Cowboys D is going to have to get better on the outside runs

[Cowboyny]

They just don’t have the horses at DT or MLB….and that’s not news.

Eberflus is their fifth DC in like seven years, but it’s not about that.

Remember trying to run Nolan’s scheme with the players they had? Crawford at NT was an embarrassment, but did the FO care? Is there ever ANY plan to get the right players in here to match the scheme? Sure doesn’t seem like it. They don’t care about run defense. It doesn’t sell.

They have quietly started to target bigger players at both positions, but if the players cannot maintain their gap integrity it won't matter whom we have at those positions.

 

[Cowboyny]

You are exactly right.......everyone wanna blame Mazi. This issue is way bigger than one or two players. Hell, Kendrick had over a 120+ tackles last season and we STILL ranked near the bottom.

It's not just 1 starter, but there are issues across the board. Pretty sure Eberflus will make some schematic adjustments, but the players still have to execute correctly.

 

[fivetwos]

They have quietly started to target bigger players at both positions, but if the players cannot maintain their gap integrity it won't matter whom we have at those positions.

Yep….seventh rounders.

Remember when Quinn wanted Wagner but they were too cheap to pay him so they went with a rookie with a neck problem instead?

That’s what we are dealing with.

Eberflus is by no means not a very good DC, but he isn’t some miracle worker either. If they want to be better than average, they need the horses, and that the part of the field they tend to ignore….even though it’s been beating them in the playoffs for pushing a decade now.

 

[Cowboyny]

Yep….seventh rounders.

Remember when Quinn wanted Wagner but they were too cheap to pay him so they went with a rookie with a neck problem instead?

That’s what we are dealing with.

Eberflus is by no means not a very good DC, but he isn’t some miracle worker either. If they want to be better than average, they need the horses, and that the part of the field they tend to ignore….even though it’s been beating them in the playoffs for pushing a decade now.

The problem is both, yes, we need better personnel, but we need players to execute the play properly and play more discipline football. I really don't think upgrading 1 position will make a difference, they need the whole unit to buy in and play together.

 

[Rayman70]

Im very curious what Ranching thinks about stopping the run as far as his philosophy on it in general terms. Also , can desire to stop the run be taught or instilled into a player or is that something that's either there or it isn't? I know he used to coach, so I'm wondering what he thinks. Ty in advance.

 

[Cowboyny]

Yep….seventh rounders.

Remember when Quinn wanted Wagner but they were too cheap to pay him so they went with a rookie with a neck problem instead?

That’s what we are dealing with.

Eberflus is by no means not a very good DC, but he isn’t some miracle worker either. If they want to be better than average, they need the horses, and that the part of the field they tend to ignore….even though it’s been beating them in the playoffs for pushing a decade now.

Cowboys fall in love with athletic freaks, rather then sound football players. Bruce Carter was an all world athlete but he was always slow to react, Mazi Smith cannot get off the snap fast enough, etc.

 

[Rayman70]

Cowboys fall in love with athletic freaks, rather then sound football players. Bruce Carter was an all world athlete but he was always slow to react, Mazi Smith cannot get off the snap fast enough, etc.

Yip

 

[blueblood70]

When I studied the Cowboy run defense last November, 1 run play stuck out the most, outside run to the weakside of the defense:

-Teams would allow Parsons to get up the field and run right into his gap, where his #1 responsibility was to set the edge and force runs inside where more defenders are. Parsons being so undisciplined started the snowball affect for the rest of the unit as he would take himself out of the play with his over aggressiveness.

-With the left tackle now uncovered he is free to tie up the linebackers, a pulling lineman would lead the back into the hole, our outside corner became the last line of defense and sometimes had to take on a much bigger lineman to make the tackle. We all know the issues Diggs has with tackling, but he shouldn't be the player who has to make this play.

-Doesn't help when the interior cannot win the point of attack and blow up the play before it even starts nor that the rest of the front 7 either reacts too slow or is being undisciplined with their run fits.

It's all about playing together and doing your own job. It starts off the snap, if the 1st line does what they are suppose to do, it makes everyone else's job that much easier.

Pretty sure we covered this already, because it shouldn't just be stop the outside run, it's stopped the damn run, PERIOD!!!!

 

[Rayman70]

Pretty sure we covered this already, because it shouldn't just be stop the outside run, it's stopped the damn run, PERIOD!!!!

We seem luke warm when it comes to stopping the run. Either we don't emphasize it in meetings , we don't hone in on it, or we don't have the right players. Problem is, it's been over 2 decades of a issue.

