Tag Archives: sports

2021 Preview – The Truth About Dak Prescott

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While writing about the teams of the National Football League there are certain values you assess certain players with. One here at Taylor Blitz Times is the description of the quarterback. Is the quarterback an Alpha or a Beta? In doing so Dak Prescott has been labeled a Beta Quarterback which has drawn the ire of Cowboys fans. Its a clash waged on social media between friends/readers for a few years now.

Cowboy fans have been waiting to see a healthy Dak Prescott hit the field.

To bring you up to speed lets take you back and define the line between the two distinctions:

The alpha infuses confidence in his football team through his play and leadership. His teammates are inspired through his verve, spirit, and fight which in turn raises their level of play to meet his.  You can see the confidence in their eyes when the game is tight. He doesn’t shrink when games are on the line or when the team is up against a superior opponent. This is what every coach covets each year in the NFL draft…

Then you have the beta quarterback that many teams seem to be afflicted with. He comes through with the physical gifts that scouts and coaches can see where he can improve, and can possibly sculpt a winner from. He shows promise and can win you a few football games yet isn’t a leader. This is the guy that looks to his teammates for confidence when they’re looking to him for theirs.

Subsequently when the situations get tight or they’re up against tough teams, he shrinks at the moment of truth.  Sure they win games they are supposed to win but the superior opponent he needs to beat to become a champion, he will always come up short. Late game interceptions, missed connections in crucial times, & mangled last minute drives which short ciruit his team’s efforts. Most important he always loses when an alpha quarterback is leading the other team. Constant big game heartbreak follows this guy….always.

Dak playing from behind…

In dissecting Dak’s play its been one where The Chancellor has described Dak as falling behind 20-7, then scrambles back gaining garbage yards against vanilla defenses. Only to lose 30-24 and Cowboy apologists blame everything but Dak. “Its the defense…. Its Mike McCarthy, the play calling etc.” Truth be told its Prescott’s fault struggling early in games although he has gotten better lately…. but still a beta quarterback. He feasts on his weak division and struggles against top defenses and contending teams.

For starters lets look at the 1st half of Prescott’s games in 2019 & 2020 before injury. We’re going to look at each with overall defensive ranking, defense vs pass ranking, Dak’s stats, whether the Cowboys were up and if they ultimately won the game:

Giants (25th / 28th v pass) 17 of 28 230yds 3TDs – up 21-7 at half /Win

Wash (27th/18th v pass) 12 of 18 – 86yds 2TDs – 1int / 1 sack up 14-7 at half/Win

Dolphins (30th/26th v pass) 9 of 19 – 95yds 1TD – up 10-6 at half/Win

Saints (11th/20th v pass) 11 of 15 – 88yds 0TDs 0ints -down 9-3 at half/Loss

Packers (17th/11th v pass) 8 of 14 -149yds 0TDs 2ints/2 sacks down 17-0 at half/Loss

Jets (7th/17th v pass) 13 of 20 – 125yds 0TDs 0ints down 21-3 at half/Loss

Eagles (10th/19th v pass) 12 of 16 -147yds 1TD 0ints /1sack / up 27-7 at half/Win

Giants (25th/28th v pass) 11 of 19 – 89yds 1TD 1int /up 13-12 at half/ Win

Vikings (27th/25th v pass) 12 of 19 – 185yds 2TDs / down 17-14 at half/ Loss

Lions (32nd/31st v pass) 16 of 25 – 274yds 2TDs/1 sack / up 24-14 at half/Win

Patriots (2nd/1st v pass) 10 of 15 – 88yds 0TDs 1 int/ down 10-6 at half /Loss

Bills (3rd/4th v pass) 16 of 24 163yds 1TD 1int/ 3 sacks/ down 13-7 at half/Loss

Bears (8th/9th v pass) 7 of 12 60yds 0TDs / 1 sack / down 17-7at half/Loss

Rams (12th/13th v pass) 9 of 15 158yds 2TDs up 28-7 at half/Win

Eagles (10th/19th v pass) 11 of 18 125yds 0TDs/ down 10-6 at half/Loss

Wash (27th/18th v pass) 12 of 19 120 yds 0TDs/3 sacks/ up 20-7 at half/Win

Of course the question will be raised as why just analyze the first half? Did you notice Dak was 8-0 when he led the Cowboys to a half time lead? What is glaring are none of these games showed him overcome a deficit to lead Dallas to a come from behind win. Also:

Did you notice Prescott was 2-6 against defenses that ranked in the top half in the NFL?? Or notice the 1-5 record vs playoff teams in 2019 with the lone win against the Eagles?? What about in 6 of those losses he didnt throw a TD in the 1st half of games?? I thought it was the defense Cowboy fans?? Why can’t Dak get leads on quality defenses or quality teams?? Where are his 4th quarter heroic comeback wins??

