Which QB is better: Dak Prescott or Lamar Jackson?
 

Was just talking about this with coworkers.

Most agreed Dak overall was better. Both will be looking to get paid soon.

Who’s the better QB?

Man, what a tough choice. I think I'd rather gouge my eyes out with a spoon.

Dak isn’t nearly as bad as a lot of cowboys fans think he is.

Dak isn’t nearly as good as the media and Cowboys fans says he is.

His ceiling is Alex Smith.

After suffering through Alex Smith, I couldn't stand watching him be my QB. He's infuriating at times.

But yeah, I guess if forced to choose between the two, I'd probably take Dak.

I wouldn’t pay either honestly. Trade them and start over.

You won’t win a Super Bowl with either. The best chance you have with these two is to load your roster with them on rookie deals. Once you pay them, that advantage is gone.

Dak is a better QB than Lamar, who is a better RB than Dak.

Dak is a quarterback, Lamar is an athlete that can play quarterback.

Dak every day...

If the Cowboys defense could stop anyone, they'd be 3-0.

I'd take Jackson and immediately trade him for a haul.

:bravo:

You really love pimping overrated as **** players don't you? JFC dude...

This hits the nail on the head. Jeff Chadiha said that Jackson is more dangerous running the ball than passing the ball. He's correct. And a QB should be more dangerous passing the ball.

Which brings up another good hypothetical question...what would Lamar's trade value be worth?

Deberg just posted a hypothetical and a sort of interesting one at that.

Tough choice. Dak has shown more ability to pull off comebacks in 2nd half. But Lamar dominates like 90% of his starts excluding KC, while Dak and his loaded roster seem to be a 0.500 type of team most of the time.

Not pimping either player. They both have their limitations.

Dak, because he doesn't funnel you into one specific offense you can run.

This is awful. I hope whoever proposed this gets aids. That said, if i had to have one i think i would go Lamar and pray he progresses as a passer. He has a skill set that teams dont prepare for with every other team they play. Its a boom or bust theory, Lamar could get better and go on a run against teams that just dont match up, where Dak is what he is. He has about as good of weapons as he could have anywhere, his lines banged up but basically you couldnt do anything that just obviously takes his game to another level personel wise.

All that said, a part of me believes Jackson has been exposed, the recipe is out.

Agreed. Alex Smith is a pretty decent comparison.

Dak is decent and you can win games with him, but everything else has to be good too.

But he’s definitely going to frustrate you at times.

In today's NFL he easily fetches at least 3 first round picks plus a bevy of mids. Ramsey and Adams both were traded for 2 firsts despite needing new contracts. Get enough desperate teams bidding and you might get 4 or even 5.

Can you win it all with him though? I mean, we have hindsight on Mahomes now but Pat took over essentially the same team that Alex led to a career year and immediately took them to the AFCCG.

If Dak really is Alex Smith, that's a dead end street.

Want no part of Dak after he completed shat himself week 16 last year and lost the easiest division in football to a crippled Eagles team.

I’m telling you. Don’t pay QBs if they aren’t elite. It won’t be worth it.

Someone will think they’re “a QB away” from winning the Super Bowl (and maybe they’re right). That team will give up way too much.

Package those picks to move up and get your guy. Try him out on a loaded team while he’s on a rookie deal. Extend if he’s elite. If he’s not, trade and repeat.

If I had to choose between the two.....Jackson. This is being said in a hypothetical that I have to ride with one of the two of them, no trades, stock-piling draft picks, and no long term impact if Jackson's knees suddenly buckle.

From a pure football standpoint as it stands today: Jackson at least shows that he can win a boat-load of regular season games and get to the playoffs. Dak can't seem to do that even with a very talented roster.

While I don't think Jackson will ever sniff a Super Bowl, who knows right? If you at least get to the playoffs, then you at least have a fighting chance. Get hot at the right time, and you never know.

But if you can't even get there, then it's no discussion.

I'd reluctantly take 2017 Alex Smith over Dak OR Lamar.

I give the edge to Lamar.

I think Dak is a better passer albeit a streaky one but overall Lamar's running ability tilts it for me.

Dak is the better QB.
Jackson is the better RB.

Neither? I'd trade both for picks and try to draft the next elite QB. I'm not paying 80 or 90% of Mahomes type money to above average QB's. You're better off investing that money elsewhere, IMO, and paying an average QB and drafting his replacement. Rinse and repeat until you hit.

That being said, if I had to pick one I'd much rather have Dak than Lamar. With Lamar, you have to build and maintain a top 5 defense and an offense built specifically for him. It would take top flight drafting, cheap free agents that hit when Lamar starts getting paid. He needs to play with a lead apparently. Dak is the better QB of the two and I don't think it's particularly close. Lamar is an amazing athlete playing at QB.

