2016 Cowboys: Giddyup for Elliot
- Thread starter Trlicek's Whip
- Start date
There's a world of difference between "winnable" and "won". Especially when the equation includes AJ Green and the Dallas defense. That defense has a tendency to make average QBs look otherworldly, which Andy Dalton is certainly capable of doing against such a terrible pass defense. Were I a betting man, I would not bet a penny on the Cowboys in that game.A home game against a mediocre Bengals team is absolutely winnable. I expect the Cowboys to win that one and lose in Lambeau. And if Dez doesn't play, they may be able to win in Lambeau as well
Also, I see what you did there.
The early line opened at PK and I expect it to stay really close all week - maybe 1.5 at the most. The Bengals have been excellent against the run since Week 1 (when they were in nickel the entire game) but I expect to be gashed by Witten and they've had some bad breakdowns in the secondary which doesn't even require Dez to beat.
They are lucky to have Leary as the backup. He'd probably be starting on any other team, and of course he was the starter in 2014 when Murray ran wild. The line has been pretty deep the past few years. They had Parnell as a backup too before he got that big contract in Jacksonville.
It's lucky they didn't trade him, like he wanted them to. Looks like someone in that organization has finally learned that depth on the offensive line is of upmost importance.
Speaking of depth, that Chaz Green pick last year is looking like the height of genius right now. Sure would love to see him get a chance to push Doug Free for the starting job at right tackle when Smith returns.
Speaking of depth, that Chaz Green pick last year is looking like the height of genius right now. Sure would love to see him get a chance to push Doug Free for the starting job at right tackle when Smith returns.
For the first three quarters yesterday, before the predictable fourth quarter letdown, I thought that was about as good as this team can possibly play. They even managed to get heat on the QB all day, which was stunning, and Terrance Williams looked halfway decent.
However, I assume Romo-related distractions and shenanigans are about to kick into full gear, plus a trip to GB, so we'll see how the kids respond.
However, I assume Romo-related distractions and shenanigans are about to kick into full gear, plus a trip to GB, so we'll see how the kids respond.
That's not at all how I interpreted what happened in the 4th quarter. Yes, they scored two touchdowns but the defense caused them to die the death of a thousand papercuts on their second TD drive. Rather than scoring quickly and having enough clock left for a last-gasp attempt at salvaging the game, they scored with under three minutes left and no prayer, had they even recovered the onside kick.
Terrance Williams, despite his terrific game, continues to make stupid decisions at every turn. On the Prescott fumble, he had a clear shot at recovering the fumble but, rather than falling on the ball, he decided to try to pick up the ball and run with it while he had a defender on his back. The guy is simply incapable of making good decisions.
I hate that people are making me side with Jerry Jones. Yes, Prescott's success thus far gives them a little more leeway for easing Romo back. Yes, Prescott gives them an element that Romo doesn't have. But Romo is still one of the better quarterbacks in the league - when healthy, of course. The last time he was healthy, the Cowboys went 12-4 and came within a breath of the NFC Championship Game. I'm getting excited about the future with Prescott but we're still talking about a rookie with five games of experience who has not yet faced a top 10 defense (by DVOA) but is staring down the barrel of three in the next four games. I think maybe people need to tap the brakes just a tad on the Prescottmania.
We'll find out a lot abut Dak in the GB game. On the road, tough defense, etc, etc. IF he plays well and they win, there's definitely going to be a huge QB controversy. Big if though.
It's easy to forget the Cowboys are 15-4 when Romo starts the past 2 seasons. His knock is health, not how good he is. If he's healthy, he's going to be really good. For the Cowboys, it's probably a good problem to have. At least they know if Romo gets knocked out again, they have a legit backup.
Your problem is that you're approaching this from a logical perspective. The fact that you said the bolded shows the disconnect between you - and me - and the drooling masses. People don't want Prescott to take over because he's played a few good games. People want Prescott to take over because they've bought into the narrative that Romo is a choker and is the sole reason the Cowboys haven't won a Super Bowl in the 11 years since he became a starter.
