PFF: Just How Good Was the Cowboys Run Defense in 2016?

[JoeKing]

DT Terrell McClain never gets enough credit for his contribution in the Cowboys being the best run defense in 2016. But I'm sure the hater will take this post as their cue to hate on him some more.

 

[Knotamus]

If you paid attention to the NFL at all last fall you know how good the Cowboys run game was. What you might not have realized though, was how good their run defense was in 2016. While they didn’t actually lead the league in rushing, they led the league in rushing defense, allowing a paltry 83.5 yards per game. Now some of that was due to the fact that their opponents had to play catchup a lot of the time, but their 3.9 yards per carry against was still the eighth best figure in the league.

The most impressive part of it all, though, is the personnel they do it with along the defensive line. There’s no big names. There’s no big money. Heck, because they don’t utilize a true nose tackle there’s no real big men even. What they do have is one of the best defensive coordinators in the NFL. Rod Marinelli has been coaching defense in the league for 20 years now and at every stop he’s been he’s employed an aggressive one gapping defense.

Read more - https://www.profootballfocus.com/pro-just-how-good-was-the-dallas-cowboys-run-defense-in-2016/

As long as we have Sean Lee and Malik Collins.. our run defense will be just fine.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

We had the fewest rushing attempts against us in the league and 3.9 ypc while good is not elite in my view. Teams were also seldom able to run against us in the second half because we were leading so often. That is when DL tire and OL can take over.

Our run defense was good but overrated.

 

[Longboysfan]

Hopefully with some help from the pass rush but I agree, the young kids should start clicking by mid season

I think week 7 after we come off the bye week as I think week 5 game is against Green Bay.

 

[PhillyCowboysFan]

Look I am one of the most optimistic people about my team, but I also don't wear rose colored glasses either.

With that said, when teams wanted to run on us they did. It's a fact! Also teams weren't playing catch up but a very few times. So what's the reason for their success. I'm guessing if I was a offensive coordinator and game planning the Boys, I'm going to be pass happy because that's where we are very weak at.

 

[LocimusPrime]

This guy would help our run defense greatly. He's a free agent and the docs like what see so far.

 

[dallasdave]

This guy would help our run defense greatly. He's a free agent and the docs like what see so far.

 

[LocimusPrime]

Orr & Lee would make the best linebacking corps in the NFL

 

[dallasdave]

Orr & Lee would make the best linebacking corps in the NFL

Add in Jaylon and All I can say is WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[PhillyCowboysFan]

We had the fewest rushing attempts against us in the league

Bang there you go. I stated a few post ago that if I was an offensive coordinator I would game plan to go pass happy against the Boys because their weak secondary. So you see, the rush yards against stat is skewed.

 

[CCBoy]

Bang there you go. I stated a few post ago that if I was an offensive coordinator I would game plan to go pass happy against the Boys because their weak secondary. So you see, the rush yards against stat is skewed.

The per carry average was still very good...for the defense.

 

[CCBoy]

only 7 NFL defenses had a worse per carry average (3.9 yds/att)

The supposedly good run D ranking is just another example of lying statistics. Most teams want to pass and if your pass D sucks then that's what they're going to do.

Check again, Dallas was the 8th best...

If you paid attention to the NFL at all last fall you know how good the Cowboys run game was. What you might not have realized though, was how good their run defense was in 2016. While they didn’t actually lead the league in rushing, they led the league in rushing defense, allowing a paltry 83.5 yards per game. Now some of that was due to the fact that their opponents had to play catchup a lot of the time, but their 3.9 yards per carry against was still the eighth best figure in the league.

https://www.profootballfocus.com/pro-just-how-good-was-the-dallas-cowboys-run-defense-in-2016/

 

[Sage3030]

DT Terrell McClain never gets enough credit for his contribution in the Cowboys being the best run defense in 2016. But I'm sure the hater will take this post as their cue to hate on him some more.

In the second gif, McClain bursts through the line, causing the pulling guard to have to block him instead of continuing down the line. He was the cause of that play failing.

In the third gif, Collins does the same thing but is held on the play. If he wasn't, that was an easy loss of yards.

 

[Bullflop]

We had the fewest rushing attempts against us in the league and 3.9 ypc while good is not elite in my view. Teams were also seldom able to run against us in the second half because we were leading so often. That is when DL tire and OL can take over.

Our run defense was good but overrated.

Yes, they were -- despite the run defense being good, the pass defense let us down too often to make them sound overall.

 

[dallasdave]

Yes, they were -- despite the run defense being good, the pass defense let us down too often to make them sound overall.

YOu could say the DL stopped the run =but the lack of pass rush and no play on the ball by DB's was why the pass defense was bad.

 

[Bullflop]

YOu could say the DL stopped the run =but the lack of pass rush and no play on the ball by DB's was why the pass defense was bad.

The pass rush problem definitely contributed greatly to the failure of the secondary. Hopefully, the draft will have helped this year.

 

[dallasdave]

The pass rush problem definitely contributed greatly to the failure of the secondary. Hopefully, the draft will have helped this year.

I think the draft did help and will help the defense overall, and I mean the run defense too !!!

 

[Bullflop]

I think the draft did help and will help the defense overall, and I mean the run defense too !!!

I wonder if Joey Ivey makes the active 53 and if so, how much action he'd get.

Perhaps he'll be a one-tech for us if Marinelli likes him enough to activate him.

He's also supposed to have a pretty good takeoff, so possibly a 3-tech as well.

 

[DogFace]

Our rushing defense was a pleasant surprise but I always got the feeling that teams could have ran on us if they stuck to it. It's just hard to stick to the running game when you're going against an offense as efficient as the Cowboys were last season playing from behind.

I rewatched the Lions game not long ago...I had to fast forward through the defense, we made a no name back look like Adrian Peterson in his prime.

I always felt I could've played in the Majors if I wouldn't stuck with it.

 

[robjay04]

I always felt I could've played in the Majors if I wouldn't stuck with it.

Huh?

Our schedule consisted of two teams in the top half of the league in rushing. As previously stated in this thread...the only premier backs we faced were LaVeon Bell and...Jordan Howard before he caught his stride.

Our offense was among the most efficient in the league. Opposing offenses never ran the ball well to begin with and didn't even bother to try against us because they were consistently playing form behind due to the efficiency of our offense.