Our Defense...

[Chuck 54]

I think our secondary will come together, especially when the younger guys start playing more and when the coaches determine if Henry is a safety or a CB instead of playing him as both.

I have much more concern with our front 7...those are the guys that I think are over-rated as a group.

I can't name more than one player on the Tennesee defense, but if you haven't seen one of their games, you've missed seeing what I think most of you wish our D was doing. They are indeed dominating...knocking people's helmits off.

Maybe it's scheme and attitude...who knows.

 

[Rack]

I think our secondary will come together, especially when the younger guys start playing more and when the coaches determine if Henry is a safety or a CB instead of playing him as both.

I have much more concern with our front 7...those are the guys that I think are over-rated as a group.

I can't name more than one player on the Tennesee defense, but if you haven't seen one of their games, you've missed seeing what I think most of you wish our D was doing. They are indeed dominating...knocking people's helmits off.

Maybe it's scheme and attitude...who knows.

That's exactly what it is IMO.

And I agree, our front 7 is highly overrated. I think our secondary can be good but the scheme we're running flat out sucks. I want to see our CBs getting in WR's grills and being physical with them. I haven't seen it one time this season.


What's sad is we have more talent - overall - on defense than the Titans.

Brian Stewart is in way over his head. It's time for Wade to take over. He might as well, it's not like he does anything with the offense or even has any say with what happens with our offense.

 

[AmishCowboy]

Ratliff is a bum. He celebrates after a tackle of 6 yards. During the game he looked like he ran out of gas with both hands on his knees.

I Highly Doubt the Ratliff's is thought of around the NFL as a Bum. He wasn't the only one tired at the End of the game, just look how much longer the Commanders held the ball.

 

[Rack]

Oh and something I should have put in my original post...


which one of our coaches is telling these guys how to tackle a QB? Whoever it is... he needs to be fired.


Seriously, how many times has a QB broken out of an easy sack for us in the last 3 games? And on a couple of the sacks we did get, the QB came REAL close to breaking out of those as well.


Our defensive players should be embarrased with themselves.

 

[khiladi]

The funny thing is the same people that were criticizing the Philly game were getting blasted. And after the way Tampa Bay pretty much had their way up-front with the Green Bay Packer line, it is becoming obvious that Dallas' defense plays way too soft.

We played bad in Philly as well. As I said before, the Eagles, in the third and beginning of the fourth, put together a 6 minute drive, starting from their own 26. They scored a TD. The only reason the eagles didn't score the next drive is because of an errant fumble by McNabb. Other than that, he had gone 2-2 on that drive getting an easy first down.

Dallas consistently allows long drives that take up a huge portion of the clock, purely because of the scheme. Dallas would rather play off the receivers, hoping the QB makes a mistake or our team gets pressure from our DL'men. We aren't getting any pressure up-front, and Dallas is surely not getting creative up-front to attack the QB. They did the exact same thing with Jason campbell last year, hoping he would make a mistake. He was driving in the last quarter, but Newman picked it off. That is only going to work for you once in awhile. This year, Jason campbell didn't make the mistakes and we lost.

The problem is, by the end of the third quarter, after consistently rushing in base packages, the DL gets tired, because all the emphasis is on stopping the big play. That is why the Commanders ran all over us in the 4th quarter. Dallas isn't trying to attack the QB, and if it does, it is only here and there. You haven't seen the package once, with Ware-Ellis-Spencer that did a lot of damage last year.

This defense is playing soft and scared on philosophy alone. Wade needs a gut-check, because the guy plays like a coward.

 

[CrazyCowboy]

it is so sad.......Stock Down!

 

[DaBoys4Life]

The funny thing is the same people that were criticizing the Philly game were getting blasted. And after the way Tampa Bay pretty much had their way up-front with the Green Bay Packer line, it is becoming obvious that Dallas' defense plays way too soft.

We played bad in Philly as well. As I said before, the Eagles, in the third and beginning of the fourth, put together a 6 minute drive, starting from their own 26. They scored a TD. The only reason the eagles didn't score the next drive is because of an errant fumble by McNabb. Other than that, he had gone 2-2 on that drive getting an easy first down.