When viewed through that lens, it's easy to see why people are ready to send Romo packing. I even heard on local sports talk radio (I know, I know) yesterday the suggestion that the Cowboys trade away Romo and Dez. Just because Terrance Williams had one good game does not give a team license to trade away one of the best receivers in the league - headache though he might be. This is the kind of shit I have to deal with over here.
I mean, you would have thought that the past couple seasons have dispelled that narrative for anyone who still was holding out that it was Romo, and not the atrocious O-line/D-lines, that were holding them back. I guess some people are still living in 2008.
On a side note, I am surprised how polished Zeke looks. He's learning really fast, even just looking at him from his first game or two versus the past couple. He's in pretty rarified air for a rookie RB. He really showed his explosiveness in splitting the DBs on that 60 yard TD run against Cinci.
It should come as no surprise that a not insignificant number of Cowboys fans are likely Trump supporters. That lot doesn't care about that pesky little thing known as "facts".
At the beginning of the game, CBS threw up a stat comparing Elliot's efficiency in Week 4 vs Week 1. In the NY game, he traveled nearly 6 yards per yard gained - meaning that he did a lot of east-west running. In the SF game, he had trimmed that down to less than 2.5 yards traveled per yard gained. The difference was staggering and showed a massive improvement over just three games. He really is learning quickly and is showing the potential to be a serious weapon. I mean, yeah, you could have driven the Oscar Mayer weenie mobile through the hole on that long run but only someone with his speed and explosiveness could have split the safeties and outrun the corner who looked to have an angle on him. And he didn't even look like he was running full speed until he got to about the 20.
I said all along that he'd have to be the second coming of Adrian Peterson to make that pick worthwhile. He still has a really long way to go to get to that point but he is showing the potential to do just that.
One more thing about Elliot: he hurdled over a defender in the Chicago game, prompting the discussion about his former life as a hurdler. He did it again this week, though not as dramatically. He hopped over a defender and executed perfect form as if he were jumping over a hurdle, seemingly not losing an ounce of speed or momentum. The kid is just ridiculously athletic.
I told you guys you would like Zeke. While he has a ten cent head in a lot of ways, he is very football smart in addition to his sick athleticism. From what I saw of the Cowboys game on Sunday he seems to really make good decisions around when to use power vs. finesse, seems to know when to follow the block and when to use his turbo acceleration for 2-3 yards of pure burst to get into the open field, and he doesn't seem to be confused by anything going on at all.....which were pretty much the traits he showed for the Buckeyes over and over again.
Ummmm......the NFC East may be a decent division this year...........
Ummmm......the NFC East may be a decent division this year...........
Amazingly, the Giants look like the worst team. I bet most people didn't predict that. Their offense looks shockingly inept. I (and probably many others) figured their defense would be the weak link, perhaps taking a while to gel with their new signings. While the defense hasn't been that good, they are probably playing better than the offense.
I wouldn;t be surprised if two playoff teams came out of the east this year with the troubles of the Cardinals out west and the dumpster fire in the south behind Atlanta. But it's still early. Things can turn around in a matter of 2 or 3 weeks.
That game in Philly on 1/1 keeps getting bigger and bigger. With every game Minnesota wins, it gets more and more important to win the East to ensure that a playoff berth doesn't fall to tie breakers affected by some fluke play - like, say, Terrance Williams not getting his stupid ass out of bounds.
There's still an eternity to go until that 1/1 game seems relevant...though I admit having stared at it a couple times already on the calendar already in the past two weeks.
It would be ironic though if that game decided the division given that both of these teams were picked to finish below the Giants and Redskins by most experts (after the Romo injury). Part of me though always thought the pundits were too down on the Eagles. They have some skill players on offense and their D-line was always pretty strong going into 2016. Not that I would pick them to go 13-3, but a lot of these 5-11 type predictions seemed a little too dire.
At any rate, if Wentz and Dak are for real, that could be a fun rivalry for the next decade..
Yeah, exactly like that. Doing it at home against a division opponent (who might possibly end up the door mat) hurts a little more but the conference opponent is still a punch in the nuts.
Lifelong fan here back to Staubach....and I definitely do not buy into the above narrative.
