News: Dallas Cowboys: Ailing defense to face wounded Cardinals

Dallas Cowboys: Ailing defense to face wounded Cardinals
https://thelandryhat.com/2017/09/21/dallas-cowboys-ailing-defense-wounded-cardinals/




...The Dallas defenders missed numerous tackles in Denver. They should thank the football gods Johnson is sidelined following wrist surgery.

Promising rookie T.J. Logan from North Carolina won’t be part of the depth solution. In a double dose of irony, Logan also had wrist surgery. Plus his injury came courtesy of the Dallas defense in the preseason opener.

10-year veteran Chris Johnson was added to boost the rotation and help fill the gap. Johnson is capable but years removed from dominant play. Dallas will rebound with aggressive, sound run defense to shut this avenue down...

...It’s week three now and it’s on to the Arizona Cardinals for a Monday night match up. If the Cowboys offense doesn’t wake up against Arizona, they’ll find themselves at 1-2. There aren’t very many teams that can do to the Cowboys what the Broncos did but the Cardinals defense is pretty close (even though it has struggled somewhat this season). Think about it, their combination of Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu are as good any combination of cornerback and safety that Denver has. If those two guys are on their game and the Cowboys’ receivers can’t find separation, it severely limits their offensive production. That’s what the problem has been, people have been calling out Ezekiel Elliott for this and Dez Bryant for that, but it’s been a collective effort that involves everyone.

The Cowboys have scored three offensive touchdowns in two games. They have scored 36 points total, which is less than the Eagles and Commanders. Nobody would venture to say that either of those teams are better than the Cowboys and that’s why their offensive production has been a surprise. What we’ve seen thus far is far from the offense that we’ve been used to with Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott. It’s time for that offensive juggernaut to return and what better time than this week?

Here was a pretty terrible stat line that was unnerving: The Cowboys ran the football 51.3 percent of the time in the red zone in 2016. So far this season? 26.3. #DALvsARI...

https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2017/9/22/16347000/its-your-move-dallas-cowboys-offense

...Talk about a team that needs to find its identity and fast. This goes back to the criticism that Scott Linehan garnered after throwing it three straight times in the opener. Dez Bryant has been targeted 25 times but has only caught 9 passes for 102 yards and one touchdown. It’s understandable to want to feed your best receiver but that’s forcing it to him with reckless abandon. Don’t overthink your offense because Dak walked away with two picks out of possibly four he could have had that day. If the Cowboys get back to their style of football, they can move the ball on this upcoming defense...

...The Cardinals’ defense has some solid players sprinkled in but they are much more beatable than the two defenses the Cowboys just faced. The Cardinals are 26th in scoring defense, allowing 24 points per game. As good as their defense is known to be, they have given up 48 points which is three more than the Cowboys’ defense who gave up 42 in one game. The Cardinals may be giving up 79 rushing yards per game but they have faced Theo Riddick and Frank Gore. The Cardinals are also giving up 316.5 yards per game to offenses. They are normally a stout defense, but they have struggled this year...


https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2017/9/22/16347000/its-your-move-dallas-cowboys-offense

When you lose games in the NFL, it seems like everyone takes a shot at you. It’s been a rough four days for the Dallas Cowboys and the team is being bashed from every angle imaginable. As much as it stings right now, the Cowboys can move past the Denver debacle by winning in Arizona on Monday night.

To get back on track, the Cowboys need to get back to their identity, playing bully ball on offense. Winning week one was a great feeling, but the Cowboys still threw the ball 12 more times than they ran it with Ezekiel Elliott and Alfred Morris. Dallas doesn’t want to throw it 39 times, like they did versus the Giants, or 50 times like they last week against the Broncos. That’s not a winning proposition. It’s imperative the offense gets Elliott involved early and often to wear down defenses and to help their play action passing, which was close to unstoppable last season. None of this has been done in the first two weeks and the offense is only averaging 18 points per game. Dak Prescott also needs to stop forcing the ball to Dez Bryant. It’s great to get your best receiver involved early and often, but it feels like Dak is compelled to throw to Bryant. Prescott has thrown to Dez 25 times in the first two games, for only nine completions, so it’s clear Dak is looking Bryant’s way...

...Forget about the so called blueprint on beating the Cowboys, it’s just not accurate. Not many teams in the league have the personnel to do what Denver, and to some extent, the Giants, did to the Cowboys. Having pass rushers and elite cornerbacks are a big part of slowing down Dallas’ offense, but few NFL teams have that ability. The Arizona Cardinals have good corners, but their pass rush is not nearly as scary as the Broncos or Giants...

http://profootballtalkline.com/nfl/...108343/cowboys-move-past-denver-debacle.html/

The Dallas Cowboys Win If:

The Arizona Cardinals, defensively, are constructed in a way that could give the Cowboys trouble. They have size inside at tackle with pressure players off the edge. They have speed at linebacker and an elite cover cornerback. They get hats to the ball and as a unit they finish as tacklers. Through two games they’re one of the best in the league in creating negative plays in the running game. Opponents have managed to rush the ball for 4-plus yards per carry on just 35 percent of their snaps.

The Cowboys’ offensive identity is their ability to successfully run the ball, especially on early downs. Despite those issues against the Broncos, the Cowboys still rush the ball for 4-plus yards on first down 54 percent of the time -- so that’s a positive sign. When the Cowboys are humming on offense, they’re winning on those early downs running the ball and that sets up the other downs. When they don’t stay ahead of the chains is where they get crushed. Opponents have put Dak Prescott in some tough situations to have to convert, especially on third downs. When opponents have blitzed him, he has a rating of 61.9, while the league average is 91.6.

For the Cowboys to win this game, it’s going to come down to the ability to figure out this Cardinals’ defense especially on first down. Win there and it sets you up for other opportunities on second and third downs, where the Cardinals struggle playing pass defense...

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2...g-first-down-fixing-cowboys’-red-zone-defense

A good steady win here could get this right back on track. When even Sean lee looks lost, you know the whole defense was just wrong that day.

What can i say,"I agree"!

I guess the offense will have to wait until the rams game to play a crappy defense? if the 49ers can drop 39 on them, I would hope Dallas can score...