4 Cowboys QBs ranked among all NFL starters, including dead last
The Dallas Cowboys quarterback situation was not ideal in 2020. after having four consecutive years of the same guy starting every game, four different players sauntered under center to take an opening snap this last season. When Dak Prescott went down with a hideous ankle injury during the club’s Week 5 victory over the New York Giants, it opened up a carousel eerily familiar to the last time Dallas ended up below .500 for the year, 2015.
That season, Tony Romo missed the Week 3 start and though he returned for a short stint midseason, the likes of Brandon Weeden, Matt Cassel, and even current offensive coordinator Kellen Moore all started games on the way to a 4-12 season. This year Andy Dalton, Ben DiNucci, and Garrett Gilbert all started games for Dallas en route to 6-10. Their performance was literally average at best.
But how did they stand up to the rest of the NFL’s starting QBs? NFL.com recently ranked all 59 signal-callers who led their teams out the tunnel in the 2020 season. A panel of four evaluators rated them all, and the average placements came out as follows. Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, Deshaun Watson, and Josh Allen formed the top 5. As for Prescott, his shortened stint placed him at No. 16 overall.
Check out what the group had to say about the Cowboys foursome.
No. 16: Dak Prescott
(AP Photo/Ron Jenkins)
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 17 | Blair: 17 | Filice: 16 | Parr: 16 2020 stats: 5 games | 68.0 pct | 1,856 pass yds | 8.4 ypa | 9 pass TD | 4 INT | 93 rush yds | 3 rush TD | 3 fumbles lost Parr: Prescott was on pace to shatter the single-season passing yards record before a gruesome ankle injury robbed him of a chance to make history. The small sample size is probably the only thing keeping him from ending up higher on this list.
Prescott indeed was on a history pace that through four weeks would've had him 1,600 yards above Peyton Manning's storied 2013 campaign. He had to try and engineer insane comebacks in four of his five starts and pulled the feat off twice, but his hero ball did lead to several turnovers that weighed down his overall performance.
No. 25 Andy Dalton
Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 24 | Blair: 30 | Filice: 24 | Parr: 25 2020 stats: 11 games | 64.9 pct | 2,170 pass yds | 6.5 ypa | 14 pass TD | 8 INT | 114 rush yds | 0 rush TD | 1 fumble lost Bhanpuri: After a rough start to his fill-in role as the Cowboys' QB1, which included expected growing pains and an unexpected battle with COVID-19, Andy Dalton helped steer the wayward Cowboys back into the NFC east race. Dallas went 4-3 from Weeks 11 to 17, when Dalton threw for the sixth most touchdowns (13) and the 11th most yards (1,718). He also posted the14th best passer rating (95.1) among the 30 QBs with at least 120 attempts during that span. Right back in the middle of the pack, where he belongs.
Dalton's signing was heralded as the best back-up QB free agency deal of last offseason, and here he is, the highest-ranked back-up QB who was a free agent. His beginning was putrid, his end was a lot better up until his milk dud Week 17 performance.
No. 51 Garrett Gilbert
(AP Photo/Ron Jenkins)
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 52 | Blair: 53 | Filice: 46 | Parr: 53 2020 stats: 1 game | 55.3 pct | 243 pass yds | 6.4 ypa | 1 pass TD | 1 INT | 28 rush yds | 0 rush TD | 0 fumbles lost Blair: Gilbert's decent effort against the Steelers in Week 9 (243 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 72.6 passer rating) might not have meant much for him in 2020, but it could set him up as the Cowboys' second-string QB in 2021, presuming Andy Dalton heads for greener pastures.
Gilly Glocks! Gilbert was poached off the Browns' practice squad and acquitted himself quite well, almost pulling off an upset of the then 9-0 Pittsburgh team. He showed promise after a strong showing in the spring in the now-defunct AAF.
No. 59: Ben DiNucci
Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 59 | Blair: 59 | Filice: 59 | Parr: 59 2020 stats: 3 games | 53.5 pct | 219 pass yds | 5.1 ypa | 0 pass TD | 0 INT | 22 rush yds | 0 rush TD | 2 fumbles lost Parr: In fairness to DiNucci -- a seventh-round pick out of James Madison -- he should never have been put in position to play as a rookie, but he was (a Week 8 start against the Eagles with Andy Dalton sidelined) and here we are. He finished the season with the fewest yards per attempt of any QB (min. 40 passes). He lost two fumbles against Philly and couldn't lead Dallas on a TD drive. No one deserves to be last, but someone had to be. Sorry, Ben.
Trust us. The sidearm pass captured in the picture above looked nothing like the versions thrown by Mahomes or Matt Stafford. Think Uncle Rico.
https://cowboyswire.usatoday.com/lists/dallas-cowboys-news-february-12-2021-jj-watt-demarcus-lawrence/
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