Troy Aikman has no patience for the way modern quarterbacks handle the final seconds of a game. The former Cowboys star called the current trend “a little nauseating” after watching Dallas lose to Baltimore. He made these comments during a radio appearance on Thursday, according to Dallas News. Aikman believes teams are overthinking simple plays instead of just running the ball. This mindset hurts offenses across the league, not just in Dallas.
The Cowboys lost 34-31 to the Ravens in Brazil during Week 3. They had chances to score but settled for a field goal on the final drive. Dak Prescott threw a pass to George Pickens that went over his head. The team gained 415 yards but went 5-of-13 on third down.
Aikman Blames the Line of Scrimmage Chaos
Aikman pointed to the noise at the line of scrimmage as the main problem. He said quarterbacks want to control the play too much before the snap. “I just think that this isn’t isolated to Dallas,” Aikman said, per Dallas News. He traced this behavior back to Peyton Manning’s time in the league. Fans saw Manning change plays constantly, but reports later showed he did less than people thought. Now, every team tries to copy that style even when it fails.
The former quarterback remembered how he and Emmitt Smith succeeded by sticking to the plan. Smith became the all-time leading rusher because they did not check out of plays. Aikman noted that the extra defender does not always make the tackle. Yet teams still hesitate to run the ball against unfavorable looks. He finds it frustrating to watch offenses struggle instead of just scoring points.
The Pass Rush Struggles Add to the Mess
The offense is not the only thing hurting the Cowboys this season. The defense has only recorded two sacks in the first three games. The team has a pressure rate of just 14.4%. This number ranks 23rd in the entire league. Edge rushers like Donovan Ezeiruaku and Von Miller are not winning their one-on-one matchups. They are being outmuscled and lack creative strategies to get to the quarterback.
New defensive coordinator Christian Parker faces a tough challenge with this group. The rushers often fly around without a clear plan or collective responsibility. They get caught out of position and miss tackles at the last second. The Ravens used tight ends to chip these rushers, which disrupted the timing. The Cowboys need to fix this issue before facing the Houston Texans in Week 4.
Moving Past the Pain in Brazil
The team sits at 1-2 and must win their next game to avoid a 1-3 start. That record could be the death of the season, per Yahoo Sports. Dak Prescott spoke to the media on Thursday about moving past the loss. He wants to shift focus entirely to the upcoming game against Houston. The Texans are 0-3, which gives Dallas a chance to build momentum.
Joey Porter Jr. is a new addition who can help the secondary immediately. Getting him ramped up is vital for stopping the run and pass. The Cowboys have the talent to bounce back if they clean up the small mistakes. They need to stop overthinking and return to a simpler, harder style of football. Aikman’s words serve as a harsh reminder of what the team is missing right now.
