Heard Mickey Say Dallas Worst In League At Yards Per Play

[perrykemp]

Who cares? Were currently best at winning.

It matters if your aspirations have moved beyond simply making the playoffs and have drifted off into dream-land (like they have for me) of "Can this team win a Superbowl?".

While by itself, giving up the most yards per play of any team in the NFL may not prevent you for getting into the playoffs, if the trend continued, your chances of going all the way really go down. Eventually the Cowboys will meet an offense that is as good as theirs AND has a defense that is better than theirs.

That's why I am so interested to see how they do this week.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Sturm posted an article last week (before the Texans game) that basically indicated the defense, through 4 games this year, is worsr than last's year defense after 4 games.

I personally think they are better than last year, however, this week will tell all of us a lot. The Saints game was very encouraging, however, the Saints are having problems so it's hard to determine what kind of barometer they are.

Kapernick, Austin, Locker, and Fitzpatrick collectively represent a fairly mediocre set of QBs -- although I think Austin has a lot of potential.

I'm glad you brought up Sturm. Can I just say that I have enjoyed the stuff Bob Sturms has recently posted on this board, immensely. He doesn't interject to much personal agenda, he backs up all of his points with a reasonable modicum of fact base knowledge, supported by statistical analysis. He brings good pertinent discussion instead of frivolous discussion that is not strongly related to the Cowboys. I have really enjoyed reading Bob's stuff recently.

I think, as I have said before, that the biggest key to the improvement in Defense this year is that fact that our Offense is helping them a great deal by playing the style of Football we are playing. We don't have that one guy, as we have had in the past, that OC's stay up and game plan around but, we do have a lot of guys that understand their roles on this team and we seem to be giving up a lot less YAC and RAC yards. Once we get to the ball, we seem to be making tackles much better.

I have always felt that the best test of Defensive play is points scored. We are currently 8th in the NFL in this category at 20.6. Last year we were 26th at 27.0 per game. Obviously, this could change as the season goes on but as of now, we are really much better in that regard. If we could simply get our turnovers under control, we would be really seeing a big difference IMO. We are creating turnovers, I think we have 9 so far but we are also giving the ball away too much. We have 9 give aways which brings us to straight up even in Giveaway/Takeaway. We are coming along.

This weekend will be a test for us for sure but I'm looking forward to it! It's been a long time since I can honestly say that I have felt this way about our Defense.

 

[xwalker]

I was listening to Talking Cowboys and they were talking about the defense and Mickey said that Dallas was dead last in the NFL in allowing 6.4 yards per play. I was shocked at hearing this because the impression has been that this defense has been vastly improved, so this begs the question................

Is this defense really that improved?

The Cowboys are 8th in points per game allowed. They're tied for 10th in takeaways.

It was well known before Marinelli/Kiffin came here that their defenses goal was to limit scoring, not yardage. They also put a heavy emphasis on takeaways.

 

[trickblue]

Yards per play is overblown...

The only stat that really matters for a defense is points allowed. We rank 12th right now... ahead of Indy, Philly, GB, NE and SF

 

[CF74]

I was listening to Talking Cowboys and they were talking about the defense and Mickey said that Dallas was dead last in the NFL in allowing 6.4 yards per play. I was shocked at hearing this because the impression has been that this defense has been vastly improved, so this begs the question................

Is this defense really that improved?

Yards vs points given up, we are better in the stat that really matters...

 

[romothesavior]

Again, nobody would argue that limiting yards is more important that limiting points. Obviously you'd rather give up yards than points.

The issue is that if we keep getting gashed for big yards, odds are that over the long haul, we may get burned for it. We're all happy with how the D has performed as far as the scoreboard goes, but the yards allowed is a reason for concern.

It's sort of like a pitcher in baseball with a good ERA who gives up a lot of hits and walks. Over a long enough stretch, he's likely to come back down to earth and get burned for it. Rough analogy but you get the idea.

