Dallas Cowboys 2018 Regular Season Thread

[ADHD 28]

I just watched Troy crush the Bills with back to back touchdown passes to Irvin at the close of the first half in Super Bowl 27, within 20 seconds. Wham. Game over.

Dick and Merlin loved Troy's performance. Talked about how he threw the ball to Irvin before Irvin even made his break. How it was indefensible.

Later he zings a bomb to Alvin Harper after slipping in the pocket.

Those were perfect passes. Absolutely OCD perfectionist perfect.

 

[ADHD 28]

Only guy who throws like that today is Brady. Aikman was a machine. Wentz is close.

[Post Oak 20,183]

8 hours ago, Machinator said:

  Reveal hidden contents

The master plan came together at The Star. It was New Year’s Eve and Leighton Vander Esch was having dinner at the Cowboys Club, a members-only restaurant overlooking the two outdoor Cowboys practice fields. There is also a Quarterback Club hidden on the back end of the club where you can watch practice in the indoor Ford Center facility.

That is where Vander Esch, a now-22-year old from Riggins, Idaho was getting his gameplan.

He sat with a group of five people that consisted of his parents, fiancee, agent and his dad’s hunting buddy.

Vander Esch wanted to get drafted by the Cowboys but knew his path to Dallas was far from guaranteed. The NFL draft is as unpredictable as the stock market. Just when you think a player will land somewhere, a team scoops him up earlier — or he falls 20 spots. Draft boards are complex puzzles which teams start constructing at the end of bowl season and adjust all through Draft Night, when the answers are finally revealed. The Cowboys had the 19th overall pick, and a team with holes to fill. The team needed wide receivers, safeties, linebackers, and offensive linemen. (Jason Witten had not yet retired, pushing tight end up the list of needs.)

But here was Vander Esch, looking at the pictures of Cowboys greats hung throughout The Star, knowing he belonged.

Vander Esch walked around the Cowboys Club understanding that his moment was coming.

“Then again, you get to know the Cowboys are bigger, that’s just part of it,” Vander Esch said. “That’s the special thing about ending up in a place like this.”

The Cowboys eventually got their man. He’s become a candidate for the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award and risen as a leader for a young defense that’s among the league’s best.

Taking Vander Esch at No. 19 took luck, a little skill and the belief he could play. It also was the product of insight from Cowboys VP of Personnel Will McClay, Vander Esch’s agent Ron Slavin, and —yes, Vander Esch himself, who delivered in numerous offseason workouts.

The process kicked off when Vander Esch signed with Slavin’s agency. Slavin had moved to Southlake, a suburb of Dallas, and developed strong relationships with the Cowboys, with whom he had a client — former cornerback Orlando Scandrick.

Vander Esch and his family were having dinner that New Year’s Eve after he signed, watching college football games and discussing the plan with the man who put things in motion.

“I told him he was a top-20 pick,” Slavin said. “This is where we need to be for a bunch of different reasons. It was a great place for him to come, I didn’t know at the time Jason Witten was going to retire but I always had in the back of my mind if he comes to the Cowboys he could be like that guy in Witten.”

After dinner, Vander Esch would fly to Phoenix to begin preparations for the combine and NFL team workouts.

On Jan. 5, Slavin arranged a phone call with Cowboys linebackers coach Ben Bloom.

“Pretty early on he was on my list of guys to interview at the combine,” Bloom said. “Do cutups and interact with him. When I had some exposure with the cutups and I watched him I said, ‘This guy fits our scheme and what we do.”

During the discussion, Bloom would go over the Cowboys defense. He discussed what the strong-side linebacker and weak-side backer would do in certain situations. He talked about the different calls a linebacker makes and the adjustments that come with facing fast-paced NFL offenses. Sean Lee was the Cowboys’ weak-side linebacker and the leader of the defense.

It was clear if the Cowboys were going to draft Vander Esch, he would be trained to eventually fill Lee’s substantial shoes.

Lee was a 2010 second-round pick from Penn State and was slated to become the next great linebacker from Linebacker U. Injuries hampered his career. He’s never played a full 16-game season, and in 2017 played in 11. He has only participated in five this season due to hamstring injuries.

Yet Lee remained a crucial component of the Cowboys’ defense. He has earned the respect of his teammates as a two-time Pro Bowler.

