Marinelli/Eberflus Defense too predictable

[Sydla]

Whether it's a mistake or not, the point is you need a multiple DEF else you will be found out at some point, maybe in the regular season, maybe in the play-offs, but a good team will find you out, you need to adapt, you need to be different

That's fine. I don't have an issue with that. I have an issue with thinking Mike Nolan is the guy to do that and will build a championship caliber defense.

I think you are desperate to try to justify why Nolan deserves more time and are now latching onto this notion we need a hybrid D and Nolan wants one that Nolan is the guy for the job. I think that's a mistake.

 

[fivetwos]

I think this weekend is going to have a lot to do with if he is retained or not.

If they make the playoffs, I dont see Jerry wanting to cut bait.

 

[Winonesoon]

Two big uglies up front and i don't care how you get them. Draft or FA. If you totally charge Nolan with this year you own a pitch fork.

 

[John813]

That's not on Nolan, he's been given very little to work with

Oh I agree.

Think the only thing that he failed at was trying to implement a hybrid defense with no PS games for our guys to take their lumps in.

 

[Carson]

Get solid DTs.

Use more linebackers than nickel at all times

Should help

 

[Majic]

That's fine. I don't have an issue with that. I have an issue with thinking Mike Nolan is the guy to do that and will build a championship caliber defense.

I think you are desperate to try to justify why Nolan deserves more time and are now latching onto this notion we need a hybrid D and Nolan wants one that Nolan is the guy for the job. I think that's a mistake.

I've listened to his weekly interviews on DC.com and to me he comes across as an experienced coach that really knows his stuff, which is what you would expect from someone who has been in the NFL that long. What I don't buy is the argument he is 'under qualified' for the position.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Eberflus should not be in this conversation with Marinelli IMO. He was the LBs coach while in Dallas and he coached according to what the Marinelli scheme required of the LBs. He didn't coach his own scheme. If you watched Eberflus in Cleveland, prior to coming to Dallas and at Missouri and Toledo, it was completely different then what we saw under Marinelli.

 

[CouchCoach]

Every DC is slave to the talent that he can employ. That Bears 85 46D was never replicated by Ryan, Lewis never came close to the 00 Ravens D and Kiffin was all about that talent in TB. Phillips hasn't had his kind of D since he had those 3 All Pros on his D in SD.

Belichick has been doing what they're describing for 20 years but even now he struggles because he doesn't have the horses to pull that wagon.

The Cowboys brain trust must stop thinking that it's all about the pass rush and "war daddys" and start thinking as Johnson and Parcells did, it all starts with stopping the run.

 

[Majic]

Eberflus should not be in this conversation with Marinelli IMO. He was the LBs coach while in Dallas and he coached according to what the Marinelli scheme required of the LBs. He didn't coach his own scheme. If you watched Eberflus in Cleveland, prior to coming to Dallas and at Missouri and Toledo, it was completely different then what we saw under Marinelli.

He came with Rob Ryan, but I believe since at the Colts his scheme is very similar to Marinelli's

 

[Bigdog]

I understand what your saying but your analysis of a one pitch seam fast ball got me thinking that there are exception to the rule. Marino Rivera had one pitch basically and you knew what was coming. Still many batters had difficulty hitting it. He is probably one of the greater reliever of all time.

 

[phildadon86]

Mike Nolan is trying to do that.

The problem is there is something incredibly wrong with our run fits.

Someone who still dives into All 22 may be able to tell you.. When the Cowboys games end you’d have to pay me to get me to watch them again.

So someone in the know could probably tell you better as to why Mike Nolan’s defense is terrible but just a quick analysis by me it looks like their run fits are horrible.

There is always huge gaps to run through for defenses and not only are there gaps you got a linebacker in Jaylon that may run himself out of the play.

We are lacking run defending DT's. We are still feeling the Marinelli effect because he refused to draft a big fat man lol. He loved his "quick twitch" guys and this is the result. MM wanted big DT's and we tried with McCoy and Poe. Didnt hit. IF our LBs are kept clean it would help dramatically IMO.

