Brian Stewart on 103.3 right now

[Chocolate Lab]

Pretty energetic, enthusiastic guy. Good contrast to Wade's "laid-back".

He's basically saying that yes, we did play a very vanilla D and that's tough to do week after week after week without wearing down. Galloway flatly asked him if that's the way Bill played it, and he said yes, the D was solid, but it was very "safe".

He also said that five of Roy's TDs allowed were out of a four-man-rush, two-deep scheme which asked Roy to cover downfield too much. He said Wade and he don't even have that scheme in the playbook. If they run a four-man rush, they'll be using combination coverages so that Roy (or the other safety) isn't put in a bind like that again.

Pretty good stuff. He's a very likable, energetic sounding guy. Makes you want to put the pads on.

 

[parchy]

We have to be missing something. How is it possible that a HoF coach just misses on something that badly in Roy's coverage skills? He KNEW Roy couldn't be trusted deep, but he continually put him back there on islands... all the way up to the last game he coached.

I just don't understand it, and it's making everything Wade's doing look a lot better. He's finally patching these holes.

 

[WoodysGirl]

We have to be missing something. How is it possible that a HoF coach just misses on something that badly in Roy's coverage skills? He KNEW Roy couldn't be trusted deep, but he continually put him back there on islands... all the way up to the last game he coached.

I just don't understand it, and it's making everything Wade's doing look a lot better. He's finally patching these holes.

Maybe it was the other guys back there that couldn't be trusted. As "bad" as Roy was, those guys were worse.

 

[parchy]

Maybe it was the other guys back there that couldn't be trusted. As "bad" as Roy was, those guys were worse.

There's no doubt the entire secondary flaked -- save maybe Newman in most stretches -- but Roy was, in my opinion, the guiltiest culprit. Henry wasn't playing well by the end of the season, but the least you can do is let Roy team up with him (or even a smaller, speedier linebacker) to divert some of the damage.

It just seems to me like Wade is striking off the vast majority of the defensive plays that killed us last year, and I don't get why Parcells couldn't see that his way wasn't working. Is that just his arrogance? Surely when you get that old you can see past those things, but maybe the rumors were true... maybe the game had just passed BP by.

 

[sago1]

This just confirms what we & most Cowboy fans believed. The only question is do we have the talent to consistently excel playing Phillips 3-4. Since Cowboys will continue to implement changes in our offense & defense into early June, they should be very familiar with the new plays & schemes by TC. Hopefully the Dallas media's new access to the coaching staff/players provides us with tidbits of what is going on, etc. Really looking forward to TC when we can see how they doing with their pads on. Can't wait to first preseason game.

 

[Clove]

We have to be missing something. How is it possible that a HoF coach just misses on something that badly in Roy's coverage skills? He KNEW Roy couldn't be trusted deep, but he continually put him back there on islands... all the way up to the last game he coached.

I just don't understand it, and it's making everything Wade's doing look a lot better. He's finally patching these holes.

As Wade said before, some people coach scheme, end of story.

I don't mind that concept, as long as you don't ask someone to do something he can't do. If you have a singing group with 5 people in it, and 3 of them can harmonize but can't sing solo, don't even ask them to do that. Let them do what they do, which is harmonize.

 

[parchy]

The only question is do we have the talent to consistently excel playing Phillips 3-4.

For me, this question was answered when I saw the linebackers all cutting weight to get "in shape" for the Phillips 3-4. They all seemed a little bit uncomfortable at the higher weights... even Ware. I think you saw that in their pass rushing -- aside from Ware, who could probably rack up 8 sacks a season at 300 pounds, they were all kinda 'eh,' or worse, for most of the season.

I think the fact they all lost weight so quickly (and all the positive comments we've heard from just about every front 7 defensive player in mini camp) means they've all bought into it. And as for the question of whether or not they're talented enough, I think the first half of the season from last year should answer those questions. I think, talent-wise, this is a top 5 defense next year. Now that Parcells is gone, we might actually see them play like one for the entire season.

 

[ZeroClub]

Thanks, CL, for the info.

Last year's defense was an enigma. They looked great against the Colts. Faultered elsewhere. Humiliated by the Saints. And when Parcells "set them loose," they lost to the Lions.

It is nice to think that the Phillips' scheme would cure all ailments. Maybe it will.

 

[parchy]

As Wade said before, some people coach scheme, end of story.

I don't mind that concept, as long as you don't ask someone to do something he can't do. If you have a singing group with 5 people in it, and 3 of them can harmonize but can't sing solo, don't even ask them to do that. Let them do what they do, which is harmonize.

I get that some people coach within their scheme, but it still doesn't make any sense. If you see a guy struggling, you make exceptions. It's just what you do. It conjures up this image of BP sitting in a room by himself continually trying to jam a round peg into a painfully square hole... for three years.