I am a big Romo fan, but the QB position IS a legitimate issue now. Prescott has obviously surpassed all expectations, and while perhaps a simpler schemed offense, he has run things perfectly to date. Elloitt has been a huge factor, IMO in letting the offense be extremely flexible. Making a QB change has a monster impact on an offense. My thoughts have morphed to "please keep the Cowboys relevant until Romo can come back" to "keep it rolling". (I worry about team morale on making a change, but really have no way of quantifying if that would be an issue at all)
While I prefer Prescott to never struggle, like any rookie, I expect that at some point he will. That is when I would look to make a change. If Prescott plays well vs Green Bay, (win or lose) I would run him out there for the next game. And the next, and so on. If he does not stumble? Yeah, then it is his team.
It sucks for Romo.
I have no insight into his psyche, but I don't think "make one mistake and you get replaced by the veteran" is a good thing for his development.
Why would the team morale suffer in going back to Romo?
Unless he's not healthy (and if he isn't then he won't be starting), Romo is going to be a superior quarterback. He reads defenses better, he throws the ball down field better, and understands the Cowboys playbook better. I'm not knocking Dak, he's been awesome, but I really don't get the logic in the team all of the sudden getting all down and depressed when the QB that has led them to a 15-4 record over the past couple seasons returns.
The funny part is the way the Cowboys are succeeding right now is exactly how they succeeded in 2014. Guess who was QB that season? If anything, Elliot is probably more dynamic than Demarco Murray was. Put Romo back into that offense and the running for Elliot probably gets easier and not harder.
I think this is really the crux of the matter that people either don't see or refuse to see. Romo's struggles occurred when the team completely and utterly ignored the offensive line. Once they got one and were able to establish a running game, Romo no longer felt the need to win games single-handedly - which always has been and always will be a recipe for disaster for a QB.
The stink on Romo is so potent that people seem to be forgetting that he had easily the best season of his career in 2014. As you said, this offense is better than that offense, which should be met with excitement rather than the gnashing of teeth. Obviously, we can't ignore or dismiss the fact that he has sustained three major injuries since that season ended but his health concern is not the reason the mob chants Dak's name.
You lose some elements of the offense when you place Romo under center but you also gain others. Prescott may give you the read-option and operating on the run but Romo is no slouch at the latter and he forces defenses to play their safeties back, lest he hit a homerun on them. At worst, it's a wash but Romo's experience cannot and should not be overlooked.
I could not agree more with this, which is why this situation is so sticky and needs to be handled delicately. The moment you make Prescott look over his shoulder you've already set him up to fail. The same could be said for Romo if/when he returns as the starter. He's going to be extremely rusty and he needs to be given time to readjust to the speed of the game.
This really is a good problem to have, but it is well within the Cowboys' MO to make the absolute wrong decision and completely fuck up the psyches of both QBs.
I have no idea if a QB change would have an effect on morale, but I can see it. There could be a huge chunk of vets loving the energy from these two rookies. I did say I have no way of quantifying. Maybe I am wrong, and 3/4 of the team is dying for Romo to come back. I am just saying you have to team dynamics.
I definitely believe that Elliott is very dynamic, and helps either QB.
I also never said "make one mistake and pull Dak", (other post) I said if he indeed struggles. Both these guys will make mistakes.
I think that Romo is definitely better at progressions, throws the deep ball better, has far more experience. I think Dak brings more ability to move in and out of the pocket, and of course can run. The fake dive to Elliott and keeper on Sunday. One, not sure Tony can do that anymore, and two, the Cowboys would NEVER call that with Tony in the game.. So Dak does bring some things to the table.
I am just nervous. We are playing well, and change or no change....this has to be handled correctly.
Witten was classy in his response. Said Bennett was a great player and he thought he would succeed in New England. Didn't even respond to the part about Bennett saying he hated him.
But yeah, what Bennett said sounded like a bunch of douchey sour grapes. Total loser thing to say.
My big takeaway from that game was that Prescott, for the first time all season, looked like a rookie. He put the ball on the ground twice - losing one - and threw a really bad interception. And yet they still won the game. Part of that may have been a function of Rodgers looking like garbage and missing wide open receivers all day but credit where credit is due: the defense forced four turnovers of their own.
