Dallas Cowboys are in trouble

[BlueForever75]

For the life of me I cannot understand what it is that Jerry Jones is doing in Dallas. He refuses to get rid of Garrett who is a total bust. The coach is nothing more then a puppet, and has no clue or set of balz that is needed to be an NFL head coach. Secondly, I do not understand what Linehan the OC is doing with this offense. I do not buy that we do not have the players because we do. But when Beasley does not get a play called for him until there is 4 minutes left in the game there is an issue. He is our possession receiver, which is open 90 % of the time in short crossing pattern routes. But somehow he isn't targeted until 4 min left in the game last night? And lastly, the Dallas offense is too predictable. 90% of first down plays is a run play to Zeke. Defenses know this and crowd the line. Leaving us with a 2nd and long the majority of the time. What this does is allows defenses to blitz on 2nd down and force the oline into mistakes and forcing Prescott to be something he is not.

In short, I am a lifer Cowboys fan of over 35 years. Jerry really needs to make some changes to this coaching staff before he ruins both Dak and Zekes careers. Because this is exactly what this coaching staff is doing to their two best players on offence.

Click to read more...

 

[Troy McClure]

It doesn't matter. None of this matters. Jerry only cares about the team being the most valuable in sports. He cares more about the stadium being booked for big events than he does the standings. He cares more about being in control than he does winning.

As long as Jerry is alive, the Cowboys are going to be a mess. Even if they fire Garrett and Linehan, it's not like any good coach wants this job. Jerry will just find another listless yes man. No coach worth a darn wants to work for an organization where the coach has no say in who is assistant coaches are, what players he has, what players are active, or how he disciples his players. No coach wants to have the owner sit in on coaches meetings.

The only thing you can do as a Cowboys fan is wait for Jerry to die. Even then, you have to hold your breath and hope the kids decide to hire a real GM. Right now, it looks like all Jerry dying would do is see Stephen step into the same role Jerry occupies.

 

[Shockmaster]

But this can't be true! The media keeps telling us they are contenders!

 

[Troy McClure]

But this can't be true! The media keeps telling us they are contenders!

I know Cowboy hate is strong, but no media people had the Cowboys going anywhere this season.

 

[Alex Jones]

Jerry is the only person that thinks the Cowboys are good enough to contend. Two big issues at HC and QB to fix first.

 

[Troy McClure]

Jerry is the only person that thinks the Cowboys are good enough to contend. Two big issues at HC and QB to fix first.

Jerry is already saying Dak will get an extension. So no help there.

 

[m9]

Dak (like every non-elite QB) needs proper coaching to be successful. Get a new coach in there and keep adding pieces on offense and he will be fine.

 

[Gene Parmesan]

Dak (like every non-elite QB) needs proper coaching to be successful. Get a new coach in there and keep adding pieces on offense and he will be fine.

This. The season isn't over for them in an evaluation sense.

 

[Troy McClure]

Dak (like every non-elite QB) needs proper coaching to be successful. Get a new coach in there and keep adding pieces on offense and he will be fine.

See, I don't know how much coaching can help three big problems: (1) Dak's reluctance to run, (2) Dak's accuracy problems, and (3) Dak's reluctance to throw uncontested passes.

Dak's best games come when he runs the ball. You can see it in his QB rating, points scored, win-loss record. When Dak runs, everything about the offense works better. The problem seems to be Dak doesn't want to run. He treats it like the very last resort. For a guy who is actually a very good runner and who sees a lot of team and individual success when he runs, he still plays the game like he's the old timey pocket passing statue. A new coach might call more designed runs and may encourage it more, but that coach will be fighting Dak's desire to stay in the pocket.

There's not much to say about his accuracy. It's just not very good, and you can't really coach accuracy.

Maybe due to his accuracy concerns, Dak does not see pass options unless they are wide wide wide open. Dak can't pinpoint his passes to put a ball where his receiver can make a play even if there is a defender near them. I think he knows that limitation and it affects his decision making. Because he doesn't trust his accuracy he doesn't attempt the kinds of throws good QBs make over and over to get first downs and TDs. Dak's passing game is excessively safe, and it leads to far too many punts.

