The Cowboys go into simple Prevent defense mode every time

Cowboysheelsreds053

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To be aggressive on defense you gotta be able to hold point at DT (we can’t), Rush the passer (we can’t) and have a great centerfield safety (we don’t)

Hope that answers your question

I thought we had a top 5 D? Are we dealing with fools gold?
 

charron

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I didn't say blitz, I said threaten to blitz, or at least disguise a coverage. Something to get into the QB's head. Chess match. Show 6 or 7 at the LOS, then drop them out into their Prevent Zone coverage. Make it look like zone, and then at the snap, cover everyone underneath in man.

As opposed to showing Quarters Cover Safe, playing Quarters Cover Safe, and just giving up 10 to 13 yards with no sweat. Now it's 2nd and 10 or 2nd and 7, and it negates the advantage of having the 1st and 20 in the first place.


You can also expose your defense that way too. Get up on the line to blitz leave you out of position at the snap. It can backfire and these coaches aren't accustomed to teaching what you are describing. Why are you so worried about style points? On 3rd and 20 we give up 15 thats called a win, enjoy it.
 

LACowboysFan1

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Again, not an indictment of Prevent defense as a whole, more as a play call on 1st or 2nd and long, just giving up big chunks of free yards with little resistance, only to wind up in 3rd and "very manageable".

I hear you, but it's nearly meaningless if the first and 20 ends up 4th and 2-3-5 or whatever, the plan is to keep the other team from getting a first down, except for a bit more punt yardage I'll take it....
 

visionary

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I thought we had a top 5 D? Are we dealing with fools gold?

DLaw is the only DL player who would start on a great defense and he routinely disappears at years end and playoffs

Woods. Collins and Crawford are average

This is an average DL

LB and CB are very good

Safeties are embarrassing

This is not a top 10 defense
 

Cannibal_Cowboy

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Once the opposing offense gets a penalty, I get really peeved at how the Cowboys go into simple Prevent defense mode every time. Guaranteed, if more than 15 yards are needed, the Cowboys are playing a soft zone, and will easily give up 10 to 15 yards, negating the true advantage of 1st and 20. Now it's 2nd and 10, or 2nd and 7, almost like the penalty never happened. Free yardage. Almost no resistance those 1st 10 yards or so. :mad:

I'm hoping Richard at least starts to threaten to blitz on 1st or 2nd and long, or disguise a man coverage with a zone look, SOMEthing. Sheesh! This "play it safe" defensive mentality with no chess match involved at the LOS, especially in long yardage situations, simply hoping the offense makes a mistake, it's maddening. The most we can hope for is a defensive line stunt.

Anyone else frustrated by this?
It's a shame that Richard/Marinelli don't have the same type of imaginative creativity for the defense as K. Moore does for the offense.
 

Cowboysheelsreds053

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DLaw is the only DL player who would start on a great defense and he routinely disappears at years end and playoffs

Woods. Collins and Crawford are average

This is an average DL

LB and CB are very good

Safeties are embarrassing

This is not a top 10 defense

Reading the board I thought the DT's were good.
 

Bob-Lillys-War

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D Law's salary is 21 million dollars , let that sink in for you fella's who are unaware of this and want a better defense .


Dak is getting around 2 million, and zeke 15 mill ?
 

Jake

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Once the opposing offense gets a penalty, I get really peeved at how the Cowboys go into simple Prevent defense mode every time. Guaranteed, if more than 15 yards are needed, the Cowboys are playing a soft zone, and will easily give up 10 to 15 yards, negating the true advantage of 1st and 20. Now it's 2nd and 10, or 2nd and 7, almost like the penalty never happened. Free yardage. Almost no resistance those 1st 10 yards or so. :mad:

I'm hoping Richard at least starts to threaten to blitz on 1st or 2nd and long, or disguise a man coverage with a zone look, SOMEthing. Sheesh! This "play it safe" defensive mentality with no chess match involved at the LOS, especially in long yardage situations, simply hoping the offense makes a mistake, it's maddening. The most we can hope for is a defensive line stunt.

Anyone else frustrated by this?

I'm frustrated by fans who don't know what a Prevent defense actually looks like.
 

KMY_Amber

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I'm frustrated by fans who don't know what a Prevent defense actually looks like.

:rolleyes: OK, bad terminology, but it's basically a soft quarters coverage....designed to prevent a 20+ yard pass. ...which would be fine if it's 3rd and 20, not 1st and 20.
 

KMY_Amber

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You can also expose your defense that way too. Get up on the line to blitz leave you out of position at the snap. It can backfire and these coaches aren't accustomed to teaching what you are describing. Why are you so worried about style points? On 3rd and 20 we give up 15 thats called a win, enjoy it.

On 3rd and 20, yes, that's a win. On 1st and 20, that's not a win. And I'm talking 1st and 20, not 3rd and long.

