'06 Version' The BEST COWBOY DEFENSE of All Time?

[Chief]

I know it is early, but ...

Way, way too early.

It's ridiculous to already start comparing these kids with Bob Lilly's original Doomsday defense, or the late 70s teams of Randy White and Harvey Martin, or the early 1990s defense.

Win some Super Bowls first.

Or how about this ... win a freakin' playoff game.

 

[Sarge]

Way, way too early.

It's ridiculous to already start comparing these kids with Bob Lilly's original Doomsday defense, or the late 70s teams of Randy White and Harvey Martin, or the early 1990s defense.

Win some Super Bowls first.

Or how about this ... win a freakin' playoff game.

Ahhh......the voice of reason. At this point, this defense can't hold the early 70's or late 70's jocks. They really haven't proven anything yet. Potential is the word I hate the most. This defense hasn't even looked as good as the early 90's defense yet. Time will tell, but until such time passes, all we have to hang our hats on is "potential."

Let's see'em play together for a while before we get to comparing to those great defenses of yesteryear.

Good moring.

 

[parchy]

The 1978 Cowboys defense allowed the third or fourth- least points at home in a season in NFL history. I think it's around 70.

Yeah, we're not going to touch that this year.

 

[Big Country]

Let them play some real games first. There are so many young guys out there. It may still take a while for them to gel.

The 1977 defense was perhaps the franchise's best defense. It dominated opponents. The 1992 defense was really good, too. It could do lots of different things, but I don't really consider it a dominant defense. That is just relative to the 1977 team because they did shut down teams.

WORD!!

That's the very year I started watching football. SB 12 hooked me forever!!

Don't get me wrong to all the young uns who didn't see those years... 1992 was very, very special to watch, but the 1977 defense... You just had to see!!

 

[Canadian BoyzFan]

We need a more consistent pass rush. However, the future looks bright. Not sure "best ever" is accurate or likely at this point.

 

[jbz64]

The 1978 Cowboys defense allowed the third or fourth- least points at home in a season in NFL history. I think it's around 70.

Yeah, we're not going to touch that this year.

The 77 defense was awesome. They dominanated games. When they played Detroit that year Detroit didn't cross the 50 yard line once. Harvey Martin, Randy White and Too Tall Jones were monsters. Martin and White were Super Bowl Co-MVP's that year. Yippeeee!!! was the title on SI's magazine for that Super Bowl.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Ahhh......the voice of reason. At this point, this defense can't hold the early 70's or late 70's jocks. They really haven't proven anything yet. Potential is the word I hate the most. This defense hasn't even looked as good as the early 90's defense yet. Time will tell, but until such time passes, all we have to hang our hats on is "potential."

Let's see'em play together for a while before we get to comparing to those great defenses of yesteryear.

Good moring.

We often don't get "voices of reason" posts on the board.

Morning to you Sarge.

 

[Cowboy Bebop]

Ahhh......the voice of reason. At this point, this defense can't hold the early 70's or late 70's jocks. They really haven't proven anything yet. Potential is the word I hate the most. This defense hasn't even looked as good as the early 90's defense yet. Time will tell, but until such time passes, all we have to hang our hats on is "potential."

Let's see'em play together for a while before we get to comparing to those great defenses of yesteryear.

Good moring.

Well said.

 

[burmafrd]

I watched the Doomsday Defense in 1971. And the One in 1977. And the 90's D. The original Doomsday is still the best. The sequels were very good, but the original was better.

 

[tunahelper]

Best ever? Now? Probably not.

But I think they are on track to dominate.

And chances are that they will only get better in another year or two.

There are strengths and weaknesses associated with any scheme, and it is said that a vulnerability of the 3-4 scheme is run defense. The NT position is critical. Not sure that the Cowboys have an all-star there (yet). But this year's defense should be quite good anyway.

I think the 3-4 DL is equally important. The NT and DE's have same responsibilties and face double teams.
You must have VERY PHYSICAL inside LB's as well.
If they fail to take on and shed blocks you will get crushed!

 

[big dog cowboy]

I know it is early

Let me get back you on that in 5 months. We do have a chance at being something special.

 

[jobberone]

The late 70s defense was awesome but the initial Doomsday was probably better all around IMO. I think the early 90s was close due to the rotation and depth of the DL and overall quickness + Deion but they don't quite measure up to the two Doomsday defenses IMO.

 

[FLcowboy]

Zoners don't laugh: :laugh2:

I know it is early, but from all I am reading about this young defense and the talent and depth accross the board, DO NOT be surprised if this DEFENSE becomes the BEST we ever fielded.

CANTY, RATLIFF, FERGUSON, SPEARS, COLEMAN, JOHNSON, STANLEY, HATCHER

JAMES, CARPENTER, SINGLETON, WARE, ELLIS, BURNETT, JR GRUPH sp?

WILLIAMS, TNEW, GLENN, HENRY, DAVIS

This is just off the top of my head.......I am leaving a few out.....that is how tough this DEFENSE can Be? :starspin

I LOVED all of our past great DEFENSES, however, I really believe this group if they stay HEALTHY will be known........

AS OUR BEST EVER IN CWOBOYS HISTORY--BOOK IT ZONERS!

