At what point do we say "okay, maybe we have a very good defense"?

[Doomsday101]

I have thought this was a very good defense as I mentioned last week. Dallas defense has held now 10 teams to less than their avg point total per game.

 

[theogt]

This. I liked what our defense did last night, but by no means are they a good defense until they get better cover LBs and safeties.

Dude, they're #6 in the league (#1 in the NFC) in points per game. They just held the Chargers to the fewest points they've scored all season and the Saints to the fewest points they've scored all season.

This is one of the best defense in the league.

 

[gmb85]

I have thought this was a very good defense as I mentioned last week. Dallas defense has held now 10 teams to less than their avg point total per game.

Say what???

 

[JD_KaPow]

Are you forgetting the D giving up those two late game drives against SD allowing them to win the game?

I guess I am. All I remember is that they held the Chargers to the fewest points they've scored all season. Hold a team like that to 20 and it is absolutely not the defense's fault if you lose.

We have a good defense, not a great one. The main thing holding us back, IMHO, is the lack of forced turnovers. That's why it was great to see the 3 last night.

There's always room for improvement. It's actually going to be difficult to improve this defense dramatically, because there isn't a gaping black hole in there anymore. It's harder to upgrade quickly when you have several JAGs than it is when you have a couple really terrible guys.

 

[TD-33]

Saints lead the league in take-aways. Watching last night you might be inclined to think it was the other team on the field leading that category.

And yes, the Cowboys ARE a good defense. Not great, but the potential is there no doubt.
I believe Wade's achilles heel to his defense is this;
Look for the defense to get aggressive (3rd down blitz) then throw over the middle. Wade is sending the LB in (and they get up on the line which I hate because I think it tells the QB exactly what he needs to know - the middle is open) and the corners are playing man with Carpenter lined up over the TE.
He hasn't adjusted for this yet and often it's a ball breaker.

 

[Doomsday101]

Say what???

It is true. Even in some games we have lost Dallas defense has held teams to less than what they normally score. Exception has been the Giants.

Having said that yes this defense needs to step up to a even higher level but I think this is a better all around defense than last season and hopefully will continue on working to become even better.

 

[Bleu Star]

As soon as Wade Phillips isn't Head Coach anymore. DC, I will accept, but HC he has to go.

This...

Nice "call out" thread there NN.

 

[gmb85]

It is true. Even in some games we have lost Dallas defense has held teams to less than what they normally score. Exception has been the Giants.

Having said that yes this defense needs to step up to a even higher level but I think this is a better all around defense than last season and hopefully will continue on working to become even better.

I think it helped having the offense step up more and milk out the clock. Oh, and having DeMarcus back.

 

[CF74]

When we don't let other teams score a single point of course...

We've had a top notch defense all year, and now the offense is scoring again. Life is good...:starspin

 

[Idgit]

This...

Nice "call out" thread there NN.

You guys are spooked: seeing call out threads behind every tree.

 

[Vtwin]

I guess I am. All I remember is that they held the Chargers to the fewest points they've scored all season. Hold a team like that to 20 and it is absolutely not the defense's fault if you lose.

We have a good defense, not a great one. The main thing holding us back, IMHO, is the lack of forced turnovers. That's why it was great to see the 3 last night.

There's always room for improvement. It's actually going to be difficult to improve this defense dramatically, because there isn't a gaping black hole in there anymore. It's harder to upgrade quickly when you have several JAGs than it is when you have a couple really terrible guys.

You do remember the drives though don't you?

Had the defense been able to come up with one stop in CRUNCH time with the game on the line we might have won that game.

They consistently have not been able to do that.

Last night they got it done and we won.

The mark of a GREAT defense is a defense that makes the big plays in the big moments. Like the Cowboys defense did last night.

 

[Vtwin]

What the Folk does last season have to do with this and right now? Maybe you've just been conditioned the wrong way.

It's essentially the same defense isn't it?

I don't use conditioner by the way...

 

[adbutcher]

When they stop giving up the fluke plays and shut teams down on third down. They played very well last night but there is room for improvement.

They are still learning. They have flashed brilliance, i.e. last night but they have had boneheaded mishaps too. When the mishaps are minimized and they become more opportunistic then they will be considered very good to great.

 

[21Savage]

This...

Nice "call out" thread there NN.

Hey, we're 9-7. Here's to hoping this is not our "at best"

But I'm just saying what I feel. I was appalled by how many people were saying our D was garbage after the Giants game when we'd played so well for so long.

 

[Bleu Star]

Hey, we're 9-7. Here's to hoping this is not our "at best"

But I'm just saying what I feel. I was appalled by how many people were saying our D was garbage after the Giants game when we'd played so well for so long.

We're 9-5 with two games left to play (stating the obvious). Our team is very helter skelter. You just never know which team will show up. Which team will show against our two remaining divisional opponents? Will it be the team that blew a tire against the Chargers or the team that fought to the very end against the Saints? Let's hope for the latter.

 

[21Savage]

It's essentially the same defense isn't it?

I don't use conditioner by the way...

No it's not! 5 new starters. Younger and better at 2 CB spots, a safety spot and the OLB spot.

More man coverage predicated schemes than last year because of the speed and ability of our CBs.

New ILB.

Another year in the scheme. We're 6th in the league in rush D and 6th in scoring D.... and still moving up. Not the same D that allowed two back to back long rushing TDs against the Ravens.

 

[fanfromvirginia]

This defense is somewhere in between good and very good. They are definitely not great, although they played great last night for much of the game.

 

[fanfromvirginia]

No it's not! 5 new starters. Younger and better at 2 CB spots, a safety spot and the OLB spot.

More man coverage predicated schemes than last year because of the speed and ability of our CBs.

New ILB.

Another year in the scheme. We're 6th in the league in rush D and 6th in scoring D.... and still moving up. Not the same D that allowed two back to back long rushing TDs against the Ravens.

I agree that this D is definitely better than last year. I still don't trust them, although they played great last night (despite the comeback.)

 

[thechosen1n2]

The funny thing is that the next time we give up 30 points, all the naysayers will jump out of the wood yard and talk about how terrible our defense is. Our week our secondary is. Cut Newman, fire Campo, Wade hasn't done.........blah blah blah.

We played stellar D for like 7 weeks straight but as soon as we gave up 24 points to the Giants -with at least 2 fluke plays- everybody and their mama came out and said we have a terrible defense.

How many good offenses do we have to hold below their season average (and bad offenses too) to admit that the consistency in the D has been very good/great play all year long?

We might give up some yards to the other team in their territory but from around the midfield till the opponent gets in field goal position (and I don't know they numbers on this but), we have to be the stingiest defense in the league.

The saints get a kickoff return to our 40, we get a 3rd down sack to get off the field that is nulled by a defensive penalty. And we still made them point. It's funny how after the facts people wanna always talk about how the defense didn't make stops when it mattered the most. But a large part of that is because the offense doesn't capitalize on some of the stops we make during the games. Against the Chargers, they had great field position a couple of times were we kept them from scoring at all.

We've held 2 of the best offenses in the league in back to back weeks to way less than their season averages and made their QBs look mediocre at times.

And I believe he Ware hadn't gotten injured, we would've stopped them on that 3rd down play. But that's just excuses.

Thats why I hate wade bashing threads. From the tampa bay game on last year (besides the two runs by baltimore) they played good ball, and basically all year they have to. If our offense was at the level it was two years ago, we would have lost 1 game at this point.

 

[reddyuta]

we have a very inconsistent defense,hopefully they play upto the same level in the next 2 games.