Dallas Cowboys: An offensive guru can help Dak
By Dink Kearney
![SEATTLE, WA - SEPTEMBER 23: Quarterback Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys kneels on the ground after being sacked on third down with 47 seconds left against the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field on September 23, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images) SEATTLE, WA - SEPTEMBER 23: Quarterback Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys kneels on the ground after being sacked on third down with 47 seconds left against the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field on September 23, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/cd7d797da37832600c687e8db9c5be99b1f3564eb536a5710a9d8d50edf1edb1.jpg)
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott’s season has been up and down like a roller coaster. But with better coaching and continued development on his mechanics, Dak can improve drastically.
So far this season, the Dallas Cowboys are 3-4, they just lost a key divisional game to the hated Washington Redskins, are on pace to go 8-8 or worse, miss the playoffs for the second year in a row, and are as inconsistent as two-year-old with a crayon and a coloring book.
But what’s even more troubling than the Cowboys been inconsistent, is the development of Dallas’ signal caller Dak Prescott. When it comes to Dak, he’s regressed in some areas and looks nothing like the rookie sensation of 2016.
But at the same time, Dak shows flashes of the quarterback who won ROY (Rookie of the Year) during his rookie season.
From former NFL players to the talking heads of ESPN, Dak is either a below average backup quarterback or a franchise quarterback who needs better coaching and an improved supporting cast to be a legitimate franchise quarterback.
I’ll tell you what Dak needs.
Dak needs an offensive minded, quarterback guru who can develop his skill set, maximize his strengths, reduce/eliminate his weaknesses, and provide a system that fits his talents.
Period.
For full disclosure, I’ll like to go on record and say Dak has issues with his accuracy, at times ball placements, and he struggles with zone coverage. Those are flaws that need to be fixed and can be corrected with the proper coaching.
Although Dak has his issues as a starting quarterback, however, he’s not a scrub, a bust (how can he be? he’s a fourth rounder) and a loser. Those are the sentiments that spew out of the mouths of Cowboys fans on social media whenever the Cowboys lose a game.
Best believe that Dak is at the center of the controversy, even when there is enough blame to be spread around.
Just like when the Cowboys whipped the Jacksonville Jaguars to the tune of 40-7, praises were heaped onto Dak like he saved the world from an alien attack. Dak played magnificently in that game, completing 17 of 27 passes for 183 yards and two touchdowns.
But when the Cowboys lost to the Skins in dramatic fashion, the blame shifted back to Dak’s overall play and for losing two costly fumbles. Dak’s last fumble was picked up by Skins’ defensive lineman Preston Smith for an easy touchdown that would come back to haunt Dallas.
Besides the costly turnovers, Dak threw for a season-high 273 yards, a touchdown, and ran for another. Dak drove the length of the field to put the Cowboys in field goal range and give his team the opportunity to tie the game.
Well, we all know about the controversial penalty that contributed to Dallas missing a game-tying field goal and losing the game.
See, if Dak had an offensive-minded head coach like Los Angles Rams coach Sean McVay, he’d be a well-polished quarterback in his third year and would be well above the learning curve.
His counterpart, Rams quarterback Jared Goff, is light years ahead of Dak since McVay’s arrival.
Before McVay’s arrival, Goff played under former defensive-minded head coach Jeff Fisher and John Fassel and looked as bad or worse than former Dallas’ backup quarterbacks Brandon Weeden and Matt Cassel.
In fact, Goff looked way worse than those impostors, and Goff was the number overall pick in the 2016 draft.
In Goff’s rookie year, the former number one pick went 0-7, threw for five touchdowns, seven interceptions, averaged 155.6 yards, completed 54.6 of his passes, and had a QBR (quarterback rating) of 63.6.
Upon McVay’s arrival, Goff threw for 3804 yards, 28 touchdowns, seven interceptions, averaged 253 yards a game, and boasted a quarterback rating of 100.5, won the NFC West and led the Rams to the playoffs.
This season Goff has thrown for 2130 yards, 14 touchdowns, five ints, completed 69.7 percent of his passes, averages 304. yards a game, and has a QBR of 112.7. Oh, and before I forget, the Rams are 7-0 and the favorites to win the Super Bowl.
Goff went from being a bust to the possibility of winning league MVP and hoisting the Lombardi trophy. That’s because the Rams front office did its due diligence and hired a young, fresh, and highly motivated offensive guru to help its franchise quarterback. That simple.
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Imagine if head coach Jason Garrett and offensive coordinator Scott Linehan developed Dak in the same manner! Not only would Dak be on Goff’s level (or close to it), but Dallas would certainly be on a clear path to make the playoffs on a consistent basis. Also, they’d have their franchise quarterback, too.
Dak has the potential to be a better quarterback than what he’s shown over the last year and a half. Do yall remember his rookie season? Dak performed beyond expectations as Garrett and Linehan stood pat on the sidelines with their bland offense.
I wholeheartedly believe Dak is closer to the phenomenal rookie sensation we witnessed in 2016 versus the one we’re witnessing in 2018.
In other words, Dak will only perform at a certain level because of his coaches stunting his growth. It’s impossible for Dak to grow, develop, and progress when nobody is there to upgrade him in crucial areas as a signal caller.
Why is Dak holding onto the ball too long? Why is his ball placement still an issue? Why don’t Linehan use more RPO (run-pass-option)? These are legit questions that an offensive minded guru can fix and scheme to benefit Dak.
If you need more proof of the importance of an offensive guru, look no further than Dallas’ own Hall of Famer Troy Aikman.
The Hall of Famer gives credit to former Dallas offensive coordinator Norv Turner for turning around his NFL career and making him a better quarterback. Aikman says Turner made him a Pro Bowl quarterback and is the primary reason he won three Super Bowls and is a Hall of Famer.
Next. Dallas Cowboys: Zone Coverage is Dak's Kryptonite. dark
Former Dallas head coach Jimmy Johnson knew the importance of having a quarterback guru to develop Aikman, and it paid off big time.
And if Dallas wants the same success for Dak, it better find its offensive guru sooner than later. Or there will be some dark days in Big D.
- Published on 10/25/2018 at 22:00 PM
- Last updated at 10/25/2018 at 07:47 AM