2021 Season | Week 17 | Gameday Chatter Thread | Cardinals @ Cowboys | 1/2/22

[Simpleton]

They haven’t been a part of this 26 year let down. Most of them don’t know that we’ve seen this movie before.

That's something fans never remember. I get that we're all scarred or whatever but this "here we go again", kneejerk, hot take, jump off a bridge reaction after every loss is way over the top.

We have a really good team, we probably aren't going to win the Super Bowl right now, but we're as well positioned as almost anybody in the league for the next 2-4 years roughly.

That doesn't guarantee anything but it's a fact and people should try to relax a little because it isn't always going to be this way. Being miserable forever until we win another Super Bowl is a pretty sad existence.

 

[NoDak]

They left much of their offense on the field, along with kicker Matt Prater, in hopes of getting the Cowboys to do what the Cowboys did — call a timeout. (The Cardinals kicked a field goal after the Cowboys called the timeout.)

Why would they have both the kicker and the offense on the field if there was no trickery intended? It worked to a "T".

I said what I said.

 

[p1_]

I said what I said.

I can dig that, but I worry about MM in the clutch. Its coming soon enough.

 

[Simpleton]

Just watched the all-22 of our offense against the Cardinals and here are some random observations, nothing totally groundbreaking but my biggest takeaway was the lack of creativity in the run game, which most of us have noticed anecdotally throughout the season, as well as the fact that Dak didn't actually seem that confused by the coverages, he just was totally inaccurate.

Here's the link if you're interested, just ignore the stupid ass captions:

• Running game is totally unimaginative, almost all Inside Zone-type stuff, very little variety/Gap concepts. Literally no designed runs to the outside. I don't know what the deal is here but it's most damning thing about our offensive design to me, it's mind boggling. We've seen a little variety here and there throughout the year with the Lamb stuff and some of the outside tosses to Pollard, but overall really disappointing. Really wish Philbin would do something about it but that's probably a 2022 thing.
• Ran a bunch of screens early on and several had absolutely no chance of success, Cardinals were completely keyed in on them and the timing/spacing were completely fucked up. In general I think the Cards were just really keyed in on our tendencies, from the way they sniffed out the screens to the amount of passes batted down at the LOS in the 1st half.
• Dak was extremely off for the first 2.5 or so quarters with his accuracy, ball placement was horrific, like as bad as he's been all year. With that said, being able to see the all-22 there weren't many clear and obvious wide open opportunities that he just missed in terms of his reads. The surprising thing is most of the open shots he did miss were to Cooper, who he's normally locked in on.
• Dak is definitely impatient and taking the quickest/easiest throw that's first available, often for short gains. It's not the worst thing in the world, but when you can't run the ball and you're getting fucked with 50/50 holding calls every other drive it's going to be a problem. He's clearly not patiently/confidently going through all his progressions and too quickly eliminates an entire side of the field without working back to it when there's little to no pressure. It's like his mental clock is just too sped up and doesn't adjust when the pressure isn't there.
• With that said, I don't think the Cardinals coverages were causing significant confusion for him, he missed a few guys here and there but for the most part he was just throwing inaccurate passes to generally open guys. Nothing really changed later in the game as far as the Cardinals defense, he just started throwing more accurately (but was still only ok).
• Alot of the inaccuracy stems from his footwork in the pocket and seemingly floating backwards to avoid pressure. He can make accurate throws like that but it's basically 50/50, you never know what you're going to get. There were plenty of inaccurate throws when his feet were fine though, so I think it was just a really off game.
• Schultz single-handedly ruined what should've been two solid running plays, but I don't blame him because he was left 1 on 1 blocking Chandler Jones. I don't care what it takes, but Moore should literally never allow a play design result in Schultz blocking their best defensive player 1 on 1.

Long story short, Dak had one of his worst games of the year, the Cardinals were locked in on what we were trying to do especially early on (you could say Moore was outcoached by Joseph), we all know the penalty situation, dumbass Zuerlein missed a short FG, and we lost by 3 in a very disjointed game where we never got any rhythm until late.

They'll have Golden and their CB2 back but I'd be completely shocked if we didn't come back with a much stronger offensive performance.

My only real concern is the lack of creativity in the running game because you absolutely have to be able to run with some measure of effectiveness if teams are going to be dropping so many guys into coverage as the Cardinals did (and most teams seem to be doing).

 

[boozeman]

 

[Genghis Khan]

This is the thing exactly. This is what Baker was talking about and Dak admitted is happening to him. Dak said he's doing a solid job against it but these numbers - and the eye test - say otherwise. He's baffled by it and he's consistently making poor reads and it's causing him to play hesitant.

It might not get fixed this year. It might not get fixed ever. Teams aren't going to stop doing it until he burns them.

First, he has to recognize this is a problem. He might, and is just not admitting it publicly. But if he believes what he's saying, these numbers say not only is he not solid against it, he's actually among the worst in the league against it.

Then one of two things has to happen for the team to get past it.