 

[LatinMind]

Again, nobody would argue that limiting yards is more important that limiting points. Obviously you'd rather give up yards than points.

The issue is that if we keep getting gashed for big yards, odds are that over the long haul, we may get burned for it. We're all happy with how the D has performed as far as the scoreboard goes, but the yards allowed is a reason for concern.

It's sort of like a pitcher in baseball with a good ERA who gives up a lot of hits and walks. Over a long enough stretch, he's likely to come back down to earth and get burned for it. Rough analogy but you get the idea.

If you look ar the 5 games Dallas has played when are they giving up these big plays? Late in Games when the other team is down and desperate? Dallas was in that situation alot last yr and romo's number were through the roof last yr.

If you go back and look at the games played so far, early in games they arent giving up big plays. They gave up 3 to SF on the first drive, and a couple to walker playing the titans. Rams nickled and dimed and the saints and texans couldnt do squat vs this defense until late. when their desperation grew. Same as the cowboys in 2013.

 

[Idgit]

Again, nobody would argue that limiting yards is more important that limiting points. Obviously you'd rather give up yards than points.

The issue is that if we keep getting gashed for big yards, odds are that over the long haul, we may get burned for it. We're all happy with how the D has performed as far as the scoreboard goes, but the yards allowed is a reason for concern.

It's sort of like a pitcher in baseball with a good ERA who gives up a lot of hits and walks. Over a long enough stretch, he's likely to come back down to earth and get burned for it. Rough analogy but you get the idea.

I get what you're saying, but it's also possible that there's a reasonable explanation for why we give up yards and not points, and so it's not really a statistically anomaly. The defense--when it's played right--is build around limiting big plays and forcing offenses to execute long drives. Then it capitalizes on eventual mistakes. That means you're going to give up plays in the middle of the field until you eventually create a negative play or get a takeaway or hold on a third down stand. If that's what we're seeing, then we can do that all year long and show the same statistical pattern and still not end up giving up a lot of points.

As for last year's defense, we started off well last year, too, if everybody remembers. Giving up a lot of yards, but at the top of the league in takeaways, starting with that huge game against the Giants. It wasn't until the season wore on that we started losing players and getting worse and worse by attrition as our lack of depth was exposed. It's way too soon to say whether or not that might happen this year, but, with Carter and McClain both out, you can already kind of see how different the defense looks. We could be back in that leaky boat quicker than we realize, I think, if we don't get a little luck this year, finally.

 

[Plankton]

There's a lot of yards to be gained between the 20s.

As long as they can make stops on third down, limit scoring, and turn the opposing offense over occasionally, they can give up as many yards as they like.

If the Cowboys continue to control the clock on offense, and win the field position battle on special teams (The Cowboys are 8th in net punting average, 7th in kickoff returns, and 11th in punt returns, 10th in kickoff return yards allowed and 4th in kickoff touchbacks), the yardage allowed on defense is completely inconsequential.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

There's a lot of yards to be gained between the 20s.

As long as they can make stops on third down, limit scoring, and turn the opposing offense over occasionally, they can give up as many yards as they like.

If the Cowboys continue to control the clock on offense, and win the field position battle on special teams (The Cowboys are 8th in net punting average, 7th in kickoff returns, and 11th in punt returns, 10th in kickoff return yards allowed and 4th in kickoff touchbacks), the yardage allowed on defense is completely inconsequential.

Key to 3rd down success is 1st down. That, IMO, has improved with this team. I have no idea what the stats reflect but just watching this team, doesn't seem like we are in as many 2nd and 3 or 4 as we have been in the past.

 

[jday]

I was listening to Talking Cowboys and they were talking about the defense and Mickey said that Dallas was dead last in the NFL in allowing 6.4 yards per play. I was shocked at hearing this because the impression has been that this defense has been vastly improved, so this begs the question................

Is this defense really that improved?

