Before going off on the Defense watch the Garrett presser

[Macnalty]

Lipstick on a pig.

You play with the cards you're dealt, no one is saying this is a complete game by the boys, it is the strategy that was needed with the talent the defense puts on the field.
http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/20161...ameinfo|contentId:0ap3000000745691&tab=videos

 

[Macnalty]

So essentially he's acknowledging that we would have to outgun the Commanders because we weren't going to stop them. I guess it's good for a head coach to realize what his defense can't do.

I would like to think this was a multi layered game and the coaching staff saw this as a winning strategy before the game(benefit of the doubt). Shut down the run, make them throw underneath to eat the clock,and out play them in the redzone. Maybe some of the Princeton education is starting to rise in his overall scheme as it has been well disguised for a couple of years. They are a hot mess with the DB's especially playing a team that demands four good coverage players. As Toruk_Makto stated "lipstick on a pig" and it worked.

 

[plasticman]

If anyone thinks the Cowboys gave up way too much passing yardage then here is the solution:

Pick Kirk Cousins for your Fantasy team.

Pick Dak Prescot for your Reality Team.

 

[Sarge]

You can put lipstick on a pig but.......

 

[Ren]

Still can't get much of a pass rush, which will be a problem eventually. But I guess part of this strategy is to compensate for lack of a pass rush.

It is what it is at this point we always knew this defense had some major weaknesses, should be much improved next season, since we have basically 0 needs on offense we can use all our resources on D

 

[Bleu Star]

I just watched the postgame presser with Gruden and then Garrett on the television and cannot find a link yet to provide. Jason Garrett states that the defense played like he wanted other than the long ball to Desean Jackson in the 4th quarter and that this was not about the yards or sacks but winning the game. The boys had to shut down the run game and keep the passing game underneath was his point. This was a great win.

During the game, I kept saying to myself we have the classic "bend but don't break" defense. Earlier on in the season they were a little healthier so the turnovers they obtained caused some to paint them a little differently. But still, they are the classic flexible defense that is built to be able to withstand the types of injuries all teams deal with over the course of a grueling season.

 

[morasp]

Kind of reminded me of the Steelers game, only this time it was the safeties instead of the CBs. At The end of the game Byron Jones was limping around and Frazier and Heath were both in there. Church can't get back soon enough.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Giving up 505 yards and never trailing is something you don't see very often. Mo was our best defender and with him and Church out, they are going to struggle. Especially since no one can get to the QB. We n Ed those guys back and Marinelli needs to play more man to man. Every time they play mostly zone they get shredded. When they play man they actually look like a real defense.

On top of that you have one first-year starter at safety.

 

[JohnsKey19]

I totally get the bend but don't break strategy, but I think at least every once and awhile you take calculated risks to stall drives by creating pressure leading to either sacks or incompletions.

 

[Ultra Warrior]

For 10 straight wins this has worked. Hate for it to not work when the Important Games arrive. Gotta do a little less bending at some point.

 

[willia451]

Ask yourself this question:

If we had lost the game 32-31, would you still think the bend but don't break defense did OK?

Fair to say this thread wouldn't exist.

And we'd all be over at the other thread bashing the defense into oblivion.

Bottom line: The defense got shelled. But we won anyway. Great job offense.

 

[starfrombirth]

You could argue that the somewhat soft schedule is a mitigating factor in this.

Maybe it was supposed to be soft but you realize that isn't actually the case right? First we play each team in the NFC East (the best division in football) twice. We played the Steelers, and Ravens who most believe are two of the best teams despite their records. We played Green Bay, who at the time had the #1 run defense in the league. Part of the reason that these teams have the records they do is because we gave them the L and showed other teams what to do. The only true ez games would be Cleveland, Chicago, and San Fran.... but everyone else gets to play them too so that nullifies us having a soft schedule excluding everyone else. This team is legit and has earned respect.

 

[starfrombirth]

You can put lipstick on a pig but.......

It's the high heals that really sells it.

 

[starfrombirth]

I'm not buying the schedule thing either....We beat Green Bay (in Green bay when they had the number 1 rush D and they have imploded since then), we beat Pittsburgh (in Pittsburgh with a hot Big Ben AND L. Bell), we beat AJ green and Cindy, we beat Philly when they were hot, we beatthe Ravens with the number 1 defense...We beat a very good Commanders team TWICE...That's 8 wins against very stiff competition, 8 of our 10 wins...GTFOH with the soft schedule crap

I said nearly this exact thing... before I read your post

 

[Macnalty]

During the game, I kept saying to myself we have the classic "bend but don't break" defense. Earlier on in the season they were a little healthier so the turnovers they obtained caused some to paint them a little differently. But still, they are the classic flexible defense that is built to be able to withstand the types of injuries all teams deal with over the course of a grueling season.