Well, the defense looks awfully good on paper and internet reports from camp, but there is still some question as to the starting linebackers and safeties, and maybe even the D-line.

 

[Chief]

The late 70s defense was awesome but the initial Doomsday was probably better all around IMO. I think the early 90s was close due to the rotation and depth of the DL and overall quickness + Deion but they don't quite measure up to the two Doomsday defenses IMO.

They're close, but I think I agree. What Dallas did to the Miami offense in the Super Bowl was nothing short of unbelievable.

Bob Griese + Paul Warfield + Jim Csonka + Mercury Morris + Larry Little + Bob Kuechenberg + Jim Kiick = 3 points.

The late 1970s defense may have had better pass-rushers, but the early 1970s Doomsday had better cornerbacks.

After Mel Renfro retired, Dallas had Mark Washington, Benny Barnes and Aaron Kyle playing corner. No disrepect to them, but that was the weak link of that defense and one Bradshaw-Stallworth-Swann unfortunately exploited in the Super Bowls.

 

[Concord]

No Way...The 70's Teams were the best and then the 90's.

This Defense has a VERY long way to go before it could even be Considered the Best of all time.

 

[Ratmatt]

67-71 Defense had more HOF players and should be in HOF then any other team the Boys have ever had. Lilly, Howley, Jordan, Renfro, Green, Waters, Harris, Pugh, Andrie. only Lilly and Renfro are in. Howley, Adderley , Green and Waters and Harris deserve to be in as much as any of the borderline Steelers that are in.

Herb Adderly is in the hall of fame.He is mainly in as a green bay packer,from those great teams of the 60's.

 

[Doomsdayblitz]

I've been a Cowboys fan since 1965. You are WAY ahead of yourself in even attempting to compare some of the Dallas defenses of the past to the 2006 model. To judge this year's defense, you have to compare it to last year's. We had two players who tied for the sack lead with 8 last year. They had 37 total sacks and 15 ints. as a unit & created 11 fumbles. They gave up 300.9 yds. & 19.2 pts. per game.

The '92 Dallas squad had 44 sacks and 17 ints. They gave up 245.8 yds. & 15.2 pts. per game. Rated the #1 Defense in the NFL that year. They also helped beat the Buffalo Bills 52-17 in SB XXVII. The score would have been a record setting 59-17, had Leon "No Brain, All Brawn" Lett would have waited until AFTER he scored before celebrating. This defense also created a SB record 9 turnovers in the game. So, just going by stats alone, you can see that the 2006 Dallas defense has quite a task to be better than this class.

The '77 Dallas defense, known to some as "Doomsday II", also helped their team to a SB win. This unit, with a line of Harvey Martin, Randy White, Larry Cole, and Ed "Too Tall" Jones, had a league high 53 sacks for losses of 429 yds. and 10 ints.! They would have had more ints., but the other team's QB was usually prone & dealing w/a concussion. They also gave up a paltry 229.5 yds. & 15.1 pts. per game. This group of uglies, also holding the rank of #1 defense in the league, made former Cowboy QB Craig Morton's life hell as they sacked him & his backup, Norris Weese, 4 times. What was worse, is that the pressure also resulted in 4 ints. & 4 fumbles-all recovered by the Cowboys.
Again, this 2006 group has its hands full if it wants to measure up to this group of greats!

Finally, while the Cowboys of 1969 were beaten in the season finale, 14-38, to the Cleveland Browns, their defense was the original "Doomsday". The line of Larry Cole, Jethrow Pugh, Bob Lilly, and George Andrie was a force to be reckoned with-along with its LBs of Lee Roy Jordan, Chuck Howley, and Dave Edwards. This front seven put pressure to the opposition to the tune of 55 sacks-still a Cowboy's record, and all in only 12 games. This constant pressure on the enemy's QB gave CB Cornell Green & FS Mel Renfro freedom to roam. They ended up grabbing 18 ints. This defense gave up 264.8 yds. & 15.9 pts. per game.

In the final analysis, I would have to say that the Defense of 1977, "Doomsday II", was the best all around defense the Cowboys have ever had. They had 53 sacks, (only two off the record), gave up the least amount of yds. & pts. of any Dallas team in history.

Well, Crazy, there ya go. All this year's team has to do is beat the stats of the '77 team, and dominate the SB, and they are in. Something tells me that's a lot easier said than done.

 

[burmafrd]

You have to look at the quality of opponents as well. The 66-72 original Doomsday had to deal with the Green Bay Packers and Lombardi, then the Dolphins. In between they had the Vikings and the Colts and some other pretty good teams recognized as some of the best of all time.

 

[Jaxonsdaddd]

I appreciate trying to get a thread going on an interesting topic but this is just crazy talk....

First of all look at that group of defensive lineman, there is not one of them that is elite RIGHT now..Alot of potential but not right now..

You can say the same thing about the linebackers although Ware will be elite this year.

The secondary has Tnew and Roy that are elite. So thats 3 out of 11 starters and this is the best defense of all time?? Now if we are talking potential anything is possible but judging the players as they are right now? No way.

 

[The30YardSlant]

The 1992 and 1994 defenses were ridiculous, especially the front 7. We went 3 deep at nearly every position.