Yards per play is somewhat of an empty stat when comes to measuring a defenses effectiveness. The key stats are turnover ratio and points allowed per game. Granted, the great defenses are typically tops in both categories, but the Cowboys defense should not be confused with top-tier. Because the Cowboys do have a top-tier offense, all they need the defense to be is average, if not a little better.

 

[TrailBlazer]

Considering the lack of talent dallas has on that side of the ball, they're doing a good job.

 

[CCBoy]

Well, yeah, baby -- I'd venture to say any fan who IS a fan, whose mood hasn't taken a quantum leap for the better these days is more than likely hopelessly comatose! Yessir, things are definitely looking up in Cowboy Country nowadays. Let's hope the Seahawks don't put too much of a damper on our fun, though. Truthfully, even if that's to be the case, we'd all have to admit things are going our way more than they have in quite some time. Agreed?

We are watching entertaining Cowboys football...one can enjoy the game just listening to the pops, now.

 

[CCBoy]

Who cares? Were currently best at winning.

Who cares?

Any real fan who has cajunas to enjoy his team, good or bad. But good doesn't matter? Never mind...

 

[CCBoy]

Key to 3rd down success is 1st down. That, IMO, has improved with this team. I have no idea what the stats reflect but just watching this team, doesn't seem like we are in as many 2nd and 3 or 4 as we have been in the past.

A fan's eyeball test is still valid, as you point towards. On the defensive side, the linebackers are swarming and the safeties are hitting with pop inside the box area. That would change only with more injuries.

 

[85Cowboy85]

The bad news is the 7th place points per drive number is probably unsustainable. The good news is that if somehow it is sustainable the Cowboys have a legitimate chance at a championship.

 

[NickZepp]

The defense seems to be getting off the field better. I wouldn't say it's been a good defensive year. Unless you compare it to the past few years which were dreadful and historically bad. But we've seen key stops we didn't get last year. And we aren't seeing the defense just give up like it constantly did last year. Last year we'd seen the Dallas D give up 30+ in 3 games by week 5. This year it's only been 1 game and that was basically in junk time playing a bit of prevent defense with the team up 10. It still is early though. And this year against the Rams and the 49ers really the turnovers we gave up led to a large amount of that scoring. Take off the scores off turnovers which was basically all of SF's scoring and about half of St. Louis's scoring the numbers look a lot better.

 

[EST_1986]

Who cares?

Any real fan who has cajunas to enjoy his team, good or bad. But good doesn't matter? Never mind...

Terrible post #16,835

 

[jterrell]

Sturm posted an article last week (before the Texans game) that basically indicated the defense, through 4 games this year, is worsr than last's year defense after 4 games.

I personally think they are better than last year, however, this week will tell all of us a lot. The Saints game was very encouraging, however, the Saints are having problems so it's hard to determine what kind of barometer they are.

Kapernick, Austin, Locker, and Fitzpatrick collectively represent a fairly mediocre set of QBs -- although I think Austin has a lot of potential.

last year we were good through 4 games.
this defense was actually healthy back then.
the test is how it holds up over time.

defense are judged many ways but yards per play is low enough that i've never even heard it used before.
PPG, YPG and 3rd down percentage is generally what you judge defenses by.
you also here about turnovers and dallas has been good at INT and solid at forced fumbles.
lastly you'll here about pressure and sack totals, where they are terrible.--wow so are some other teams. 1 per game or less? sheesh.

Dallas is 21st in YPG, 8th in PPG, and 15th in 3rd down percentage.
That seems to indicate they are a bend but don;t break defense which is not ironically exactly what they are.

With Ro out of the game this defense is a bottom 10 unit.

 

[egn22]

The problems on defense are being covered up by TOP by the offense. We are currently 5th in the league. Last season we ended up 24th.

This defense is still getting gashed. But when you limit the other team's offensive possessions (and their opportunity to score) you can still win some games despite a bad defense.

Which is basically why most of us were so frustrated when we'd abandon the run last year. We finally have a playcaller who gets it. Control the ball