

Oh the popcorn is for the passing game, not for the thread.

Looking forward toward camp to see how all this plays out, but all seems toward the upside.

it's been just over 20 years since I've been this excited about the possibilities. just two more changes to our coaching staff and we'll be on our way. (won't mention names. the more astute among us know who they are)

 

[cern]

For the first time in a very long time the Cowboys have the WR corps to play the new version of the old Raider ball. That was as good a vertical passing game as I've seen.

the only change will be we can't use the copious amounts of stickum like Oakland used to do. the ball only had to touch the jersey and it was a completion.

 

[CouchCoach]

Dak is going to miss a lot of deep throws. He runs around, throws off 1 foot, throws off the other, and doesn’t always follow through.

The way he plays helps him in some situations and hurts him in others.

He will be better next year with deep throws and the passing game in general, but I think there will be big misses too

Hopefully, he can get better with trajectory. That's what made Russell Wilson so much better, he changed that flat pass to a looping one and now throws the best deep ball in the league. The angle of his deep ball makes it indefensible without interference.

Prescott needs to take a page from the Mad Bombers' game and learn that it's not about hitting the WR as much as letting him run to it.

 

[jazzcat22]

Dak is going to miss a lot of deep throws. He runs around, throws off 1 foot, throws off the other, and doesn’t always follow through.

The way he plays helps him in some situations and hurts him in others.

He will be better next year with deep throws and the passing game in general, but I think there will be big misses too

Yes should be better, but will still be misses.
As ALL QB's miss throws also. Look at all the comments, which most were meant as jokes in non Cowboys game threads. When Rodgers or Brady, or Goff and especially Wentz, as they missed easy passes. Comments were made about those throws and misses, joking because many Dallas fans were always commenting on Dak's missed throws.

I think this is where Kitna helps Dak with making those throws now. Helps with his mechanics so he doesn't throw off one foot, sets and plants then throws. Of course can't always have time to do that, but should be better. Not every throw will be perfect, as there will still be misses, but just less misses, hopefully.

 

[CouchCoach]

the only change will be we can't use the copious amounts of stickum like Oakland used to do. the ball only had to touch the jersey and it was a completion.

The gloves they allow these guys to use are as effective as the stickum but it was more of the DB's using that in OAK than the WR's back then. Lester "Hands Like Glue" Hayes. He looked like the tar baby from Brer Rabbit at the end of a game. No one would high five him for fear of having to get a crowbar to separate them.

 

[G2]

Hopefully the O line is solid in pass protection to have time to throw deep more often.

 

[cern]

Hopefully the O line is solid in pass protection to have time to throw deep more often.

barring injuries, the o-line should be the best it's been in years. solid group of starters. solid group of backups.

 

[visionary]

Here is what you need to do as a QB to make the deep throws to WR in stride:

Read the defense
Anticipate where the receiver WILL BE
Step up in the pocket
Set your feet
Drive off your front foot

Yeah
Good luck

 

[jazzcat22]

Here is what you need to do as a QB to make the deep throws to WR in stride:

Read the defense
Anticipate where the receiver WILL BE
Step up in the pocket
Set your feet
Drive off your front foot

Yeah
Good luck

Why are you wishing good luck to Wentz. I mean that is who you just described to me.

 

[cern]

Why are you wishing good luck to Wentz. I mean that is who you just described to me.

I got lost on the drive off your front foot thing. that only works if you're going backwards.

 

[TwentyOne]

He didnt say that, did he ?

Thats blasphemia! Dak can hit the deep ball!!!! That aint the problem.

Cut this lazy MO.....OH no i didnt write this.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Yeah is was a pick your poison proposition for defense. You had to focus on Emmitt or he would run over you all day but as soon as you started keying on him you had Aikman/Irvin and other weapons you had to contend with. In my view this approach can still work but Dallas along with Dak has to do a better job of making defense pay for cheating up on the run. If he can do this than this offense will reach a whole new level of effectiveness

Gotta have a trigger man who can get it done Dooms. 100% right, right there. When Dak can do that, then he's worth the 30 Million everybody wants to give him now.

 

[ondaedg]

Sanjay is right but every Cowboys fan who knows even the slightest bit about football was saying this 9 months ago. If a db isn't scared he is winning all day long. Fear is what puts them on their heels .

