ESPN Blog: Weakness in Cowboys' secondary

[WoodysGirl]

by: Doug Kretz
posted: Thursday, November 1, 2007 | Print Entry
filed under: Dallas Cowboys, Anthony Henry, Terence Newman, Ken Hamlin, Roy Williams

As the Dallas Cowboys get ready to head into the second half of the 2007 season, they need to address a weakness in their pass defense.

Williams/Hamlin
In order to control some of the strong-throwing teams that they have to face in the second half of the season, they need to tighten up the middle of their secondary. Their starting corners, Anthony Henry and Terence Newman are quality cover corners, but when teams line up with three or four WRs, the Cowboys need safeties over the top that can make a play on the ball or break up a pass, because Dallas can definitely be hurt by passes completed behind their corners.

Free safety Ken Hamlin and strong safety Roy Williams are both excellent tacklers and are strong in run support. But if, and when, they get locked up on slot receivers, or some of the NFL's top tight ends, they tend to struggle in coverage. Head coach Wade Phillips and defensive coordinator Brian Stewart need to find new ways to pressure the QB and force him to throw the ball before he wants to. The Cowboys need to keep their safeties out of man coverage as much as possible and when one, or both of them are locked up in man coverage, the Cowboys need to make sure that the receivers don't have time to run complicated routes with double moves or deep patterns down the middle.

There are ways to hide a weak link in the secondary, like the one that Dallas has, and the easiest way is to blitz the quarterback more often.

LINK

 

[theogt]

Very informative read.

 

[Rampage]

by: Doug Kretz
posted: Thursday, November 1, 2007 | Print Entry
filed under: Dallas Cowboys, Anthony Henry, Terence Newman, Ken Hamlin, Roy Williams

As the Dallas Cowboys get ready to head into the second half of the 2007 season, they need to address a weakness in their pass defense.



Williams
HamlinIn order to control some of the strong-throwing teams that they have to face in the second half of the season, they need to tighten up the middle of their secondary. Their starting corners, Anthony Henry and Terence Newman are quality cover corners, but when teams line up with three or four WRs, the Cowboys need safeties over the top that can make a play on the ball or break up a pass, because Dallas can definitely be hurt by passes completed behind their corners.



Free safety Ken Hamlin and strong safety Roy Williams are both excellent tacklers and are strong in run support. But if, and when, they get locked up on slot receivers, or some of the NFL's top tight ends, they tend to struggle in coverage. Head coach Wade Phillips and defensive coordinator Brian Stewart need to find new ways to pressure the QB and force him to throw the ball before he wants to. The Cowboys need to keep their safeties out of man coverage as much as possible and when one, or both of them are locked up in man coverage, the Cowboys need to make sure that the receivers don't have time to run complicated routes with double moves or deep patterns down the middle.




There are ways to hide a weak link in the secondary, like the one that Dallas has, and the easiest way is to blitz the quarterback more often.

LINK

who is he referring to? Roy or Hamlin?

 

[AdamJT13]

That's called writing without doing research.

We've had very few instances when Williams or Hamlin (or Watkins) have been beaten in man-to-man coverage by slot receivers. Hamlin has had more breakdowns when he's the deep help for a cornerback, and Roy's only real problem in coverage this season has been in zone coverage in the end zone (and I'm still not convinced one of those was his fault).

The biggest problems our pass defense have had this season have been at cornerback before Newman returned (against the Giants and, to a degree, Miami) and when Nate Jones or Greg Ellis had to cover Wes Welker against New England.

 

[peplaw06]

I wouldn't think many safeties in the league would fare too favorably with slot receivers. That's why nickel and dime packages are used.... because safeties are NOT corners.... I know, your mind is now blown.

 

[Dallas]

That's called writing without doing research.

We've had very few instances when Williams or Hamlin (or Watkins) have been beaten in man-to-man coverage by slot receivers. Hamlin has had more breakdowns when he's the deep help for a cornerback, and Roy's only real problem in coverage this season has been in zone coverage in the end zone (and I'm still not convinced one of those was his fault).

The biggest problems our pass defense have had this season have been at cornerback before Newman returned (against the Giants and, to a degree, Miami) and when Nate Jones or Greg Ellis had to cover Wes Welker against New England.

Excellent point Adam. Glad someone is paying attention to what's going on w/ the teams secondary issues. I still think it's just a couple of our guys getting over late w/ help. I have seen it a couple of times this year. Not that a WR is beating Roy like a drum but that Roy/Hamlin are a hair late in helping out over the top.