 

[blueblood70]

If he and the rest of the front plays "hero" football, coaches have to make necessary personnel and schematic adjustments. I know Zimmer tried a few wrinkles that helped as the season progressed. I think many believe, upgrade Mazi and the run defense is fixed, I say not so fast, it's far more then 1 player why this run defense has struggled.

And you keep bringing up MAZI at some point you can't have both you're talking about outside runs this dude is a nose tackle his job is to collapse the middle and maybe they were running to the outside more because he was doing his job more than we saw or think what we saw or remember I mean why did they run the ball with someone outside tells me maybe stop blaming the center of the line for those runs you said we need to stop the outside runs well that leaves the nose tackle in most of the lineman out of it but if you take in the injuries which we had a lot at linebacker and defensive end last year they need to do a better job would be those players along with the safeties those are the jobs of the outside defensive ends and by the way Parsons was part of that group that seemed to overrun that the runs he was the one getting fooled on the pitches you know you have a guy like that I realized the whole defense didn't play well last year mostly because of injuries but stop using MAZI in your sentences in a thread that we're talking about outside runs you literally can't have both...

What's next you're going to blame him for the corners not covering your tackling you're going to blame him for the bad offensive plays I mean this guy is now going to be blamed for everything on the team..

He's a rotational nose tackle in the center of the defensive line how about the rest of the defensive line the linebackers and the whole team especially the front 7 do their jobs that's what we need when I stop blaming one player because get this if we did have a dynamic run stuffers if our interior defensive line did get better guess what now we're talking about they'll run outside at some point the defense will find the weaknesses so it all needs to be fixed but blaming him for things that are happening other places on defense is terrible it's just terrible I just don't like it..

LOL

 

[blueblood70]

We seem luke warm when it comes to stopping the run. Either we don't emphasize it in meetings , we don't hone in on it, or we don't have the right players. Problem is, it's been over 2 decades of a issue.

OK well let's keep that same energy here and not be blaming first year Matt Eberfleus and BS for not getting it all done in one offseason or one year let's hope that you make improvements, but you just said it i'm holding you to this...

When you mention two decades, we can't expect it all to get fixed just like is not really Mike Zimmer's fault he had 1 offseason as a lame duck DC to try to get this fixed ,but look at all the DCS we've had here just since 2016 count them up...

So little of the problem here might be stability I mean going all the way back to Marinelli was that around 2016 I mean how many have we had how many of them have a different approach in a scheme and need different players and before they can ever catch up we're making a change again and then all of a sudden we probably will never have the right players ,I mean it's big a hold as we have on this team to get filled on a regular basis you can't just look at it that way..


I'm sure there's so many issues of why it's not been working but I'm looking at stability you're never going to have in my opinion the right amount of player's you need the right players to play your scheme if you're constantly changing.... I mean I don't know..

 

[fivetwos]

I still say there’s an element of this that goes back to the top and the example that’s set there….

Winning football vs stats/sacks/picks and chasing the bag.

Players follow their leader and that person ain’t Shoddy and wasn’t Mike or Garrett either. It’s about money more than winning.

 

[Rayman70]

OK well let's keep that same energy here and not be blaming first year Matt Eberfleus and BS for not getting it all done in one offseason or one year let's hope that you make improvements, but you just said it i'm holding you to this...

When you mention two decades, we can't expect it all to get fixed just like is not really Mike Zimmer's fault he had 1 offseason as a lame duck DC to try to get this fixed ,but look at all the DCS we've had here just since 2016 count them up...

So little of the problem here might be stability I mean going all the way back to Marinelli was that around 2016 I mean how many have we had how many of them have a different approach in a scheme and need different players and before they can ever catch up we're making a change again and then all of a sudden we probably will never have the right players ,I mean it's big a hold as we have on this team to get filled on a regular basis you can't just look at it that way..


I'm sure there's so many issues of why it's not been working but I'm looking at stability you're never going to have in my opinion the right amount of player's you need the right players to play your scheme if you're constantly changing.... I mean I don't know..

Nah, we have had our moments in time over the last bunch of years, but no consistency. The new staff I love and am hoping they focus more on stopping the run. Not sure why you think I'm talking about them. Lol. They just got here. I'm very hopeful and positive.

 

[Rayman70]

Marinelli had a brief couple of moments while here but his player evaluations were terrible on the dline, we suffered for it. But to his credit, he got George Selvie and that I'll to play good for us . That was 2014 I think. Or was that 2016?

 

[blueblood70]

Nah, we have had our moments in time over the last bunch of years, but no consistency. The new staff I love and am hoping they focus more on stopping the run. Not sure why you think I'm talking about them. Lol. They just got here. I'm very hopeful and positive.