 

[John Price]

Bill Simmons implies that Jason Garrett has incriminating information on Jones and that is the only reason for his continued employment

 

[m9]

See, I don't know how much coaching can help three big problems: (1) Dak's reluctance to run, (2) Dak's accuracy problems, and (3) Dak's reluctance to throw uncontested passes.

Dak's best games come when he runs the ball. You can see it in his QB rating, points scored, win-loss record. When Dak runs, everything about the offense works better. The problem seems to be Dak doesn't want to run. He treats it like the very last resort. For a guy who is actually a very good runner and who sees a lot of team and individual success when he runs, he still plays the game like he's the old timey pocket passing statue. A new coach might call more designed runs and may encourage it more, but that coach will be fighting Dak's desire to stay in the pocket.

There's not much to say about his accuracy. It's just not very good, and you can't really coach accuracy.

Maybe due to his accuracy concerns, Dak does not see pass options unless they are wide wide wide open. Dak can't pinpoint his passes to put a ball where his receiver can make a play even if there is a defender near them. I think he knows that limitation and it affects his decision making. Because he doesn't trust his accuracy he doesn't attempt the kinds of throws good QBs make over and over to get first downs and TDs. Dak's passing game is excessively safe, and it leads to far too many punts.

1. Accuracy - Agreed. He's never going to be an accurate downfield passer. But, lots of guys have had success without this. This is a weakness, for sure.

2. Not throwing contested passes - This is partially on Dak, but this is something that can be improved. Part of it is on him, part of it is coaching (ie practicing these) and part of it is having talent around Dak. You cannot ask Dak to throw contested passes when the Cowboys have probably the worst group of guys in the league at doing this. Cooper isn't good at this. Gallup can maybe develop into that, but he can't right now. Tavon Austin? Nope. Allen Hurns? Maybe in his rookie season in Jacksonville. Their TE's aren't doing this. So basically you would be asking Dak to throw high-risk passes to players that aren't good in those situations, and that's a bad idea.

3. Dak not running. This year, Dak has increased his runs per game from 3.6 (1st & 2nd years) to 5.2 and is on pace to rush for almost 500 yards. His rushing totals have gone up each year in the league, and each of the last two years he's been in the top 5 of this category. I don't really see this as an issues, unless you want him to get in the Newton range.

 

[tony d]

Yeah they are. Jerry seems to be way to complacent though to make the necessary changes needed to turn things around for that team.

 

[Troy McClure]

3. Dak not running. This year, Dak has increased his runs per game from 3.6 (1st & 2nd years) to 5.2 and is on pace to rush for almost 500 yards. His rushing totals have gone up each year in the league, and each of the last two years he's been in the top 5 of this category. I don't really see this as an issues, unless you want him to get in the Newton range.

But look at those numbers on a game by game basis this year. He's not consistently running the ball each game, but he is consistently productive when he does run. And yeah, I do want to see him run as much as Newton. Dak is a big and solidly built QB, so he can take the physicality of running in ways many other QBs can't. Considering his limitations, it makes no sense not to run him. He needs every edge he can get, so run him.

 

[Gene Parmesan]

You also have to remember that Scott Linehan isn't creative or willing to look outside the box to improve himself. The Cowboys hardly ever throw on first down. They have no seam threats. Nobody that pulls safeties towards the middle to open up shots down the field on the outside. They use very little pre-snap shifts and motion to force a defense to tip it's coverage. It's an archaic system that creates no conflict for opposing defenses.

 

[m9]

But look at those numbers on a game by game basis this year. He's not consistently running the ball each game, but he is consistently productive when he does run. And yeah, I do want to see him run as much as Newton. Dak is a big and solidly built QB, so he can take the physicality of running in ways many other QBs can't. Considering his limitations, it makes no sense not to run him. He needs every edge he can get, so run him.

Again though, if you want him to run as much as Newton or running consistently that all comes down to coaching. Newton has planned runs. Even last night, you see read-option stuff with Mariota and he was able to run. Dallas has never really schemed that much. Scott Linehan uses Dak like he does Dante Culpepper, not like how Cam Newton gets schemed.