I actually really like both QBs but I guess in all reality it would come down to what type of offense I would want to have.

If I want a more passing attack, spreading the ball out to different receivers and RBs I would go with Dak. But, Lamar fits in with Baltimores offense perfectly. So, if you want a high powered running attack based off of read options then clearly Jackson would be the choice.

The problem with Jackson, as we saw Monday night and last year against Tennessee, is you cannot rely on him to lead you to a victory with his arm.

So, long story short, I think I would side with Dak. But, damn, Lamar is electric and fun to watch usually.

Dak has gotten to the playoffs a couple of times. He won alot his first 3 seasons.

It's not like "Elite" QB's grow on trees.

There's what, 3 elite QB's in the league right now?

The other teams have to do SOMETHING. You can't just go, "well, he's not Mahomes, Wilson or Rodgers so fugg 'em".

You gonna sit around for 20 years with your head up your ass until you stumble upon an "Elite" Qb?

You can can get to, and maybe win a SB with a Dak Prescott.

The 49ers got there with Jimmy F'n Grapes.....

Which one has won a big playoff game?

Big playoff game as in post WC round.

That would be my take as well. The Dallas defense doesn't look so good. Seems Dak is always having to play catch up. Dak also has a decent win percentage. Lamar does too.

Dak is basically 2003 Trent Green. Great offensive line, great running back and a trio of really, really good receivers.

Unfortunately for their offense, their defense sucks ass.

Teams can't win, especially on the road, when they're giving up 39 and 38 points.

neither one will win anything of merit

pass on both of them

Lamar is RGIII part deux with a few more years of longevity.

I generally don’t find Prescott to be anything more than a serviceable QB so it’s surprising to me that I would choose him over Jackson. But Jackson is so limited as a passer that you can’t overlook it. I know people have convinced themselves based on last season he is a good thrower but those are purely star based and don’t pass the eye test at all.

That’s why he was forcing stuff into the middle of the field in our game. It’s all he knows and can comfortably do so whether Andrews is double or triple covered he still just throws it no matter what. He’s incapable of finding something else in the play.

You can get to and maybe win a SB with a Dak Prescott if you have an absolutely loaded roster around them, which is most likely while those types are on rookie deals.

The 49ers model isn’t sustainable, and has probably already collapsed.

Occasionally the Matt Ryan’s of the world have everything come together perfectly and they get to the Super Bowl, but they don’t typically have consistent success.

And you don’t “sit around for 20 years”. By flipping out of QBs for picks you acquire the capital needed to move around in the draft to get your QB. More opportunities to draft the elite QB should improve your odds of getting one.

If you overpay a Dak or Lamar for a decade, then you’re guaranteeing that you won’t have an elite QB for at least that decade.

The NFL is a business first and foremost.

You'd be surprised at the warts a rabid fan base will be OK with allowing to fester at QB. Just build a solid roster around them and watch the cash flow in.. you just might get lucky and get a Super Bowl out of it ala Flacco, Brad Johnson, Trent Dilfer, etc.

Kind of a tough call. I guess I'd lean Dak just because passing is the main thing I need a QB to be able to do really well. I think with Lamar the thought has been that unlike Dak, we don't really know his ceiling. But he's in Year 3 now. Probably good to just accept at face value that he is who he is.

Hell, we were selling out our stadium for decades with retread QBs. The Browns and Raiders have been in the pits for 20 years now and those fans still show up every Sunday, buying merch and $12 beers and shit.

You’re absolutely right.

Making the playoffs is the ultimate illusion. “Anything can happen once the playoffs start”.

Uh huh...

I mean, we know how it ends more often than not, but some teams have been able to get hot and lucky at the right time. Eli Manning won a couple chips, Flacco got one. Rex Grossman, Jared Goff, Matt Ryan, and Cam Newton have all gotten to the big game in the last 15 years. Tannehill took the Titans to a Championship game, as did Mark Sanchez (twice, if I remember correctly).

You really never know..

Yeah if you don’t have the first pick in the draft, your odds drop considerably for getting a QB. How many QB’s have been drafted recently after the top pick are guys that can carry teams?

Wilson, Mahomes, Watson....?

Those guys just rarely come around man. I’d pay Dak on a short deal while I’m looking for the new QB.

But then again a problem as big as Dak is the coach. No idea why these guys choose fossils like McCarthy.

Goff and Jimmy G made it based on excellent talent and coaching so Dak can too.

