Dallas Cowboys Defense Has Folded When Games Have Mattered Most

[Gryphon]

by Ben Grimaldi

It’s no secret the Dallas Cowboys defense was a major trouble spot in the past few seasons, no matter who was coaching them. The Cowboys organization and their fans needed someone to blame for the defenses short comings.

First the ax fell on Brian Stewart, then Wade Phillips, and now the Cowboys have Rob Ryan in charge of the defense and his fate is yet to be known.

The next excuse was that the players weren’t good enough. Everyone watched the past few seasons as the Cowboys secondary got light up and we watched their playoff hopes go down the drain as they allowed big play after big play.

Then the pass rush was to blame. The Cowboys don’t have enough pass rushers, after all DeMarcus Ware can’t do it alone!

With obvious needs for upgrades on the Cowboys defense, they went out and signed Brandon Carr and drafted Morris Claiborne to help the secondary. They also drafted Tyrone Crawford and Kyle Wilber to help out the pass rush. Couple those draft picks with the return of Ware, Anthony Spencer, Sean Lee, Jay Ratliff, Jason Hatcher and pass rushing specialist Victor Butler and the Cowboys would be able to play aggressive coverages with their new corners. Which would allow Ryan to be creative with his blitzes to get sacks hand over fist or cause more turnovers.

None of that has happened.

LINK TO REST OF ARTICLE: http://www.rantsports.com/nfl/2012/1...mattered-most/

[diehard2294]

sounds like the cowboys teams of past years, we will be fine next year when everyone gets healthy

[Section444]

Originally Posted by diehard2294

sounds like the cowboys teams of past years, we will be fine next year when everyone gets healthy

Yeah, week one will be awesome! Then, by week five we'll be right back to where we are now with injuries.

[IrishAnto]

Yep! Every year is a new excuse for the defense but next year will be sooo much better if we could only spend our first two picks on <insert position(s) here>

[BTX]

Honestly,I like this defense if healthy.

[morasp]

Originally Posted by BTX

Honestly,I like this defense if healthy.

Losing half of any units starters is bound to have an impact.

[jnday]

Originally Posted by IrishAnto

Yep! Every year is a new excuse for the defense but next year will be sooo much better if we could only spend our first two picks on <insert position(s) here>

You have a good point. At some point coaching needs to step up. If every draft has to be used to make Ryan a good coach, why is he the DC? Just about any pro coach will look good if he has top-tier talent. I think the major defensive breakdowns have been due to Ryan. If he was half as good as he thinks he is, the defense would be much better. I don't buy into his BS.

[Apollo Creed]

Awful article, defense has lost two of its best players and had three or four starters routinely out all year. At least they've been competitive.

Offense has been relatively healthy and has been awful all year long. The only time it does anything is when Romo makes a play.

[The Natural]

Originally Posted by Apollo Creed

Awful article, defense has lost two of its best players and had three or four starters routinely out all year. At least they've been competitive.

Offense has been relatively healthy and has been awful all year long. The only time it does anything is when Romo makes a play.

I'd hardly call giving up 28 points in one quarter and making a rookie QB look like Marino in his prime "being competitive". And I dont care what the offense does, how many 3 and outs, how many turnovers, it's not an excuse to not do your job, which is to keep the opposing team out the endzone. This team has stunk up the joint on both sides of the ball, and I put most of that on the coaches. Rob has had some truly despicable game plans, but these players have not executed down the stretch. Needed one stop last week and they couldnt get it

[TheFinisher]

Take a look at what Rob Ryan is working with:







And understand he's made that a top 10 defense this year.

[jnday]

Originally Posted by The Natural

I'd hardly call giving up 28 points in one quarter and making a rookie QB look like Marino in his prime "being competitive". And I dont care what the offense does, how many 3 and outs, how many turnovers, it's not an excuse to not do your job, which is to keep the opposing team out the endzone. This team has stunk up the joint on both sides of the ball, and I put most of that on the coaches. Rob has had some truly despicable game plans, but these players have not executed down the stretch. Needed one stop last week and they couldnt get it

IIRC the defense was healthy for the Seahawks game and the game plan was awfull. That game showed me that Ryan came up short in in his coaching. The Seahawks are just an example of the problems the defense has, even when healthy.

[JackWagon]

frankly our team is like this due to piss poor drafting. Only getting 2 players per draft worth a crap doesnt cut it in the NFL.

[hutch1254]

Even when the defense is healthy it is a defense that does not generate enough game changing plays.

This D is bottom 5 in each of the following categories:
Inteceptions - total of 5, leader is 20
Passes Defended - total of 36, leader is 84
Forced fumbles - total of 9, leader is 26
Fumbles recovered (tied for 7th least) total of 7, leader is 18

Sacks we are 19th over all with 24, leader is 37

The defense is good at stopping teams fairly consistently but there are breakdowns at the most inopportune times. We're pretty good at holding teams to field goals.

But when the hell are we going to start generating game changing plays? Ones that change the game or at the very least help our offense? The type of ones listed above where we are bottom 5? We just don't do that. We're a top 10 defense (currently ranked 9th overall) when we're bottom 5 in the game changing categories????????????? for real??? And this was occurring when we had all of our starters healthy.

[Flinger]

Originally Posted by TheFinisher

Take a look at what Rob Ryan is working with:







And understand he's made that a top 10 defense this year.

Well done, sir...

May I suggest that you also show the injury status of those starters potential back-ups.

For instance, Jenkins was unavailable the first part of the season. Matt Johnson never saw the field. Wilbur just returned (didn't he?). Lissemore. Hatcher has been hurt.

The Defense has been decimated. First line and second line. And, for you pitchfork guys, that makes a huge difference. Starters are starters for a reason. If they can't go, Ryan has to adjust his scheme. For instance, without his starting safety (Church), his CB's have to play more zone instead of what he hoped for - tight man coverage. It does have a trickle effect.

[Zimmy Lives]

Originally Posted by hutch1254

Even when the defense is healthy it is a defense that does not generate enough game changing plays.

This D is bottom 5 in each of the following categories:
Inteceptions - total of 5, leader is 20
Passes Defended - total of 36, leader is 84
Forced fumbles - total of 9, leader is 26
Fumbles recovered (tied for 7th least) total of 7, leader is 18

Sacks we are 19th over all with 24, leader is 37

The defense is good at stopping teams fairly consistently but there are breakdowns at the most inopportune times. We're pretty good at holding teams to field goals.

[View Full Quote]But when the hell are we going to start generating game changing plays? Ones that change the game or at the very least help our offense? The type of ones listed above where we are bottom 5? We just don't do that. We're a top 10 defense (currently ranked 9th overall) when we're bottom 5 in the game changing categories????????????? for real??? And this was occurring when we had all of our starters healthy.

This.

This defense lacks a dominant force in the middle. Ratliff is a good player but he has been just a shell of his former self for the past few seasons and has had very little impact.

Dallas has a lot of pieces in place but they need to load up with a stud d-lineman and a playmaking safety if they want to be special. The problem, though, is they have to replace Spencer's production as well as start looking for Ware's eventual replacement.