I'm still not completely sold on this team yet but 5-1 is 5-1. They're not out of the woods yet with Washington and Philly nipping at their heels but the schedule suddenly doesn't look so daunting.
-Philly is always tough but they'll be at home and coming off the bye week (can't discount the Romo circus coming to town, though).
-Pittsburgh looked beatable yesterday, particularly on the ground.
-Baltimore looks like a 6-10 team.
-After Minnesota, they're all very winnable games leading up to that New Year's Day showdown in Philly.
Best-case scenario, they split the division schedule, beat the teams they're supposed to beat (Cle, Bal, TB, Det) and split Pit/Min and they're looking at a 12-win season.
Worst-case, they come off a hard-fought loss to the Vikings beat to shit and lose to a surging Giants team, and get torched by one of Roethlisberger or Stafford and finish the season 10-6.
Either way, I don't envision too many scenarios - that don't include a catastrophic collapse - which result in them out of the playoffs.
I'm still not completely sold on this team yet but 5-1 is 5-1. They're not out of the woods yet with Washington and Philly nipping at their heels but the schedule suddenly doesn't look so daunting.
-Philly is always tough but they'll be at home and coming off the bye week (can't discount the Romo circus coming to town, though).
-Pittsburgh looked beatable yesterday, particularly on the ground.
-Baltimore looks like a 6-10 team.
-After Minnesota, they're all very winnable games leading up to that New Year's Day showdown in Philly.
Best-case scenario, they split the division schedule, beat the teams they're supposed to beat (Cle, Bal, TB, Det) and split Pit/Min and they're looking at a 12-win season.
Worst-case, they come off a hard-fought loss to the Vikings beat to shit and lose to a surging Giants team, and get torched by one of Roethlisberger or Stafford and finish the season 10-6.
Either way, I don't envision too many scenarios - that don't include a catastrophic collapse - which result in them out of the playoffs.
I think this is a bit harsh.
I had zero problem with the pick called fumble. Pocket collapsed, stripped from behind, it is irrelevant that he is a rookie. The pick was God awful agreed. Also, he had a few completions where the balls were not really well targeted. Receivers, slowing down to catch, reaching a little back, where if they were hit in stride, they would have had bigger gains.
That said, the above was completely offset by his decision making. Outside of the awful pick, he forced nothing. And even the pick, Witten was open, just a horrible throw. Never mind he looked like a HOF'er on the last drive of the half, that was just exceptional football. No one could throw the halftime TD strike better, as it was perfect.
You don't look like a rookie in a week that you rank 6th out of 30 QB's in pass rating, and of course they just pummeled Green Bay on the ground.
I didn't mean that he looked like a rookie the whole game, just that he had moments where he looked like the moment might be getting to him - which, to his credit, he had avoided up until then. I don't demand perfection but I felt like he made some rookie mistakes yesterday. But they won despite that and his positive moments may have put another nail in Tony Romo's coffin.
The offensive line utterly dominated what was the #1 run defense going into that game. It is also becoming more and more apparent at just how good Elliot is. He was dragging 2-3 defenders an extra 4-5 yards on several plays while also flashing several runs where he just simply outran guys to the edge. Total package. The dude can block too on the blitz.
I thought Dak also many weak moments in this game but he played best when it mattered most so he was able to cover it up. On the drive right before halftime were two excellent throws with the final being dead perfect for the TD. Then in the 4th quarter he made a clutch throw to Witten on 3rd down with about 6 min remaining after GB had cut it to 27-16...which effectively ended any realistic chance at a come back.
I thought Dak also many weak moments in this game but he played best when it mattered most so he was able to cover it up. On the drive right before halftime were two excellent throws with the final being dead perfect for the TD. Then in the 4th quarter he made a clutch throw to Witten on 3rd down with about 6 min remaining after GB had cut it to 27-16...which effectively ended any realistic chance at a come back.
