Cowboys have not played the elite NFL run teams. The true test is this Sunday.

[TruBlueCowboy]

I think we can all agree that the passing defense on the Cowboys is fixed and ready to go. Mediots still say we are susceptible to the long ball but that's only because they watched the last five minutes of the MNF game against the Skins and the one Randy Moss highlight in the Raiders game. This team SHUTS DOWN receivers, especially now that the defensive line and DeMarcus Ware are getting even better.

Looking over the top rush yards/game & yards/carry teams on our schedule:

San Diego #4 at 148.2 yards/game, #4 at 4.8 yards/carry
Washington #8 at 127.0 yards/game, #15 at 4.0 yards/carry
San Francisco #26 at 80.0 yards/game, #18 at 3.8 yards/carry
Oakland #31 at 70.6 yards/game, #26 at 3.4 yards/carry
Philadelphia #32 at 64.2 yards/game, #21 at 3.6 yards/carry
New York #17 at 110.0 yards/game, #7 at 4.4 yards/carry

The Cowboys really haven't faced a dominant running team except for San Diego and that was the first game of the year when teams are still feeling their way through. Remember all the criticism on Schottenheimer for not using LT enough in that game? The Giants are near the top of the league at getting yardage on the run and they had no problem moving the ball against the defense. They were averaging just over 4 yards a carry which is close to their season average. I asssume the reason why they are not tops in the league in total yards/game is because their defense gives up so many points and forces them to pass. Only because our defense shut down Eli Manning did we stall their offense. Coughlin probably should have run more.

The reason I bring this up is because I noticed in the preseason that Seattle had their way with us in the running game. It was vanilla playcalling but it was hard to watch this new defense give up so easily to the running game.

Right now, Seattle is ranked

#2 in the NFL in yards/carry at 5.4
#2 in the NFL in yards/game at 166.0
#2 in the NFL in total rushing yards at 996

This is a team with a strong offensive line, Shaun Alexander is having an All Pro year, and they will straight up run all over you and have the defense to allow them to keep running and wearing the clock out.

Do you think this is the final challenge for this new Cowboys defense? If they can withstand this powerful ground assault, and perform another one of those miraculous clamp downs, I think we can start calling them the new Doomsday Defense.

 

[Kilyin]

So Alexander cranks his numbers and YPC up against Houston, the "new" worst team in the NFL, and suddenly Seattle is something to fear? We haven't gone up against an "elite running team"?

Uh, ok. I must be living in a parallel dimension or something.

 

[Justis]

I'll admit Shaun Alexander is a top notch runner. But you gotta understand, these guys just played the Texans. Perhaps the worst team 'since the 70s Bucs. We shut down Ladanian Tomlinson. And we beat the 'Hawks last year with a much worse team. If Julius plays, he'll be the story of the night.

 

[THUMPER]

I think we can all agree that the passing defense on the Cowboys is fixed and ready to go. Mediots still say we are susceptible to the long ball but that's only because they watched the last five minutes of the MNF game against the Skins and the one Randy Moss highlight in the Raiders game. This team SHUTS DOWN receivers, especially now that the defensive line and DeMarcus Ware are getting even better.

Looking over the top rush yards/game & yards/carry teams on our schedule:

San Diego #4 at 148.2 yards/game, #4 at 4.8 yards/carry
Washington #8 at 127.0 yards/game, #15 at 4.0 yards/carry
San Francisco #26 at 80.0 yards/game, #18 at 3.8 yards/carry
Oakland #31 at 70.6 yards/game, #26 at 3.4 yards/carry
Philadelphia #32 at 64.2 yards/game, #21 at 3.6 yards/carry
New York #17 at 110.0 yards/game, #7 at 4.4 yards/carry

The Cowboys really haven't faced a dominant running team except for San Diego and that was the first game of the year when teams are still feeling their way through. Remember all the criticism on Schottenheimer for not using LT enough in that game? The Giants are near the top of the league at getting yardage on the run and they had no problem moving the ball against the defense. They were averaging just over 4 yards a carry which is close to their season average. I asssume the reason why they are not tops in the league in total yards/game is because their defense gives up so many points and forces them to pass. Only because our defense shut down Eli Manning did we stall their offense. Coughlin probably should have run more.

