No shade: Why the Cowboys’ solar points are distinctive to Dallas

DAK PRESCOTT DIDN’T speak about it afterward, as a result of by the point he threw his second interception at first of the fourth quarter in opposition to the Lions, the Cowboys trailed by 31 factors. It did not matter to the field rating that the $240 million quarterback confronted a second opponent — the solar — as he took a deep shot at midfield on fourth down, or that as an alternative of discovering his personal receiver Jalen Brooks, he discovered Lions security Brian Department.

“He is staring proper into the solar,” Tom Brady stated as Fox’s broadcast confirmed the replay of the decide.

It was Oct. 13 in Arlington, Texas, earlier than the tip of daylight financial savings time, so the solar was starting its lengthy descent simply earlier than 6 p.m. Central Time, via the southwest home windows of AT&T Stadium.

A month later, on the subsequent 3:25 p.m. recreation at AT&T, the solar claimed one other couple of Cowboys in opposition to the visiting Eagles, this time round 4:45 p.m. as these southwest-facing home windows framed the setting solar with two minutes left within the second quarter.

On second down from Philadelphia’s 3-yard line, the solar momentarily blinded tight finish Jake Ferguson and receiver CeeDee Lamb as they turned to face quarterback Cooper Rush from the east finish zone. Ferguson put his palms as much as give up simply because the ball sailed previous him on the aim line. Lamb was vast open crossing behind Ferguson deep ultimately zone however could not react in time. After the ball fell untouched to the turf, he pointed two fingers to his eyes.

“I could not see the ball,” Lamb stated after the loss, confirming what he’d gestured after he missed the ball ultimately zone. “The solar.”

Lamb emphatically declared a perception that curtains within the southwest-facing home windows would assist him do his job. “One thousand %,” Lamb stated.

Cowboys proprietor Jerry Jones dismissed the solar as an element to be addressed by way of curtains, drapes or maybe massive Venetian blinds — “Let’s simply tear the rattling stadium down and construct one other one. Are you kidding me?” — even when Lamb, his teammates and a few of Dallas’ opponents would possibly imagine otherwise.

At AT&T Stadium, throughout the center and later chunk of the NFL season, the solar travels the precise path of the soccer subject, from northeast to southwest, and the 5 panels of 120-foot tall glass within the southwest finish zone funnel the enormous star’s fireplace onto the sphere because it descends to the horizon.

The New York Giants arrive Thursday (3:25 p.m. CT, Fox) as the primary group because the Eagles to play within the late-afternoon time slot at Jerry World. A group spokesperson for the Giants declined to make their director of soccer knowledge and innovation accessible to speak about how New York prepares to play a late-afternoon recreation at AT&T, citing aggressive causes. They are not inquisitive about serving to anyone else determine it out. That is as a result of the Giants and others inside the league, together with the Cowboys themselves, spend time scouting the solar in Arlington.

The character of the scouting studies fluctuate, the information on the influence of the sunshine streaming via these Arlington home windows is open to interpretation. However loads of individuals across the league will inform you that the solar at A&T Stadium… sure, it is a factor.

“That f—ing glare coming via that finish zone within the afternoon is f—ing ridiculous,” Chiefs tight finish Travis Kelce stated on his “New Heights” podcast. “Completely ridiculous. It is just like the glass makes it f—ing like unfold extra. It is just like the solar is greater and brighter than it is ever f—ing been.”

BRICE BUTLER, WHO performed receiver at Jerry World for elements of 4 seasons from 2015-2018, thinks this complete dialog is ineffective as a result of Jones isn’t going to place up curtains.

“It sucked, however our coaches would say, you simply gotta make performs,” Butler stated. “You are paid to make performs, so…”

Again in 2017, Butler stated he talked to Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones about addressing the problem after a win in opposition to the Chiefs the place he and Dez Bryant each misplaced balls to the solar. “Dak threw me a pleasant rope 9 ball [fade route], and I used to be open,” Butler says now. “I used to be attempting to catch within the solar, and I squeezed my palms closed proper because the ball received to my hand, so I did not catch it.”