The best thing I see about Moss is that he plays the ball constantly. He waits and he wait and THEN he snatches it. This is a text book example to show that the WR always has the advantage over the DB. Moss uses that to perfection.

 

[the kid 05]

AdamJT13 is my hero!

 

[AdamJT13]

Not that a WR is beating Roy like a drum but that Roy/Hamlin are a hair late in helping out over the top.

Roy hasn't even had that problem this season. And Hamlin's problem hasn't been getting there late so much as getting caught too shallow and not getting there at all.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Roy hasn't even had that problem this season. And Hamlin's problem hasn't been getting there late so much as getting caught too shallow and not getting there at all.

yeah ive seen him bite overly on playaction a few times.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

running w/ the safeties can't coverage angle although that has yet to be a problem all year

our secondary struggles are mis-timing on the blitz, and not having 2 sets of starting corners for the year thus far, and even then we aren't bad there

the last sentence is ridiculously funny, blitzing only masks coverage for so long, in fact you're more susceptible to getting beat by blitzing, and again, most of the damage has been done on 3-step drops

 

[theebs]

That's called writing without doing research.

We've had very few instances when Williams or Hamlin (or Watkins) have been beaten in man-to-man coverage by slot receivers. Hamlin has had more breakdowns when he's the deep help for a cornerback, and Roy's only real problem in coverage this season has been in zone coverage in the end zone (and I'm still not convinced one of those was his fault).

The biggest problems our pass defense have had this season have been at cornerback before Newman returned (against the Giants and, to a degree, Miami) and when Nate Jones or Greg Ellis had to cover Wes Welker against New England.

The welker td in the first qtr against new england was the sole result of Ken Hamlin being out of position after looking into the backfield and getting fooled. Nate Jones should have had help over the top like he thought he had on that play.

We are going to find out all we need to know about our secondary in the next 5 weeks.

I know the giants do a tremendous job of getting Roy in bad spots, I take my hat off to them, they can block everything we throw at them up front and they create mismatches all over our secondary. They had roy lining up one on one at the line outside with Jeremy shockey at least 5 times in the opener. I can remember the fear I felt watching the giants shift and force those alignments.

 

[silverbear]

AdamJT13 is my hero!

Over the years, he has been the most conistently informative of any poster I've read, on any message board... I admire him greatly...

 

[AdamJT13]

The welker td in the first qtr against new england was the sole result of Ken Hamlin being out of position after looking into the backfield and getting fooled. Nate Jones should have had help over the top like he thought he had on that play.

My next post mentioned Hamlin being out of position several times when he's been the deep help. But having help over the top doesn't excuse Jones from getting beaten handily on the play.

 

[Clove]

First off, we're 6 and 1 so we're not doing too bad. I know we are miles ahead of where we were last year in coverage. The biggest issues I see at this point is having 3 quality corners on the field at the same time. We need to get Henry and Newman on the edges, and Newman in the slot on passing downs.

But again, we're 6 and 1, we're doing pretty good in all phases of the game right now.

 

[CrazyCowboy]

sounds like i wrote that one.

 

[Next_years_Champs]

Anthony Henry, Terence Newman, Ken Hamlin, Roy Williams

Have these players even been on the field together at all this year? if they have it hasn't been for more than a few plays.

 

[Rack]

sounds like i wrote that one.

Not possible... it had more then 6 words in it.

 

[CrazyCowboy]

good read....thanks

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

First off, we're 6 and 1 so we're not doing too bad. I know we are miles ahead of where we were last year in coverage. The biggest issues I see at this point is having 3 quality corners on the field at the same time. We need to get Henry and Newman on the edges, and Newman in the slot on passing downs.

But again, we're 6 and 1, we're doing pretty good in all phases of the game right now.

"Miles ahead of where we were last year"
I dont know how anyone can say that... we are 1-1 against good offensive teams....if we dont pull out the Giants win in week 1 we are 0-2 vs good teams. We averaged giving up 30 points or so to the Giants and Pats.

I dont know how much different we are from last year.. giving up the big plays and being out of position and looking lost... blowing assignments....


We have played some really bad teams... they are a very little barometer... all you can really gauge from them is how our offense went against their defense... because in some cases all the other team had was defense... their offense wasnt much of a test for our defense

 

[baj1dallas]

Over the years, he has been the most conistently informative of any poster I've read, on any message board... I admire him greatly...

Well it's either him, or Nors.


;D



(apologies for the cheapshot Nors)