The reason I bring this up is because I noticed in the preseason that Seattle had their way with us in the running game. It was vanilla playcalling but it was hard to watch this new defense give up so easily to the running game.

Right now, Seattle is ranked

#2 in the NFL in yards/carry at 5.4
#2 in the NFL in yards/game at 166.0
#2 in the NFL in total rushing yards at 996

This is a team with a strong offensive line, Shaun Alexander is having an All Pro year, and they will straight up run all over you and have the defense to allow them to keep running and wearing the clock out.

Do you think this is the final challenge for this new Cowboys defense? If they can withstand this powerful ground assault, and perform another one of those miraculous clamp downs, I think we can start calling them the new Doomsday Defense.

Are the Seahawks really that good or are their statistics the result of playing a very weak schedule of defenses? I pointed out in another thread that the only two teams they have faced so far with good defenses, the Jags & Skins, they lost to and did not put up any big numbers. Alexander ran for 73 vs the Jags and 98 vs the Skins and they scored 14 & 17 points respectively.

The other teams they beat were the Falcons, Cards, Rams, & Texans, all ranked in the lower half vs the run (as is Jax for that matter).

After watching the Seahawks a few times this year I will say that they have played well against the teams they are supposed to beat but that they are not as good as their stats show.

On the other hand, we have shut down, in consecutive weeks, the top ranked offense in the league. It will be a good matchup but I am confident we will come out on top in this one.

 

[dargonking999]

Sorry but the Way Ware abused Seattle in the preseason, was not a fluke, this guy has gotten better, and with even more people they have to worry about, he cant get to much speacail attention.

And with Dat coming back, and with two starting WR's not at 100 percent(may not even play) the pass wont be as worried about, so we can put Roy in the box. Look at alot of the teams we played, they had serious passing attacks, whihc made it harder to protect against the run, guys backed up before the came foward. We must stop the run, and we will

 

[austintodallas]

If Julius plays, he'll be the story of the night.

He certainly was last year.

 

[jksmith269]

So Alexander cranks his numbers and YPC up against Houston, the "new" worst team in the NFL, and suddenly Seattle is something to fear? We haven't gone up against an "elite running team"?

Uh, ok. I must be living in a parallel dimension or something.

Shaun was leading the NFL in rushing before the Texans game....

 

[TruBlueCowboy]

Sorry but the Way Ware abused Seattle in the preseason, was not a fluke, this guy has gotten better, and with even more people they have to worry about, he cant get to much speacail attention.

And with Dat coming back, and with two starting WR's not at 100 percent(may not even play) the pass wont be as worried about, so we can put Roy in the box. Look at alot of the teams we played, they had serious passing attacks, whihc made it harder to protect against the run, guys backed up before the came foward. We must stop the run, and we will

Ware made some great plays but they were all in the passing game if I recall. I remember him forcing Hasslebeck to fumble and also catching an interception, but I also recall Seattle having their way with us in the run game when it was starters vs. starters. They had no problems driving against the Cowboys defense, only some great plays by Ware saved the day.

 

[Kilyin]

Shaun was leading the NFL in rushing before the Texans game....

If he hadn't gashed Houston for 6.4 YPC, his numbers would be right on par with the other top backs in the league. Their second string RB ran against Houston on 8 carries for 104 yards. That's a 13 average. Even the fullback averaged 4.0 YPC against Houston.

Ladainian Tomlinson > Shaun Alexander. We'll shut this kid down, he won't crack the century mark.

 

[TruBlueCowboy]

Are the Seahawks really that good or are their statistics the result of playing a very weak schedule of defenses? I pointed out in another thread that the only two teams they have faced so far with good defenses, the Jags & Skins, they lost to and did not put up any big numbers. Alexander ran for 73 vs the Jags and 98 vs the Skins and they scored 14 & 17 points respectively.

The other teams they beat were the Falcons, Cards, Rams, & Texans, all ranked in the lower half vs the run (as is Jax for that matter).

