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After playing surprising well, or rather better than expected through the first seven games of the season, the Cowboys are back to their old hemorrhaging ways.
Once ranked as high as 13th in the league in total defense four weeks ago, the Cowboys find themselves now at 22, thanks to giving up a season-high 464 yards in a 33-10 shellacking by the Philadelphia Eagles on Thanksgiving Day.
The Cowboys (8-4), who have lost three of their last five games, seemingly have little chance of stopping the free fall on defense when they face the Chicago Bears (5-7) on Thursday.
A Cowboys defense that can't rush the passer, can't stop the run and can't defend in the secondary is not going to provide much of a resistance against Chicago running back Matt Forte and the receiver duo of Alshon Jeffery and Brandon Marshall.
The question is: Can the offense get back to dominating the clock and controlling the ball to keep the defense off the field?
And can the defense stop the bleeding long enough for the Cowboys to escape against the Bears and hold on to make a playoff run over the final month of the season?
"We're still confident," defensive end Jeremy Mincey said. "Sometimes it's good to get...a good old fashioned butt-kicking to get you going again. It's back to the drawing board. I got faith in every guy in this locker room. I know a lot of them felt bad after the game just as much as I did. that’s a good sign that my teammates took it personal so it’s time to just get it all cleaned up and bring it this week.”
#Cowboys defense we feared back in August is here in late November. #PHIvsDAL
— Mac Engel (@MacEngelProf) November 28, 2014
Remember not much was expected from the Cowboys defense this season after finishing last in the league in 2013 when they gave up the most yards in team history and the third most in league history.
The Cowboys parted ways with their two best linemen in free agency in defensive end DeMarcus Ware (Denver) and defensive tackle Jason Hatcher (Washington).
They then lost their best linebacker and team leader in Sean Lee to a season-ending knee injury in May, leaving the 2014 unit void of any proven difference-making talent.
Yet, the Cowboys played well early because of the emergence of former Oakland Raiders’ first-round bust Rolando McClain at middle linebacker and a dominating offense that kept the defense off the field.
The Cowboys defense averaged 57.6 plays a game through the first eight games. That number has risen to 69.8 plays a game the last four, including 74 and 75 plays against the New York Giants and the Eagles the past two weeks, respectively.
As a result, the defense has been exposed for what it always was. They ranked near the bottom of the league in yards per play through the first eight games. They just weren’t on the field a lot.
No matter what you've heard, the Cowboys defense still isn't very good. They've been protected by the offense a lot this season.
— NFL Philosophy (@NFLosophy) November 27, 2014
But with the offense suddenly unable to convert third downs, and the defense no longer finding ways to get off the field, the problems have become even more acute.
The Giants and Eagles converted a whopping 19-of-31 third-down chances.
"We've had some real good looks on third down and we didn't cash them," defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli said. "But some of the third downs are too short right now. That starts with good run defense on first down. Tackling has to be sharp."
It also doesn't help that McClain remains slowed by a sprained knee he suffered against the Cardinals on Nov. 2.
The focus will be on tackling, covering and rushing against the Bears, who not only have the Eagles’ tape to look at but remember dominating the Cowboys at home last year.
The Bears amassed 490 yards and 33 first downs in a 45-28 blowout victory. Forte, Jeffery, Marshall accounted for 352 of those yards.
Forte, who had 175 yards rushing and receiving against the Cowboys last year, is obviously licking his chops after watching Eagles running back LeSean McCoy rush for 159 yards last week.
“He’s almost half of their offense if you put it all together,” Coach Jason Garrett said of Forte. “Very versatile, very productive, and they use him really well…similar to what Philly does in using their backs a lot of different ways so you know I think teams who do this challenge you and you have make sure to be on the screws in defending it.”
Of course, the bigger problems will likely be on the outside where the cornerbacks Brandon Carr, Orlando Scandrick and Sterling Moore have no chance of measuring up to the 6'3" Jeffery and 6'4" Marshall.
The Cowboys cornerbacks have combined for just 24 pass deflections and one interception this season.
Carr makes $7.5 million this season and has a $12.2 million cap figure. But he has no interceptions this season and just seven pass deflections but none over the last six games.
Brandon Carr has gone 16 games without an INT and has just one in the last 21 games.
— Jean-Jacques Taylor (@JJT_ESPNDallas) December 2, 2014
Marinelli said the Cowboys have to cover better in the secondary, but they also need help from a non-existent pass rush.
The Cowboys have just 13.5 sacks from a nine-man defensive line rotation. Ware has 10 for Denver and Hatcher has 5.5 for Washington.
So where is the help coming from?
“Oh it’s a challenge, man,” Marinelli said. “These guys are big, strong, tough guys. They go up really well and catch the ball. We just have to go in and have our coverages correct and the rush has got to help, the rush has got to be there and elevate the pass a little bit more. But it’s all part of it. Rush and cover, it’s all 11, it’s everybody and it’s coaches, too, so it’s all of us. We just got to keep pushing the details like we are and it’ll be fine.
“All I can tell you is, I believe in every man. They have just overachieved most of the entire year.”
Indeed they have.
Now, they are being exposed. The question is can they hold up and hold on long enough down the stretch?
Clarence Hill covers the Cowboys for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. All quotations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
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