The Defense is not a Hot Mess

[Sydla]

How about the Seattle defense? How does the Dallas defense compare using Atlanta as a common data point?

Seattle has a better defense than we do. Held the Falcons to 25. Forced two turnovers. Stopped them on four 4th downs. They performed better than we did against the Falcons. It's bizarre you might try to argue otherwise.

Look, if you want to convince yourself that this defense is actually good and not pretty porous, that's your right. But nothing about this game should indicate to you that this defense isn't that bad. They didn't do one thing good today. They didn't get off the field on 3rd downs consistently. They couldn't stop them on 4th down. They gave up 39 points. They forced zero turnovers. They had one sack. Falcons controlled the time of possession.

PS - I am sure you will want to point out that Ryan threw for 450 yards against Seattle but note, that almost 200 of them came when the game was 31-12 late in the 3rd quarter and was playing softer zones.

 

[CowboyFanInLexKy]

I mean I get liking him because you think he's a good guy but there have been a lot of "good guys" that just weren't good coaches.

But his track record, especially recently, isn't all that good. And his multiple fronts/versatile looks might actually be a negative. Some of the criticisms of his previous stops is that his defenses were too complicated in a desire to be versatile.

Didn't we have another DC here that was like that (Rob Ryan)?

 

[Sydla]

Didn't we have another DC here that was like that (Rob Ryan)?

Was Ryan too complicated or just too aggressive to the point of stupidity?

 

[CowboyFanInLexKy]

Was Ryan too complicated or just too aggressive to the point of stupidity?

I think it was a combination of both to be perfectly honest.

 

[75boyz]

Seattle has a better defense than we do. Held the Falcons to 25. Forced two turnovers. Stopped them on four 4th downs. They performed better than we did against the Falcons. It's bizarre you might try to argue otherwise.

Look, if you want to convince yourself that this defense is actually good and not pretty porous, that's your right. But nothing about this game should indicate to you that this defense isn't that bad. They didn't do one thing good today. They didn't get off the field on 3rd downs consistently. They couldn't stop them on 4th down. They gave up 39 points. They forced zero turnovers. They had one sack. Falcons controlled the time of possession.

PS - I am sure you will want to point out that Ryan threw for 450 yards against Seattle but note, that almost 200 of them came when the game was 31-12 late in the 3rd quarter and was playing softer zones.

Outstanding fact supported rebuttal.

 

[Parcells4Life]

The defense is another collection of overhyped/underperforming players that are not anywhere near good enough to be playoff caliber. The poster child is Demarcus Lawrence who hasn't done anything in 2019 or 2020...what a joke! PT Barnum (J. Jones) has sold us another bill of goods on these little league level players...great job, yet again!

Lawrence is learning how to play in a 2 pt stance. The crime is the coaches not letting him play with his hand on the ground more until he’s comfortable in a 2 pt.

Remember what a fit Greg Ellis threw when Parcells made him convert. It’s not something guys develop instincts for in 3 weeks. The lack of OTAs and minicamps kill his transition.

 

[JoeKing]

Leave the defense alone! They played well enough to allow this team to overcome a 20 pt deficit.

 

[Colombiacowboy]

Or in defense of the defense.
I did not watch the game yet. I only saw the 8 minutes of highlights and read about the game online and here so take it with a grain of salt.

1) The defense did at least force the Falcons to kick 4 FGs and not allow more TDs.
2) What can a defense do when the offense fumbles 4 times in the 1st quarter, losing 3. Seattle would have likely lost to Atlanta last week if they lost 3 fumbles in the 1st quarter in my opinion.
3) The Atlanta offense is a juggernaut. I am not sure anyone is stopping that offense.
4) Is the Seattle defense good? Compare the passing yard totals (granted Atlanta had some short fields which skewers the data a little).
Matt Ryan put up 450 yards on Seattle last week. Julio Jones had 157 yards, Ridley had 130 yards, and Gage had 114 yards, and Hurst had 38 yards.

Matt Ryan put up 273 yards on the Cowboys this week. Julio Jones had 24 yards, Ridley had 109 yards, Gage had 46 yards, and Hurst had 72 yards.

Seattle had two sacks and one INT against Atlanta. Dallas had one sack and a near miss INT (Worley) against Atlanta.

Seattle defense held Atlanta to 72 yards rushing. The Dallas defense held Atlanta to 113 yards rushing.