Jerry Jones says the solar equally impacts each groups, and he has seen each Cowboys gamers and opponents drop catches or interceptions, so he would not see the use in altering something.

The distinction this season is that all the pieces that may go unsuitable has gone unsuitable in Dallas. Because the frustration builds with every blowout loss, the nuisance of the solar at AT&T is up for reexamination.

AT&T is one in every of solely two NFL stadiums constructed on a southwest-northeast axis, and it’s the solely NFL subject that has a clear southwest finish zone. The one different subject on that axis, Huntington Financial institution Discipline in Cleveland, has a strong wall blocking the southwest finish zone.

Nineteen of 30 NFL stadiums have finish zones located on a north-south axis. It is commonest for NFL recreation pure lighting to vary from shady to sunny because the solar crosses the north-south subject on a largely horizontal path. One facet is shaded, and one facet is bathed in solar. Residence groups will typically strategically place their bench on the facet that’s shaded within the afternoon so their gamers can keep out of the warmth. And in some instances, resembling Miami’s Onerous Rock Stadium, the engineers really designed the construction to guard the house sideline within the shade for all the afternoon, whereas the guests are compelled to sweat it out within the solar. 13 of these 19 north-south stadiums are outside, so the solar is overhead.

The solar units instantly west on the autumn equinox, this yr on Sunday, Sept. 22, when the Cowboys hosted the Ravens at 3:25 p.m. However on daily basis after the primary day of fall till the primary day of winter, the solar strikes south to take up a decrease place within the sky.

“This time of yr, the solar angle is low sufficient that the solar really can stream into your home windows,” stated Rick Mitchell, chief meteorologist for NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Value.

Mitchell notes the way in which canines and cats curl up in that brilliant, heat patch of solar in the home this time of yr. “As soon as they discover that, they’re like, ‘Oh, that is heavenly,'” he says. “It would not occur all yr. That is sort of what that is.”

The Cowboys have performed a disproportionate quantity of video games whereas the solar is setting at residence, owing to the group’s recognition amongst tv viewers and the presence and time of the annual Thanksgiving recreation. Since 2009 when AT&T Stadium opened, the Cowboys have performed 43% of their residence video games within the 3 p.m. central time window, and 22 residence video games within the 3:25 p.m. time slot, primarily reserved for nationally televised video games, essentially the most of any group not within the AFC or NFC West.

Thursday’s 3:25 CT recreation in opposition to the Giants is subsequent on the schedule, and it is proper on the time of day and interval of the yr the meteorologist cites as an impactful time for the solar.

“It is simpler for the solar’s rays to beam via that large set of home windows that they’ve in that finish zone,” Mitchell says. “And that is why it isn’t as large of a deal earlier within the fall. Plus, the solar units earlier. When soccer season first begins, sundown might be 7:30. However we’re simply at that good storm of the yr for these rays to have an effect on AT&T Stadium.”

ONE EXECUTIVE FROM an NFL membership gave ESPN a tip for researching this story: Test late-afternoon video games and what route the groups that lose the coin toss select.

Many spend time scouting this, as a result of they imagine there’s a potential edge to achieve when you recognize precisely the place the solar shall be. And the prevailing idea is, if the solar is within the receiver’s eyes, it could actually price you factors.

When Dallas performed Philadelphia on Nov. 10, the solar wasn’t going to be an element within the second half with a 5:29 p.m. sundown. So when Dallas received the coin toss and selected to obtain — not the extra widespread option to defer — it meant Philadelphia received to decide on the route — to defend the west aim — which meant they’d be defending the east aim within the second quarter, the place the solar can be within the eyes of the Cowboys receivers.

In 26 probabilities to decide on subject route in video games at AT&T Stadium since 2020, opponents had a reasonably even distribution of route — 11 occasions east and 15 occasions west. For the late afternoon window, opponents selected to defend the west aim eight occasions and the east aim thrice, and in 4 video games after the clocks modified, thrice Dallas opponents selected to defend the west aim within the first quarter and put the solar in Cowboys’ receivers eyes within the second quarter.