Troy Aikman’s 1st half of 93 NFC Championship Game

What made Troy Aikman a great quarterback is his 1st half consistency completing passes for 1st downs and touchdowns so he could turn it over to Emmitt and The Great Wall. In fact both Dallas and San Francisco in their yers of dominance came out passing. Notice the stat line where Aikman is averaging nearly 13 yards per completion. Dak needs to get leads and allow his defense to pass rush and line up in predictable down and distances.

This will also allow the Cowboys to turn it over to Ezekiel Elliott and what’s left of The Great Wall II as well.

Another graphic to contrast is this freeze frame from Joe Montana’s performance in the 1st half of the 1981 NFC Championship Game vs Dallas. Notice he is averaging 15 yards per completion??

The reason these are being shown is to get you to understand passing for 80 yards and 0TDs is why he is always behind. The other is Prescott signed a new contract for narly $40 million per year. You’re expected to win championships at these dollar figures.

Can Dak improve and play alpha quarterback football?? Of course he can but will he?? Its not been his norm nor a part of his mental makeup. Keep in mind Dak was only 1-3 last year and all 3 losses were to playoff teams to the Rams, Seahawks, and Cleveland Browns. By the way…he was playing from behind in the last 3 of his regular season starts.

Up ’til now Dak Prescott hasn’t been an alpha quarterback and hasn’t flashed any greatness. Several times during the season I had called him “Fools Gold” and a “Beta Quarterback” which drew the ire of Cowboys fans. Show me where he has exhibited greatness or a win against a marquee non NFC East team??

Now after a severe leg injury and several MRIs on his throwing shoulder keeping him out of the 1st 2 preseason games, Prescott is expected to be great?? This is a tall ask as he begins against Tom Brady and the Super Bowl Champion Bucaneers. Furthermore the Bucs defense ranked 6th last year. Oh boy! Dak… your mission, should you choose to accept it…

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Hardy Nickerson Belongs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame

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Hardy Nickerson Belongs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame

The Chancellor of Football's avatarTaylor Blitz Times

When most sportswriters chronicle a franchise’s turning point its usually attributed to the hiring of a coach or a number one draft pick QB who goes on to a Hall of Fame career. One where the culture of an organization completely shifts as the team has a pivotal player & focal point to build around. Enter Hardy Nickerson.

Most try to equate the turnaround with the drafting of Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks when the direction was set in motion several years before these two Hall of Famers were drafted in ’95.

Let’s take you back to the early 1990’s Tampa was a desolate outpost no one wanted to play for. It was a rudderless franchise that had just finished 1992 having set an NFL record with their 10th straight double digit loss season.

The culture was so demoralized just 8 years before 1st round draft pick Bo Jackson refused…

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Whither Carson Wentz: Jalen Hurts Peers Over His Shoulder

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When the Philadelphia Eagles drafted Jalen Hurts with a surprise 2nd round pick, specuclation took off as to why. Many pundits were dumbfounded with the selection where fans argued the Eagles would use him as trade bait. The Chancellor of Football took a different approach… Hurts was insurance against Wentz not making it back to his 2017 pre-injury form.

If the Eagles give another knock kneed performance its time to turn it over to see what Hurts can do. 

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2020 AFC North Preview: What will Lamar Jackson Do for an Encore

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Last year we saw a transcendent performance at the quarterback position in Lamar Jackson. His 1,206 rushing yards was an NFL record while teaming with fellow 1,000 yard rusher in Mark Ingram. He threw for 36TDs as the Ravens did have defenses in a quandary over where the ball was. The read option was a weapon of epic proportions with Jackson’s ball handling & dazzling athleticism. 

However the Titans exposed Jackson’s weakness completing passes outside of his tight ends and outside the hashmarks in the playoffs. They also played disciplined gap control defense and made sure not to commit forcing Jackson into indecision handing off and in his pass options. He has to improve on his outside touch.