Maybe the Atlanta offense is just really good and hard to stop.

5) Do the Eagles have a good defense? The Eagles are supposed to have a good DL. Look what the Eagle defense at home did against the Rams.
Goff put up 37 points against the Eagles, 267 yards passing, 3 TDs, 1 sack, and 0 INTs. Rams rushed for 192 yards vs Eagles.
Goff put up 20 points against the Cowboys, 275 yards passing, 0 TDs, 1 sack, and 1 INT. Rams rushed for 153 yards vs Cowboys.

The Cowboy defense did a lot better against Goff in LA than the Eagles did playing Goff at Philly.

I think the more important question is how does the Dallas defense stand with Seattle and Philly right now with common opponents.

Just to clarify, Dallas actually fumbled 5 times in the first quarter, but Pollard's did not count because his elbow was down. Keep in mind the mind boggling failed fake punts as well...they might as well be turnovers. Also, Dallas D dropped two sure picks.

 

[morasp]

And the team we just played at their home stadium just put up 37 points against our nearest competitors in Philadelphia

 

[visionary]

THE biggest issue is that our DT get pushed around and our safeties are pathetic

Fix those 2 issues and the defense will “suddenly “ improve

and there are solutions at both sitting on the FA market

 

[G2]

The defense wasn't very good. Anytime you allow 40 points, regardless, it's not good. We pulled off a great win. But it wasn't because the defense bailed out. It was because the offense and special teams bailed out an awful defense.

 

[Doomsday101]

I think defense was put in a bad situation vs an Alt that has a ton of weapons on offense. You put Alt at mid field of less vs most NFL teams they will put up the points. Dallas in that situation was able to hold them to 3 points on 3 or 4 of those situation and in the 2nd half the defense gave up only 10 points. I think defense will improve as they continue on.

 

[G2]

Just to clarify, Dallas actually fumbled 5 times in the first quarter, but Pollard's did not count because his elbow was down. Keep in mind the mind boggling failed fake punts as well...they might as well be turnovers. Also, Dallas D dropped two sure picks.

If it didn't count then it wasn't a fumble.

 

[Sydla]

THE biggest issue is that our DT get pushed around and our safeties are pathetic

Fix those 2 issues and the defense will “suddenly “ improve

and there are solutions at both sitting on the FA market

Poe is a massive disappointment. It shouldn't be hard to just be a space eater at his size and he can't even do that.

 

[GMO415]

Def is GARBAGE.... Sea will destroy them..

 

[xwalker]

LOL.

They gave up 39 points and were lucky it wasn't 46 as Jones dropped an easy TD.

They gave up nearly 50% of 3rd downs. They didn't stop the Falcons on two key fourth downs. They had one sack. They forced no turnovers. Were they put in some bad positions? Yep. Is that an excuse to just let the Falcons move the ball at will against them the first 20 minutes? Nope.

Yes, the defense is not good. It's downright mindnumbing the mental gymnastics some will go through in order to convince themselves something about the Cowboys isn't all that good.

30-10 Cowboys-Falcons in the 2nd Half.

Results matter.

 

[Doomsday101]

30-10 Cowboys-Falcons in the 2nd Half.

Results matter.

I agree I also know that a dangerous offense like Alt if you give them great field position like the Cowboys did in the 1st qrt, they will make you pay. I don't care what defense they face. Cowboys offense did the defense no favors in that 1st qrt.

 

[camaro69]

I mean I get liking him because you think he's a good guy but there have been a lot of "good guys" that just weren't good coaches.

But his track record, especially recently, isn't all that good. And his multiple fronts/versatile looks might actually be a negative. Some of the criticisms of his previous stops is that his defenses were too complicated in a desire to be versatile.

What happened to making the system fit the players? I don't know but you can run different looks from a 4-3 front. So why have the ends stand up? If you want to run a 3-4 why bring in Griffen instead of Clay Matthews. Why bring in a guy who is nearing the end of career as a hand in the dirt DE and make him stand up. Remember when this happened to D Ware he looked done until he went to Denver.

 

[Future]

How about the Seattle defense? How does the Dallas defense compare using Atlanta as a common data point?

They're basically the same, but Seattle doesn't have a good defense either.

 

[Future]

The only thing with the defense I don't get is how much off coverage they're playing. It wasn't as much of an issue vs. ATL, but they're simply not giving rushers a chance to get home, schematically.