However attempting to find out a group’s solar technique is not so simple as monitoring their decisions. As a result of from the start of September to the tip of October, sundown strikes up an hour (whereas from the tip of daylight financial savings via mid-January, it solely adjustments by 25 minutes in Dallas), and that variance implies that totally different parts of the sport shall be impacted by solar.

When Dallas hosted Baltimore within the late-afternoon window on Sept. 22, the solar affected the groups primarily within the second half of the fourth quarter, however three weeks later, with sundown half-hour earlier, the solar began to glare within the third quarter and subsided 10 minutes into the fourth quarter.

Jones is adamant that the Cowboys additionally know the place the solar is after they exit for the coin toss and make their decisions. Their latest observe file makes it unclear whether or not that information is far of an element.

Of the 14 occasions Dallas has chosen a subject route at AT&T since 2020, regardless of the time of the sport or the week on the calendar, Mike McCarthy’s Cowboys have chosen to defend the east aim all however as soon as. This suggests their alternative would not have a lot to do with the solar’s ever-changing path throughout the stadium and thru the southwestern home windows.

And within the late-afternoon time slots which have fallen post-daylight financial savings time, Dallas selected to defend the east aim seven of eight occasions, which implies that the solar can be of their receivers’ eyes when wanting again on the quarterback for a lot of the second quarter when it is the brightest. Perhaps Dallas prefers the solar shouldn’t be in its QB’s eyes, however a group spokesperson declined to make any Cowboys staffer accessible to speak about it, citing aggressive causes.

“The group has a system and course of in place that we make the most of concerning pictures of the solar, timing and diverse different particulars,” the spokesperson stated.

Dallas’ offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer is in his third yr with the Cowboys and informed reporters that the workers talks concerning the solar “on a regular basis,” however he’d by no means skilled it influence a play like that till Week 10 of this yr when Ferguson and Lamb have been blinded.

“It was one play,” he stated. “We’re conscious of it, we speak about it and there are particular areas of the sphere the place it undoubtedly will get a little bit tougher. However we will not flip the ball over… “

Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore was a quarterback for the Cowboys from 2015-17 and was Dallas’ offensive coordinator from 2019-22, so he was aware of the solar’s sample forward of Philadelphia’s Week 10 win at Dallas.

“The solar performs an honest position, so that you simply need to name performs in line with it realizing sure elements of the sphere at occasions generally is a little bit difficult,” Moore informed reporters after the win. “We had it within the first quarter within the crimson zone, however within the second quarter we have been going the opposite means. “

When Jason Garrett coached the Cowboys from 2010-19, he says he was prepped on the solar’s motion by then-Cowboys soccer operations director Bruce Mays, who confirmed him photos of the solar every week.

“He would come into my workplace and say, ‘Hey, at 3:25 once we go, right here is the place the solar goes to be, after which 3:45 and 4,'” Garrett informed Professional Soccer Discuss. “And it wasn’t solely what occurred final week, however final yr, and understanding we’re taking part in on Nov. 11, so that is the place the solar goes to be on Nov. 11.”

Garrett informed PFT his technique to fight the solar for these late-afternoon video games was to defer if he received the coin toss in order that his opponent may select to kick or obtain after which he’d be capable to select the route he wished to go.

“However the trickiest a part of this factor is, everybody says, ‘Oh, you wish to be sure your receivers aren’t wanting into the solar,'” Garrett stated. “You perceive your receivers are crucial individuals to not look into the solar. However then your quarterback is wanting into the solar.”

“You do not need the solar in your eyes, so far as your receivers, if it is the fourth quarter, as a result of you will have to throw the ball,” former Washington head coach Ron Rivera stated. “That is all the time one thing that you’d take into consideration. So for those who get to make that alternative, that is the route we wish to kick.”

The solar is all the time going to be a think about an out of doors recreation, however a number of staffers for different golf equipment stated AT&T is in a tier of its personal for requiring solar scouting.

“That stadium is harder than different stadiums,” one opposing coach stated.