Dallas consistently allows long drives that take up a huge portion of the clock, purely because of the scheme. Dallas would rather play off the receivers, hoping the QB makes a mistake or our team gets pressure from our DL'men. They did the exact same thing with Jason campbell last year, hoping he would make a mistake. He was driving in the last quarter, but Newman picked it off. That is only going to work for you once in awhile. This year, Jason campbell didn't make the mistakes and we lost.

The problem is, by the end of the third quarter, after consistently rushing in base packages, the DL gets tired, because all the emphasis is on stopping the big play. That is why the Commanders ran all over us in the 4th quarter. Dallas isn't trying to attack the QB, and if it does, it is only here and there. You haven't seen the package once, with Ware-Ellis-Spencer that did a lot of damage last year.

This defense is playing soft and scared on philosophy alone. Wade needs a gut-check, because the guy plays like a coward.

QFT !!

 

[CNY Cowboy]

All I hear is that we have one of the best D's in the NFL ,but they must not be looking at our secondary.

Fair @ best.

 

[StylisticS]

The funny thing is the same people that were criticizing the Philly game were getting blasted. And after the way Tampa Bay pretty much had their way up-front with the Green Bay Packer line, it is becoming obvious that Dallas' defense plays way too soft.

We played bad in Philly as well. As I said before, the Eagles, in the third and beginning of the fourth, put together a 6 minute drive, starting from their own 26. They scored a TD. The only reason the eagles didn't score the next drive is because of an errant fumble by McNabb. Other than that, he had gone 2-2 on that drive getting an easy first down.

Dallas consistently allows long drives that take up a huge portion of the clock, purely because of the scheme. Dallas would rather play off the receivers, hoping the QB makes a mistake or our team gets pressure from our DL'men. We aren't getting any pressure up-front, and Dallas is surely not getting creative up-front to attack the QB. They did the exact same thing with Jason campbell last year, hoping he would make a mistake. He was driving in the last quarter, but Newman picked it off. That is only going to work for you once in awhile. This year, Jason campbell didn't make the mistakes and we lost.

The problem is, by the end of the third quarter, after consistently rushing in base packages, the DL gets tired, because all the emphasis is on stopping the big play. That is why the Commanders ran all over us in the 4th quarter. Dallas isn't trying to attack the QB, and if it does, it is only here and there. You haven't seen the package once, with Ware-Ellis-Spencer that did a lot of damage last year.

This defense is playing soft and scared on philosophy alone. Wade needs a gut-check, because the guy plays like a coward.

It's COACHING. They take the personality of the coaching staff. Wade needs to take over as the defensive coordinator and there needs ot be changes. Sitting there hoping and praying they make a mistake will not get you anywhere this year.

 

[starchamber]

That's an excellent point..Mcnabb broke at least 3 in the Philly game. I can excuse one of those because he's a hell of an athlete, but Aaron Rodgers broke free I believe in the Greenbay game and you see Jason Campbell do the same as well. And correct me if I am wrong (which I am sure you will..) but in most cases they broke free from what would have been a sack and made plays!!!!

Plain and simple, the Cowboys were out coached by a guy who 12 months ago wasn't even considered a viable OC candidate let alone a head coach. He had his team better prepared and ready to execute his game plan. This was the last time we will meet the Commanders in Irvin and this is the kind of performance the Cowboys put up? And according to the sideline reporter after halftime, she quoted Wade as saying, "I don't think there was a need for a Ra-Ra speech. If we score on our first drive, we should be alright...." did he notice how our defense was playing? Point blank, the skins were more hyped about playing this game than the cowboys. The boys should have treated this game as if it were a playoff game. Then again, maybet hey did. After all, we did lose it.....

 

[StylisticS]

Not as much as I've seen this year. Even when its 3rd and short our defense still gives them a 10 yard cushion.

Where were you last year? That was a big reason why we lost to the Giants. We always gave receivers a cushion.

 

[Rack]

I'm starting to wonder if maybe the reason we miss so many tackles on the QB is cuz we went so many years not being able to get to him (under Zimmer) that they now forgot what to do when they get there.

 

[dueyhemlock]

I'm starting to wonder if maybe the reason we miss so many tackles on the QB is cuz we went so many years not being able to get to him (under Zimmer) that they now forgot what to do when they get there.

Part of it could be we are worried about the zebras calling every little thing. Where as Tony can get mugged and nothing, no laundry.

 

[Maikeru-sama]

To be honest, how long has it been since we have been complaining about the defense.

