DC: Broaddus: Young Safety Group Struggled To Cover

[jobberone]

Broaddus: Young Safety Group Struggled To Cover
Posted 1 hour ago

Bryan Broaddus Football Analyst/Scout
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What I have learned over the years studying this scheme is that if you have poor safety play, it affects how well the defense functions. The idea is to funnel the ball to the inside and allow the linebackers and safeties to make the plays. But if those players are out of position, then you’re going to have issues.

There were too many times in the 2013 season where this group was playing Cover 2 or in the single high look where they just couldn’t finish the play and you saw a negative play as the result.

If there was a bright spot for the group, it was the play of Barry Church, who had only made three career starts coming into the 2013 season. Church was coming off an Achilles surgery and there were questions on whether he would be as good as he was last season. Church led the team in tackles with 147, also forcing three fumbles and one interception. Other than Sean Lee, there wasn’t a surer tackler on the defense than Church. There were several times in the season where you observed him bringing LeSean McCoy or Adrian Peterson down in the open field.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/a...To-Cover/56318ec7-6d95-4135-84ee-097c45548293

 

[BigStar]

TJ Ward would be the only premier player I could see warranting spending on big in FA considering how poor we have been over the years. Church is a suitable starter and a great tackler but is average in coverage. If Wilcox/Heath develop, they could supplant Church and our secondary would have the necessary speed to compete in today's passing league. This will also assist with the athletic TEs and scat backs that are becoming so hard to defend. Go cheap and young on DL (Tyson Jackson) and continue building the lines through the draft.

 

[Jerryrage]

No pass rush, nothing matters. Louis Nix III looks good and is a smart kid. Drop the 1st round pick on him Jerry. Noob.

 

[big dog cowboy]

What I have learned over the years studying this scheme is that if you have poor safety play, it affects how well the defense functions.

So does no pass rush, inability to consistently cover........

 

[jobberone]

It will be interesting to see if a good safety is there in the first. I'd always been uninterested in picking a safety in the first. Lately it's been a reasonably safe pick to choose a safety in the first.

I wish I knew how they felt about Johnson and Wilcox.

 

[jobberone]

So does no pass rush, inability to consistently cover........

I agree. I do think the rush is more important but coverage is not that far behind. You have to have both plus the LBer play as well. You just have to beat the other team in the passing game on both sides of the ball.

 

[WhizKid]

Improve line play and you should get improved db play.

 

[BigStar]

Improve line play and you should get improved db play.

Agree definitely, just with all of the uncertainty and the value it presents to the defense; Safety seems always overlooked/under appreciated. Ward would solidify the secondary and there is no young talent to resign on the defensive side in the near future. It wouldn't be a poor investment to get a young veteran S like Ward while continuing to rebuild the front 7 through the draft.

 

[casmith07]

No pass rush definitely didn't help the safeties, but Jeff Heath is fundamentally unsound at this point of his career. Simply not ready. The errors he made in coverage many of the time were defensive back basics -- never stand flat footed, always stay in your pedal until you are either turning to run or breaking on the ball, never stand flat footed, attack the football and not the receiver, never stand flat footed...

It was as if he was getting individual coaching from Dave "Don't Be Lookin' For The Ball, Be Lookin' For Him" Campo.

 

[TheRomoSexual]

Guys, it's not mutually exclusive. Yes, better line helps the DBs, but better coverage also helps the line.

 

[casmith07]

Guys, it's not mutually exclusive. Yes, better line helps the DBs, but better coverage also helps the line.

Perhaps, but its been well proven that a very good pass rush can make middling defensive backs look pretty incredible. Outside of Richard Sherman, Seattle doesn't really have anyone in their defensive backfield that's world-beater talent. But they ALL play like world beaters because Seattle can collapse the pocket with 4 guys every snap.

 

[CaptainCreed]

Perhaps, but its been well proven that a very good pass rush can make middling defensive backs look pretty incredible. Outside of Richard Sherman, Seattle doesn't really have anyone in their defensive backfield that's world-beater talent. But they ALL play like world beaters because Seattle can collapse the pocket with 4 guys every snap.

