DMN Blog: Were missed tackles the only problem vs. Commanders?

[WoodysGirl]

4:57 PM Mon, Nov 10, 2008 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Brian Davis http://www.***BANNED-URL***/blogs/images/email-icon.jpg E-mail http://www.***BANNED-URL***/blogs/images/email-icon.jpg News tips

Washington was the first team that really gashed the Cowboys' run defense earlier this season. Clinton Portis, the NFL's second-leading rusher, had 121 yards on 21 carries that day.

Sure there were some issues with the pass coverage, and there was that back-breaking 12 men on the field defensive penalty. But Washington's game plan started and ended with Portis.

"I hadn't seen the tape, but from what I remember, he had a couple of big runs," linebacker Zach Thomas said. "One was a third-and-3, and they caught us in a dime package. But other than that, they just stuck with it. Most of the time, they had the lead the whole game, so they stuck with the run. They stuck with their plan and kept getting some here and there."

Thomas also said missed tackles played a big role in that 26-24 loss. But let's give some credit, too. Washington loves running behind excellent left tackle Chris Samuels. The Commanders have run 58 times behind left tackle and average 6.2 yards per play.

Stopping the run should be the No. 1 priority this week. If the Commanders don't have a healthy Portis, that could change everything, too. I wouldn't worry about Jason Campbell or Santana Moss. (At least not all the time, anyway.) You stop the run, and you can change the game's entire outlook.



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[Idgit]

I don't remember being particularly concerned about tackling from that game. On defense, it was clear that Terrence Newman wasn't right. I thought Campbell played great for them, and I remember being frustrated that our offensive line couldn't make any space for Marion.

Having Felix and Roy Williams back should help our offense. We'll see how the secondary looks if TNew is really back and healthy.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Stopping the run should be the No. 1 priority this week. If the Commanders don't have a healthy Portis, that could change everything, too. I wouldn't worry about Jason Campbell or Santana Moss. (At least not all the time, anyway.) You stop the run, and you can change the game's entire outlook.

That is how the Stealers beat them.

 

[Rampage]

4:57 PM Mon, Nov 10, 2008 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Brian Davis http://www.***BANNED-URL***/blogs/images/email-icon.jpg E-mail http://www.***BANNED-URL***/blogs/images/email-icon.jpg News tips

Washington was the first team that really gashed the Cowboys' run defense earlier this season. Clinton Portis, the NFL's second-leading rusher, had 121 yards on 21 carries that day.

Sure there were some issues with the pass coverage, and there was that back-breaking 12 men on the field defensive penalty. But Washington's game plan started and ended with Portis.

"I hadn't seen the tape, but from what I remember, he had a couple of big runs," linebacker Zach Thomas said. "One was a third-and-3, and they caught us in a dime package. But other than that, they just stuck with it. Most of the time, they had the lead the whole game, so they stuck with the run. They stuck with their plan and kept getting some here and there."

Thomas also said missed tackles played a big role in that 26-24 loss. But let's give some credit, too. Washington loves running behind excellent left tackle Chris Samuels. The Commanders have run 58 times behind left tackle and average 6.2 yards per play.

Stopping the run should be the No. 1 priority this week. If the Commanders don't have a healthy Portis, that could change everything, too. I wouldn't worry about Jason Campbell or Santana Moss. (At least not all the time, anyway.) You stop the run, and you can change the game's entire outlook.



http://www.***BANNED-URL***/images/ice3/icons/blog.gif Comments (8) Leave comment | http://www.***BANNED-URL***/blogs/images/email-icon.jpg E-mail entry

so they don't review game film from losses?

 

[Boyzmamacita]

It wasn't just missed tackles. It was also missed Felix as in we didn't use one of our sweetest weapons. Something else we missed was the pass rush we had early in the game. We flustered the heck out of Campbell in the first quarter, then we let 'em off the hook.

 

[Bizwah]

The offense did the defense no favors either.

We didn't mount many drives.

 

[AdamJT13]

Run defense almost never decides games. Whichever team passes the ball more efficiently almost always wins.

 

[Rampage]

Run defense almost never decides games. Whichever team passes the ball more efficiently almost always wins.

like the panther-raiders game?

 

[wileedog]

Run defense almost never decides games. Whichever team passes the ball more efficiently almost always wins.

And effective running almost always leads to more efficient passing.

Chicken or the egg?

 

[AdamJT13]

like the panther-raiders game?

You know the meaning of "almost always," don't you?

For every game like the Panthers-Raiders game (when the Raiders' passing game was only slightly less terrible than the Panthers' passing game), there are many more like the Titans-Bears game, the Falcons-Saints game, the Broncos-Browns game, etc., etc., etc.

In the NFL, passing efficiency has a much higher correlation to winning than running efficiency does.

 

[CrazyCowboy]

I hope Portis plays.....

 

[AdamJT13]

And effective running almost always leads to more efficient passing.

Not necessarily. And you don't need effective running in order to have successful passing. Does it help? Probably. But you don't NEED to run effectively except in short-yardage conversion situations and when trying to run out the clock. As long as you're not getting stuffed for a 3-yard loss on every first-and-10 run or something ridiculously bad, you can win without being very efficient at running. You can win without being great at stopping the run, as long as you're not absolutely horrible. And you can win most of the time when your opponent runs the ball better than you do, IF you pass the ball better than they do.