Lee learned the game from Keith Brooking and Bradie James, veteran linebackers who were ahead of him on the depth chart when he entered the league in 2010. And Lee, sensing his career or time with the Cowboys had a shelf life, did his homework like he always does.

“I always try to watch film of some of the new guys coming out and seeing how these young guys are and checking it out,” Lee said. “As the old guy, you always looking at the new guys coming in and what you got to compete with.”

The Cowboys met with Vander Esch at the National Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. They liked his size and the athletic ability he showed in making plays sideline-to-sideline. He had a high football IQ and the game didn’t seem too big for him.

When Vander Esch met with the Cowboys coaches, scouts and front office personnel, they already figured he was a fit for their defense.

So what was there to talk about?

Hunting and fishing. Vander Esch and his father hunted wolves in Alaska and in Idaho. There was a picture of Vander Esch holding a wolf from a hunting trip in Alaska with his dad. He showed this picture to the coaches.

It impressed another hunter in the Cowboys organization.

“I hunt, too. I love it,” said Stephen Jones, the Cowboys executive vice president. “I think it’s a good thing. It’s getting away from trouble when you’re out in the woods hunting. I take my son and it was obviously taken very positively (by the Cowboys). He grew up hunting and he was a fisherman and a hunter, His father was an outfitter, that’s what he did for a living. In my mind, I think in everybody else’s, it was a big plus for Leighton.”

The Cowboys have a bus. It’s driven to places like Oxnard, Calif., Mobile, Alabama, Indianapolis and other locations where Jerry Jones needs it. Business happens in this bus. At the combine in Indianapolis, Slavin was making his pitch to Stephen Jones.

Take Vander Esch.

“I knew a lot about him from Will,” Stephen Jones said. “Our guys spotted him a lot earlier (than the combine). He was a guy that was kind of a riser. People take him for a second-or-third type of rounds and the more he worked out and the more he did in Indy, the more we watched him, the more his stock went up.”

Slavin was conducting business with the Cowboys. It was time for the team to let Scandrick go so he could find another team, so Slavin was working on making that happen. He also wanted to speak about other clients in free agency. But he had this linebacker that played eight-man high school football in Riggins and became a star at Boise State who wanted to play for the Cowboys.

“This is a future Cowboy,” Slavin said to Jones. “And that’s Will McClay saying this too. I said he’s not going to be a sleeper, he’s going to be a first-round pick and Stephen kinda chuckled and said, ‘I’m excited to see him.’ ”

With the combine over, Bloom was sent to Boise, Idaho to conduct a private workout with Vander Esch. Bloom was to put Vander Esch through the standard linebacker drills. He arrived on campus during spring break with few people on campus. Bloom needed some help. He normally asks someone from the film department at a college to help tape the workout. Bloom will use an iPad or sometimes the school’s equipment for the workout. With spring break underway, Bloom had to improvise.

“Leighton’s dad (Darwin) was the only guy around and filmed it on my iPad and I was thankful he did because the workout was impressive,” Bloom said. “The drills we did in the workout are very similar to the drills we do in individual (with the Cowboys) and that’s the point. We do the stuff that we do and if I work on multiple people doing the same drills, it’s the same process Coach (Rod) Marinelli does with his D-Line and linebackers. Then it’s something you can compare and he stood out. Any reservation anybody had about him, I think it was confirmed from an athletic standpoint in that workout in terms of change of direction. His dad filmed it, then I had something to show Will McClay, coach (Jason) Garrett, Coach Marinelli and Coach (Kris) Richard.”

NFL teams are allowed 30 visits with college prospects and this is where Vander Esch needed to excel.

He arrived at The Star with 29 other prospects. The visits are relatively simple; meet the coaches, scouts, and personnel people, then tour the facility. The interview component, however, is much longer than the one at the combine. Of the 30 players in attendance, Vander Esch was the first to meet with Jerry Jones.

“Yeah, but I didn’t try to get caught up too much into that stuff cause you never know what’s going to happen,” Vander Esch said. “Just enjoying the moment, an opportunity to talk to Jerry Jones doesn’t come very often and (I) better make the most of it while it lasts.”

During the visit, Vander Esch met Witten and looked out on the practice fields, where he saw Lee working out alone.