Now grant it, this is one of the most talented defenses on paper we have had in a while, but we have had several different coaching staffs come in here and we get the same exact results.

At some point, folks have to stop blaming the coaches and start looking at the players.

What is so sad is that the Commanders pretty much ran the same plays on us and even Troy Aikman stated it during the broadcast, especially on the 2nd Touchdown.

Now that is a coaching problem.

 

[TNCowboy]

Maybe it's scheme and attitude...who knows.

You're 100% right about TN's defense.

Another thing with most good defenses (and Washington yesterday) is that their defenders fly to the ball. When a defender is making a tackle, other players are still flying to the ball. A lot of times with our D, you can see someone making a tackle and other players just watching. There's no fire, and there's no urgency.

It appears that few if any of them really want to hit somebody. When I was a teenager, that's what I liked most about the game.

One big difference with TN is they have a big horse in the middle. I like Ratliff and think he's one of our best players, but he gets pushed around in there too much. He needs to be at DE - in place of either of the 2 stiffs who start there now - and get a real NT. Tank Johnson sure isn't it.

 

[khiladi]

To be honest, how long has it been since we have been complaining about the defense.

Now grant it, this is one of the most talented defenses on paper we have had in a while, but we have had several different coaching staffs come in here and we get the same exact results.

At some point, folks have to stop blaming the coaches and start looking at the players.

What is so sad is that the Commanders pretty much ran the same plays on us and even Troy Aikman stated it during the broadcast, especially on the 2nd Touchdown.

Now that is a coaching problem.

Actually, we seem to be employing the same approach as during the Parcells era, with the exception our CBs play a lot farther off. We are still playing a bend-don't-break philosophy and play lots of zone. In the case of Parcells, we played a lot of cover-2.

 

[Bungarian]

How many of these posts will there be? Can we get a merg?

 

[Yakuza Rich]

The things I notice are:

1. We miss a lot of tackles, particularly would be sacks.

2. We never see missed blocking assignments from the opposing team when we blitz up the middle.

3. All of our pressure comes from either the blitz, whichever one of the OLB's is rushing the passer on that play (Ware or Ellis) and Jay Ratliff. If we send a 4 man rush and Ware or Ellis gets stonewalled, then Ratliff had better get to the pass rusher.

4. It seems like when we blitz, the opposing QB has an idea it's coming and while their pass may be a little errant because of the pressure, he's at least able to get it off.


It's not to say that we don't get pressure on the QB and the sacks show that we do, but we have ZERO interceptions which shows that are pressure isn't as effective as it should be. I'm a big fan of blitzing, but when you struggle frequently to get pressure with a 4 man rush, it sort of shows why the pressure isn't as effective as it should be.

Other things I notice:

1. Opposing teams seems to be able to dictate the coverage they want. There was one play against Washington where the Skins motioned their receiver and you could see the Dallas corner (can't remember which one) change his coverage by now playing off the receiver and Washington setting up a play once they got the coverage they were looking for. Usually in the NFL, and what makes the game so hard for offenses, is coverages are difficult to recognize because they are disguised well and can change 2, 3, 4 times before the ball is snapped.


2. Dear Lord, is it too hard for our tall DE's to bat down a pass at the line of scrimmage.


3. Receivers seem to be too open, particularly on short and intermediate routes. It seems like when we have an incomplete pass, it's usually due to a drop or a bad throw by the QB which the QB probably should have made (and pressure does play a factor in that). It's rarely a case of a decent throw and the corner has the receiver well covered. That being said, part of this I believe is the defense showing the blitz because the QB knows where they have to go with the ball before the snap.






Just my thoughts.





YAKUZA

 

[SultanOfSix]

Jeff Fischer is a very good coach. It's not surprising that he gets the most out of his players, even with Kerry Collins and Vince Young at QB.

 

[CATCH17]

I like what Wade does with his front 7.

I can't stand what he does with his secondary.

We have to be more aggressive in coverage.

We can't just wait to tighten up until they are in our redzone.

He brings some nice blitzes and usually are defense is incredibly stout vs the run (except yesterday).

But 2nd down is where this team needs to re-think their philosiphies.

You cant play soft coverage all the time and allow the other team to ALWAYS have a managable 3rd down.

Keep your front 7 philosiphies the same Wade and bring your DB's up just a few feet. Thats not asking a lot.