Jimmy Grapes, Nick Foles, etc

I'm not paying either to be my franchise guy. Of course, that's true for all but a few in the NFL right now.

Dak is better IMO because he can run different types of offenses. Jackson can only run what he's in now. He's very limited on what he can do, but he is very good at what he can do.

It also explains Andy trading for Alex and sticking with him for so long. There wasn’t jack shit at QB from 2013 through 2016.

None of those QB’s were as good as Alex which said a lot

Best QBs in the NFL weren't Top 5 draft picks.

It's true. It's also why it was so infuriating that Chief Fan was screaming for the Chiefs to draft someone, anyone as a first round QB. Andy was waiting until he found a Mahomes.

The last 5+ years at the old Coliseum in Oakland wasn't selling out. They had to tarp off the upper deck. No one wants to see crap on the field overtime and that's what the Raiders were. Hell even Chiefs fans didn't like showing up and watching the QB that I can't mention. Vegas will be a different story.

And Paying $12 for a beer is ridiculous. How much do they charge at Chiefs games?

Who's better right this minute? Dak, no question.

Thing is, Dak has peaked. This is Dak, for better or worse, you're getting exactly what you see here.

Lamar is still at least 50% potential. He could become a better pocket passer. He could learn to read defenses pre- and post-snap. He could learn to manipulate defenses.

Basically outside of his running ability, Lamar is a clean slate, with an enormous amount of potential, and not a lot of downside.

He could but it is year 3 and it doesn't look like he has improved any. Lamar is one hit away from being irrelevant.

Lamar can't read a defense and can't throw outside the lines. His accuracy, especially 10+ yards, is awful and opposing defenses will continue to follow the Chiefs and Titans blueprint.

And while some teams don't have the defensive weapons or defensive coordinators bright enough to stop him, there are two teams in his division, the Steelers and Browns, that can definitely shut him down.

If Lamar can't read defenses, can't quickly process the defensive alignment, check out of bad plays and improve his accuracy, all of which were questioned before the 2018 draft, he's already hit his ceiling.

So far, I haven't seen him do any of the above.

Yep. But that's still an "if" or two in there. The point is we don't actually know he's peaked. With Dak we know.

How much more evidence do you need? It's not like Lamar can take "Smart Pills" in the off season to suddenly understand how to read defenses or check out of plays.

Most likely, Dak has reached his ceiling and if the Cowboys could play defense, they'd be 3-0 right now.

IMO, Dak is pretty much the same guy as Matt Ryan, except that unlike Ryan, Dak is mobile and can use his wheels to make plays, so if the Falcons can make it to the Super Bowl, I don't see any reason why Dak and Cowboys can't make it.

If the Cowboys can't figure out their defensive issues in the next few seasons, their current Super Bowl window will be closed and they'll be looking at a full on rebuild because their offensive line isn't getting any younger and without that protection, Dak turns into a pumpkin.

If I'm a GM I'd want Dak. Lamar is always going to be one hit away from being out for the season with his playing style.

History is littered with 'running' QBs that eventually learned to read a defense. Cunningham eventually got better at it, so did Vick. Of course, plenty of them didn't as well.

But let's say Lamar doesn't get much better at the cerebral part of being a QB. He still owns the best record for a QB against the league, unless he plays the Chiefs. That means going to the playoffs nearly every season.

When's the last time Dak got into the post-season? How many consecutive seasons?

There is no guarantee Dak will be with the Cowboys next year either. I think it is going to be hard to sign him to a long term deal if they couldn't get it done this past offseason and his tag number is almost $38 million.

Dak over Lamar Jackson.

There are at least 15 QB's I'd take in the NFL currently over Lamar Jackson.

Hilariously, I totally blanked on these two, but yep. Perfect examples.

You caught me talking out of my ass lol I wasn't sure if Cleveland or Oakland were actually selling out but the point was that the organizations have still been profitable despite being actual dogshit for the vast majority of the last 20 years.

I know a lot of Browns fans and eeeevery year they've got renewed confidence. "This is the year we finally put it all together!". That douche AutumnWind is here every August talking up the Raiders. I used to do the same shit with Cassel and Alex Smith.

I haven't been to an NFL game since 2012 and never KC :( so I can't say, but I went to a couple Orlando Magic games back in 2019 and those beers were definitely in the $10-14 range. Bunch of bullshit.

Churning out starting caliber QB's every 5-6 years isn't reasonable as there's no guarantee your next guy will be worth a shit.

It's just not a realistic way to run a football team. You can't just keep hitting reset at the end of every rookie contract until you find a generational talent.