After the workout, Lee came in and chatted with Vander Esch for 15 minutes.

“I knew he was one of the higher-ranked guys,” Lee said of Vander Esch. “I watched a little film on him (and) you could tell from the film how good of an athlete he was and the type of football player he was and I met him on the 30 visits. He’s a great guy, you could tell right off the bat and (we) spent the spring with him and stuff. You knew he was a great guy and he was going to be a great football player.”

All that was left was Draft Night.

Within the draft’s first round, the Cowboys were also interested in safety Derwin James and defensive tackle Vita Vea. Dallas liked two wide receivers early: Calvin Ridley and DJ Moore. But the team considered both to be second-round players. The Cowboys weren’t going to use a first-round pick on a wide receiver unless he was a No. 1. Ridley and Moore were viewed as No. 2 receivers.

“It’s hard, you got to be realistic,” Stephen Jones said. “You pretty much put your hands around it not always knowing what’s going to be realistic. There are a group of players that are probably going to be gone; (but) 10 of them you know you’re going to get, so you have them on your wish list. So you really zero in on the realistic opportunities. That doesn’t mean you don’t do the work on the others, in case they fall and that’s why the board is put up accordingly.”

Bloom sat nervously in his office at The Star. Jones sat anxiously in the team’s war room. Slavin stared at his phone.

As the first round progressed, Slavin considered that somebody would take Vander Esch before Dallas. Tennessee was picking No. 22 and he thought they might move up.

Vander Esch wasn’t sure what was going to happen.

“Absolutely, especially not in the first round,” he said. “Felt like so many different things happen on draft day. You never know where you will end up. I was just keeping my fingers crossed that I ended up here. It’s a family atmosphere here, they take care of each other — there is no better place.”

The Chargers took James, the safety from Florida State, at No. 17. Green Bay traded up with Seattle to get cornerback Jaire Alexander at No. 18. When that happened, Slavin received a text message from Cowboys College Scouting coordinator Chris Hall:  “Will McClay is on the phone with Leighton, we’re on the clock.”

Vander Esch was a Cowboy.

“Every single step of the way has been perfect,” Vander Esch said. “It’s been amazing; I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

Vander Esch has been one of the top players on a Dallas defense that has led this team to a two-game lead of first place in the NFC East with three games remaining.

He’s taken over the starting job from an injured Lee, though Jerry Jones expects the veteran to regain his starting job when he returns.

From the first dinner with his agent to the private workouts with Bloom, through being the first of the college prospects to meet with Jerry Jones, everything went according to plan.

“He was like ‘this is where you’re going to be,'” Vander Esch said of his dinner with Slavin. “I was like ‘yeah, I agree with you on that one.’ It was just cool sitting here a few months down the road after training and everything and putting the hard work in the draft process that I would end up here.”

 

Thanks

[Vic Mackey 46,932]

Wentz is their QB of the present and future, regardless.  Not only is he a better player but still should be cheaper.  Foles had a great playoff run but looked mediocre at best this year.  Someone will probably pay him as a starting QB, but really he’s probably better suited as a high grade backup.
As far as this year, they need to run the table and get some help... and no, we’re not going to sign foles unless Dak has something catastrophic happen.

Wentz has also looked mediocre this year. Foles takes a little time to get in his groove. Like last year.

But I'm glad Wentz is their guy. They are going to be dealing with injuries with him seemingly every season.

[michaelpshayes 417]

Aikman > Romo in the announce booth too 

[ztejas 43,262]

1 hour ago, ADHD said:

Only guy who throws like that today is Brady. Aikman was a machine. Wentz is close.

Wentz? That's your 3rd example? Not... idk, Rodgers, Mahomes, Brees...

Carson Wentz?

[ADHD 28]

I'm talking about guys who throw like baseball pitchers. 

 

[ztejas 43,262]

3 minutes ago, ADHD said:

I'm talking about guys who throw like baseball pitchers. 

 

Cool. Mentioning that in your comment might have helped. Since your last comment ended with "OCD perfectionist passes"

[ADHD 28]

Aikman didn't have the stats but out of all the guys in the 90s, he was the guy everyone (but Jimmy) would draft as a clear #1. 