2019 AFC North Predictions

  1. Baltimore Ravens 13-3*
  2. Pittsburgh Steelers 10-6**
  3. Cleveland Browns 8-8
  4. Cincinnati Bengals 4-12

In the Steel City Big Ben stabilizes an offense that sputtered with Mason Rudolph and “Duck” Hodges. Yet the defense drug the team to an 8-8 season as they emerged as a top ten defense (5th) and were solid against the pass (3rd) while leading the NFL with 54 sacks and 2nd in interceptions with 20. 

TJ Watt and Bud Dupree combined for 26 sacks were the modern version of Kevin Greene and Greg Lloyd. Their disruptive pocket presence along with FS Minkah Fitzpatrick makes this the NFL’s best in defense. They will benefit with continuity and an emerging Devin Bush at inside linebacker.

Roethlisberger will get the Steelers back to the playoffs however the team will come up short of Baltimore without a true running back. James Conner is a ball carrier that can get the yards a play is designed for but nothing more. JuJu Smith Shuster is still trying to show he is a #1 receiver and has a chance with Ben back at the helm. Ben can will this team to 3 more wins with a pedestrian set of skill players with this defense. Good enough for a wildcard.

Its put up or shut up time in Cleveland for Baker Mayfield as the team brought in Case Keenum who is a stop gap veteran much in the way Tennessee picked up Tannehill last season. There is simply too much talent for this team to be 22nd in offense. 

Nick Chubb lead the NFL in rushing up until the final week of his sophomore season. He finished with 1,494 yards and 8 TDs and is the complete package. With former rushing champion Kareem Hunt backing him up they have insurance. Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham are a solid set of receivers but they don’t seem to complement each other. They seem to be the same receiver however a good coordinator should able to get the ball to them. Can Mayfield improve with his 3rd offensive coordinator? 

The division is Baltimore’s for the taking and with the drafting of Ohio St’s JK Dobbins he has a stronger skillset than an aging Mark Ingram. The Ravens should repeat last year’s performance with a 1-2 punch. They’ve added DE Calais Campbell to fortify their defense also. The question is can the Ravens make it to Super Bowl LV.

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Legendary Days: Doug Martin Hits The Oakland Raiders With a Record 251 Yard 4 TD Performance

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If we take you back to the beginning of this decade we didnt have the college football playoff and there was an argument for teams that were the equivalent of college basketball’s mid majors. Did the Boise St Broncos and TCUs of the world belong with college football’s elite??

November 4, 2012; . Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-US PRESSWIRE

The Chancellor of Football was wrapped up in the same argument and touted Boise St belonged. It was an argument for their team, competition they faced and the players themselves. SEC loyalists would scoff their players were better and how Boise didn’t belong even though they were 6-0 against top ten competition between 2007-2010.

Going into the 2011 season the argument got even louder as Taylor Blitz Times and The Chancellor produced this article: 2011 Heisman Campaign – Doug Martin of Boise St. The argument took off on Facebook & Twitter where Doug Martin would be a better pro running back than Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson then starring at Alabama. Or at least from this historian/talent evaluator’s view.

Martin didnt fulfill his promise with an injury filled senior season and Ingram also struggled rushing for 474 yards 5 TDs as a rookie. Yet 2012 would be different. Ingram would be versed in the pro game and start to make his move and Martin was healthy headed for the draft.  Once Mike Mayock of NFL Network came out and stated Martin was the most NFL ready back a lot of talk died down.

Hadn’t The Chancellor of Football proclaimed that more than a year earlier??

The Buccanneers learned to entrust Doug Martin with the football in his hands as the lead horse.

Once Martin became the 1st round selection of the Bucs and in the same division as Ingram the stage was set. However Martin’s rooke season began with fits and starts. A flash here and there but hadn’t put a whole game together and then came week 8.

In a national televised Thursday night contest Martin put it together with a 29 car. for 135 yards and 1 TD performance. He also had to 3 receptions for 79 yards and another score. The 2-4 Bucs upset the 5-2 Vikings and the league took notice of Martin.

Those that doubted his ability to play on this level had all shut their collective mouths for this was a strong performance. We hadn’t seen anything yet as the Oakland Raiders and their 12th ranked run defense was the recipe for a historic performance:

Once the dust settled, Martin had set the Bucs all time single game rushing record with 251 yards and 4 TDs. He scored on runs of 45, 67, 70, and 1 yards all in the 2nd half. Yikes! Had Adrian Peterson not broken the NFL’s All Time rookie single game yardage mark with 296 in 2007, Martin would have broke it with this 2012 performance.

