BP said it himself!

[silverbear]

WE're scoring enough points. Everyone should be up in arms about the fact that this defense isn't better than last years. We are exactly the same defensive team that we were last season.

Uhhhh, no, we're not...

Last year, the Boys gave up an average of 300.9 yards per game, this year it's down to 287.3 yards per game... last year, they gave up 5.1 yards per play, this year it's down to 4.8 yards per play...

The run defense is significantly better this year, giving up 81.7 yards per game compared to 108.2 yards per game last year, 3.2 yards per carry this year versus 4.2 yards per carry last year...

And the pass defense is marginally worse, giving up 205.7 yards per game, versus 192.7 last year... in 05, they allowed 54.7 per cent completions, in 06 it's 56.3 per cent...

And if you take out the 23 points that the offense and special teams have given up this year, the defense is allowing an average of 17.5 points per game... that would rank them 8th in the NFL...

I'm sick of watching a good run defense that can't make a big play against a good team on 3rd and long. Its sickening!

And I'm sick of critics who say they know what's wrong with the Boys, but obviously don't...

The Cowboys' problem this year has been inadequate play at quarterback, and too many boneheaded turnovers at the worst possible time... none of that is on the defense...

 

[silverbear]

Actually, I was referring to our offense turning the ball over, at least against the better teams. Three INTs against the Jags, three INTs and two fumbles against the Eagles, and four INTs against the Giants... Our defense has been disappointing, but no defense can hold teams down when their offense is giving the ball away four times a game against good teams.

That may be too much common sense for some in here, CL...

At the same time, it is a concise and highly accurate read on what really ails the Cowboys this year... in 3 losses, we have a total of 12 turnovers...

You're gonna lost most games where you turn the ball over that often...

 

[the kid 05]

The defense has been creating plenty of turnovers.

no we are talking about the Cowboys defense, not the opposing teams defenses

 

[AdamJT13]

The Giants showed us perspective when Shockey faked Roy Williams out of his cleats and when Brandon Jacobs ran over two defenders for a touchdown.

What does that have to do with any of this thread?

 

[Q_the_man]

Week in and week out I see defenses undercut a receiver for an INT, strip the ball from a QB, or put there hat on the ball to force a fumble. I honestly can't remember the last time one of DBs step in front of a WR for an INT vs a good team. Its almost like they are too tenative to do so with AGlenn the only guy wanting to take that chance. Of the five TOs your talking about, here' is how I see them. You may disagree, but here goes.

Roy INT vs Jax. - Poorly thrown ball. The play was made and I'm happy. He didn't bait Leftwich and it really was a poorly thrown ball.

McNabbs fumble - Exaclty what I would like to see more often. I think we got screwed with the Eli fumble, but I think teams thrive off of TOs like that.

Westbrooks fumble - Great play. We need more

Elis INT to TNew - Antoher poor pass, but the play was made. I'm happy. I just see it as another bad throw by Eli, not the baiting by TNew. I'll take it.

Tikis fumble - See Westbrooks fumble.

Of the 5, only 3 IMO are great plays made by the defense that frustrate an offense and the other 2 are ones the offense go back to the sideline knowing it was there doing moreso than what the defense did to them. So that 3 big plays in 3 big games that the defense has forced. Not enough too me, but that the way I see it. 3 outstanding plays in about 100+ plays vs good teams is below par to me.

I didn't know every TO had to be so exciting, So 3 out of 5 TOs that are exciting are not enuff, u want all 5 of them to be dramatic, Right? As long as the play was made...

But on the other hand, i think we use Ware in Zone to much and don't move him around at all, we have a bend but don't break Defense which is boring, and when we do blitz it seems we always go all out, It like the QB from the other team always knows were blitzing 9 throw deep. We have the weakest blitz package in the NFL, Period!

 

[Q_the_man]

Also, when a defense is put on the field after a TO and losing, it becomes more of a guessing game, think run they pass, think pass they run. Our D will b OK if we can get a lead. but all in all we need a better blitz package on 3rd and long and we need more penetration on 1st and 2nd down.

 

[NoLuv4Jerry]

Throw away stats on this one and look at the way the team is constructed and the actual game. Parcells has said himself the name of the game is pressure. Go back and look at the Jaguars game. Go look at the Philly game. Go look at the Giants game. Watch the way the oppositions QB was allowed to establish a comfort zone, rythmn etc...As opposed to how are QB was treated in those games. Byron Leftwich is as much of a statue as Bledsoe. We played coverage and let him make a sandwich back there. That played right into their hands. They have big slow WRs that take time to get open. So what did we do? Give them time to get OPEN! Against the Eagles we let bums at WR beat us. If we are so good at CB, why did this happen, because we did not pressure the QB consitently. Eli Manning was never made to feel uncomfortable, which would have rattled him like it has his whole career. It's not just about sacks. It's about making the QB uncomfortable. We don't do it enough. Parcells does not believe in trickery. Which makes our defense easy to attack by good teams. He beleives in bigger guys winning one on one battles. And this approach leaves our guys in coverage way to long and eventually most NFL QBs will find somebody open if given the time. That TD Shockey caught on the goaline in front of Roy...the best cover guy in the NFL could not have stopped that.

 

[CrazyCowboy]

Maybe it is time to unleash CARPENTER back to the OLB position