[Vic Mackey 46,932]

He didn't have the stats because that's not how the Cowboys offense was designed. It was built around Emmitt and the OL. Aikman could have did what Favre and the others did if he was placed in that system.

[Hate 20,103]

1 hour ago, ADHD said:

Aikman didn't have the stats but out of all the guys in the 90s, he was the guy everyone (but Jimmy) would draft as a clear #1. 

You do know that Jimmy used the #1 pick to draft Aikman, right?  He had also tried to recruit him to OK State and then tried to get him to transfer to Miami when Troy left ou.  

Edited December 13, 2018 by Hate

[ADHD 28]

Yes but he waffled on Troy for some reason with a supplemental pick of Steve Walsh. I can't imagine anybody else doing that.

[ADHD 28]

Nobody else would have traded Herschel either. Or quit on a dynasty. Or called into the radio and guaranteed a win against the freaking 9ers. Jimmy was different.

 

Edited December 13, 2018 by ADHD

[C-Man 27,041]

Aikman was much better than Favre. I don't give a shit what anyone says.

Uh, no.

[C-Man 27,041]

Wentz has also looked mediocre this year. Foles takes a little time to get in his groove. Like last year.

But I'm glad Wentz is their guy. They are going to be dealing with injuries with him seemingly every season.

You realize Wentz QB rating is above 100 again this year, right? His rating is actually higher this year than last and he was probably the MVP before he got hurt. I will admit he looks just slightly off this year, missing throws against Dallas you wouldn’t expect.

[Vic Mackey 46,932]

X-rays reveal Wentz has a broken back. Pretty serious stuff. He is going to become the Derrick Rose of football. 

[Underdog 28,445]

35 minutes ago, C-Man said:

 

You realize Wentz QB rating is above 100 again this year, right? His rating is actually higher this year than last and he was probably the MVP before he got hurt. I will admit he looks just slightly off this year, missing throws against Dallas you wouldn’t expect.

 

Gotta think his injury has made him a bit gun shy, who knows.  Think he’ll be a stud when things are said and done, Aikman missed significant time his first 3 years in the NFL.  

[justinjc7 153]

And people say Cowboys fans live in the past 🤣 don't get me wrong, I'm a Cowboys fan but still, we're on a 5 game win streak, bound for the playoffs and were getting pretty deeply involved in 90s Cowboys talk.  

[Patrick Bateman 3,903]

4 hours ago, Vic Mackey said:

Wentz has also looked mediocre this year. Foles takes a little time to get in his groove. Like last year.

But I'm glad Wentz is their guy. They are going to be dealing with injuries with him seemingly every season.

Wentz has better stats all around.  It's not that close.  

69.9% vs 65.9% Comp 

7.7 vs 5.5 Y/A

5.2% vs 1.2%  TD%

102.2 vs 78.9 QB RTg

64.9 vs 56.3 in QBR

Wentz is definitely the superior player over time.  Nick Foles had a great 2 game sample size in the playoffs (He was meh vs ATL), sort of like a Jeff Hostetler.  The issue now for Wentz, like some of the questions when he was coming out, is injuries.  Now this back issue doesn't seem serious and he could probably play through it, but he's a huge guy and seems to get dinged a lot....

 

[Drew 2,331]

Cooper explaining that not every over throw is on Dak.  Sometimes it's pacing, or he slowed down.

 

Check the 3:30 Mark.

[Vic Mackey 46,932]

That play was extremely obvious that he slowed down on a route. And could have easily caught the ball. But most of the mouth breathers would just blame it on Dak anyways.

[futureman 22,414]

Dak absolutely overthrew him on the pass.  Cooper here is being a good teammate and earning respect in a new locker room by publicly shouldering some of Dak’s physical limitations.  there are double digit guys throughout the league who could have this offense  scoring 10+ pts/game over our current average.  

Edited December 14, 2018 by futureman

[totallynotabuttpirate 5,342]

35 minutes ago, futureman said:

Dak absolutely overthrew him on the pass.  Cooper here is being a good teammate and earning respect in a new locker room by publicly shouldering some of Dak’s physical limitations.  there are double digit guys throughout the league who could have this offense  scoring 10+ pts/game over our current average.  

Cooper was really trying to say that Mike White wouldn't have missed that throw. He knows White is one of the best QBs in the league and that Dak The Scrub is holding the team back. 