EACH STADIUM HAS its personal quirks that groups should put together for, resembling SoFi Stadium’s translucent roof, which may create some daylight points as properly, Miami’s sweltering sideline, and people brilliant lights at Kansas Metropolis at evening.

Final November, when Tyreek Hill tweeted about how onerous it’s to catch a soccer in Kansas Metropolis at evening, the NFL really studied how stadiums have an effect on drop charges, and located Kansas Metropolis’s GEHA Discipline was the one stadium that had a statistically greater drop fee at evening than throughout different recreation occasions, and better than the league common drop fee. AT&T Stadium did not current any important anomalies within the league’s research.

The daylight at AT&T controversy is loads just like the turf vs. grass debate. Gamers communicate out passionately in favor of grass and say that turf is tougher on their our bodies, however the knowledge would not present important proof that grass is definitely safer. Gamers have stated time and again that the solar is a matter at AT&T, and there is loads of anecdotal proof to level to, however the knowledge really backs up Jerry Jones’ perspective that it is simply noise.

Per ESPN analysis, Cowboys and visiting groups aren’t worse at AT&T Stadium relating to dropped passes or fumbled punts. Cowboys receivers have really dropped extra targets (4.4%) in video games outdoors of the late-afternoon window (common season and playoffs) at AT&T than they’ve in video games in that sunset-plagued window (3.4%)

And the identical may be stated about division opponents, who’ve performed there as soon as annually because it opened in 2009. NFC East rivals have a 4.3% drop fee on targets in all non-afternoon video games at AT&T, an an identical determine to their 4.3% drop fee in video games outdoors of late-afternoon video games in Dallas since 2009, and a 3.2% drop fee on targets in late-afternoon video games there.

And in video games like Eagles-Cowboys, performed at a time that carries the hazard of a receiver not seeing the ball in any respect, these numbers are equally unrevealing. The Cowboys have caught 68% of their targets in late-afternoon video games at AT&T and 68.3% of targets in all different video games there.

The solar’s injury simply feels extra pronounced now as a result of, as Butler places it, “the group sucks.”

Per ESPN analysis, two of the Cowboys’ three worst catch percentages in any late-afternoon residence recreation with Prescott have come this season. Dallas caught 56% of targets from Prescott in two late-afternoon residence video games this yr (Week 3 vs Ravens, Week 6 vs Lions), when earlier than this season, the bottom proportion of targets the group had caught from Prescott in these video games was 65% in 2021.

In all of their residence video games this season, no matter begin time or quarterback, the Cowboys have caught simply 61% of their targets at residence, which ranks thirty first within the NFL (solely the Browns are worse at 58%).

Jones will embrace the implications of this knowledge, not that it will matter a lot if it supported the other perspective. The proprietor has stated a number of occasions that he wished the indoor stadium to really feel like an out of doors one. He invited the solar to be a part of the grand present.

Thanksgiving Day 2023: Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey missed an additional level whereas kicking dealing with the solar within the southwest home windows. pic.twitter.com/Hz8aOaOaXL

— Kalyn Kahler (@kalynkahler) November 27, 2024

The solar did not dazzle at full energy throughout final season’s Thanksgiving Day recreation, performed 5 days sooner than this season, on Nov. 23. The forecast recorded damaged clouds within the afternoon. With 8:46 to go within the second quarter, the orange glow was seen via the higher proper portion of the southwest home windows. It did not solid its normal oppressive glare onto the sphere, however kicker Brandon Aubrey did miss an additional level with 26 seconds left within the half, kicking into the southwest finish zone and dealing with the glowing home windows. It was his third additional level miss of the season.

The final time Dallas performed at residence on Nov. 28 was in 2019, and the solar wasn’t a problem within the second quarter in any respect as a result of the circumstances have been cloudy and foggy with drizzling rain. The primary half ended at 4:49 p.m., and the solar set at 5:23 p.m. It was largely darkish outdoors the southwest home windows by the point the third quarter started.

The Thanksgiving game-day forecast this yr is a little bit of a thriller as as to whether the solar will affect this recreation. NBC 5 in Dallas says: “Chilly and breezy with intervals of clouds and solar.”