ST: Cowboys defense has gone three games without a takeaway

jobberone · Oct 19, 2017

Cowboys defense has gone three games without a takeaway

BY DREW DAVISON ddavison@star-telegram.com OCTOBER 19, 2017 5:34 PM

FRISCO

Byron Jones kept it simple.

The Dallas Cowboys free safety had a simple answer in terms of what the defense must improve upon coming off the bye week and a disappointing 2-3 start.　

“Take the ball away,” Jones said. “Just take the ball away.”　

So far this season, that’s easier said than done. This is a unit that seemingly doesn’t have a nose for the ball or any players who would be described as “ballhawks.”　

The defense has produced just three takeaways in five games, and is on pace for 10 (rounding up). They haven’t had a takeaway since Jourdan Lewis’ interception late in the third quarter in Week 2 at Denver.　

The drought has gone on for 213 defensive snaps and counting. Forget the 40 takeaway goal before the season — a feat that hasn’t been reached in the NFL since 2012 — this team should be happy to get half that at this rate.　

http://www.star-telegram.com/sports/nfl/dallas-cowboys/article179838806.html

jobberone · Oct 19, 2017

40 TO is a decent number. 1/2 that sucks.

xvendettax914 · Oct 19, 2017

Gross. You'd think it would happen by accident in that span.

big dog cowboy · Oct 19, 2017

Seriously....what the heck is going on?

Every summer I get excited about the new guys who supposedly can create turnovers.

Every summer I get excited about the coaches saying they practice and put extra emphasis on creating turnovers.

All I get is the Cowboys defense with disappointing turnover numbers resulting in longer drives and giving up more points.

Mr Cowboy · Oct 19, 2017

it's hard to get interceptions when you give 15 yard cushions. The pass rushers have stripped the ball a couple of times, but for the most part, they go for the sack and not the strip sack.

pitt33 · Oct 19, 2017

jobberone said:
Cowboys defense has gone three games without a takeaway

BY DREW DAVISON ddavison@star-telegram.com OCTOBER 19, 2017 5:34 PM

FRISCO

Byron Jones kept it simple.

The Dallas Cowboys free safety had a simple answer in terms of what the defense must improve upon coming off the bye week and a disappointing 2-3 start.　

“Take the ball away,” Jones said. “Just take the ball away.”　

So far this season, that’s easier said than done. This is a unit that seemingly doesn’t have a nose for the ball or any players who would be described as “ballhawks.”　

The defense has produced just three takeaways in five games, and is on pace for 10 (rounding up). They haven’t had a takeaway since Jourdan Lewis’ interception late in the third quarter in Week 2 at Denver.　

The drought has gone on for 213 defensive snaps and counting. Forget the 40 takeaway goal before the season — a feat that hasn’t been reached in the NFL since 2012 — this team should be happy to get half that at this rate.　

http://www.star-telegram.com/sports/nfl/dallas-cowboys/article179838806.html

Sigh [coupled with shoulder slump]

KingintheNorth · Oct 19, 2017

Scheme, talent, environment.

Corso · Oct 19, 2017

big dog cowboy said:
Seriously....what the heck is going on?

Every summer I get excited about the new guys who supposedly can create turnovers.

Every summer I get excited about the coaches saying they practice and put extra emphasis on creating turnovers.

All I get is the Cowboys defense with disappointing turnover numbers resulting in longer drives and giving up more points.

In your heart of hearts, you know, deep down in the bowels of your soul, what the intrinsic problem is and it's more than one name.

Oh, do you know... You know.

DoctorChicken · Oct 19, 2017

Seriously don’t understand what the issue with this is. Is it just a luck thing?

DoctorChicken · Oct 19, 2017

Corso said:
In your heart of hearts, you know, deep down in the bowels of your soul, what the intrinsic problem is and it's more than one name.

Oh, do you know... You know.

Neil Diamond?

Yakuza Rich · Oct 19, 2017

big dog cowboy said:
Seriously....what the heck is going on?

Every summer I get excited about the new guys who supposedly can create turnovers.

Every summer I get excited about the coaches saying they practice and put extra emphasis on creating turnovers.

All I get is the Cowboys defense with disappointing turnover numbers resulting in longer drives and giving up more points.

