How bad has Cowboys defense been?

[fanfromvirginia]

We have stretches where both the offense and defense look great but it has been pretty difficult to get our offense and defense to play well in the same game. This has been going on for years.

We've blamed everyone from defensive linemen to the linesbackers to the corners to the safeties. We've "upgraded" at all those positions in turn and still seem to not be gelling.

I wish I could pin point what the problem is, other than consistancy, but it's very hard to tell at this point. I just hope Wade can get this thing together, plenty of football left for him to do so.

I think part of this has to with expectations and the odds against making the jump to playoff winning/elite team status. We are 22-10 over the last two years, after all.

 

[Beast_from_East]

These next 3 games should really tell us where we stand defensively. This is our schedule.

Carolina
Denver
Kansas City


We should have a close game against Carolina and then blow out Denver and Kansas City. If our defense cannot shut down the Broncos and the Cheifs, we are freaking screwed.

After this stretch, we will have played 5 games and we should have a good idea of how good or bad or defense is. If we are still ranked in the bottom 10 in defense after 5 games, it means either out talent is just not that good or Wade has no idea what the hell he is doing.

Either way we are screwed.

 

[fanfromvirginia]

These next 3 games should really tell us where we stand defensively. This is our schedule.

Carolina
Denver
Kansas City


We should have a close game against Carolina and then blow out Denver and Kansas City. If our defense cannot shut down the Broncos and the Cheifs, we are freaking screwed.

After this stretch, we will have played 5 games and we should have a good idea of how good or bad or defense is. If we are still ranked in the bottom 10 in defense after 5 games, it means either out talent is just not that good or Wade has no idea what the hell he is doing.

Either way we are screwed.

I think the most likely scenario is that we win 2 out of the 3 and our D will play better and their ranking will rise from near the bottom to worse than average.

At that time it will be easy for rational Zoners and non-Zoners to see that we're somewhere in between mediocre and pretty good. For true Zoners, though, whose glasses are always either totally, completely 110% full or so bone dry you expect them to fall back into a pile of sand, it will be too early to tell.

 

[Beast_from_East]

I think the most likely scenario is that we win 2 out of the 3 and our D will play better and their ranking will rise from near the bottom to worse than average.

At that time it will be easy for rational Zoners and non-Zoners to see that we're somewhere in between mediocre and pretty good. For true Zoners, though, whose glasses are always either totally, completely 110% full or so bone dry you expect them to fall back into a pile of sand, it will be too early to tell.

If we lose one, it better be tonight.

Losing to scrub teams like the Broncos or Cheifs would be freaking embarrassing. I think the Cheifs have lost 10 games in a row or something. And the Broncos have freaking Kyle Orton at QB. If we get beat by freaking Kyle Orton, I will expect resignations in the lockerroom from the coaching staff.

No way in hell we should lose to either the Broncos or the Cheifs.

 

[fanfromvirginia]

If we lose one, it better be tonight.

Losing to scrub teams like the Broncos or Cheifs would be freaking embarrassing. I think the Cheifs have lost 10 games in a row or something. And the Broncos have freaking Kyle Orton at QB. If we get beat by freaking Kyle Orton, I will expect resignations in the lockerroom from the coaching staff.

No way in hell we should lose to either the Broncos or the Cheifs.

But the Broncos will be at home, 3-0 and fired up. I know, of course, that they're lucky to be 3-0. And I agree that Orton is awful. But we've lost to worse teams over the last year or so, that's for sure.