Blogging The Boys
Although the Dallas Cowboys lost to the Los Angeles Rams by a score of 31-21, it wasn’t as close as the score indicated. For much of the game, the Cowboys struggled to gain any traction offensively, largely due to costly penalties that set the offense back, and the defense allowing the Rams to get off to a fast start.
You also can’t ignore that the much-anticipated Cowboys’ debut of Joe Milton, which was expected to have continuous fireworks throughout the night, had a little more than a fizzle and a sparkle. It’s not to diminish Milton and what he could be, but it seems like his performance has warranted some tempered expectations. Here’s why Dallas needs to take a step-by-step approach with Milton.
As a collegiate prospect, Milton was one of the biggest question marks in the draft class, yet Milton’s arm talent was arguably the best in the SEC conference, and perhaps in the entire nation. However, when you examine his senior season, certain things stand out and explain why he fell to the fifth round. For starters, in his senior season, Milton was held to under a 60% completion percentage four times out of his 12 starts. Also, for someone who has the potential to push the ball down the field so effortlessly, 7.9 yards per attempt seems pedestrian for a player of his physical prowess. Perhaps more peculiar is that Milton only had one 300+ yard passing game in 2023. As they say, the “math isn’t mathing.” Granted, that was his only year as a full-time starter, but that’s also why Milton has such a steep learning curve in his second NFL season.
Fair or unfair, Milton’s performance also raises the question of why the New England Patriots were so eager to part with Milton so soon. Drake Maye is their future, but that doesn’t mean it hurts to have Milton around as a developmental backup on the roster. For the Patriots to move on from Milton after one season suggests that they’re not losing sleep over having to replace him because Milton is still a very raw prospect.
That said, it’s also fascinating why Cowboys fans are so optimistic about Milton and anxious to see him on for as much as possible during the preseason. One theory is similar to the seven-year itch in marriages to characterize a decline in happiness around the seven-year mark and the longing for something else or someone new. That ideal also pertains to the relationship between a fanbase and its quarterback. Dak Prescott has been the team’s starting quarterback since 2016, and it’s hard to satiate a fanbase that at best can be rabid, and at worst apathetic, without the success of winning a championship despite having the same starting quarterback for so long. No NFC championship appearances, the only NFC team that hasn’t done so since 1995, by the way, has fans eager for the next chapter. Milton also exhibits the premier traits that are needed to win at...