Dak is a top 10-15 QB in this league. If you can't win with a QB that's better than what most teams have, the problem isn't the QB.

Again, at what point is a QB good enough to win with?

I'd throw '18 Tom Brady in there too. '18 Tom Brady was not a special QB.

How about post-HGH SB winning Manning?

This idea that you shouldn't retain a top 10 QB just because he's not a top 3 QB is silly when we have examples of guys who aren't even top 10 taking their teams to the SB and even winning them.

CP collective has long had this ridiculous belief that if the QB isn't generational then they're just not very good.

Randall Cunningham was drafted in 1985 and not allowed to play until 1987, which was very common in those days. Once he was allowed to play, he was a very, very good QB from the start, with several 3,500+ yard seasons when healthy. Sure, he improved substantially throughout his career but from a pure passer standpoint, he was miles ahead of Lamar by the time they were starters in the NFL.

Greg Roman had to design an offense for Lamar Jackson. Jackson isn't a guy that you can fit into the Erhardt-Perkins or WCO or Coryell from Day One. If he was, he'd be on par with Mahomes and it's clear that he's no where near the type of QB that can handle even one of those offense, let alone, several.

The Titans and Browns shut him down last year. The Chiefs did it Monday. I would be absolutely shocked if the Steelers can't contain him this year because their defense might be the most talented in the AFC.

It's one thing to be a Pocket Passer with mobility and it's another to be a Running QB that can pass the ball. Lamar is the latter and until he can prove he can stand in the pocket and consistently throw down field with accuracy, defenses will be able to force him into bad throws and bad throwing lanes.

This is ridiculous argument. Dak has put up Matt Ryan and Trent Green type of numbers. Those teams have had difficulty winning in the playoffs due to their defenses.

The 2004 Chiefs had the #1 offense in the NFL yet went 7-9. Does anyone in their right mind blame Trent Green?

To be fair the Browns have a 1st round QB every couple years to have renewed hope. Thus bringing fans back and making them profitable. To get back on topic I think Cleveland would love to have Dak as a franchise QB. Heck even the Raiders.

Dak would be sought after in free agency by a lot of teams. Lamar as well but he would take a certain coach to cater to his game.

Couldn't disagree more:

Dak is who he is at this point....he's been around long enough in the pro game to learn the ropes

Lamar: He folds like a lawn chair when he is put in duress....that's mental, and nothing will ever change that.


EDIT: I misread your comment on Dak....we do agree there

Yep and I've been saying it for years on end.

Chiefsplanet didn't want a Franchise QB, they wanted a Hall of Fame QB.

Trent Green and Alex Smith were Franchise QB's, just like Matt Ryan and Matt Stafford and Philip Rivers are Franchise QB's. Big numbers, lots of wins at times but incapable of putting a team on its back and winning, no matter the situation and no matter how poorly the defense has played throughout the season and game.

Mahomes is clearly a Hall of Famer and a generational QB that will completely change the game of football over the next two decades. He's Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Derek Jeter and Steph Curry wrapped into one.

Kind of making one of my points for me. How many seasons did Lamar have playing QB in college? I don't remember, but it couldn't have been for more than a season or two if he was drafted at 21 years old. So there's plenty of potential once he's had enough experience, right? I mean, one way to look at the guy is that he's basically two years behind most of his draft class, experience-wise. How much can he learn in the next two years?

Right now he's basically playing the "offense with training wheels" under Roman. But that doesn't mean he can't outgrow that offense.

And QBs get the bulk of the blame and the credit, that's just how it is. I could argue that Dak was given the keys to a Mercedes and has managed absolutely nothing with it. He had the best OL, one of the best RBs, a HOF TE, a decent receiving corps, and a better than average defense, all at the same time. And failed to do anything significant with it.

At what point can we blame Dak for the Cowboys' perennial failures? I mean, the guy wanted more weapons, he got them, and still didn't make the post-season. Someone decided finally that Garrett wasn't doing his job to help Dak win football games, so in comes Mike McCarthy. The Cowboys are 1-2.

I mean, I agree with you; Dak is basically Trent Green. But if I'm the hypothetical GM of a hypothetical team and my choices are Dak or Lamar to QB my team going forward, why on Earth would I pick Trent Green?

From a money standpoint alone, I'd have to pick Lamar. But that's getting off-topic. I would rather pick the guy that has more upside performance-wise and more potential. No way am I picking Trent Green over Mike Vick.

No, I am not.

Wrong again. He was a full 3 year starter at Louisville.

How many years does any man need to become an NFL QB? If three years in Petrino's system and 2+ years in Roman's system, which was specifically designed for him, how many more does he need?