 

[Troy McClure]

Again though, if you want him to run as much as Newton or running consistently that all comes down to coaching. Newton has planned runs. Even last night, you see read-option stuff with Mariota and he was able to run. Dallas has never really schemed that much. Scott Linehan uses Dak like he does Dante Culpepper, not like how Cam Newton gets schemed.

But even when the Cowboys call the read option stuff, Dak almost never keeps it. I'm too lazy to go find it, but someone was tracking that going back through last season. RPO is Dak's hands pretty much never sees him run the ball. That goes back to his preference not to run.

 

[BigMac1212]

Sorry for sounds apathetic, but I use this GIF on Twitter, and I just have to use it.

 

[m9]

But even when the Cowboys call the read option stuff, Dak almost never keeps it. I'm too lazy to go find it, but someone was tracking that going back through last season. RPO is Dak's hands pretty much never sees him run the ball. That goes back to his preference not to run.

All that matters is that he makes the correct read, not that he runs it more/less. If he's making the wrong read, then absolutely that's something that needs to be worked on and is a big issue. I have no idea if that's the case, though.

 

[Gene Parmesan]

But even when the Cowboys call the read option stuff, Dak almost never keeps it. I'm too lazy to go find it, but someone was tracking that going back through last season. RPO is Dak's hands pretty much never sees him run the ball. That goes back to his preference not to run.

How many of those are actually zone reads though? Inside zone out of shotgun looks like a zone read but isn't. RPO's generally aren't QB runs. I get you think Dak is garbage because he can't get bums to play above bum level but you are being a bit unfair.

 

[Troy McClure]

How many of those are actually zone reads though? Inside zone out of shotgun looks like a zone read but isn't. RPO's generally aren't QB runs. I get you think Dak is garbage because he can't get bums to play above bum level but you are being a bit unfair.

I think he's a bum among bums. Yeah, the receivers aren't good. Yeah, the TEs aren't good. Yeah, the offense isn't anything different than what you'd pull out of a 1998 playbook. But I watch every one of his snaps, and I don't see a guy playing well but being betrayed by shitty teammates.

This isn't a case of guys dropping balls left and right or running the wrong routes. This isn't about Dak making great throws and being let down by bad skill players. This is a bottom third QB playing with bottom third skill position players. If you want to start going down the list of better QBs, you're going to be surprised how quickly the list grows. He's now well into his third season and has shown no growth as a passer. If anything, he looks worse now that the team is relying on him more than ever.

This season, the Cowboys are 26th in points per game at 19.2. 28th in third down conversion rate at 33%. This isn't all on Dak, but poor QB play is a contributing factor.

 

[m9]

So what would you do with Dak this offseason then? Are you trading him?

Just for some context, my thought on Dak is that he's probably a mid-tier QB (say 15th best) playing like the 20th best this year. I don't think he's playing great or anything. But if we have a game this weekend, I'm still picking him over Smith, Keenum, Carr, Bortles, Manning, whoever the 49ers/Dolphins are starting and all of the rookies. Probably a couple others, too.

 

[Roboturner913]

The thing I'm seeing with Dak is, I don't think he's working through his progressions. Seems like a lot of plays where he's throwing to the primary read and nothing else. Pre-snap reads are one thing but he's not thinking on his feet. At the very least, he's cutting the field in half which was fine for a young QB 10 years ago but in today's game is way too limiting.

But I don't even know how much I can blame him because their pass pro is TERRIBLE. It looks like a line where they just slapped a bunch of first-round picks together and assumed it would work great, that's not how a good offensive line is put together. You have to have some synergy and team chemistry going on, but they're just out there playing one-on-one and it doesn't work, defensive line play is too good anymore.

 

[Voight]

Jones needs to drop the GM gig and go waaaaaaaaaaay outside the organization to hire someone for football ops.

Its a coveted job and he could have his pick of executives, while he stays hands off, collects the cheques and lets the football guys do the football things.

The best is when he said he wanted the make Garrett his Tom Landry..... ignoring the fact that Landry was a 2x champion (hence the job security) and forgetting that he was the one who unceremoniously fired him.

 

[John Price]

 

[c9777666]

To think Scott Linehan was able to get monster seasons out of Daunte Culpepper and Stafford.