I'm saying that for the season coming a lot of people are on here right away at the gate if we can't stop the run game one or it doesn't look good the 1st 4 games that's what's going to happen they're going to blame 20 years of lack of a run stopping defense all on this new staff..

They're gonna have to fix something that's been broke for a very long time and I want to make sure people remember that that it may take half a season or it could take the whole season for them to figure it out the right mix of players the right use of players you know I just make it short because people won't have energy if we come out of the gate slow and we have a gauntlet of a schedule to start I mean the whole thing is pretty tough I mean we need to give this new staff a little leeway and I know this place won't i'm not particularly saying you but this place will say see we told you so , BS not qualified, ME retread washed lol

 

[Dalmations202]

JMO, but Mazi is not a legit NT/1T. He may have the size, but doesn't have the anchor to play NT/1T and demand double teams. He is a 3T who is slow to get off the ball, but can hold up to single blocks from the 3T position. Him and Osa should be splitting time at the 3T instead of even trying to play him at the 1T. Toia and Rodgers from the outside looking in are better at that position, IMO. I don't see practices, so maybe Mazi can do more than I see......but from what I saw last year he is more large 3T hold gap and get to QB than 1T demand double team and collapse pocket.

 

[CowboyFrog]

Call me crazy but maybe just maybe you dont leave Micah at one end all game where the offense can key on him...MOVE HIM AROUND make them find him and deal with him..see if you can make him last all season, you know crazy things...

 

[Beaker42]

With the left tackle now uncovered he is free to tie up the linebackers, a pulling lineman would lead the back into the hole

Wouldn’t it be the RT free to take on the LB’s?

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Micah and Diggs have little to no interest in stopping the run. Pretty simple that running that direction is going to be easy yards for offenses.

 

[blueblood70]

Im very curious what Ranching thinks about stopping the run as far as his philosophy on it in general terms. Also , can desire to stop the run be taught or instilled into a player or is that something that's either there or it isn't? I know he used to coach, so I'm wondering what he thinks. Ty in advance.

I look at it sometimes like basketball you could either have one or two defensive studs that just literally help you become a really good defense you have to really be that good at those positions or you watch teams and I've seen the Mavericks years ago and I have great defense didn't have like the best defensive players but they found a way to play team defense swarming extra effort they all made sure they did their switches they had to be dead on on scheme and it can work.​

Given down the middle right now we probably don't have that stud linebacker or nose tackle that could actually literally just take over a game but team defense if they learn to stay in their gaps they learn the scheme and they don't get out of place I watched Dan Quinn's defenses and from memory and I could be wrong he did a lot of movement and stunts and what was happening is teams are running right up the vacated spot because somebody didn't get to their switch fast enough..

So you can scheme into a better run stopping team if everyone does their job to the best of their ability and doesn't play hero ball not looking for the big hit mr Donovan Wilson you just stay in your gap so you stay in your lanes you stay where you're supposed to stay even Michael Parsons have a problem with that we've seen it people can't give him a path he overruns runners too often he's always thinking about the sack that has to change..​

You know the coaches can create a great defensive game plan they can have great practice when they get into a real game it doesn't take much if you get a player that's not getting to their spots or they missed an assignment especially when they overrun a play you know where they're looking to hit the guy too hard they don't breakdown they don't stay under control it only takes one of them maybe 2 guys on the entire defense and all of a sudden you're undermanned defense has given up 10 yards per carry..

So yes a coach must have accountability I don't care if his name is Micah Parsons you pull the guy out of the game and tell him on the sideline that if he doesn't start looking for the run and doing his job and run fits that he'll sit his **** down..

I'm not saying he needs to turn into a all pro at stopping the run but he definitely needs to stop over running it and getting beat on the pitches on the RPOS he has to just improve in that area that's not always on the coaching staff you can't blame the middle of the defense for that you know the defensive tackles if they play better as a team this can improve you just have to have that philosophy you have to have that mentality that if you don't have the dogs then you need to play really well you need to execute above average.. IMHO

That's how I see it some of this has not been on the coaching staff some of this has been players at a position and that's not even on the GM for not providing the players when some of your better players don't seem to care to play the run or they're looking to blow up guys instead of tackle guys that's a problem that's been a problem it doesn't take much for that to get broke down if you don't have an all-pro defense you know like the Legion of boom all playing great all levels you have to play team concept and that means every player needs to do his job in stopping the run to the best of their ability do not need to be the top run stop team in the league they just need to be better at it.