[futureman 22,414]

2 minutes ago, totallynotabuttpirate said:

Cooper was really trying to say that Mike White wouldn't have missed that throw. He knows White is one of the best QBs in the league and that Dak The Scrub is holding the team back. 

you’re joking, and yet everything you said is 100% true. 

[Bone3421 716]

And people say Cowboys fans live in the past  don't get me wrong, I'm a Cowboys fan but still, we're on a 5 game win streak, bound for the playoffs and were getting pretty deeply involved in 90s Cowboys talk.  

Well its only because some fool said aikman was not good but failed to check the stats or the way the game was played in that era

[Vic Mackey 46,932]

Dak absolutely overthrew him on the pass.  Cooper here is being a good teammate and earning respect in a new locker room by publicly shouldering some of Dak’s physical limitations.  there are double digit guys throughout the league who could have this offense  scoring 10+ pts/game over our current average.  

Cooper fucking slowed down big time on the route. It's clear as day. Do you even watch these games? Going to guess no with these comments.

[totallynotabuttpirate 5,342]

21 minutes ago, futureman said:

you’re joking, and yet everything you said is 100% true. 

I don't joke about the legend that is Mike "A-Aron Montana" White. 

[futureman 22,414]

9 minutes ago, Vic Mackey said:

1 hour ago, futureman said:

Dak absolutely overthrew him on the pass.  Cooper here is being a good teammate and earning respect in a new locker room by publicly shouldering some of Dak’s physical limitations.  there are double digit guys throughout the league who could have this offense  scoring 10+ pts/game over our current average.  

Read more  

Cooper fucking slowed down big time on the route. It's clear as day. Do you even watch these games? Going to guess no with these comments.

whatever cooper was doing, white would’ve hit him in stride.  

[Longhorn Al 440]

Who the hell is Mike White?

[Blanton 170]

Time to get this thread back on track. 

http://www.espn.com/blog/dallas-cowboys/post/_/id/4738556/cowboys-finally-win-a-t-shirt-and-hat-game

 

We got a t-shirt and hat game coming up against the Colts this weekend. 4 years ago, the ‘Boys stuck it out and got us out of wandering the division desert for 4 god damn years. 

We finish here and sky’s the limit 

 

 

[Drew 2,331]

Dak absolutely overthrew him on the pass.  Cooper here is being a good teammate and earning respect in a new locker room by publicly shouldering some of Dak’s physical limitations.  there are double digit guys throughout the league who could have this offense  scoring 10+ pts/game over our current average.  

I mean this is just pure trolling right? Along with the White crap?

Also, if you watched the game, you’d know this is true and also one of the 2 gallup overthrows was purely on Gallup who pulled up on his route for some reason.

I mean cmon man stop be a troll.

[Patrick Bateman 3,903]

40 minutes ago, Longhorn Al said:

Who the hell is Mike White?

If Steve Young, Brett Favre, John Elway and Tom Brady had a genetically created child..... It would be Mike White.  Hell.... may BE Mike White.  We don't know what they were all doing in the summer of 1994.  Troy wasn't invited.... he wasn't good enough.

or it could be this guy.

[futureman 22,414]

seriously, y’all will be shocked when I’m right.  but I’m not doing this for shock value.  I’m doing it to educate you. 

[ADHD 28]

Watched Aikman beat the Eagles today on youtube in the 95 playoffs and Wentz goes bust. That's ironic.

[Patrick Bateman 3,903]

So, I think we're going to be a bit banged up on the OL this week.  Zack looking like he'll be out and I would expect Connor to get the start.  Indy's front is it's best group on D.  It's why last week was so important, Philly has folded up camp so we need to win 1 more to get the division but ideally at least 2 more to keep the good mojo.  If we're going to drop one (not that we want to), the least damaging would be this week..... to an AFC team on the road.  

Randy dealing with something but expected to play. 

Expect to see Sean Lee and Tavon Austin back.

Edited December 14, 2018 by Patrick Bateman

[Pato del Muerto 52,338]

This division deserves an 8-8 winner, and it might just get one. 

[Vic Mackey 46,932]

This division deserves an 8-8 winner, and it might just get one. 