QB controversy delayed at least one more week
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/romo-making-progress-but-is-unlikely-to-return-to-practice-after-cowboys-bye/
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/romo-making-progress-but-is-unlikely-to-return-to-practice-after-cowboys-bye/
Most of the insiders who cover the team seem to think that Romo is probably going to come back against the Browns. Probably the best game for him to shake any rust off.
Yeah, that's the game that makes the most sense. Low pressure, crappy opponent and it removes any semblance of the dreaded "trap game" due to the emphasis on ensuring Romo knocks off the rust.
If Romo is to play this season, independent of an injury necessitating it, this game is it. If he doesn't play against Cleveland, I'm comfortable in officially declaring the Wally Pipping of Romo.
If Romo is to play this season, independent of an injury necessitating it, this game is it. If he doesn't play against Cleveland, I'm comfortable in officially declaring the Wally Pipping of Romo.
Yep, it would have been anarchy if he was rusty against the Eagles and they lost in primetime national TV audience. If he doesn't play against the Browns, he isn't playing at all this season (minus an injury to Dak Prescott). There's zero reason to hold him out beyond Cleveland if they were planning on playing him. All reports are that he is healed...he just needs to "officially" get back to practice now, and that is something they didn't want to do until he is named the starter and taking snaps with the first team. So they have to wait until after Philly to do that.
I don't think putting Romo in is the wrong decision either. They need to find out what they have while there is still plenty of time left in the season. There's a realistic chance that they become nearly unstoppable on offense with him in there. If he is unable to shake off the rust within 2 or 3 games, then you can always go back to Prescott. If Prescott is too fragile that he couldn't handle that and plays crappy when he comes back, then maybe he isn't the QB of the future after all, so I don't really view that line of argument as a legit reason to keep Romo out. The best argument would be you are afraid to lose a game if he is compromised, which is why bringing him back against Cleveland minimizes that risk. You'll probably win anyway if he is rusty and "off". The Pittsburgh game could be a risk if he looks shaky in the Cleveland game.
Either way, we will know within a week whether Romo is coming back at all. If he's not named starter against Cleveland, then I agree with you that he has officially been Wally Pipped.
So Brian Baldinger calls a Philly radio show and suggests that the Eagles should put a bounty out on Elliott. Kidding or not, that's a really fucking stupid thing to say.
http://sportsday.dallasnews.com/dallas-cowboys/cowboys/2016/10/28/nfl-analyst-former-cowboy-brian-baldinger-says-philly-put-bounty-ezekiel-elliott
http://sportsday.dallasnews.com/dallas-cowboys/cowboys/2016/10/28/nfl-analyst-former-cowboy-brian-baldinger-says-philly-put-bounty-ezekiel-elliott
Brian Baldinger is so stupid it hurts. He is everything that is wrong with "I played the game!!!" football commentators and this is just another huge data point in support of that hypothesis.
Romo has been Wally Pipped?
Jerry Jones (not always a trustworthy source) after the game said that Romo isn't ready and Dak is starting against Cleveland. I think if that ends up being true, then Romo isn't coming back unless Dak either gets injured or plays a couple bad games in a row. Cleveland was the perfect game to bring him back.
Hard to believe Romo isn't physically ready after throwing for weeks and practicing last week.
Jerry Jones (not always a trustworthy source) after the game said that Romo isn't ready and Dak is starting against Cleveland. I think if that ends up being true, then Romo isn't coming back unless Dak either gets injured or plays a couple bad games in a row. Cleveland was the perfect game to bring him back.
Hard to believe Romo isn't physically ready after throwing for weeks and practicing last week.
Healthy Romo is an assassin. I have to believe he's not healthy enough to be on the field yet because anyone with half a brain should understand how deadly the Cowboys could be with him on the field. I mean they're really good with Dak, but add in the upgrade from him to Romo and the sky's the limit.
Dak played a good game and certainly came up big when it counted the most, but he also had a small handful of passes that were just way off. What are the reports saying happened there, was that on Dak or were the receivers running the wrong routes?
This was why he went in the 4th he's inaccurate, or was. With a great line, great running game he's been good. When he got pressured he was not so great. But that running game is a beast so tough for many teams to do what the Eagles did.