DC.COM: Carr Anticipates Personal Improvement Down Stretch

[Eskimo]

Yes, the defense is better.

Yes, the current CB play is better than the play from last year but far below what it was in 2009 when we were #2 overall in defense and up there in ppg allowed as well. This is despite eons better play from the ILBs.

My sole point is that I don't think we are getting the quality of play that you should get when you have a $50M CB on one side and a #6 overall CB on the other side. Ryan has been scared to blitz and leave his CBs alone because when he does we get burned through the air. The CBs need a lot of help to cover WRs. Now I wouldn't mind this if we had middling type investments there and had chosen to fortify the DL instead with a $10M player and a #6 overall pick but that is not the route we chose.

I hope I am wrong about Clai because we need him to become a shutdown type CB because of how limited Carr seems to be. He was beaten bad by DJax on his lone INT and Brandon Marshall absolutely abused him when given an isolation matchup. He is in his fifth year in the league so he isn't going to improve much beyond this point which is okay for a #2 type CB who you try to protect in your scheme.

[CCBoy]

Originally Posted by Eskimo

Yes, the defense is better.

Yes, the current CB play is better than the play from last year but far below what it was in 2009 when we were #2 overall in defense and up there in ppg allowed as well. This is despite eons better play from the ILBs.

My sole point is that I don't think we are getting the quality of play that you should get when you have a $50M CB on one side and a #6 overall CB on the other side. Ryan has been scared to blitz and leave his CBs alone because when he does we get burned through the air. The CBs need a lot of help to cover WRs. Now I wouldn't mind this if we had middling type investments there and had chosen to fortify the DL instead with a $10M player and a #6 overall pick but that is not the route we chose.

[View Full Quote]I hope I am wrong about Clai because we need him to become a shutdown type CB because of how limited Carr seems to be. He was beaten bad by DJax on his lone INT and Brandon Marshall absolutely abused him when given an isolation matchup. He is in his fifth year in the league so he isn't going to improve much beyond this point which is okay for a #2 type CB who you try to protect in your scheme.

Bring up some stats to prove your case on being far below 2009.

[GusTheo]

Can't agree with you Eskimo.

You have to realize that Claiborne is a rookie. He WILL get better. He may not be the best athlete, but I don't think you have to be an ultra elite athlete, even though you think you do.

He has fared very well this season so far, and you bring up a play against Julio Jones, but what you fail to point out is that Julio Jones is a big time talent himself. He makes plays often. EVERY defensive player will get beaten at some point, it's the nature of the game.

At the end of the day, with both CBs, the good far outweighs the bad. Has any team really gone into a game against Dallas and thrown all over them?

From a numbers stand point they rank 6th in the NFL averaging only 211 passing yards a game. All this with an inconsistent pass rush and a revolving door at the free safety position. Someones gotta be doing something right, and something leads me to believe its the stability of the defensive backs!

[dallasdave]

Originally Posted by WoodysGirl

By Jonathan Auping

IRVING, Texas – Brandon Carr has preached the same story every single week this season.

“It’s going to be a 60-minute battle” and “we have to take it one week at a time.”

As cliché as it may seem, it actually sounds sincere coming from Carr. Every single week Carr is asked to contain the opposing team’s best receiver. All the while he is expected to continue to be a leader for the secondary and mentor rookie Morris Claiborne.

So it makes sense that Carr only focuses on “one week at a time.”

Carr has made a great impression as a smart and physical corner for the Cowboys. But coming into last Sunday’s game against the Eagles, he had yet to do one of the things that a lot of people had expected of him: intercept a pass. That all changed in Philadelphia when Carr picked off Nick Foles and ran the ball back 48 yards for his first career touchdown.

[View Full Quote]Carr implied on Thursday that his performance against the Eagles might be a sign of things to come.

Read the rest: http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/ar...6-a91106087eec

Carr and Clairborne are a breath of fresh air, after last years corners.

[FLcowboy]

Originally Posted by CowboysYanksLakers

I think Brandon Carr and Claiborne have been the two biggest reasons for the defensive improvement. Everyone talks about Sean Lee however we are just as good on defense without him.

Bruce Carter's emergence has mitigated the loss of Sean Lee, not Claiborne and Carr. Can you imagine how good this defence would have been had Lee not gone on IR.