Lulz at the Cowboys losing 3 straight, with 2 being shit teams in Tampa and the Giants.

[immortal13 4,059]

1 hour ago, Pato del Muerto said:

This division deserves an 8-8 winner, and it might just get one. 

Hot take

[Pato del Muerto 52,338]

25 minutes ago, Vic Mackey said:

1 hour ago, Pato del Muerto said:

This division deserves an 8-8 winner, and it might just get one. 

Lulz at the Cowboys losing 3 straight, with 2 being shit teams in Tampa and the Giants.

With the banged up line, I could see them losing to Indy, winning the east via wash and phi losses, then resting people.  Unless they have a chance at the 3 seed. 

[Vic Mackey 46,932]

They are not resting players for 2 to 3 straight weeks. That would be ignorant.

[Patrick Bateman 3,903]

This was a good move by Dallas.... letting Barry walk.  Old adage, rather get rid of a guy a year early than a year late. 

I guess he's out there if we suffer an injury at the position.

[Mileslong 4,712]

Just saw Zeke was fined $26k for lowering the helmet. What a freaking joke, pushed from behind , helmets hit and he is called for the only offensive penalty of this nature this year and fined for it. Goodell can go suck a dick

[Drew 2,331]

2 hours ago, Patrick Bateman said:

This was a good move by Dallas.... letting Barry walk.  Old adage, rather get rid of a guy a year early than a year late. 

I guess he's out there if we suffer an injury at the position.

Saw cowboys might have interest in bringing him back for depth and stability.  Plus special teams.

[Deej 76,542]

40 minutes ago, Mileslong said:

Just saw Zeke was fined $26k for lowering the helmet. What a freaking joke, pushed from behind , helmets hit and he is called for the only offensive penalty of this nature this year and fined for it. Goodell can go suck a dick

Goodell was going to go suck a dick, regardless.

[Irish Wrist Watch 1,349]

1 hour ago, Mileslong said:

Just saw Zeke was fined $26k for lowering the helmet. What a freaking joke, pushed from behind , helmets hit and he is called for the only offensive penalty of this nature this year and fined for it. Goodell can go suck a dick

Good. I want Zeke and the rest of the team mad as hell. I think he can afford it.

4 hours ago, Vic Mackey said:

Lulz at the Cowboys losing 3 straight, with 2 being shit teams in Tampa and the Giants.

The Giants aren't bad. They barely lost to Philly. They beat Chicago and clobbered Washington. They beat the Niners who just beat the Broncos (who beat the Steelers)

Edited December 15, 2018 by Irish Wrist Watch

[Vic Mackey 46,932]

The Giants aren't bad. They barely lost to Philly. They beat Chicago and clobbered Washington. They beat the Niners who just beat the Broncos (who beat the Steelers)

No they are bad. Chicago was playing with Chase Daniel. Washington was with Josh fucking Johnson, a guy who hadn't played in 5 years. Sanchez before him. Color me unimpressed with those wins.

[Tired Horn 734]

6 hours ago, Vic Mackey said:

6 hours ago, Irish Wrist Watch said:

The Giants aren't bad. They barely lost to Philly. They beat Chicago and clobbered Washington. They beat the Niners who just beat the Broncos (who beat the Steelers)

No they are bad. Chicago was playing with Chase Daniel. Washington was with Josh fucking Johnson, a guy who hadn't played in 5 years. Sanchez before him. Color me unimpressed with those wins.

Same here. The Giants are a little better than they were at the start of the year, but they're still bad.

[Vic Mackey 46,932]

2 minutes ago, Tired Horn said:

Same here. The Giants are a little better than they were at the start of the year, but they're still bad.

Yep. They have some explosive weapons in Barkley and OBJ. Although OBJ is about to miss his 2nd game in a row. And we always contain OBJ. Plus Eli is still Eli. It will be a division road game and we never make any game easy but no reason we don't win that game. 

[Irish Wrist Watch 1,349]

Let's hope it doesn't come down to an end of the year showdown. Cowboys need to take care of business tomorrow.

[dcar00 14,030]

18 hours ago, Deej said:

Goodell was going to go suck a dick, regardless.

he's such a bitch.  I'm going to bet there will be a call on a RB this week(maybe multiple) which will again show that the whole thing is a sham.