Dallas is tied for 6th in points allowed

[CATCH17]

Its really the only defensive stat that matters.


Dallas is the 6th best team in the NFL when it comes to not allowing the opposition to score at 19.4 points allowed per game. Seattle leads this stat by only allowing 17 points per game.


http://www.espn.com/nfl/statistics/team/_/stat/total/sort/totalPoints/position/defense



So you can say Dallas has no shot because of their defense but our defense is one of the best at not allowing points to be scored on them.

The way the Cowboys offense is built is why you can't judge our team like the 31 other NFL teams.. We just have a different recipe for winning than they do.

It's ball control... It's an explosive run game that teams are selling out to stop and in turn getting burned by Dak while we chew the clock.

 

[Outlaw Heroes]

I guess the concern is that there's a feeling the D has been doing it with smoke and mirrors and that they'll be exposed by the better teams we face in the playoffs.

 

[CATCH17]

I guess the concern is that there's a feeling the D has been doing it with smoke and mirrors and that they'll be exposed by the better teams we face in the playoffs.

So those teams that are going to expose us.... What are they going to do defensively? Shut down something they are not built to stop?

The teams that are the most well balanced are in the AFC in my opinion.

 

[JD_KaPow]

Its really the only defensive stat that matters.


Dallas is the 6th best team in the NFL when it comes to not allowing the opposition to score at 19.4 points allowed per game. Seattle leads this stat by only allowing 17 points per game.

That's not the best stat to look at. Our defense is in the middle of the pack (we'll be somewhere between 15th and 19th after this week) in points allowed per drive.

Our ball-control offense limits the number of defensive drives. However, it limits our number of offensive drives by exactly the same amount.

Middle of the pack is still better than what our raw yardage numbers would suggest, but we're not as good on defense as the points per game numbers would suggest.

I'm not convinced it's sustainable, but you never know. Never expected us to be so competitive this year anyway, so it's all gravy at this point.

 

[J_Allen]

I'm ecstatic that we're 10-1 so don't get me wrong, but one of these years we need to fix our defense.

 

[AdamJT13]

I guess the concern is that there's a feeling the D has been doing it with smoke and mirrors and that they'll be exposed by the better teams we face in the playoffs.

The best offense we might face in the NFC playoffs is the Falcons. Their defense is currently 28th in points allowed at 27.5 per game (and was 30th in points allowed per drive before this week). Do you think they might get exposed?

 

[Don Corleone]

I guess the concern is that there's a feeling the D has been doing it with smoke and mirrors and that they'll be exposed by the better teams we face in the playoffs.

You are what your record says you are. Sure they can get exposed, but it means the other team will have to patiently drive down the field and keep the ball away from the Cowboys offense.

 

[Plankton]

Its really the only defensive stat that matters.


Dallas is the 6th best team in the NFL when it comes to not allowing the opposition to score at 19.4 points allowed per game. Seattle leads this stat by only allowing 17 points per game.


http://www.espn.com/nfl/statistics/team/_/stat/total/sort/totalPoints/position/defense



So you can say Dallas has no shot because of their defense but our defense is one of the best at not allowing points to be scored on them.

The way the Cowboys offense is built is why you can't judge our team like the 31 other NFL teams.. We just have a different recipe for winning than they do.

It's ball control... It's an explosive run game that teams are selling out to stop and in turn getting burned by Dak while we chew the clock.

They have done very well at this throughout the season, no question.

Something to keep in mind, though. I referenced in another thread that the Cowboys have only faced two teams so far that rank in the top 10 in passer rating - the Commanders twice, and the Steelers.

All three games resulted in the Cowboy defense allowing their highest points allowed for the season - 23 and 26 for Washington, 30 for the Steelers. All wins for the Cowboys.

In the playoffs, they would likely face teams with passer ratings in the top 10. The offense will need to continue to be on point in terms of efficiency, protecting the football, and most of all, finishing drives. From the limited sample above, the Cowboys are likely to allow more than their season average against these teams.

 

[MileyDancer]

I'm ecstatic that we're 10-1 so don't get me wrong, but one of these years we need to fix our defense.

This offseason. Hopefully Jaylon is what he's supposed to be. It could be like having 2 first round picks on defense. Much excite.

 

[cowboyfan4life2]

We need to get Church and Claiborne back, our secondary got exposed thursday.

 

[KJJ]

That stat is mostly due to having the #1 offense in the league at chewing up the clock which has helped limit the exposure of our defense. I believe we were 4th in points allowed a few weeks ago and we're starting to drop due to our pass coverage. It's going to catch up to us in the playoffs if our 30th ranked pass defense doesn't improve. In 2013 our defense was historically bad statistically and a big part of that was our 30th ranked pass defense that gave up five 400 yard passers.

We've given up two 400 yard passing games the past three games and 6 TD's through the air. We've gotten worse in coverage and it's going to catch up with us just like it has with every good team we've had if we don't improve our pass rush. If you have to rely on your offense every week to win games you're going to eventually run into trouble if you start missing a beat offensively. If you keep bending defensively eventually you'll break, we've seen that happen with every good team we've had the past decade.

 

[Sydla]

So those teams that are going to expose us.... What are they going to do defensively? Shut down something they are not built to stop?

The teams that are the most well balanced are in the AFC in my opinion.