Have you heard of Earl thomas?

 

[casmith07]

Have you heard of Earl thomas?

Yeah, and I've watched him on the All-22 a bunch of times. Just because he's a Longhorn it doesn't mean he's all-world. He's good, but he's not world-beating, reason-why-Seattle-wins, good.

 

[jobberone]

No pass rush definitely didn't help the safeties, but Jeff Heath is fundamentally unsound at this point of his career. Simply not ready. The errors he made in coverage many of the time were defensive back basics -- never stand flat footed, always stay in your pedal until you are either turning to run or breaking on the ball, never stand flat footed, attack the football and not the receiver, never stand flat footed...

It was as if he was getting individual coaching from Dave "Don't Be Lookin' For The Ball, Be Lookin' For Him" Campo.

Well, good grief! Better let Campo give him singing lessons instead.

 

[casmith07]

Well, good grief! Better let Campo give him singing lessons instead.

BW Webb was the same way. I'm still, to this day, completely dumbfounded by the coaching staff having Heath out there over Wilcox. Wilcox tackles better and was very rarely out of position. He also had a much better nose for the ball in the air.

Webb showed flashes in coverage though -- I think he'll be good, he's just not quite ready yet, and that's okay. With all our CBs he shouldn't have to see the field that much.

But Heath...no flashes. He needs major development.

 

[jobberone]

BW Webb was the same way. I'm still, to this day, completely dumbfounded by the coaching staff had Heath out there over Wilcox. Wilcox tackles better and was very rarely out of position. He also had a much better nose for the ball in the air.

Webb showed flashes in coverage though -- I think he'll be good, he's just not quite ready yet, and that's okay. With all our CBs he shouldn't have to see the field that much.

But Heath...no flashes. He needs major development.

I agree with all but the last although there has to be a reason Wilcox was left on the bench some. But I'm mystified as well and haven't the slightest idea. I think Heath can be a STs player and a backup safety.

 

[BigStar]

The whole front 7 needs rebuilt outside of Lee who is also unreliable (health); Selvie, Crawford, Bass stick around as rotation/depth. Ward would possibly correct the mental errors in coverage and solidify the secondary. Pass rushers generally need to be found in the draft w/some exceptions (Peppers). I understand it can't happen overnight and this team must rely on the offense to control TOP and to gain early leads to dictate opponent's playcalling.

 

[Crown Royal]

BW Webb was the same way. I'm still, to this day, completely dumbfounded by the coaching staff having Heath out there over Wilcox. Wilcox tackles better and was very rarely out of position. He also had a much better nose for the ball in the air.

Webb showed flashes in coverage though -- I think he'll be good, he's just not quite ready yet, and that's okay. With all our CBs he shouldn't have to see the field that much.

But Heath...no flashes. He needs major development.

Heath shows no flashes of technique but he has physical talent oozing out of him. Dude seems like he can run. If you can get him to understand the position, he becomes pretty good pretty fast.

Big if though.

 

[BigStar]

Perhaps, but its been well proven that a very good pass rush can make middling defensive backs look pretty incredible. Outside of Richard Sherman, Seattle doesn't really have anyone in their defensive backfield that's world-beater talent. But they ALL play like world beaters because Seattle can collapse the pocket with 4 guys every snap.

Has Browner's play dropped off (honest q)? I remember him and Sherman getting busted for taking Ritalin to sharpen their focus during games. Creative "cheating" tbh.

 

[TwoCentPlain]

Except for Scandrick and Church, I think the whole lot of DBs were a steaming pile of hot garbage, with Claiborne and Carr near the most pathetic. Carr's huge cap hit saves him from getting cut. Yeah, he was that bad. Claiborne's high draft status saves him from getting cut. Yeah, he was that bad. Carr and Claiborne have no excuse for their putrid and pathetic play. And by pathetic, we're talking Alan Ball and Jacques Reeves bad with a little Courtney Brown thrown in for good measure. Carr on Calvin Johnson may have been the worst performance ever by a Cowboy CB, even 'besting' Mike Jenkins in the infamous GB game. At least the others can claim inexperience and lack of talent.