DMN: Terence Newman calls for more defensive creativity

[Mr Cowboy]

March 17, 2009

8:00 AM Tue, Mar 17, 2009 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
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Here's a interesting nugget from Terence Newman's recent interview with WFAA Ch. 8's Joe Trahan that won't make the pages of People Magazine: The cornerback said he believes the Cowboys' defensive calls tend to be too vanilla.

"We're pretty simple on our defense, I think. We line up and teams are calling out what we're doing," Newman said. "In the middle of games, they're calling out, 'OK, he's coming, he's coming,' and they're right.

"I would like to see us get a little more moving parts, like Pittsburgh and Baltimore; those guys have fun. A 3-4 is supposed to be designed where you don't know who's coming. You don't know what coverage we're gonna be in. I think at times we got a little plain and teams capitalized on that."

The Cowboys led the league with 59 sacks last season. That's eight more than the Steelers, who ranked second, and 25 more than the Ravens. That's pretty impressive for a team using a scheme that's too plain.

There are plenty of things to question about Wade Phillips, whom Newman was otherwise supportive of during the interview. Doesn't X's and O's wizardry rank pretty far down the list of concerns about the defensive coordinator/head coach? Or maybe Brian Stewart made all the bad play calls.

 

[hendog]

While I wish tnew would quit talking to the media, I tend to agree with what he said. While we did lead the league in sacks 1/3 of them came with ware beating the LT. We don't create the confusion and chaos the steelers seem to.

 

[TheCount]

lol, so we're simple on offense and defense? Uh oh.

He's got a point too, the 3-4 is supposed to make it a guessing game for the offense, it shouldn't be that predictable.

That said, we did lead the league in sacks (thanks in no small part to Ware single-handedly), so if they know we're coming, they don't seem to be able to do much to stop it.

I think he's more upset we don't play aggressively in the secondary at all. It's all about protecting the big gain and tackling after the catch.

 

[Dallyjake]

Put a gag on this guy already

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

Put a gag on this guy already

He's our new Ellis.

Jerra, the coaches don't need a gag order, the players do.

 

[AMERICAS_FAN]

I think he's more upset we don't play aggressively in the secondary at all. It's all about protecting the big gain and tackling after the catch.

I'm guessing that Dallas played more condervatively in the secondary - even after Wade Phillips took over the play calling from Stewart - because the secondary was hampered by injuries, suspensions and the lack of a real strong safety. Even though we led the league in sacks, it's when we did not bring the pressure that often left the secondary exposed. So before Dallas can bring more defensive "creativity" it has to mend the vulnerabilities in the unit that NEWMAN is a part of.

 

[odog422]

I'd really like to wake up and not see another article for a while that starts "Newman said..." or any other player, for that matter, unless they are talking about themselves and what and how they are trying to get better.

He wants more creativity? Didn't Wade have to simplify it during the year because they couldn't handle some of the schemes?

I seem to recall the D pretty much throttling Pittsburgh until someone gave up a prayer to Roethlisberger. Now who was that.....

Seriously, it's not about bashing Newman, it's about these guys making excuses and tossing blame when their own stuff is not pristine. Team game guys. Execute.

 

[odog422]

I think he's more upset we don't play aggressively in the secondary at all. It's all about protecting the big gain and tackling after the catch.

Yeah, and even still, we give up the big gains. Guess who contributed to that, too? Again, I'm not getting on Newman so much as I am sick of all these guys pointing fingers everywhere else for their shortcomings. Especially when not a one of them can say "I was flawless."

I guess no one ever told these guys that when you point one finger you've got 3 pointing right back at you.

Shut up, team up and execute.

 

[jwhardin]

Maybe some of the players aren't smart enough to run a complicated defense

 

[TNCowboy]

I'm sure this is just a rehash of the same interview, but it's completely unacceptable.

I don't care if your coach is Rich Kotite, you do not ever, ever, ever call out your coach in public. If you have a problem, go discuss it with him in private.

I guess it's to be expected when your leader in the clubhouse is Greg Ellis.

 

[Cowboys22]

Maybe Newman is trying to be the leader the team soo desperately needs and us fans have been calling for. I don't see anything wrong with these comments. The title makes it sound worse than what he actually said. If other teams could tell who was rushing the QB simply by the way they lined up, then something does need to change and Newman is totally right. I didn't like his comments about Romo and I thinked he crossed the line there but I see nothing wrong here except a misleading title.

 

[ddh33]

Why, Lord?

 

[gmoney112]

This interview is old. I think it's funny that not even DMN fails to try and play the ratings game. The act is old, the sooner the fans wisen up to the fact that anything said by a Dallas player will be misconstrued soley to spark up controversy the better.

 

[CrazyCowboy]

Tell the coach in private genius.

 

[sonnyboy]

He's our new Ellis.

Jerra, the coaches don't need a gag order, the players do.

No, he's not our new Ellis. Ellis only worries about himself, money and playing time. For all his *****ing he never threw players and coaches under the bus.

TNEW is our new OWENS! Get the feeling he believes he must carry on Owen's good work.

 

[wileedog]

He wants more creativity? Didn't Wade have to simplify it during the year because they couldn't handle some of the schemes?

Yup. And I honestly think that's why Wade went after a couple of "Wade's Guys" who had played in his defense before in Igor and Brookings and the team was pretty much fine with letting Burnett and Canty walk away (granted Canty was way too expensive, but I still don't get the feeling the team was crying about it).

Does make you wonder the kind of sack totals Ware would put up in Pittsburgh or Baltimore though...

 

[ArmyCowboy]

I'm starting to believe that Newman is missing that brain-to-mouth filter that most people are born with.

Just stick a microphone in front of him and it's a stream of conscienceness.

 

[Hypnotoad]

Of all the things that newman has said this is probably the most devastating and reveals the most about the problem with our team.

 

[Yakuza Rich]

I think the blitzes were a bit predictable early on, but that changed once Wade was making the playcalls.

Where I do think they were predictable was in the coverage, especially early on. Opposing teams may not have always known where the blitz was coming from, but they pretty much knew the Cowboys were playing a Cover 4 and/or Newman was playing man-to-man. Lots of stunting and blitzing going on, very little in the way of zone blitzes, which is what Pittsburgh and Baltimore like to do.

Of course it's hard to zone blitz and get exotic with the coverages when you have a couple of rookie corners, Henry was getting beat deep (early on), and the safety coverage was suspect.

This team needs to worry about executing more consistently on defense and get more creative on offense




YAKUZA

 

[Aven8]

It's hard to hide #94 all over the field Tnew!!! He's the only one the other team is afraid of. The difference in Pitt, Balt, NYG's are they have several good, to great pass rushers. We have one.

Tnew needs to shut his mouth and start thinking about his own play, and health.