Cowboys defense - Not all bad

[CCBoy]

And whose fault is that? The OP is implying that our personnel on defense is not that bad. Then why isn't our "good" personal producing interceptions and forcing fumbles like the "crappy" Eagles secondary, starting back-ups and low round draft picks can? Why do they force punts? Don't tell me it's the Eagles D-line---four people do not make an entire defense. Okay, I admit that having a real D-line is very important, and might have the best in football. But just like man cannot live on bread alone, a defense does not create turnovers and punts based on its D-line alone.

Our defense stinks. Period.

Myself, I think that the team as a whole is soft...and just doesn't play with an attitude come games.

 

[rwalters31]

The D stink and couldn't stop a team to save their lives when it count. Moving forward this team should focus strictly on offense. At as if there is no defense. They should be very aggressive moving forward.

so,we should becme the Saints?

 

[xwalker]

Two things hurting the D this years IMO
1. Jaylon Smith.......not just physically but his lack of experience ( he's actually a liability )
2. Young secondary .......love the aggressiveness but it's offset by lack of experience.

How many times we've seen 3rd down conversion with ease and many times beyond 10 yards..........
Good news IMO the problem(s) are easily correctable if the coaches set aside their egos and stop being stubborn.......bench players who are not making plays.

Jaylon is terrible. He should not be on the field. If nothing else, just replace him with a Safety.

They have started to play Lewis up on WRs on some 3rd downs, whereas they had all CBs 10 yards off early in the season.

People love to hate Heath, but he's only a small part of the problem and not remotely as much of a problem as Jaylon. The 3 young guys Woods, Frazier and Awuzie have combined to play about as many snaps as Heath. To me that means they'll eventually phase Heath out in favor of a combination of these players.

The biggest issue is that the 2 games they could have won, Lee was out. His on-field leadership was probably missed as much as his own ability.

 

[xwalker]

It really hasn't. Giving up more points per defensive series than any other team in the league can't reasonably be considered "holding its own."

The fact that the offense almost managed to outscore two other good offenses (but didn't) along the way doesn't give the terrible defense a pass.

When the final scoreboard is within 1 score, the defense by definition has done enough to give them a chance to win.

The Cowboys defense gave up less points than the Packers defense (28 vs 31). In NFL history when your defense gives up less points than the opponents defense, that your team will win over 90% of the time.

 

[xwalker]

Charlton is approaching the Bobby Carpenter level of production. The only thing that is saving him from that complete indignity is that he has been active for every game.

Pretty soon some Dallas lineman will hang a disparaging nickname on him too.

DLaw had zero sacks and 9 tackles his rookie year.

 

[xwalker]

Then that's what you should have wrote. You included TDs for Packer's game and not on the Rams game. And that's what I was questioning. Not everyone can read your peculiar mind.

To say the defense isn't all that bad because they made stops, yet not mention the TDs they gave up, is the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Even by your twisted standards.

I did not mention TDs anywhere in the original post.

I thought you would be smart enough to look at the score and know that they gave up TDs.

 

[Macnalty]

So the offense has scored 28, 30 and 31 points the last 3 games, and now we need to rely on them being even better?

Good luck with that

Not the scoring how they score during the game. We are not going to improve on the defense I think you will agree, if we just change how we score it will make a difference. Not easy(maybe near impossible) but what choices do we have the Defensive talent store is closed and you are coaching to save your jobs.

 

[Macnalty]

We can actually expect better LB play with Lee and Hitchens both in the lineup. Then the issue becomes improving play at S, where we've got Awuzie and Woods both as candidates for playing time. We're too thin at LB, though. Can't afford an injury at WIL or MIKE the rest of the way, and we've counting on two players with a history of injuries.

One or two less offensive possessions for opponents would do wonders for this defense, granted it would be difficult but that is the cards the boys are dealt in 2017.

 

[Idgit]

One or two less offensive possessions for opponents would do wonders for this defense, granted it would be difficult but that is the cards the boys are dealt in 2017.

If the offense were even more competitive, the defense would be less exposed than other defenses typically are, this is true. That's not the same thing as the defense being any good, though.

 

[vaturkey]

We lack playmakers on the back side. Sean Lee gets dinged up too often to be counted on. No one in our secondary is considered top flight. Maybe the rookies will change that in time, but no one looks at or secondary and thinks "We need to avoid that guy".

 

[Idgit]

When the final scoreboard is within 1 score, the defense by definition has done enough to give them a chance to win..

I reject this definition of the defense having done its job in favor of one that measures the rate the defense keeps other teams from scoring relative to the rest of the league.

For example, giving up points on 9 of 11 possessions v. The Rams is not made more impressive by virtue of the fact that our offense also managed to score frequently.

 

[xwalker]

I reject this definition of the defense having done its job in favor of one that measures the rate the defense keeps other teams from scoring relative to the rest of the league.

For example, giving up points on 9 of 11 possessions v. The Rams is not made more impressive by virtue of the fact that our offense also managed to score frequently.

I didn't say the defense had "done it's job", I said it did enough to give them a chance to win.

 

[toto1939]

Concise analysis of Cowboys defense:

 

[Idgit]

I didn't say the defense had "done it's job", I said it did enough to give them a chance to win.

By that measure, it also did enough to give the Rams and Packers a chance to win.

It's not a useful measure of anything, even if it's true.

 

[cowboyblue22]

this defense is bad 2013 bad the middle of the defense is soft just don't have any playmakers on that side of the ball

 

[xwalker]

By that measure, it also did enough to give the Rams and Packers a chance to win.

It's not a useful measure of anything, even if it's true.

I'm not trying to "measure" the defense.

The point is that the Cowboys won 13 games last season with a similar defense because the offense kept the defense off the field.

That is the Cowboys formula when they spent 2x cap space on offense as compared to defense.

It does not mean the current defense or last season's defense is/was good. It just means winning is still possible. No TWill blunder or coaching blunder on the clock in the Packers game and they highly likely win.

If they win games, I don't care if the defense is rated. 40th out of 32 teams or rated as the worst in history or any other "measure" or rating.

The bright side is that this defense will likely get better. If the team was within 1 score on 2 losses and the defense improves just a little, then they should have a good chance to win some games.

If they had been blown out by 20+ points in every game, then I would say winning more games is unlikely.

 

[Zman5]

I did not mention TDs anywhere in the original post.

I thought you would be smart enough to look at the score and know that they gave up TDs.

As you usual, you got caught trying to prove your point using cherry picked stats.

 

[xwalker]

As you usual, you got caught trying to prove your point using cherry picked stats.

No, you just don't appear to be able to comprehend the post.

The thread as per title is about the positive things the defense has done. I'm not sure why that is so complicated for you to understand.

 

[Zman5]

No, you just don't appear to be able to comprehend the post.

The thread as per title is about the positive things the defense has done. I'm not sure why that is so complicated for you to understand.

I understand what you are trying to do. You are trying to make the defense look better by using cherry picked stats. One of the best indicator of how good/bad defense is the points per possession stat. That's the reason I brought up the admission of TD in your post.

Your assumption that the the defense isn't all that bad because they made "stops" and gave up FGs is misguided. This thread sounds like the typical BS moral victory speeches made by JJ and JG in their PC trying to fool the fan base. No one's buying it.

 

[TheHerd]

Myself, I think that the team as a whole is soft...and just doesn't play with an attitude come games.

I think scheme contributes to this, particularly on defense. I hate this back off and play scared defense.