Five quarters, no turnovers for Cowboys' first-team defense

[cowboyjoe]

Five quarters, no turnovers for Cowboys' first-team defense
9:14 AM Wed, Sep 02, 2009 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Tim MacMahon/Blogger Bio | E-mail | News tips


The Cowboys' defense focused all off-season and training camp on creating more turnovers. The starters will finish the preseason without forcing any.

Reason for concern? Perhaps, but hold off on pushing the panic button.

"It's kind of tough in the preseason because you're so vanilla," LB Bradie James said. "During the preseason, it's a chance to see where we are, but you don't put in all your schemes. You don't make excuses, but what counts is when we get ready to play Tampa."

There is no doubt that Wade Phillips will come up with ways to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks. That's what he does best, and that's what the Dallas defense did best last season, when it led the league with 59 sacks. And the arrival of Gerald Sensabaugh to fill the void at strong safety, along with the upgrade at right cornerback with either Mike Jenkins or Orlando Scandrick replacing Anthony Henry, means that Phillips will be free to be as creative as he sees fit.

But the Cowboys ranked near the bottom of the league in turnovers forced (25) last season. Denver and Detroit were the only teams to finish with fewer interceptions than the Cowboys (eight).

"The great defenses have a lot of takeaways and they're giving their offense back the ball," NFL reigning sacks champion DeMarcus Ware said.

Can these Cowboys make those types of plays once Phillips flips the page to the exotic part of the defensive playbook?

"Scheme is one thing, but the players make the plays," James said. "We'll see."

 

[Alexander]

Five quarters, no turnovers for Cowboys' first-team defense
9:14 AM Wed, Sep 02, 2009 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Tim MacMahon/Blogger Bio | E-mail | News tips


The Cowboys' defense focused all off-season and training camp on creating more turnovers. The starters will finish the preseason without forcing any.

Reason for concern? Perhaps, but hold off on pushing the panic button.

"It's kind of tough in the preseason because you're so vanilla," LB Bradie James said. "During the preseason, it's a chance to see where we are, but you don't put in all your schemes. You don't make excuses, but what counts is when we get ready to play Tampa."

There is no doubt that Wade Phillips will come up with ways to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks. That's what he does best, and that's what the Dallas defense did best last season, when it led the league with 59 sacks. And the arrival of Gerald Sensabaugh to fill the void at strong safety, along with the upgrade at right cornerback with either Mike Jenkins or Orlando Scandrick replacing Anthony Henry, means that Phillips will be free to be as creative as he sees fit.

But the Cowboys ranked near the bottom of the league in turnovers forced (25) last season. Denver and Detroit were the only teams to finish with fewer interceptions than the Cowboys (eight).

"The great defenses have a lot of takeaways and they're giving their offense back the ball," NFL reigning sacks champion DeMarcus Ware said.

Can these Cowboys make those types of plays once Phillips flips the page to the exotic part of the defensive playbook?

"Scheme is one thing, but the players make the plays," James said. "We'll see."

I guess it is nice they acknowledge it is still a problem?

 

[cowboyjoe]

I guess it is nice they acknowledge it is still a problem?

seems like it alexander

 

[stilltheguru]

What would you guys think if the Cowboys defense allowed more than 10 points to the Bucs on opening day?

 

[EPL0c0]

I think only 1 sack too right?

It's something to keep in mind, but we have to remember that defenses tend to be pretty vanilla in pre-season. From what I've seen, there hasn't been too many stunts, blitzes or having Ware/Spencer switch sides, so...

I do worry a bit about not so much turnovers/sacks but just being able to get good consistant pressure on the QB forcing early throws, bad throws, etc. If they can do that, the turnovers will come.

 

[speedkilz88]

What would you guys think if the Cowboys defense allowed more than 10 points to the Bucs on opening day?

Winning 35-13 sounds like a good start to me.

 

[bayeslife]

I'm also keeping in mind that teams have been throwing check downs like it's their jobs all of preseason. When it comes gameday, you can't throw checkdowns all game long and expect to put points on the board. When the QBs go for the risky throw for points, that's when they have their chance.

 

[stilltheguru]

Winning 35-13 sounds like a good start to me.

Not to me. It will just mean that this defense will crumble eventually. It's about time the defense starts treating garbage offenses like garbage.

 

[bayeslife]

Not to me. It will just mean that this defense will crumble eventually. It's about time the defense starts treating garbage offenses like garbage.

You're telling me that if the defense only allows 1 TD, you'll be disappointed?