 

[Future]

There's no such thing as a good or bad defensive scheme in the NFL, they all just limit different things that an offense can do. The good thing about Marinelli's defense is that it limited big plays at the expense of turnovers. Nolan, ideally, will create a lot more turnovers, but will give up a lot more big plays.

 

[Future]

We are lacking run defending DT's. We are still feeling the Marinelli effect because he refused to draft a big fat man lol. He loved his "quick twitch" guys and this is the result. MM wanted big DT's and we tried with McCoy and Poe. Didnt hit. IF our LBs are kept clean it would help dramatically IMO.

I still don't understand this. What LBers are kept clean? When did the standard for LBers deteriorate so much that they don't have to take on blockers? Attacking one shoulder and filling a gap is fundamental.

Beyond that, you don't need run-stuffers to do it, and the Cowboys LBs suck regardless.

 

[BrassCowboy]

I think having an offseason will also help

Well every team had to go without off-season and basically we had all year to install a system so that excuse had run is course a very long time ago

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

He came with Rob Ryan, but I believe since at the Colts his scheme is very similar to Marinelli's

Really? I don't think so. Eberflus was really a 34 guy who adapted to running Marinelli's 43. In Indy, he uses size at DT to tie up interior OL and allows LBs to flow. That's his thing and that's not what Marinelli did. He believed in using smaller, more mobile interior DLs and believed in getting them upfield and creating havoc on Offense. I don't really see the similarities there.

JMO

 

[doomsday9084]

Terrible DT play. I was 100% fire mike Nolan a few weeks back, but I’m keeping the door open now. He’s adapted pretty well given the holes on defense.

Even the LBs on this team are serviceable( yes I used that word carefully because I am not trying to advocate for our LB play this year), but poor DT play for a LB is the equivalent to bad O line play for a QB.

And really there just is not a ton you can do when an oline can get multiple people to the 2nd level. Watching the philly game back I can’t tell you how many times our DTs just get moved around like nothing and our DEs leave their responsibilities to jump on fakes.

I’m glad gallimore is getting reps, I think he is the real deal, but still struggles heavily at recognizing blocks. Hopefully we can see a more consistent player in 2021. I just can’t stress how much a true 1T would do for this team.

Good post and I totally agree. The DT's virtually never get any push and never shed a blocker. Its just not good enough.

I'll take this a step further. IMO, the two most important positions on defense are DT and S. Those are the guys that will make the people around them look better. Dallas treats those positions like afterthoughts and the results are the logical conclusion of that.

 

[Cowboyny]

Has Mike Nolan ever built a championship D? For example, Marvin Lewis built the Ravens D that Nolan inherited.

All I am saying is a more, modern scheme.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

I understand what your saying but your analysis of a one pitch seam fast ball got me thinking that there are exception to the rule. Marino Rivera had one pitch basically and you knew what was coming. Still many batters had difficulty hitting it. He is probably one of the greater reliever of all time.

This is true. Nolan Ryan had one pitch but, it was a fast ball that was humming in and the question was, could you catch up to it? Well, Ryan is a HOF pitcher....................

 

[charron]

Michael Lombardi on his podcast has been making the point all season that the Rod Marinelli DEF is not good enough in the NFL anymore. He makes the point that Matt Eberflus DEF is way to predictable (based on Marinelli's) and has been saying this all season and it has been found out. He credits Sean McVay in replacing Wade Phillips with a hybrid DEF that is good at 3 phases and not predictable (33% Zone 33% man, 33% Zone dogs).

Don't be great at just one thing, it will be found out.

Describes Eberflus as a 'one pitch fast ball scheme'

We need a hybrid scheme in Dallas that is further developed in the off season.

were in a hybrid scheme that'll be further developed in the offseason

 

[Cowboyny]

Agreed, my question is if Nolan is the guy.

I’m not sure either. If he does get replaced, we know MM is going to want to run a multiple scheme