When things go wrong in any situation, the natural inclination is to figure out who’s to blame for the particular problem being faced. We’re seeing it in every walk of life. The easiest thing in life to do is to blame someone for a problem. The natural inclination for many when they’re being blamed for something is to point the finger at someone else. Enter Allen Hurns.
Dallas Cowboys Wide Receiver Allen Hurns has gone on record multiple times when asked about the offensive woes and stated that the wide receivers are “creating separation.”
It’s no secret that the Dallas Cowboys wide receiver group has struggled in the stat sheet, but if you ask Hurns about it, he’d argue that they’re doing they’re job. Speaking last night to reporters, Allen Hurns had this to say:
“If you want to go back and watch film,” Hurns said, “it comes down to on a majority of snaps, of course not every snap you’re going to win across the board, but are you creating separation? As far as today, of course we left some plays out there. I’m not saying we’re always perfect, we’re always open. That’s not the case. But I feel like for the majority of the snaps, we’re creating separation. If I’m not open, [Cole Beasley] is open. It rotates. It’s not always where all three receivers are not getting open.”
Allen Hurns – via Jon Machota Sports Day DFW
If you’re reading between the lines, it seems obvious who he’s pointing the finger at, Quarterback Dak Prescott. While it’s possible that Prescott is to blame, it’s a far cry from Terrell Owens crying at the podium and saying, “That’s my quarterback” when referring to former Dallas Cowboys Quarterback Tony Romo.
As a quarterback, you’d hope that your wide receivers wouldn’t be throwing you under the bus, even if they aren’t saying so directly. Hurns might be right, but the stats also don’t help Allen Hurns’ case.
According to NextGen Stats, Allen Hurns averaged 1.61 yards per separation against the Houston Texans. On the season he’s averaging 1.8 yards of separation at the time of catch or incompletion. The NFL average is 2.79 yards per separation at the time of completion.
Hurns, who signed a two-year deal in the offseason for $12 million has caught eight passes on 17 targets for 82 yards and a touchdown. He’s averaging 1.6 receptions per game for 16.4 yards on 3.4 targets per game. That’s not good for a player who was brought in to be at worst the number two receiver on your team when he signed his contract.
Hurns, in a backhanded kind of way, mentioned that the Cowboys wide receivers “left some plays on the field” last night.
“I felt today that we left a lot of plays out there,” Hurns said after the 19-16 overtime loss to the Texans. “Some plays we should have had, some miscommunication. Even if we don’t find a rhythm, when we’re in, we got to make the most of our opportunities.”
Allen Hurns – via Jon Machota Sports Day DFW
I’d like to think he was trying to take some of the blame, but he also mentioned that the passing game is not in a rhythm and there is a communication issue happening between the quarterback and the wide receivers.
That comment was made about the WRs this season and not particularly last nights game. I clearly said we left some plays out there and gotta find a way to make those plays last night
— Allen Hurns (@A1hurns) October 8, 2018
He tried to clarify further on Twitter, but he’s certainly not helping his case. Much like Dez Bryant, the more he speaks about the troubles in the passing game, the worse it sounds. If Allen Hurns wants to see the second year of his contract, he needs to get a little more politically correct when talking to the media.
