Cowboyszone Report Card... Marcus Spears...GPA = 2.24

[KingintheNorth]

I like Spears and especially his attitude. I expected more out of him in a contract year. I know 3-4 ends don't get to make a lot of plays, especially in last year's scheme but still, he made ZERO plays. If I gave Ratliff a B then I have to give Spears a C.

I hope we re-sign Spears but only at a reasonable contract. I think Ryan can get more out of him than previous coaches.

 

[DallasDW00ds0n]

Run stopping is the primary job of 3-4 defensive lineman. A 3-4 is designed to create opportunities for the LBs.

The Packers were a bit of an exception this year in that between Raji and Jenkins they had 14 sacks. I don't think that # of sacks by the DL in a 3-4 is mandatory to have a successful 3-4 defense.

Its never just about #'s. Spears doesnt exactly blow the pocket up, stuff any runs in the backfield, push linemen around consistently, etc etc...

Spears isnt a bad player, hes a C player. C players are dime a dozen, Spears is a 1st round "run-stuffing" DE. Spears fans say hes a great run-stuffer, but none of them can show us these great run stuffing skills.

I dont get it. If anyone voted Spears a A or B player, then our defense must have been great this year. I must be blind.

 

[CowboyDan]

Its never just about #'s. Spears doesnt exactly blow the pocket up, stuff any runs in the backfield, push linemen around consistently, etc etc...

Spears isnt a bad player, hes a C player. C players are dime a dozen, Spears is a 1st round "run-stuffing" DE. Spears fans say hes a great run-stuffer, but none of them can show us these great run stuffing skills.

I dont get it. If anyone voted Spears a A or B player, then our defense must have been great this year. I must be blind.

I'm still waiting for someone to show me evidence of his run-stuffing, and the dropoff against the run when he got injured.

 

[Patton]

I wouldn't be surprised if we were better against the run after he got hurt. He's a pure jag.

 

[CowboyDan]

I wouldn't be surprised if we were better against the run after he got hurt. He's a pure jag.

The stats are linked to post#14, you be the judge.

 

[percyhoward]

Going into 2010, Spears was the second-best player on an average line. When Ratliff and Olshansky's play declined, and Bowen and Hatcher showed nothing, even before Spears went down, he was already the second-best player on a bad line.

Before his injury, Spears had 19 total tackles in 7 1/2 games playing only on 1st and 2nd down. In the 8 games he started after Spears' injury, Bowen had just 10 total tackles as an every-down player. Teams may have been running on us more in the first 8 games, but not twice as much. IOW, we weren't able to replace Spears' run-stopping ability. (Then again, how much did that really effect the defense in the last 8 games?)

That said, Spears did little else in his 7 1/2 games. Against the run, he was solid but unspectacular. Only 1.5 tackles for loss and no takeaways doesn't add up to an A run grade. And (as usual) no pass rush whatsoever.

You can't give an overall A to a one-dimensional player like Spears. A "B" year is when he can get you a couple of sacks and force some turnovers, in addition to being consistent and occasionally spectacular in run defense. What Spears did in 2010 (projected over a full season) might have been worth a "C" if we'd been able to stop the pass at all in 2010. Then, forcing teams into passing situations would have actually been worth something. Problem was, teams were only too happy to pass against us.

Not Spears' fault, if you see him as a "run specialist." I'm grading the player on his utility in 2010.

Run Grade: B
Pass Rush: F
Big plays: D

Overall: D

 

[ShiningStar]

I have to ask this question:

If Rob gets some players he wants, and we find out hes a great coach, both teaching and implement his scheme and things really goes his way, and he finds someone to replace Spears, will we really miss Spears? or are we just trying to not fool ourselves it was a bad number 1 pick? I really really really want to know.

 

[ShiningStar]

Going into 2010, Spears was the second-best player on an average line. When Ratliff and Olshansky's play declined, and Bowen and Hatcher showed nothing, even before Spears went down, he was already the second-best player on a bad line.

Before his injury, Spears had 19 total tackles in 7 1/2 games playing only on 1st and 2nd down. In the 8 games he started after Spears' injury, Bowen had just 10 total tackles as an every-down player. Teams may have been running on us more in the first 8 games, but not twice as much. IOW, we weren't able to replace Spears' run-stopping ability. (Then again, how much did that really effect the defense in the last 8 games?)

That said, Spears did little else in his 7 1/2 games. Against the run, he was solid but unspectacular. Only 1.5 tackles for loss and no takeaways doesn't add up to an A run grade. And (as usual) no pass rush whatsoever.

You can't give an overall A to a one-dimensional player like Spears. A "B" year is when he can get you a couple of sacks and force some turnovers, in addition to being consistent and occasionally spectacular in run defense. What Spears did in 2010 (projected over a full season) might have been worth a "C" if we'd been able to stop the pass at all in 2010. Then, forcing teams into passing situations would have actually been worth something. Problem was, teams were only too happy to pass against us.