1. Either he figures out how to solve these disguised coverages and where the correct reads are (I think this is unlikely this season) or,

2. The running game gets back to being nearly unstoppable. If this happens, teams will have to either change the way they play us and open up the passing game, or we'll move the ball on the ground and score that way.

I think if we solve this, we're a serious contender. I doubt we do though unfortunately.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

I think the easiest thing to do if our running game doesn't get on track is to run more hurry up. Teams don't have time to disguise coverages when you're doing that.

It's why when we go hurry up things look so much easier for us. Right before half, towards the end of the Cards game. We do well because we don't give defenses to to do it.

 

[Genghis Khan]

I think the easiest thing to do if our running game doesn't get on track is to run more hurry up. Teams don't have time to disguise coverages when you're doing that.

It's why when we go hurry up things look so much easier for us. Right before half, towards the end of the Cards game. We do well because we don't give defenses to to do it.

I forgot about that. That very well may be the solution.

 

[Genghis Khan]

Don't run hurry up against philly though. Sandbag!

 

[Genghis Khan]

Here's a good example of Dak making the wrong read and taking the check down:




This is essentially what Warner was saying in his breakdown a few weeks back. Dak is consistently making the wrong reads and leaving a lot of yards on the field at the very least, and at worst causing incompletions and turnovers.

 

[Simpleton]

This is the thing exactly. This is what Baker was talking about and Dak admitted is happening to him. Dak said he's doing a solid job against it but these numbers - and the eye test - say otherwise. He's baffled by it and he's consistently making poor reads and it's causing him to play hesitant.

It might not get fixed this year. It might not get fixed ever. Teams aren't going to stop doing it until he burns them.

First, he has to recognize this is a problem. He might, and is just not admitting it publicly. But if he believes what he's saying, these numbers say not only is he not solid against it, he's actually among the worst in the league against it.

Then one of two things has to happen for the team to get past it.

1. Either he figures out how to solve these disguised coverages and where the correct reads are (I think this is unlikely this season) or,

2. The running game gets back to being nearly unstoppable. If this happens, teams will have to either change the way they play us and open up the passing game, or we'll move the ball on the ground and score that way.

I think if we solve this, we're a serious contender. I doubt we do though unfortunately.

Based on the Arizona all-22 I don't think it's so much him being confused as it is him becoming too conservative and just looking for the first guy that's open the soonest. He's wanting to get the ball out of his hands ASAP.

Maybe that's confusion, but looking at just the Arizona all-22 I didn't see a bunch of guys running wide open all game that he was missing.

 

[Simpleton]

Here's a good example of Dak making the wrong read and taking the check down:




This is essentially what Warner was saying in his breakdown a few weeks back. Dak is consistently making the wrong reads and leaving a lot of yards on the field at the very least, and at worst causing incompletions and turnovers.

This is one of the misses to Cooper I referred to in that all-22 analysis, he's too quick to forego everything else in favor of the easy check down, most often towards the sideline.

But to be fair, if Elliott makes the catch cleanly it's probably a 1st down, and clear misses like this didn't happen more than a few times throughout the whole game.

I'm not going to begrudge a QB for taking one wide open guy at 4 yards for a wide open guy at 7 yards, the real problem throughout the game was his accuracy was completely off.

 

[Cotton]

 

[p1_]

Jaylonesque.

 

[Simpleton]

I think the easiest thing to do if our running game doesn't get on track is to run more hurry up. Teams don't have time to disguise coverages when you're doing that.

It's why when we go hurry up things look so much easier for us. Right before half, towards the end of the Cards game. We do well because we don't give defenses to to do it.

Yea, we need to prioritize the running game and defense in the offseason. No more spending 1st's on WR's to give Dak a million targets in the pass game because he, and the offense, are at their best when the run game is clicking and we can go play-action/no huddle off it.

I'm fine bringing back Gallup for cheap because of the injury but the offense can function perfectly fine with Wilson as the WR3 as long as the running game is firing.

 

[p1_]

I'm fine bringing back Gallup for cheap because of the injury but the offense can function perfectly fine with Wilson as the WR3 as long as the running game is firing.

The Zeke issue/question will have to be addressed sooner than later for the run game to succeed.

 

[data]

Yea, we need to prioritize the running game and defense in the offseason.

Nashon Wright and Kelvin Joseph need to step up next year. We need OL this draft

 

[data]

The Zeke issue/question will have to be addressed sooner than later for the run game to succeed.

Stuck with him for 2022, so answer is later

 

[p1_]

Stuck with him for 2022, so answer is later

good lord this hurts.

 

[Simpleton]

Nashon Wright and Kelvin Joseph need to step up next year. We need OL this draft

Don't even talk to me about CB's unless it's a BPA/Lamb-like situation, we're perfectly fine with what we have.

I'd focus the draft almost entirely on the OL and front 7, with slight adjustments depending on what happens in FA with guys like Schultz, Williams, Kearse, Kazee/Hooker, etc.