It's mostly our inability to field a defense with a good cover MIKE, SS an FS and put them on the field at the same time.

What's worse now is that the scheme is putrid.

But, we had issues with getting turnovers under Wade (great scheme guy) because our safeties generally stunk. We had less issues getting turnovers under Parcells, but our MIKE was Bradie James and our safeties were Roy Williams and Keith Davis.

This season teams will just run right at Crawford and Collins for an easy 6 yards, Jaylon isn't ready to cover and the scheme doesn't put our safeties in position to make plays.

YR

ondaedg · Oct 19, 2017

There is no stat more important than turnovers. We are on pace to be the league's worst at taking the ball away 2 out of the last 3 years. Incredible.

Sydla · Oct 19, 2017

KingintheNorth said:
Scheme, talent, environment.

Scheme stinks.

We have two non-ballhawks at S, with one being pretty much useless and the other probably a better slot CB than FS.

We get little to no push up the middle with our DTs to where we force QBs into making tougher throws.

Frankly, I am not sure why people were surprised by this. I think some tricked themselves into thinking King Rod's move to more zone defense would result in more turnovers. That was wishful thinking it seems.

Corso · Oct 19, 2017

DoctorChicken said:
Neil Diamond?

This guy and I would very much get along...

Jake · Oct 19, 2017

DoctorChicken said:
Seriously don’t understand what the issue with this is. Is it just a luck thing?

No. It's a talent and passivity thing.

Proximo · Oct 19, 2017

I stated several times in the offseason that takeaways would be a key to our overall success this year. And we've failed miserably. And it shows in the win/loss column. A takeaway or two against both the Rams and Packers we might be 4-1.

Takeaways do wonders, especially for a defense that is otherwise lacking.

It's one of the main reasons we had such a successful season in 2014. We damn near led the league in takeaways. Since then? Straight up dookie.

Have to turn it around in that department ASAP.

pitt33 · Oct 19, 2017

big dog cowboy said:
Seriously....what the heck is going on?

Every summer I get excited about the new guys who supposedly can create turnovers.

Every summer I get excited about the coaches saying they practice and put extra emphasis on creating turnovers.

All I get is the Cowboys defense with disappointing turnover numbers resulting in longer drives and giving up more points.

It appears the teams that create the most turnovers get a serious push up the middle and get right in the quarterbacks grill.

I am so ready for drastic changes on that side of the ball. Let’s start with coach’s. And with it the scheme.

We haven’t had a complete team in years.

ondaedg · Oct 19, 2017

Sydla said:
Scheme stinks.

We have two non-ballhawks at S, with one being pretty much useless and the other probably a better slot CB than FS.

We get little to no push up the middle with our DTs to where we force QBs into making tougher throws.

Frankly, I am not sure why people were surprised by this. I think some tricked themselves into thinking King Rod's move to more zone defense would result in more turnovers. That was wishful thinking it seems.

Well the old Buccaneers D seemed to be good at creating turnovers and I think that many if us had high hopes that Rod could reproduce that effort with a more Tampa 2 style of zone. Not working out the way we had hoped.

Proximo · Oct 19, 2017

Oh, and if you think 3 games without a takeaway is bad, you don't even want to know how long it's been since we've scored a non-offensive touchdown.

Those numbers will make you cry yourself to sleep.

Sydla · Oct 19, 2017

I've said before, coaching can make a difference in generating turnovers.

Granted, this is college, but for the past few years Notre Dame was pretty blah at generating turnovers and getting after the QB. This offseason, they brought in Mike Elko to be DC, who has built his defense around forcing turnovers and getting after the QB. In just one offseason, without a ton of new talent on their defense, Notre Dame has gone from a Cowboys-esque incompetent defense to one that suddenly can get after the QB with their DEs and blitzes and has as many turnovers in 5 games as they had in 12 games last year.

There was a segment on Elko and they talked about the drills he runs specifically to work on generating turnovers.

So when people say our turnover issues are tied to the scheme and coach, I tend to agree.

ST: Cowboys defense has gone three games without a takeaway

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Chris in Arizona

Offseason mode... sleepy time

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Offseason mode... sleepy time

Beyond tired of Jerry

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