Seattle is a team that can give us fits. And no, what happened two seasons ago is not applicable here.

 

[cowboys1985]

2 things about the defense:

1) If they can get Church and Claiborne back along with hopefully Scandrick right for the playoff run I will be confident in the defense's ability to "clog and cover" and cut down on the chuck plays.

2) I still think Lawrence has a run in him like he had in the 2014 playoffs and 2nd half of last year.

If those 2 can happen then I'm smelling SB. if not then thus team is ripe for the playoff upset agaisnt any team (NYG, Wsh, etc.) despite the dominant offense. Besides, I'm pretty sure the points allowed stat was much better earlier in the season with Church and Mo.

 

[KJJ]

I guess the concern is that there's a feeling the D has been doing it with smoke and mirrors and that they'll be exposed by the better teams we face in the playoffs.

The D has already been exposed which is why we're only 2.5 favorites over Minn who's falling apart. Our D is keeping opponents in games and we're winning with our offense scoring points, chewing up the clock and moving the chains. Our pass coverage has gotten much worse since the start of the season and we haven't had an INT in weeks because we have a weak pass rush.

 

[Idgit]

Its really the only defensive stat that matters.

Dallas is the 6th best team in the NFL when it comes to not allowing the opposition to score at 19.4 points allowed per game. Seattle leads this stat by only allowing 17 points per game.

http://www.espn.com/nfl/statistics/team/_/stat/total/sort/totalPoints/position/defense

So you can say Dallas has no shot because of their defense but our defense is one of the best at not allowing points to be scored on them.

The way the Cowboys offense is built is why you can't judge our team like the 31 other NFL teams.. We just have a different recipe for winning than they do.

It's ball control... It's an explosive run game that teams are selling out to stop and in turn getting burned by Dak while we chew the clock.

I knew we had crept up there, but I'd thought after the PIT and WAS games we'd probably dropped more than it looks like we did. That's encouraging to hear.

I wasn't too troubled after PIT, because Roethlisberger was just throwing great passes most of that game and our coverage was still more or less good even when the passes were getting caught. WAS troubled me a lot more because of the big blown coverage on Jackson, but a lot of their success came on that and off of the fact that Jones could not handle Jordan Reed. Most teams won't have the personnel to capitalize on that.

That said, I'll feel a lot better when and if Mo returns to the lineup, playing well. For one, because he's been our best CB this year. For two, we need depth in terms of guys who can press and play man to do what we do best defensively. It makes me nervous to be this thin and to be looking at potentially resorting to zone when we don't necessarily want to. Especially with teams like WAS and ATL heading for the playoffs.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Points given up?


Doesn't mean anything.


I've been told here it's all about the passing yards you've given up.

 

[Outlaw Heroes]

The best offense we might face in the NFC playoffs is the Falcons. Their defense is currently 28th in points allowed at 27.5 per game (and was 30th in points allowed per drive before this week). Do you think they might get exposed?

Yeah, for sure. But this is more of the same. In essence, you counter concern about the D with confidence in what the O can accomplish.

 

[weaver21]

I don't understand this whole notion that we're going to get exposed in the playoffs because teams "step it up" during that time. Why is it that other teams can step up to another level but somehow we can't? I know people aren't exactly saying that the Cowboys won't step it up another gear, but I don't see why this defense can't play better in the playoffs, especially if we're back to 100% by the time the postseason rolls around. This offense is not going to be shut down by anyone and I doubt there's a team that can do it except maybe Seattle. Atlanta's defense may be worse than ours and Detroit is pretty much middle of the pack so their nothing to fear either.

Look, this defense is going to give up yards and quarterbacks are going to have big time stats against us. That's pretty much a fact. But as CATCH said, this team doesn't allow people to score. Their very reliable in the redzone and I don't see how that will somehow change in the playoffs. People may not like the bend but don't break defense, but it's what we got until the offseason where we can improve the defensive line. Will are defense cost us in the playoffs? Possibly. But I'm not going to predict it will like many fans are seemingly doing it. Enjoy the ride of this incredible season and know that our future is extremely bright.

 

[KJJ]

Points given up?


Doesn't mean anything.


I've been told here it's all about the passing yards you've given up.

Eventually passing yards will lead to points, we saw that on Washington's last three drives where they scored 3 TD's. Although we stopped them early in the game we couldn't stop them when the game was on the line and it was our offense moving the chains at the end that saved us. Had Washington got the ball back they probably would have scored a TD to beat us in the finale moments. The last 3 weeks we certainly don't rank 6th in points allowed. That number has been going us because we were 4th prior to playing Pittsburgh. Our pass coverage has been showing serious cracks the past few weeks which is why we're ranked 30th against the pass.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Eventually passing yards will lead to points, we saw that on Washington's last three drives where they scored 3 TD's. Although we stopped them early in the game we couldn't stop them when the game was on the line and it was our offense moving the chains at the end that saved us. Had Washington got the ball back they probably would have scored a TD to beat us in the finale moments. The last 3 weeks we certainly don't rank 6th in points allowed. That number has been going us because we were 4th prior to playing Pittsburgh. Has pass coverage has been showing serious cracks the past few weeks which is why we're ranked 30th against the pass.

The pass defense has been showing cracks strictly because of injuries.

You get the injured back and the numbers will improve.

It's no more complicated than that.