[Gaede]

Hmmm, good post Eskimo. Also depressing.

Don't necessarily agree with you, but you do make a great argument.

[Eskimo]

Originally Posted by Gaede

Hmmm, good post Eskimo. Also depressing.

Don't necessarily agree with you, but you do make a great argument.

I like both CBs but we overpaid extremely for what dividends we are receiving on the field from their play. I'd believe they were the difference makers if we played defense like the Jets with tons of press coverage with little safety help freeing up the DC to put together exotic blitz packages. It worked for the Jets when they had Revis and a solid #2 CB. Without Revis they have struggled showing great CBs can allow you to get by with mediocre talent upfront and still put up a very good defense.

Dallas mostly protects Clai and Carr. I won't believe the CBs were worth the price tag until we isolate the CBs against very good QB/WR duos and dial up the pressure on a frequent basis.

I'd like it for Clai to show he is the best CB since Deion as the Cowboys' FO has claimed but there has been near zero proof that he has this kind of potential. It is usually obvious fairly early if a CB has special skills and I have not seen that from Clai. He has clearly shown he will be a competent CB in the league but I don't see All-Pro written all over him. Similarly, Carr is not a bad player but I also don't see him being a multi-Pro Bowl kind of talent. He is just a good starting CB but not a playmaker and not elite.

[Eskimo]

Originally Posted by CCBoy

Bring up some stats to prove your case on being far below 2009.

We'll see how this defense does against a Saints team that is far inferior offensively to the one we beat handily on the road that year.

This team also whipped a Philly team that was far better than this one with a good QB and shut them out right after they shut out the Skinks.

They were the #2 defense in the NFL and #2 in ppg.

This defense hasn't been anywhere close to that one. Show me how this defense is so much better than that one. All I see is a defense that caved in yet another late game lead against a bad team last week only to be saved by Romo one more time. These guys are not world beaters. In fact, they are far from it.

[Rynie]

Imo, our biggest weakness on defense right now is d-line.

[FiveRings]

Can someone give an honest assessment on where they think Clai is technique wise? IMO, it's a weakness of his right now and speed is the only substitute for that, so once he gets that down pat we'll see the elite talent level of play we expect from him.

[Gaede]

Originally Posted by Eskimo

I'd like it for Clai to show he is the best CB since Deion as the Cowboys' FO has claimed but there has been near zero proof that he has this kind of potential. It is usually obvious fairly early if a CB has special skills and I have not seen that from Clai. He has clearly shown he will be a competent CB in the league but I don't see All-Pro written all over him. Similarly, Carr is not a bad player but I also don't see him being a multi-Pro Bowl kind of talent. He is just a good starting CB but not a playmaker and not elite.

Very true. We drafted him solely because he was a playmaker but he's only got his hands on one gimme INT. And putting such an emphasis on turnovers makes sense, considering our inability to get INTs.

I'd like to see teams throw at him more to see if he truly has that talent or not. But I tend to agree with you, we didn't trade up that high to get a CB that needs help over the top because of his lack of speed.

We did it so we could get a guy you could leave 1 on 1 for the entire game and he'd not only shut a guy down, but he'd get his hands on the ball. And we haven't seen any evidence of that yet.

Considering it's only halfway through his rookie year, I still have hope we'll see that playmaking side of him. Some guys are timid when they enter the pros. And all it takes is a couple plays to boost your confidence and start playing like you really want to.

[Eskimo]

Clai is looking better but I still don't think he is ever going to be elite.

Carr is looking more and more like a bust given how much he is paid.

[CowboysYanksLakers]

Originally Posted by Eskimo

Clai is looking better but I still don't think he is ever going to be elite.

Carr is looking more and more like a bust given how much he is paid.

Carr isn't a bust. Every CB gets beat.

[DallasDW00ds0n]

Not every cb gets 50 mil to get burned deep once a week

[jayhouston12]

Carr is doing fine, no one should have expected him to come in and play like a shutdown corner

should he have gotten 50 million? heh, maybe, maybe not.....but he was a upgrade over newman and alan ball....

i mean it was either pay carr 50 million or watch rg3 play against alan ball and terrence newman