If you include his 1st carry of the 4th quarter, the 70 yard TD, Martin had 10 carries 213 yards and 3 TDs in 16:00 of football. He was staring the NFL’s single game rushing record (296 yards) in the face with 14:00 left in the game. Highlights on NFL Redzone and cut ins around the country showed Martin just destroying the Raiders.

As for that original argument The Chancellor had waged with SEC loyalists backing Ingram ended that afternoon loudly. Martin would go on to a Pro Bowl season with a career best 1,451 yards 11TDs. Ingram finished with 602 yards and 5 TDs.

After a few injury filled seasons Martin bounced back with a 1,402 yard season in 2015 when he finished 2nd in the NFL in rushing… again to?? Adrian Peterson. His signature game in that season was a 27 carry 235 yard performance against the Eagles in 2015.

martin.rankd33in2016He had injuries during his career but the flashes he showed were some of the best in NFL history. The game against Oakland was the signature game of his career. If he could have avoided the injury bug…

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Drew Brees Comments About National Anthem Protests

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The media always wants a word from the quarterback as he is the leader of a team. At least thats the perception. Well in Drew Brees instance it would have been better to have stayed no comment on the subject of protests during the national anthem.

Drew Brees…. and how he looks right now

Colin Kaepernick’s initial protesting of police brutality against black people and people of color resonated through out the NFL.

Those that opposed it showed their racial indifference by throwing out the comment “disrespecting the flag” to minimize and trivialize why those players were kneeling. It was the cloak of bigotry to be frank. Anyone that knew anything about why Kaepernick was kneeling understood it was suggested by Nate Boyer. A retired Army Green Beret who thought it a respectful gesture as opposed to sitting on the sideline during the national anthem.

National media outlets have had Boyer on television countless times covering it. Yet here we are with Kaepernick still black balled from the NFL while many pedestrian white QBs still have clipboards without having made a Super Bowl or even a playoff game.

With the world rocked by the senseless murder of George Floyd in the worse scene of police brutality yet, this was the worst time to come out opposing further protests. The entire world is in an uproar as demonstrations have been in major cities all across the US and severl in Europe.

To say he wouldn’t be okay with protesting racial injustice and police brutality if it meant disrespecting the flag was the dog whistle of the prejudiced racially insensitive people on the right. He threw a grenade in his own locker room and raised the ire of black players everywhere.

When his own record setting wide receiver Michael Thomas responded to Brees comments on twitter:

 

 

Isn’t this another of the main voices in that locker room? Well the Saints have a lot of black players in that locker room and this is indicative of how a lot of his teammates will feel about this.

Then I heard someone make a comment that Drew Brees has political aspirations and those beyond football. Oh really? So then is he pandering to his future political base with this gesture?

Keep in mind his mother, Mina Brees was running for office and he wouldn’t endorse her. He had his agent threaten legal action if she used a picture of her own son in her campaign again.

Now when someone doesn’t get along with their own momma….

She was running as a Democrat. So again I ask what base is he catering to??

As I’m writing this Brees has issued an apology to how his comment sparked such a negative response. He’s only apologizing because of the response not that he had a change of heart. We can see through that and we won’t forget.

Don’t forget how Brees made disparaging comments toward retired players in 2011 when players were signing the collective bargaining agreement. The issue was dealing with retired players and raising their pension when Brees offered this:

“There’s some guys out there that have made bad business decisions.  They took their pensions early because they never went out and got a job.  They’ve had a couple divorces and they’re making payments to this place and that place.  And that’s why they don’t have money.  And they’re coming to us to basically say, ‘Please make up for my bad judgment.’”

All those players and their families who have suffered indignity in the face of the farce the concussion settlement later became never forgot that. Those of us close to the retired players community never forgot that. His words helped further the culture the NFL has treated retired players with.

So if you’re keeping score at home this isn’t looking good and he had to issue an apology. Hall of Fame Safety Ed Reed called “Brees a sucka” in a tweet that has since been deleted, for how out of touch Brees was to the anthem protests.

Well he was out of touch with the retired players community, a Hall of Fame player, his #1 receiver with the Saints in Michael Thomas, and his own mother professionally. Is it crazy to assume he is out of touch with the black players in the NFL as well??

Its hard to win a Super Bowl with a fractured locker room. Maybe its karma the Minneapolis Miracle and non pass interference call in the 2018 NFC Championship went against him.

Might be time to retire before the wrong linebacker has a chance to take a shot at Brees.

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