Not Spears' fault, if you see him as a "run specialist." I'm grading the player on his utility in 2010.

Run Grade: B
Pass Rush: F
Big plays: D

Overall: D

ppfffth i doubt your facts. I see nothing that supports your hypothesis.


Again, great work professor, way to bring us all back to reality. way to go.

 

[CowboyDan]

Before his injury, Spears had 19 total tackles in 7 1/2 games playing only on 1st and 2nd down. In the 8 games he started after Spears' injury, Bowen had just 10 total tackles as an every-down player. Teams may have been running on us more in the first 8 games, but not twice as much. IOW, we weren't able to replace Spears' run-stopping ability. (Then again, how much did that really effect the defense in the last 8 games?)

How does # of tackles by Bowen vs Spears = run-stopping ability?
Yardage given up = run-stopping ability (or lack thereof) and it was unchanged when Spears went down. You may even be able to argue that it improved. And you said it yourself, Spears only played on 1st & 2nd down.....so he was playing primarily on running downs and he was fresher than, say, someone who had to play every down when Spears was injured? That someone being Stephen Bowen.

 

[percyhoward]

You said it yourself, Spears only played on 1st & 2nd down.....so he was playing primarily on running downs and he was fresher than, say, someone who had to play every down when Spears was injured?

Bowen should have made more than 16 solo tackles, considering that Dallas led the league in percentage of opponent's runs behind their right offensive tackle.

Looking at the grades, we agree on Spears (if for slightly different reasons).

 

[CowboyDan]

Bowen should have made more than 16 solo tackles, considering that Dallas led the league in percentage of opponent's runs behind their right offensive tackle.

Looking at the grades, we agree on Spears (if for slightly different reasons).

I know we agree on the grade. I'm not arguing that. I'm trying to figure out why you think Spears is a run stopper.
Can you provide a link to the above stat? Also, as someone stated earlier, DE's free up the linebackers to make the tackles against the run. Just ask Brian Urlacher and Ray Lewis about this. Let's take a look at one simple stat.....avg rushing yards per game
with Spears: 106.6 yds
without Spears: 97.9 yds



and don't act like every tackle by a LDE is made when the O runs to the right....you and I both know that's not true.

 

[casmith07]

Since when did we start forgetting the premise of these threads?

Need we remind you all - again - that these threads are for YOUR classroom. YOU give the grade based on YOUR assessment.

So for Marcus Spears people are *****ing for stats to back up their grade, yet when people justified A's for Tony Romo with his lights-out, league-leading stats before his injury, they got blasted?

 

[casmith07]

I know we agree on the grade. I'm not arguing that. I'm trying to figure out why you think Spears is a run stopper.
Can you provide a link to the above stat? Also, as someone stated earlier, DE's free up the linebackers to make the tackles against the run. Just ask Brian Urlacher and Ray Lewis about this. Let's take a look at one simple stat.....avg rushing yards per game
with Spears: 106.6 yds
without Spears: 97.9 yds



and don't act like every tackle by a LDE is made when the O runs to the right....you and I both know that's not true.

WITH Spears: games against Chris Johnson, Arian Foster, Adrian Peterson.

WITHOUT Spears: games against JAG RBs that put up big rushing days.

There are lies, damn lies, and statistics.

 

[CowboyDan]

Since when did we start forgetting the premise of these threads?

Need we remind you all - again - that these threads are for YOUR classroom. YOU give the grade based on YOUR assessment.

So for Marcus Spears people are *****ing for stats to back up their grade, yet when people justified A's for Tony Romo with his lights-out, league-leading stats before his injury, they got blasted?

You can give him any grade you like, I don't care. I already stated that. But when someone claims, as many have in this thread, that he's a run-stuffer, I request some sort of evidence. I haven't received any yet.

 

[casmith07]

You can give him any grade you like, I don't care.

That's all I needed to read. Thanks.

 

[percyhoward]

I know we agree on the grade. I'm not arguing that. I'm trying to figure out why you think Spears is a run stopper.
Can you provide a link to the above stat?

and don't act like every tackle by a LDE is made when the O runs to the right....you and I both know that's not true.

Not talking about who makes the tackle, but how often opponents run in that direction. You can find it at football outsiders, in the bottom chart. Everything on that page is pretty interesting stuff.

I'm not the person to defend Spears with any passion, though, because I don't think we lose much in the big picture with Bowen instead of him.

 

[CowboyDan]

WITH Spears: games against Chris Johnson, Arian Foster, Adrian Peterson.

WITHOUT Spears: games against JAG RBs that put up big rushing days.

There are lies, damn lies, and statistics.

Interesting point, but don't forget that without Spears we faced Vick twice, Reggie Bush/Ivy and the Giants--who ran for 200 yds on our D with Spears earlier in the year.

