How can a defense be this bad?

[gimmesix]

It baffles me how we just gave 34 points in a half to a QB who doesn't even belong in the NFL. It seems like athletes good enough to make it to the NFL could accidentally make a play here or there.

Monte Kiffin's scheme is built around the pass rush. If all four linemen are able to keep the quarterback uncomfortable in the pocket, then the scheme succeeds. If not, then the QB has time to set his feet and throw the ball (and even backups can do that), the receivers have time to get open, etc.

Losing three of the five players expected to provide that pressure before the season was a major setback. Having the top two remaining hampered by injuries has pretty much neutered this defense.

You can probably count on one hand the number of times Dallas made Flynn uncomfortable in the pocket in the second half and have about three fingers left.

 

[nalam]

How come GB defense which couldn't stop anything in first half can wake and play for pride and stop us , where as ours can't when we badly need one?

May be a radical thought , if Ware is not effective in 4-3 and we don't have pass rushing DTs , why don't we go back to 3-4 for some plays atleast when we can stop run and play man with our CBs?

Wait we need LBs , LOL

 

[bysbox1]

Let's count the reasons:

1. Scheme Change
2. Monte Kiffin, who was run out of town at his last stop, with his son coaching, no less, is terrible.
3. We have nearly 17 million dollars tied up in Ware and Spencer this season and aren't seeing much in that investment.
4. Lee can't stay healthy.
5. Bruce Lee doesn't look like an NFL player.
6. Claiborne has been a huge disappointment, on and off the field.
7. Carr forgot how to play the last half of the season.
8. We have Church, Heath, and Wilcox playing safety.
9. We have no depth at any defensive position.

Basically, it comes down to not enough production from guys who are getting paid to produce. I don't really blame the players, I blame the guy who signed them/brought them in.

Add to that the fact that the depth we do have are a bunch of street free agents who were sitting at home and could not even make it on any one else's practice squad.

 

[Alexander]

Durant got hurt. Simms got hurt. Selvie got hurt. Even Hayden got hurt. And for some stupid reason (ROMO!) we forgot how to run in the 2nd half.

I am all for a good Romo dust up, but he did not kill every run play.

 

[bysbox1]

Monte Kiffin's scheme is built around the pass rush. If all four linemen are able to keep the quarterback uncomfortable in the pocket, then the scheme succeeds. If not, then the QB has time to set his feet and throw the ball (and even backups can do that), the receivers have time to get open, etc.

Losing three of the five players expected to provide that pressure before the season was a major setback. Having the top two remaining hampered by injuries has pretty much neutered this defense.

You can probably count on one hand the number of times Dallas made Flynn uncomfortable in the pocket in the second half and have about three fingers left.

This.

This is exactly why everyone should be afraid of the Commanders game. It's in Washington. Kurt Cousins threw for 380 yards and 3 touchdowns last week. Morris ran for 98 yards. Our defense can't stop anyone. And I guarantee Washington will play this like it's their Super Bowl. It's exactly the kind of game Dallas goes out, plays down to their opponent, and loses.

 

[kevm3]

What do you expect when even the guys off the street are getting injured? Crawford out for the year. Ratner with his issue. Ratliff never sniffed the field. Spencer never sniffed the field. Claiborne is out. Sean Lee is out. Carter didn't play. When guys like Selvie, Durant, etc., start getting knocked out of the game, can anyone really expect anything other than the results we got? There is no kind of talent out there on the field and we're weak in the areas that this defense is predicated on. If we don't get any pressure on the QB, then this defense amplifies that.

 

[Beast_from_East]

What ever happened to Jason Hatcher?

Making business decisions

 

[NumOneQB]

Bad personnel decisions have affected the depth on the defensive side of the ball. The intended starters are decent, but overpaid as well. Once they go down, there's zero depth behind them. Injuries are part of the game, that's why personnel matters are so important in today's NFL. Wonder why the defensive personnel sucks so much? Ask the owner/GM.....

 

[Disturbed]

The quick answer -- lack of talent. Why...poor draft choices, old and/or injured, poor coaching, and no confidence by the players.

 

[LatinMind]

It baffles me how we just gave 34 points in a half to a QB who doesn't even belong in the NFL. It seems like athletes good enough to make it to the NFL could accidentally make a play here or there.

brown.hayden, wynn, ware. wilber. lawrence, hollomon, carr, scandrick, wilcox, heath

That was the group that finished the game on the field. Still baffle you why?

 

[dstovall5]

Bad coaching, bad players, and injuries to key players. It's not uncommon for a unit to face these problems, but it is uncommon for a defense to have all these problems at once.

 

[Smith22]

brown.hayden, wynn, ware. wilber. lawrence, hollomon, carr, scandrick, wilcox, heath

That was the group that finished the game on the field. Still baffle you why?

That list is scary. Throw in an underperforming Ware and Carr and you have a recipe for disaster.

 

[chicago JK]

Sure injuries have played apart but every team has injuries. Expecting a defense to only get a stop in one of the last 4 halves of football is comical. You should mistake yourself into several stops.

The bigger question, is imagine how much heat the owner would put on the GM in most teams after a year where the GM says people are going to be held accountable and where the GM knows the defense was really bad. Well, the moves he either orchestrated or rubber stamped made a bad defense maybe one of the worst ever in the NFL. It is really comical how you could make the defense from last year even worse. I hate to bring up the Ravens but look at the smart moves they made with that defense this offseason. The focused on the middle of the field and their defense looks better than last year despite losing two of their franchise 5 best players in the offseason (albeit older stars). The Cowboys are at such a disadvantage against well run teams and the moves trying to improve a bad defense this offseason is just one of many examples of their ineptness.

 

[DallasDW00ds0n]

Arguably the worst defense in NFL history, who is not to blame? The players stink, the coaches stink, and we have the worst GM in football.

 

[dragon_mikal]

Brandon Carr was getting eaten alive by a 3rd string Jarrett Boykin.

Any CB in the league will be eaten alive when the opposing QB doesn't have to worry about pressure. Seriously...they have enough time to make a ham sandwich back there.

Give them a decent pass rush and this defense would go from historically bad to average. If this team had an average defense they'd be in the playoffs already with the division wrapped up.

 

[silver]

When you pin your hopes on aging former stars, give a chunk of your cap space to mediocre players and keep drafting injured potentially great players this is what you get.

 

[fifaguy]

Just out of curiosity, how much money did we lose this year on Jay Ratliff and Spencer? (11 million-ish for Spencer, no sure about Ratliff)

 

[bysbox1]

That list is scary. Throw in an underperforming Ware and Carr and you have a recipe for disaster.

An you can double cover ware, scheme around carr, and take your chances on the other 9 beating you, which has not happened all year.

 

[mitchell2254]

brown.hayden, wynn, ware. wilber. lawrence, hollomon, carr, scandrick, wilcox, heath

That was the group that finished the game on the field. Still baffle you why?

Haha you gonna act like we could play D with our starters? Thats even more baffling.

 

[mitchell2254]

Any CB in the league will be eaten alive when the opposing QB doesn't have to worry about pressure. Seriously...they have enough time to make a ham sandwich back there.

Give them a decent pass rush and this defense would go from historically bad to average. If this team had an average defense they'd be in the playoffs already with the division wrapped up.

No and No. There is no excuse for Jarrett to own a guy we are paying 50 million. Flynn threw for about 50 yards on thanksgiving on the Lions. You put Flynn to Boykin and yes I expect a 50 million dollar CB to stop him regardless. Don't act like he was having to guard him for 10 seconds.

Romo would throw us out of any game no matter how good our D is. 37-36 or 10-9 you can count on Romo to blow it.