 

[AbeBeta]

We have to be missing something. How is it possible that a HoF coach just misses on something that badly in Roy's coverage skills? He KNEW Roy couldn't be trusted deep, but he continually put him back there on islands... all the way up to the last game he coached.

I just don't understand it, and it's making everything Wade's doing look a lot better. He's finally patching these holes.

Big difference between saying "we are going to do this" and actually getting it done.

And of course, Bill didn't have the option of putting Hamlin on the island instead.

 

[Yakuza Rich]

Maybe it was the other guys back there that couldn't be trusted. As "bad" as Roy was, those guys were worse.

Read what is being said. According to Stewart, they don't have those plays in their playbook because it's too much to ask for *any* safety to cover.





YAKUZA

 

[WoodysGirl]

Read what is being said. According to Stewart, they don't have those plays in their playbook because it's too much to ask for *any* safety to cover.





YAKUZA

Actually that's not what CL said what was said. I think it's a stretch to assume he's saying that it's too hard for "any" safety. I think it depends on the ability of the safety.

My point is that because of the coverage responsiblities asked, Roy was the best of the bunch. That is all I'm saying.

Ya know, it's not like we didn't know Phillips 3-4 defense was different from Parcells. I'm not a bit surprised that certain coverages will not be included in the playbook this year.

 

[Clove]

I get that some people coach within their scheme, but it still doesn't make any sense. If you see a guy struggling, you make exceptions. It's just what you do. It conjures up this image of BP sitting in a room by himself continually trying to jam a round peg into a painfully square hole... for three years.

Exactly... I don't know why a coach wouldn't adjust his scheme to fit certain players, especially players that are dominant.

Parcells was a great coach back in the day, but in this era, it was just a tad behind the times. Teams figure you out eventually, you have coaches who just sit around year around trying to find flaws in schemes, and Parcells just refused to change anything. And it was basically laughable how teams like Detroit of all teams, laughed at our defensive scheme and said they could've basically played pitch and catch all day with our defense.

 

[TheSport78]

Exactly... I don't know why a coach wouldn't adjust his scheme to fit certain players, especially players that are dominant.

Parcells was a great coach back in the day, but in this era, it was just a tad behind the times. Teams figure you out eventually, you have coaches who just sit around year around trying to find flaws in schemes, and Parcells just refused to change anything. And it was basically laughable how teams like Detroit of all teams, laughed at our defensive scheme and said they could've basically played pitch and catch all day with our defense.

i think Parcells' defensive schemes would work in today's NFL. Where Parcells failed was some of the personal he attained. Ware is not LT...yet. There are no Carl Banks or Harry Carson's on this Dallas defense. That Giants defense of the late 80's was a SPECIAL defense that doesn't come around every season. They were able to be vanilla, line up against each team and say "give us your best shot." Parcells didn't have "special" defenses in New England, with the Jets or with the Cowboys. I think Parcells should have learned to be more flexible in Big D and allowed the coaches to scheme more each week for each team and not be vanilla all the time like we were (except the Indy game!)

 

[AbeBeta]

Exactly... I don't know why a coach wouldn't adjust his scheme to fit certain players, especially players that are dominant.

Parcells was a great coach back in the day, but in this era, it was just a tad behind the times. Teams figure you out eventually, you have coaches who just sit around year around trying to find flaws in schemes, and Parcells just refused to change anything. And it was basically laughable how teams like Detroit of all teams, laughed at our defensive scheme and said they could've basically played pitch and catch all day with our defense.

It is a philosophy -- and one that is employed by many coaches. The scheme drives how you play. The scheme was one that many fans and players didn't like because it doesn't produce big #s for the players.

Bill would deviate from the scheme -- He would move Ware around or tried to get Williams close to the line. Teams would respond by running wide on the guy who flipped over to Ware's side (Ellis or Hatcher) or throwing at the deep cover safety (Davis or Watkins). We got burned a lot in those situations. Is that scheme? Or is the quality of the players. This off-season, we looked to plug those holes. So clearly the staff didn't see the issue as entirely scheme-related.

And let's all keep in mind that Wade's D wasn't all the much better than the Dallas D last year. Back in 2004 and 2005, Dallas' D was better than SD's.

 

[theogt]

What's wrong with a 4 man rush and a 2 deep scheme? That's essentially what both teams in the Super Bowl use.

 

[dogunwo]

What's wrong with a 4 man rush and a 2 deep scheme? That's essentially what both teams in the Super Bowl use.

Nothing. Its just our players strengths and the scheme's strengths were not a match.

 

[theogt]

Nothing. Its just our players strengths and the scheme's strengths were not a match.

It's not like Chicago and Indy have all pros back there at safety.

 

[AbeBeta]

What's wrong with a 4 man rush and a 2 deep scheme? That's essentially what both teams in the Super Bowl use.

Stop asking good questions - you will destroy this board with that sort of talk.

 

[CrazyCowboy]

Maybe Big Bill let the game pass him by?