 

[cowboyjoe]

What would you guys think if the Cowboys defense allowed more than 10 points to the Bucs on opening day?

anything is possible, never count your chickens till the eggs hatch so to speak

we havent seen all of their game planning yet, and they havent seen ours

but one thing about wade, he always seems to start out good in september, but needs work on getting the team prepared and ready in december;

 

[stilltheguru]

You're telling me that if the defense only allows 1 TD, you'll be disappointed?

Who the hell do the Bucs have on offense?lol I mean seriously c'mon. They have a decent wr and te. Maybe I expect too much of the defense.

 

[bayeslife]

Who the hell do the Bucs have on offense?lol I mean seriously c'mon. They have a decent wr and te. Maybe I expect too much of the defense.

Ok, well what if we're blowing them out 35-6 come fourth quarter, and the second strings get put in, or all we do is play soft zone coverage to eat the rest of the clock out (kind of like Green Bay last year)?

I can see the other side of it, like if they let up a first quarter touchdown, then I would be a little annoyed as well.

Usually I don't care about the garbage TDs, so hopefully the former scenario is the one that plays out.

 

[cowboyjoe]

Who the hell do the Bucs have on offense?lol I mean seriously c'mon. They have a decent wr and te. Maybe I expect too much of the defense.

the thing to remember dont forget, we played them in dallas last year and barely beat them;

its never over till the fat lady sings, and you had better be ready for your opponent, we saw that in the 4th game of the season last year, when i think the cowboys players and coaching staff took the Commanders lightly and they beat us in dallas

 

[stilltheguru]

Ok, well what if we're blowing them out 35-6 come fourth quarter, and the second strings get put in, or all we do is play soft zone coverage to eat the rest of the clock out (kind of like Green Bay last year)?

I can see the other side of it, like if they let up a first quarter touchdown, then I would be a little annoyed as well.

Usually I don't care about the garbage TDs, so hopefully the former scenario is the one that plays out.

If that scenario plays out then it's fine. But, like somebody posted the other day. It's time for the defense to start looking like the Pittsburghs, Green Bays of the league. Enough is enough

 

[Alexander]

I think only 1 sack too right?

It's something to keep in mind, but we have to remember that defenses tend to be pretty vanilla in pre-season. From what I've seen, there hasn't been too many stunts, blitzes or having Ware/Spencer switch sides, so...

I do worry a bit about not so much turnovers/sacks but just being able to get good consistant pressure on the QB forcing early throws, bad throws, etc. If they can do that, the turnovers will come.

The sacks do not bother me. It is preseason and Phillips has shown he can get those. We were prolific last year, but we couldn't buy an interception. Sometimes even the sacks didn't help. I can recall too many instances where a sack would put a team in a 3rd and 14 hole, but we'd give up sixteen yards on third down. The pressure is what has to happen. The sacks are a by-product. A hurried incompletion can do the trick too.

My concern for the defense isn't the pursuit of the almighty sack statistic. I would take far fewer of those and more turnovers any day. Take a team like the Ravens. I think they had less sacks than we did, but they were capitalizing on turnovers. Sacks are nice but they don't always tell the whole story if the defense is accomplishing the main goal and that is pressure, which leads to the miscues. Sometimes I see Phillips is all about getting the statistics but I don't know how consistent his groups are at getting the football. It is hard to tell if he's excellent at getting the sacks but the rest of the scheme is simple that it doesn't put the players in the right positions to get the interceptions.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Total non-story. In 2007 we were tied for 6th in the league in INTs.

And guess who was tied for LAST in the league that same year? Philly and Pittsburgh. Did their defenses have systemic problems or poor players? Did it mean they wouldn't get INTs the following year?

Nope.

Again, total non-story. Just the way the ball bounces.

 

[Dodger]

Who the hell do the Bucs have on offense?

Byron Leftwich, Derrick Ward, Antonio Bryant, Kellen Winslow...

Not exactly a stellar cast.

 

[Screw The Hall]

Who the hell do the Bucs have on offense?lol I mean seriously c'mon. They have a decent wr and te. Maybe I expect too much of the defense.

The best part of that team is their offensive line and their running back depth so it's conceivable that they could have some success on the ground. If they do Leftwich is good enough that he can keep the defense honest since he has a couple pretty good targets in Bryant and Winslow. I think they have a chance to be a decent, as in average, offense.

It's the other side of the ball where I expect them to have all kinds of problems this year. Their defensive line and linebacking core are just a mess.

 

[Screw The Hall]

Byron Leftwich, Derrick Ward, Antonio Bryant, Kellen Winslow...

Not exactly a stellar cast.

It's hardly garbage though especially when you consider their offensive line might be the best unit on the team.

 

[Q_the_man]

It's preseason, were not showing our hand b4 the season starts, wait til week 1 when the defense will be on the field the whole game, showing all kinds of different blitzes and stunts..... they will come..