And we need better coaches if they can't teach deception and disguised coverages. On defense, you can't always play checkers - and just line up and expect your players to win every matchup, this defensive roster is not that talented at every position. Hec, Heath is starting remember? You sometimes have to play chess and get in the opposing OC's and QB's heads. I'm going to give Richard a pass for now because he's new, but over the course of this season, I hope to see a creative (and tailored based on the opponent) defensive strategy.
 
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KMY_Amber

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DLaw is the only DL player who would start on a great defense and he routinely disappears at years end and playoffs

Woods. Collins and Crawford are average

This is an average DL

LB and CB are very good

Safeties are embarrassing

This is not a top 10 defense

Nope, Visionary, I was told this is a top 10 defense, nothing average about it.... :eek:
 
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Number1

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Once the opposing offense gets a penalty, I get really peeved at how the Cowboys go into simple Prevent defense mode every time. Guaranteed, if more than 15 yards are needed, the Cowboys are playing a soft zone, and will easily give up 10 to 15 yards, negating the true advantage of 1st and 20. Now it's 2nd and 10, or 2nd and 7, almost like the penalty never happened. Free yardage. Almost no resistance those 1st 10 yards or so. :mad:

I'm hoping Richard at least starts to threaten to blitz on 1st or 2nd and long, or disguise a man coverage with a zone look, SOMEthing. Sheesh! This "play it safe" defensive mentality with no chess match involved at the LOS, especially in long yardage situations, simply hoping the offense makes a mistake, it's maddening. The most we can hope for is a defensive line stunt.

Anyone else frustrated by this?

no, what bothers me is how weak the pass rush is

arguably 3 of our 4 best DEs aren't on the field ... Gregory (weed), Charlton (???), and Quinn (dope)

IMO, better pre draft/signing personality tests are in order.
or maybe it's who looking at the tests ... note all this ignorance is on Rod's DL
 

KMY_Amber

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no, what bothers me is how weak the pass rush is

arguably 3 of our 4 best DEs aren't on the field ... Gregory (weed), Charlton (???), and Quinn (dope)

IMO, better pre draft/signing personality tests are in order.
or maybe it's who looking at the tests ... note all this ignorance is on Rod's DL

So how does a better defensive line affect the soft quarters zone call on every 1st and long and 2nd and long? Even with a beast defensive line, they will still call these giveaway defenses, giving up easy yards needlessly on 1st and 2nd and long. The beast Dee line won't get there in time to prevent a quick throw for 10 yards.

The playcalling still needs a philosophy change....and again, don't need to blitz, but they do need to disguise coverages or fake a gap blitz or something. Hec, the Cowboys are supposed to have 2 of the most athletic and quick LBs in the league, so they should be able to stand near the LOS and then retreat back into their zones at the snap pretty quickly. I need better play calling from this defense. It's just too soft and vanilla for long periods of the game, and don't let the Cowboys get a simple 2 score lead...the defense gets even softer, as if they're protecting a 4 TD lead, not 2.

Thank goodness Moore seems to have a tendency to keep pushing down the ball downfield. I wish the Dee had a similar mentality.
 

KMY_Amber

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To be aggressive on defense you gotta be able to hold point at DT (we can’t), Rush the passer (we can’t) and have a great centerfield safety (we don’t)

Hope that answers your question

So can they at least FAKE aggression?

And to me, when your team is less talented, it requires even more creative playcalling and deception, not less. If this defense has a lot of average players, then calling vanilla defenses that are easy to read simply means the better offenses will pick these average players apart if the opposing team know what's coming on most downs.

Or, they can just play BBDB all season, and hope the offense outscores all their opponents.

In the playoffs, BBDB just tends to break in the end. Average defenses with non-creative DCs, they rarely win big games in the playoffs. At some point, you need a stop late in the game (or better yet, a turnover!), often with a well-timed and disguised blitz, or because you fool the QB into thinking it's one coverage when it's not. If it's a playoff QB, most will be able to pick apart a defense if they know what defense has been called.
 

charron

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On 3rd and 20, yes, that's a win. On 1st and 20, that's not a win. And I'm talking 1st and 20, not 3rd and long.

And we need better coaches if they can't teach deception and disguised coverages. On defense, you can't always play checkers - and just line up and expect your players to win every matchup, this defensive roster is not that talented at every position. Hec, Heath is starting remember? You sometimes have to play chess and get in the opposing OC's and QB's heads. I'm going to give Richard a pass for now because he's new, but over the course of this season, I hope to see a creative (and tailored based on the opponent) defensive strategy.


Lol you are funny. Richards been calling our defensive plays since last year yet he gets a pass. The very thing you complain about is his responsibility. So let me ask this, how often is giving up a 1st and 20 an issue since last year? So far teams arent scoring much on us and you dont like how we are holding them, its like your chasing a ghost. And if your going to point out heath being bad you do realize you asking him in part to start out of place then roll into whatever coverage he should be in before the offense makes its play. Thats not something you do on the fly, not something richards did in seattle either. Just sayin your complaining about a non issue.
 
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