Great defense. Can they sustain?

[Booger]

Here's to playing at this level for 17 games and beyond....? Gonna be tough, IMO.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

They can't and they won't. There's going to come a game where the defense gives up 26-30 points.

 

[T-RO]

They can't and they won't. There's going to come a game where the defense gives up 26-30 points.

Yup

 

[plasticman]

They can't and they won't. There's going to come a game where the defense gives up 26-30 points.

I was thinking not necessarily. For reference I decided to check out a legendary defense, the 2000 Ravens.

Wow...

They shut out four of their opponents. Another five opponents had single digit scores. Three out of four playoff opponents had single digit scores, including their Super bowl opponent Giants, although it was a kickoff return.

However,

One game sticks out like a sore thumb and it was their 2nd game of that season. The Jaguars, of all teams, scored 36 points as WR Jimmy Smith caught three passes of 40 or more yards for TD's.

The Ravens still won. Shannon Sharpe with a 29 yard catch with 41 seconds left in the game.

So, I guess you guys are right. Even if the Cowboys defense could match the ferocity of the 2000 Ravens, somebody is still going to score around 30 points on them.

 

[75boyz]

Even just last year during Cooper Rush's first 5 games as starting QB, the points against, pass rush and turnovers were outstanding.

But then the defensive performance went thru a lull period towards through the middle of the season and beyond.

But then they picked it back up to an outstanding level again when the playoffs began and for both of those games.

So yeah, to maintain its current level throughout the entire regular season would be hard to do.
But I sure hope they can.

 

[SBWinner]

They have better run defense and depth, with the exception of LB. They are using safeties to fill in at LB, but a team like SF will run on them. Maybe not to the tune of 4.5 yards a carry, but they will run. What I think is different this time is the Cowboys know this and have made adjustments. This defense is more versatile and consistent than last years. They have too many good players to expect a lull over multiple games. Much like the 90s defenses under Jimmy. They will have a letdown game but they aren't going to fold.

 

[The Quest for Six]

The season starts for this defense week 5 in SF.....

 

[doomsday9084]

Right now the team is on pace to be far and away the greatest defense of all time. 60 takeaways, 85 sacks, 5 points per game, etc.

No. They are not going to sustain that. I hope fans don't freak out when a team scores 17.

 

[TequilaCowboy]

Sample size is too small to be making any kind of season projections. Will not be anywhere close to that. But we do know that this defense will be the catalyst to carry this team and needs to show up in the post season for sure. Doesn't matter what the stats are during the regular season. A lot of rules have been implemented in favor of the offense since that 2000 Ravens defense, so you know the NFL does not want a team dominating defensively. So don't expect that either. Keep saying it til i'm blue in the face, take it one game at a time.

 

[jazzcat22]

They can sustain it. However there will be challenges at times. Against a strong offense, and if the offense struggles at times.

They key to sustaining it though is pacing.
They need to pace Micah at times. For when the game is in hand. Not saying to sit him, but limit his plays. Also limit his plays against the weaker offenses, giving him a bit more rest when / if up by 2 or 3 scores. And they know the offense can still score more, and limit the defense even without Micah.
And not just Micah, but DLaw as well, give them a series off, but not at the same time.

SF, LAC both have stronger offenses. SF defense tough of course, but not so much for LAC. Rams look better, and then 2 games against the Eagles. Though they are not what they were last season. But they could be if they get going. Washington, 2 games, need to see more.
Buffalo and Miami also with strong offenses. so 7 to 9 possible games against better teams with good offenses.

 

[Cowboyny]

Here's to playing at this level for 17 games and beyond....? Gonna be tough, IMO.

They haven’t played a top offense or even an offensive line yet, but are off to a great start.

 

[jazzcat22]

They haven’t played a top offense or even an offensive line yet, but are off to a great start.

I created a thread about this, but did not get much attention. I should have waited a few days, instead of right after the game.
Defense looks great, but what teams have a strong OL to test the defense even more.

