DMN: Defense is why Goose doubts Dallas

[WoodysGirl]

If the Super Bowl were played tomorrow
The AFC rep is automatic – the Patriots. The NFC rep is not. I waffle back and forth by the week between the two 9-1 NFC teams, Dallas and Green Bay. This week I like the Packers. I'm old school. I believe defense wins championships. The Packers play better defense than the Cowboys, plain and simple. It was unnerving what a young quarterback (Jason Campbell) with a battered offensive line (starters Jon Jansen and Randy Thomas out) did against the Cowboys on Sunday at Texas Stadium. Wade Phillips has six weeks left to make his defense Super Bowl-worthy.


Around the Ranch
The Indianapolis Colts won the Lombardi Trophy last season despite a scoring defense that ranked 21st in the NFL. But the Colts were an exception. Scoring defense has been the most consistent single statistic among Super Bowl champions. Thirty-five of the 41 Super Bowl champions ranked in the top 10 in scoring defense. Teams that allow the fewest points stand the best chance for success in January and February. That's my concern with the Cowboys. They rank 18th in the NFL in scoring defense. Worse, they rank 10th in the NFC.

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[AmishCowboy]

GB struggle with Washington too and have played a lot of close games.

 

[tunahelper]

All valid points and cant say I disagree.

 

[Doomsday101]

Goose is going to get motion sickness the way he keeps going back and forth with his predictions. One day we are the team to beat next day GB is. Take a stand for once in your life Goose.

 

[theebs]

GB struggle with Washington too and have played a lot of close games.

Washington outplayed green bay, if sometimes I play, sometimes I dont (S.Moss) didnt fumble they most likely win that game.

oh and our points against is a little skewed because we have had big leads and allowed teams a good handful of yards and points in garbage time, also 4 tds are from int and/or kick returns.

empty statistic.

 

[sago1]

Gooselin rarely rooting for Cowboys anyway so his opinion of little value. I do admit to being concerned about our defense. Now hearing that Crayton has a sprained ankle doesn't make me feel any better since that would be a big impact on our offense.

 

[Maikeru-sama]

All valid points and cant say I disagree.

The Pass Defense still has alot to prove and like Goose says, it has 6 more games to prove itself.

 

[Doomsday101]

The Pass Defense still has alot to prove and like Goose says, it has 6 more games to prove itself.

Same could be said about the Packers. We rank higher than them in pass defense. Both teams have the same sack totals but Dallas leads the Pack in ints.

 

[Maikeru-sama]

Goose is going to get motion sickness the way he keeps going back and forth with his predictions. One day we are the team to beat next day GB is. Take a stand for once in your life Goose.

The NFL landscape changes on a weekly basis. As more games are played, you have more injuries and have a better feel for teams across the board.

I don't view the Cowboys of the current week the same as I did back in Week 4.

 

[Doomsday101]

The NFL landscape changes on a weekly basis. As more games are played, you have more injuries and have a better feel for teams across the board.

I don't view the Cowboys of the current week the same as I did back in Week 4.

Put the same microscope on the Packers as you do the Cowboys and you will find their defense is no better than ours.

 

[joseephuss]

Indy was the exception. Partly because they played a KC team with poor offense and a Baltimore team with an even worse offense in the first two rounds of the playoffs. They then faced the Patriots and gave up 34 points. The Indy defense did not do a lot to win that game except for at the end when they got a big turnover to clinch it. Indy then got to face Rex Grossman. How good of a defense do you need to stop that guy?

 

[Maikeru-sama]

Same could be said about the Packers. We rank higher than them in pass defense. Both teams have the same sack totals but Dallas leads the Pack in ints.

I have to make this point clear .

Just because I offer constructive criticism of the Dallas Cowboys doesn't mean that I think other teams don't need to improve as well.

 

[theebs]

I have to make this point clear .

Just because I offer constructive criticism of the Dallas Cowboys doesn't mean that I think other teams don't need to improve as well.

you dont have to qualify it bro. Only the over-reactive posters jump on people for that stuff.

I happen to really like that packers team. I think much like us they have dodged a few bullets.

I think we may see both teams in the high 30s next thursday.

 

[Doomsday101]

you dont have to qualify it bro. Only the over-reactive posters jump on people for that stuff.

I happen to really like that packers team. I think much like us they have dodged a few bullets.

I think we may see both teams in the high 30s next thursday.

I don't think this is an easy game and I have a lot of respect for GB what I disagreed with from Goose is the statement "I believe defense wins championships. The Packers play better defense than the Cowboys, plain and simple" As for being over reactive hell I'm one of the few who does not go around claiming these 41-3 blowouts prediction that we see or freaking out after a loss or less than steller outing by the Cowboys. I have no issue with what mickgreen58 said

 

[Biggems]

I am curious, and maybe Adam has access to this stat, but what are the actual true rankings for scoring defense......i mean pts actually allowed by the Defense, be it TDs or FGs. For Instance, Dallas has given up 5 TDs this year on STs and Offense. Romo has had 2 INTs returned for TDs and a Crayton Fumble was returned for a TD. Also, we have had 2 KRs for TDs against us. If such stats are available for the entire league, that would be nice to see.

Also, it would be nice to see a stat of points off turnovers. I would like to see how many turnovers the Dallas D allows for points, the % of scores, the % of TDs, and the % of FGs. I would also like to see this stat leaguewide.

Finally, I would like to see defensive points scored for every team, both TDs and Safeties.

 

[Verdict]

New England is the best team in the AFC right now, but New England getting to the super bowl is not automatic. Injuries play a huge part. Even assuming that New England remains injury free, the monkey gets a little bit heavier every week they go without a loss. I think there is a decent chance that the Pats go undefeated in the regular season and fail to reach the super bowl.

 

[Aikbach]

The defense in its present manifestation would give up 6 touchdowns to the Patriots. It needs to heal and tweak.

 

[Doomsday101]

New England is the best team in the AFC right now, but New England getting to the super bowl is not automatic. Injuries play a huge part. Even assuming that New England remains injury free, the monkey gets a little bit heavier every week they go without a loss. I think there is a decent chance that the Pats go undefeated in the regular season and fail to reach the super bowl.

It can happen. If I was a betting man I would say the Pats will make it. Right now I do think they have proven themselves to be head and shoulders above the rest but as you said things get harder in post season.

 

[NoLuv4Jerry]

these points are very valid...lookit...when you are covering 3 guys with 7...and they are still getting open and making plays...that is downright disgusting...seriously!

 

[lspain1]

Our secondary continues to be both hobbled and a work in progress. I don't think it will be any different all season. We'll see how it performs, but Goose is right to question whether it will be good enough.