After watching the Seahawks a few times this year I will say that they have played well against the teams they are supposed to beat but that they are not as good as their stats show.

On the other hand, we have shut down, in consecutive weeks, the top ranked offense in the league. It will be a good matchup but I am confident we will come out on top in this one.

I won't argue against that if they've faced weak defenses, but I remember them having a lot of success against the Cowboys in the preseason. We'll see how much of that was the new defense getting together, the vanilly playcalling, etc... I also know they're no fluke. They did this last year. They have perhaps the best left side of an offensive line in the NFL, and a proven running back who is always near the top of the league in total rushing yards.

 

[DMX690]

The only offensive weapons that can create havoc is Alexander and Stevens for the Seacocks. Seattle is missing both its starting WR's. Play 8 men in the box and make Hasselback beat us.

 

[TruBlueCowboy]

I'll admit Shaun Alexander is a top notch runner. But you gotta understand, these guys just played the Texans. Perhaps the worst team 'since the 70s Bucs. We shut down Ladanian Tomlinson. And we beat the 'Hawks last year with a much worse team. If Julius plays, he'll be the story of the night.

I agree. Anytime your tailback picks up almost 200 yards, you have a great chance to win. Somehow I don't think we'll catch 'em snoozing this time around. They know how dangerous he is now.

 

[Kilyin]

I won't argue against that if they've faced weak defenses, but I remember them having a lot of success against the Cowboys in the preseason. We'll see how much of that was the new defense getting together, the vanilly playcalling, etc... I also know they're no fluke. They did this last year. They have perhaps the best left side of an offensive line in the NFL, and a proven running back who is always near the top of the league in total rushing yards.

Preseason means squat, I'm sure you know that. I'm not worried about the running game.

Let's go back to Week 13, 2004, when our defense flat out SUCKED.

Shaun Alexander - 21 att, 83 yards. 4.0 YPC.

We'll lock him down.

 

[TruBlueCowboy]

The only offensive weapons that can create havoc is Alexander and Stevens for the Seacocks. Seattle is missing both its starting WR's. Play 8 men in the box and make Hasselback beat us.

I guess you could say then it's another test for the secondary, because Zimmer might leave his corners out on an island all night. Little worried about the tight end because I have a feeling the Giants won't be the first team to expose our weakness in defending that position.

 

[jksmith269]

If he hadn't gashed Houston for 6.4 YPC, his numbers would be right on par with the other top backs in the league. Their second string RB ran against Houston on 8 carries for 104 yards. That's a 13 average. Even the fullback averaged 4.0 YPC against Houston.

Ladainian Tomlinson > Shaun Alexander. We'll shut this kid down, he won't crack the century mark.

Sorry I disagree I think Shaun is = to or better than LT. actually to say one is better than the other is hard to do. Both pick up the blitz well, both have soft hands and are VG receivers, and both can run over, around, and thru almost anyone.

 

[AdamJT13]

So if Alexander gets 19 carries and we shut him down, does that mean we don't count Seattle as an "elite rushing team" either?

 

[lurkercowboy]

With Dallas, the true test is always next week.

 

[TruBlueCowboy]

So if Alexander gets 19 carries and we shut him down, does that mean we don't count Seattle as an "elite rushing team" either?

Sarcasm noted, but that means we count Dallas as an elite defense. Seattle has already proven for the last few years they're one of the better running teams. The new Dallas defense has proven they can shut down the pass, but they haven't really proven much against the run yet.

 

[jksmith269]

Shuan had 98yards on 20 carries against the skins. Granted they where never out of the game and could still run the ball. If they had been down 14+ points they prob would have thrown more. Hasselback had like 242 passing. Don't look past the hawks they can score and have a VG offense.

 

[dbair1967]

Sorry I disagree I think Shaun is = to or better than LT. actually to say one is better than the other is hard to do. Both pick up the blitz well, both have soft hands and are VG receivers, and both can run over, around, and thru almost anyone.

I think you'd be the onlt one then, other than Alexander's family

prob every GM in football would laugh you out of the room if you suggested a straight up trade of Alexander for Tomlinson

Tomlinson isnt only the best RB in football, he's probably the best player regardless of position right now

David