3? 5?

Really? How much "blame" does Matt Stafford or Matt Ryan receive each year when their teams fail to reach the playoffs? How much blame does Aaron Rodgers take when the team fails to reach the playoffs?

Trent Green?

What? Dak threw for nearly 5,000 yards last year with 30 TD's. How did he not live up to his end of the bargain?

We? Who is this "we" you speak of?

The Cowboys aren't 1-2 because of their offense. The defense gave up 38 and 39 points in their past two games.

Because Lamar Jackson isn't a QB that can run the WCO, Coryell or E/P.

:bolt:

Okay, for some reason I thought Lamar came in after only two seasons in college, My bad.

And I'm not sure how long it's supposed to take to become a good QB in the NFL. Technically speaking, it took Vick a while. But I think it's fair to say that Lamar's experience as a passer when he came into the league was limited. It's also fair to say that his passing stats are getting better year-to-year. But I agree that he might be nearing his ceiling already.

How many times did the fans blamed Alex Smith for post-season failures? When Romo was the DAL QB how many times did he get blamed for losses, or even entire seasons? I'm surrounded by Cowboys' fans in this place, so I lost count a long time ago.

"We" is the general universe of football fans.

And again, Lamar right now is running an offense with training wheels, but that doesn't necessarily mean he can't outgrow that offense. He might just need another season or two. Or maybe he never does. But if he does, even if he just gets about Alex Smith level in terms of reading defenses, making pre-snap adjustments, etc. he'd be a lot more dangerous and difficult to defend than Dak. To some hypothetical GMs it might be worth the wait to find out.

There's a reason why 31 teams passed on Lamar Jackson.

Teams passed on him because they couldn't see him running a traditional NFL offense, whether it's the WCO, E/P or Coryell.

Greg Roman also designed an offense for Colin Kaepernick.

Once Roman was fired, Kaepernick struggled in Chip Kelly's WCO and hasn't played a down since.

To be fair, I was 10 years old the last time the Chiefs drafted a QB of note.

I'm almost 50.

It's not like we were being totally unreasonable.

After years of guys like Grbac, Cassel, and Smith, how is this shocking?

Nobody here thinks Trent Green was a bad QB. Is he generational?

This fan base wanted to win a Super Bowl before they ****ing DIED. It's really pretty damn simple.

Trent Green, yes. Alex Smith, no.

This fanbase wanted to win a Super Bowl. It was pretty obvious that a guy that plays the game like Alex Smith wasn't ever going to win one. You don't win big games playing things close to the vest every down.

So no, it wasn't about having a HoF QB. It was about having a QB that was good enough to win it all. AKA not Alex Smith.

Boy...that's a really good question.

I mean, your ceiling is higher with Jackson, I think. You can win a championship in a league that doesn't have Mahomes if you have a coach like Harbaugh that seems to always get great performances from his defenses and a guy like Roman who's schemed up a damn nice system to match Jackson's talents.

Whereas Dak's going to be a better fit for the vast majority of franchises. He's an easier guy to build a solid team around.

I don't think there's really a right answer here - it depends ultimately on your coaching staff.

If Mahomes wasn't a thing and Reid and crew were here? I think I'd go Dak and trust Reid to get him to be a little more aggressive. Reid would build an offense that works for Jackson but he'd wouldn't be able to put his exceptional ability to design route concepts to decent use then. He'd be essentially coaching with one hand behind his back.

Whereas I think he'd get Dak a slightly higher level than he had Alex.

Not sure how his ceiling could be Alex Smith when he already throws for twice as many yards.

I can only give you so much rep but I wanted to call this out.

Petrino groomed SEVERAL NFL QB's. Lamar was there for 3 years. He is what he is. Anybody that thinks his ceiling is that much higher than what he is right now is kidding themselves.

If I was in win now mode, I would take Lamar, because he can make plays with his legs, but I would never trust his long term health with that style.

So would take Dak if I was forced to give one a long term contact.

Agree to disagree.

I'd take Alex Smith any day of the week over Trent Green, who absolutely needed a Hall of Fame offensive line because he couldn't evade tacklers.

Teams have given up the #1 overall pick, two second round picks, a 3rd rounder and a $10 million dollar per year CB/Safety for Alex Smith, so it's pretty clear that NFL teams felt Smith was a Franchise QB.

5 seasons in Kansas City:

1. 17,608 yards, 65.1% completion percentage, 102 passing TD's, 10 rushing TD's, 38 Int's.

2. 16,487 yards passing, 61.9% completion percentage, 111 passing TD's, 3 rushing TD's, 85 Int's.