 

[Cowpolk]

For the first time in a very long time the Cowboys have the WR corps to play the new version of the old Raider ball. That was as good a vertical passing game as I've seen.

Can we bring the snake in to camp

 

[TwistedL0g1k]

This has always been the question mark with Dak. Deep accuracy. Opposing defenses need to truly fear the deep threat. It requires a lot more than attempting one go route per half. If the Cowboys can really spread out the opposing defense and force them to back off, then the team will be a real contender! Until that actual fear is instilled in the opponents, expect them to continue to skew toward the box, and dare Dak to beat them deep.

 

[CouchCoach]

Can we bring the snake in to camp

Better to bring Daryle Lamonica in. He's the reason I became a Raiders fan. I remember an interview with Crazy Al when he was asked why he kept getting all of these speed WR's. He said "I'm just trying to find one that Daryle can't overthrow". Which reminded me of Aikman's line when he got Galloway, he said he couldn't overthrow him, he was that fast.

 

[TonyS]

This has always been the question mark with Dak. Deep accuracy. Opposing defenses need to truly fear the deep threat. It requires a lot more than attempting one go route per half. If the Cowboys can really spread out the opposing defense and force them to back off, then the team will be a real contender! Until that actual fear is instilled in the opponents, expect them to continue to skew toward the box, and dare Dak to beat them deep.

True, this article indicates that Dak has the lowest on-target percentage (12 of 30 = 40%) of passes greater than 20 yards in the league during the regular season. Brees was first with 59.5% on-target. 30 attempts for Dak is also lower middle of the pack. Flip side is he only had 8 ints in 2018, as he is making fewer what is perceived as lower risk throws. Protecting the ball is as important as making a big pass must be his mantra, and who can blame him. Mahomes, on the other hand, had 62 attempts of 20+ yards (43.5% on-target percentage). Talk about taking shots down field and making opposing DBs respect the deep ball, wow! We'll see how Mahomes does this year with potentially fewer proven weapons...

 

[Toruk_Makto]

Dak actually hits the deep ball with good efficiency. The issue is he does so with low frequency and usually only when a player breaks wide open.

We lack the ability to impose our will deep which actually influences behavior pre snap in the front 7 and secondary alike.

It'd be nice if the deep ball was something opponents feared and game-planned to take away.

 

[percyhoward]

Prescott 2018 (regular + postseason)
20+yard targets
22 of 60 861 yd 8 td 1 int 117.4

Counting drops as completions, Prescott's accuracy % was 38.1%, which is about the league average (38.5%) at this distance. But because of his 8 td/1 int ratio (league average is 4.8/2.6), his passer rating on deep throws (117.4) was well above average (76.3).

Gallup 7 of 20 250 yd 1 td 0 int 100.0
Cooper 5 of 14 447 yd 3 td 1 int 93.8
Hurns 1 of 6 49 yd 0 td 0 int 61.1
Jarwin 3 of 5 88 yd 2 td 0 int 143.7
Beasley 2 of 5 53 yd 1 td 0 int 119.1
Austin 2 of 4 108 yd 1 td 0 int 115.4
Gathers 1 of 2 32 yd 0 td 0 int
Elliott 1 of 1 34 yd 0 td 0 int
Brown 0 of 1
Thompson 0 of 1
Butler 0 of 1

Regular Season Only
1-11: avg 88.6 (HI Wilson 128.1 LO Darnold 42.3)
12-22: avg 92.4 (HI Brees 128.6 LO Winston 64.1)
23-32: avg 88.3 (HI Prescott 115.7 LO Newton 52.1)

Above are three groups of QB sorted by 20+yard attempts as a percentage of their total attempts. The ones who threw deep the most averaged about the same passer rating as those who threw deep the least, while the ones in the middle averaged a slightly higher rating. Prescott ranked 23rd in % of throws that were deep throws, but his passer rating (115.7) was much higher than the average of the 10 QB in his group (88.3), even though he threw deep more often than any of them.

 

[CATCH17]

Here is what you need to do as a QB to make the deep throws to WR in stride:

Read the defense
Anticipate where the receiver WILL BE
Step up in the pocket
Set your feet
Drive off your front foot

Yeah
Good luck

The deep ball is about the easiest throw an NFL QB can make.

I think because it looks amazing people think it is some difficult throw which it is not.