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Posted by jellis at 12/10/2009 10:08 AM CST on truebluefanclub.com
The Cowboys will face a 3-4 defense for the fourth time this year on Sunday, and considering San Diego's rather prolific offense, they'll probably need to do better than they did the first three times.
They only scored 10 in a loss to Denver in Week 4, followed by 26 points (20 in regulation) against Kansas City the next week, in a game it took well into the third quarter before the offense got on the board. Against Green Bay on Nov. 15, the Cowboys had one of their worst offensive outings in recent memory, scoring only seven points at the very end.
So where is this problem coming from? For one, it just so happens a couple of these defenses have been pretty good.
Denver ranks third in the league in points allowed per game (16.8), and the Packers are eighth (19.1). Kansas City has the league's third-worst scoring defense in the league, but to be fair the Cowboys did move the ball quite a bit in that game, they just didn't convert that progress into points for the two and a half quarters, thanks in large part to penalties, et al.
"We face a 3-4 all the time, that's what we play," running backs coach Skip Peete said. "I just think schemes and personnel and things like that can hinder success on certain plays. It's not necessarily just the defense, it's the people in the defense."
Wade Phillips agreed.
"It's the people involved," Phillips said. "Everybody thinks 4-3 and 3-4 are completely different. They are up front, but the coverages are almost exactly the same."
The Cowboys will face a 3-4 defense for the fourth time this year on Sunday, and considering San Diego's rather prolific offense, they'll probably need to do better than they did the first three times.
They only scored 10 in a loss to Denver in Week 4, followed by 26 points (20 in regulation) against Kansas City the next week, in a game it took well into the third quarter before the offense got on the board. Against Green Bay on Nov. 15, the Cowboys had one of their worst offensive outings in recent memory, scoring only seven points at the very end.
So where is this problem coming from? For one, it just so happens a couple of these defenses have been pretty good.
Denver ranks third in the league in points allowed per game (16.8), and the Packers are eighth (19.1). Kansas City has the league's third-worst scoring defense in the league, but to be fair the Cowboys did move the ball quite a bit in that game, they just didn't convert that progress into points for the two and a half quarters, thanks in large part to penalties, et al.
"We face a 3-4 all the time, that's what we play," running backs coach Skip Peete said. "I just think schemes and personnel and things like that can hinder success on certain plays. It's not necessarily just the defense, it's the people in the defense."
Wade Phillips agreed.
"It's the people involved," Phillips said. "Everybody thinks 4-3 and 3-4 are completely different. They are up front, but the coverages are almost exactly the same."