 

[CowboyDan]

Not talking about who makes the tackle, but how often opponents run in that direction. You can find it at football outsiders, in the bottom chart. Everything on that page is pretty interesting stuff.

I'm not the person to defend Spears with any passion, though, because I don't think we lose much in the big picture with Bowen instead of him.

Cool link, thanks.
I think we gain with Bowen instead of him.

 

[casmith07]

Interesting point, but don't forget that without Spears we faced Vick twice, Reggie Bush/Ivy and the Giants--who ran for 200 yds on our D with Spears earlier in the year.

We actually only faced Michael Vick once.

The first time we played the Eagles, they rushed for 171 yards against a Spears-less defense. The second time, in the stinker-bowl, they rushed for 121 yards.

The Giants game was the Tony Romo injury game. The entire team mailed it in that game.

The Saints, a passing team, rushed for 81 yards on Thanksgiving Day. They passed for 333.

Other notable rushing performances include Arian Foster running for 124 @ Houston, and Chris Johnson running for 158 vs. Tennessee. Elite running backs doing what they do best.

An even better sample would be looking at the 2009 season, where all was right in Big D, and the wheels weren't falling off with the cursed 50 Year patch, Home Super Bowl expectations, and star QB with a broken clavicle.

In 2009, the Cowboys rushing defense allowed 90.5 RYPG. Notable outlying performances were a rusty Week 1 where they allowed 174 rushing yards to the Bucs, and 124 yards to the Raiders, whose offense was pretty much rushing only.

What people fail to realize is that this is - contrary to popular, message board belief - a team sport. Players like Marcus Spears, who are able to occupy multiple blockers without being pushed off the line of scrimmage and allow linebackers to make plays, are vital to the overall success of a defense. They also are able to plug up passing lanes for QBs, making it difficult for a QB to see over/thru his offensive line to make good passes, hence the better-rated defense in 2009 (completely disregarding the "sky-is-falling" scenario in 2010 and looking at things as objectively as possible.)

For what it appears Spears' job was, he did well. When looking at it as objectively as possible, I believe he deserved an A. The majority of the Cowboys' rushing woes this past season were in Anthony Spencer's failures to set the edge (which I'll be sure to highlight in my grade of him when his thread comes around). Teams ran right at Spencer numerous times and ran right by him, leaving (guess who) Terence Newman to make more solo tackles than he has had to in recent years. If your DE who is supposed to plug rushing lanes for the linebackers to make plays does his job, but your linebackers don't make those plays, you're going to get run on.

Team sport.

 

[CowboyDan]

We actually only faced Michael Vick once.

The first time we played the Eagles, they rushed for 171 yards against a Spears-less defense. The second time, in the stinker-bowl, they rushed for 121 yards.

The Giants game was the Tony Romo injury game. The entire team mailed it in that game.

The Saints, a passing team, rushed for 81 yards on Thanksgiving Day. They passed for 333.

Other notable rushing performances include Arian Foster running for 124 @ Houston, and Chris Johnson running for 158 vs. Tennessee. Elite running backs doing what they do best.

An even better sample would be looking at the 2009 season, where all was right in Big D, and the wheels weren't falling off with the cursed 50 Year patch, Home Super Bowl expectations, and star QB with a broken clavicle.

In 2009, the Cowboys rushing defense allowed 90.5 RYPG. Notable outlying performances were a rusty Week 1 where they allowed 174 rushing yards to the Bucs, and 124 yards to the Raiders, whose offense was pretty much rushing only.

What people fail to realize is that this is - contrary to popular, message board belief - a team sport. Players like Marcus Spears, who are able to occupy multiple blockers without being pushed off the line of scrimmage and allow linebackers to make plays, are vital to the overall success of a defense. They also are able to plug up passing lanes for QBs, making it difficult for a QB to see over/thru his offensive line to make good passes, hence the better-rated defense in 2009 (completely disregarding the "sky-is-falling" scenario in 2010 and looking at things as objectively as possible.)

For what it appears Spears' job was, he did well. When looking at it as objectively as possible, I believe he deserved an A. The majority of the Cowboys' rushing woes this past season were in Anthony Spencer's failures to set the edge (which I'll be sure to highlight in my grade of him when his thread comes around). Teams ran right at Spencer numerous times and ran right by him, leaving (guess who) Terence Newman to make more solo tackles than he has had to in recent years. If your DE who is supposed to plug rushing lanes for the linebackers to make plays does his job, but your linebackers don't make those plays, you're going to get run on.

Team sport.

You're right on facing Vick only once, forgot about that. And I'm not going to look at 2009 and think that that's got anything to do with the state of this team now. If that were the case, you'd be telling me that Michael Jenkins will be fine at CB. I'm not so sure about that after what I saw last season. I never said this defense played well. I said that there is no evidence that Spears makes this defense play better against the run.