I agree this offense give us options on defense that other teams cannot contemplate. The Commanders don’t yet have the hard punch, that blow that floors an opponent. They have finesse and big plays and yards, mountains of yards. They’re pretty and efficient, with all kinds of marvelous numbers. But what they lack is a widowmaker or fist. This lack explains so many of their baffling decisions that probably left their fans squealing. Why try a 55-yard field goal into the blinding west Texas sun with a kicker who is struggling? Why onside kick when you’ve just closed to within five points of the #1 team in the NFL?
Because they don’t have the sockdolager(love this word), the big fist, to be confident on a fourth down, and they can’t be absolute their defense will contain this offense. That’s why.
The numbers against the Cowboys all looked so good for the Commanders, even the final score, 31-26, they were glazing that covered over a eloquent distinction between the 2 teams, and the difference came to weight class. Dallas is 10-1 and a heavyweight because it has the aptitude to impose its will(e.g. screen pass to Beasley with 1:45 left in game), and Washington is 6-4-1 because it doesn’t.
“Over time, you keep running the football, you’re going to wear them down” , “It really broke their backs. It really sealed the deal.”

http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/20161...ameinfo|contentId:0ap3000000745691&tab=videos

Washington never came close to showing that kind of power, for all of its impressive numbers. The Commanders outgained the Cowboys by 505 yards to 353 — to what end? They stood on the Cowboys red zone at the 19, 5 and 2 yard lines in the first half and came away with just 6 points and could not score a touchdown until the beginning of the fourth quarter. There was never a turning point when the Commanders wrested the momentum away.
Is it smarter when you’ve cut the deficit to five points in the fourth quarter: to risk the onside kick or to kick away when you have to know your defense has little or no chance of stopping the triplets with a supporting cast that include Cole Beasley and the ballerina Terrance Williams(what a great play and throw)?
Great time to be a cowboy fan. Terrible time to have the boys on your schedule and playoffs as your goal. Here we come Vikings welcome to NFC east football we're bringing the sockdolager.
Here is the expression of the GM and Head coach just before the Beasley screen play. They knew the die had been caste.

 

[pansophy]

I personally think no pass rush is going to kill us the playoffs again this year. I also have to wonder if Dak will hit a wall much like Big Ben did.

That said, for this game, the fact that Washington has had such a hard time in the red zone may support the approach.

We did hold them to field goals, obviously missing 2. If you aren't going to get to the QB anyway then maybe it does make sense to rush 3 and have an extra person in coverage.

 

[Kevinicus]

Show me your posts that had us at 10-1. When Romo went down half the board was ready to give up the season. Everyone hated our defensive line and LB's outside of Lee. But go ahead, say that you expected Dallas to be where they are.

I didn't predict any record. I don't do that kind of thing anymore. Did I expect 10-1? No. Did I expect GB to suck? No. Did I expect Cincy to suck? No. Did I expect Pittsburgh to be fairly middling? No. Did I consider the Cowboys a Superbowl contender? Absolutely.

I'm not part of half of the board that was ready to give up the season, so bringing them up is irrelevant.

 

[kramskoi]

During the game, I kept saying to myself we have the classic "bend but don't break" defense. Earlier on in the season they were a little healthier so the turnovers they obtained caused some to paint them a little differently. But still, they are the classic flexible defense that is built to be able to withstand the types of injuries all teams deal with over the course of a grueling season.

They are actually built that way because Dallas went belly-up on Gregory, Hardy was too unstable, and they have not poured enough money (available or not) into the defense...not nearly as much as the offense...and it shows pretty clearly these days. Basically, they are doing defense on the cheap and have been since about 2013...save 2015 when they had Hardy.

The Dallas defense has not been good in defensive passer rating during Romo's entire tenure as starter...they perennially hover in the 95 - 105 range, which is a good day for any quarterback. Top defenses like Seattle have a defensive passer rating of about 70 - 75...an appreciable difference.

Dallas defense is on pace for 27 sacks, matching the 2014 total. The 2011 Packers, which went 15-1 had a similar problem, only scoring 29 sacks, while giving up 41 (-12), which doomed them against the Giants that year, who racked up 48 and only gave up 28...a huge difference in differential and pressure (+20). I see a defense that looks similar in some ways to that 2011 Packers defense. Good secondary but without consistent QB pressure.

Where Dallas 2016 and Green Bay 2011 differ is the running game, where Dallas is set to outstrip the 2011 Packers by 1,000 yds...and 200 yds more than their total in 2014...largely due to Prescott's running, which could have him contributing over 250 yds to the rushing total by season's end...compared to Romo's 61 in 2014.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

They are actually built that way because Dallas went belly-up on Gregory, Hardy was too unstable, and they have not poured enough money (available or not) into the defense...not nearly as much as the offense...and it shows pretty clearly these days.

The Dallas defense has not been good in defensive passer rating during Romo's entire tenure as starter...they perennially hover in the 95 - 105 range, which is a good day for any quarterback. Top defenses like Seattle have a defensive passer rating of about 70 - 75...an appreciable difference.

Dallas defense is on pace for 27 sacks, matching the 2014 total. The 2011 Packers, which went 15-1 had a similar problem, only scoring 29 sacks, while giving up 41 (-12), which doomed them against the Giants that year, who racked up 48 and only gave up 28...a huge difference in differential and pressure (+20). I see a defense that looks similar in some ways to that 2011 Packers defense. Good secondary but without consistent QB pressure.

Where Dallas 2016 and Green Bay 2011 differ is the running game, where Dallas is set to outstrip the 2011 Packers by 1,000 yds...and 200 yds more than their total in 2014...largely due to Prescott's running, which could have him contributing over 250 yds to the rushing total by season's end...compared to Romo's 61 in 2014.

Oh no question the defense hasn't received the resources of the offense.

On top of that the defense is much more injured at this point.

The injury situation may sort itself out between now and the end of the season but the talent deficiency won't.

The team is going to simply have to win the exact same way they have up to this point.

When the offseason comes I'm sure we're going to see a more talent added to the defense.

 

[lukin2006]

Scandrick is obviously battling some kind of injury...but he also made some good plays, and really battled out there...