 

[Rayman70]

answer, it will be a matter of health. We have the will and desire. We see that. It will boil down to health.

 

[nightrain]

They have better run defense and depth, with the exception of LB. They are using safeties to fill in at LB, but a team like SF will run on them. Maybe not to the tune of 4.5 yards a carry, but they will run. What I think is different this time is the Cowboys know this and have made adjustments. This defense is more versatile and consistent than last years. They have too many good players to expect a lull over multiple games. Much like the 90s defenses under Jimmy. They will have a letdown game but they aren't going to fold.

This is the key, IMO, to winning in January and the Cowboys are stacked on defense with good players at all 3 levels. Will there be games where they don't play well as a unit? Of course, but that rotation up front is a winning formula (see Giants 07, 11) and Quinn even mentioned in his Presser the guys are anxious to get on the field and contribute.

I have noticed Parsons is getting a good amount of rest during games, and having played 69% of the snaps on D to date, he is #2 in snap count to #55 at 81%. Clark is the only other front 7 defender on the field for more than 50% of snaps along with #11 and #55.

 

[Rayman70]

They haven’t played a top offense or even an offensive line yet, but are off to a great start.

exactly. We did what good teams need to do so far, beat the teams on the schedule that we should beat. We were very business-like. I wanna see how we respond when in a dog fight. I'm sure we will have a few. We aint winning 17 games. I think losing a couple games is a good thing to keep us in check. ..focused. The 90's teams we had lost 4-5 games at times and we still won rings. Just being real here. 1 week at a time is key.

 

[big dog cowboy]

No defense can allow just 5 points a game for very long.

 

[CCBoy]

I created a thread about this, but did not get much attention. I should have waited a few days, instead of right after the game.
Defense looks great, but what teams have a strong OL to test the defense even more.

3 games or 2? That's not the question in change.

The monster lurking in the corner isn't that the stat itself is not attainable...it's football, and it is attainable.

The problem to overcome is not the stat itself, but the sophistication of the game, talent, and momentum is itself the culprit. That is dependent upon game plans and events. Throw any team off it's natural scheme and rhythms, and games start to change. Those aspects aren't trained to be overcome beyond experience of a team together. Those skills are already a group strength or they are overcome by challenge that establishes that depth from that point and altered approaches to defeat that status as a team changes.

This Dallas is for real and with a depth to draw from.

Where Jerry Jones has helped Mike McCarthy is that he supports his Head Coach and McCarthy already had the directional experience. That, and Jerry has for a long time invested strongly in after-action-analysis and working the changes that resulted from internal study. Not Jerry being a flunkie because of Jimmy Johnson.

Fact.

 

[CCBoy]

They can sustain it. However there will be challenges at times. Against a strong offense, and if the offense struggles at times.

They key to sustaining it though is pacing.
They need to pace Micah at times. For when the game is in hand. Not saying to sit him, but limit his plays. Also limit his plays against the weaker offenses, giving him a bit more rest when / if up by 2 or 3 scores. And they know the offense can still score more, and limit the defense even without Micah.
And not just Micah, but DLaw as well, give them a series off, but not at the same time.

SF, LAC both have stronger offenses. SF defense tough of course, but not so much for LAC. Rams look better, and then 2 games against the Eagles. Though they are not what they were last season. But they could be if they get going. Washington, 2 games, need to see more.
Buffalo and Miami also with strong offenses. so 7 to 9 possible games against better teams with good offenses.

Hey, I'm watching the tough offense and not worrying in the mean time. GO COWBOYS!

 

[CCBoy]

No defense can allow just 5 points a game for very long.

Yea, only so many 2 point plays in a season...

 

[Redline360]

To early tell but on "paper" they have the ability to be in the top 5 possibly top 3 in football.

They have played lights out so far but we won't know how good until we play better teams. Giants are terrible, Wilson is trash, and Arizona is a joke.

Like someone else stated the defense is bound to have one or two games when they look terrible and off. Just how it goes some games