Run D Woes

[Hawkeye0202]

Different players doesn't mean much if the guys they bring in aren't good.

Quinn focused on a pass rushing defense. Get a lead, and then feast.

Zimmer is in year 1. The front office let a few DE's walk, let Hankins walk. Ignored March outside of getting a Kendricks to decommit from the 49ers
The draft they took a LB in round 3 and then a DT in round 7.

The players are largely still guys drafted under Quinn, or Nolan. Minus D-Law.

The front office was betting on Osa, Mazi and our boy Carl to handle the load. Carl got cut.
Signed/traded for two 30+ year old DTs in August.

The defensive line still is not that good. You got a disappointment in Mazi, Osa-who is good overall but wouldn't say he's a + run stopper, D-Law who is 10 years into the league and Parsons who is just a pass rusher(Robert Quinn lite when at the edge). Oh and Kneeland who is a rook. And in the depth is *** at DT.

+1

 

[Whyjerry]

I went to the Game Highlights on YT and put it on 50 pct speed to watch the DL. I know it’s a waste of time but I did it anyway. If you haven’t tried that you should. Wow the DEs were absolute garbage. 11 in particular showed little effort and routinely washed out. 90 pulled his typical disappearing act. 99 was awful when he was in. Guys were getting pushed around. No effort to shed. No effort to pursue. No effort period.

 

[kskboys]

We have had different players, coordinators, and schemes — but this simple fact remains:

We cannot stop the run.

We don’t shed blocks. We don’t fill gaps. We don’t occupy blockers up front at DT. We don’t diagnose. And we can’t handle misdirection or speed.

What in the actual hell is the problem?! And no— blaming JJ for this is simply too easy. He isn’t on the field.

Run D is about will, heart, and fundamentals. Why the HELL can’t we grow a pair of balls and figure this out?!?!

Run D starts w/ your DT's. If they are not good, you will not be good against the run no matter how much will, heart, and fundamentals you have. The NFL is about talent, if you lack it you will suffer.

 

[Whyjerry]

that 4-2-5 is weak vs run.

They have to work on containing the outside C gaps too.

Not sure Mazi is the answer at playing either B or A gaps.

I'd play more AA Gap.

At least the DE is in the C gap at the snap.

This is spot on. I watched the highlights again and really focused on the DL. The DEs were getting blown out every snap. Zero contain. Zero seal. It was embarrassing.

 

[kskboys]

Mazi looks like a lead footed bust. Parsons has zero interest in the run. OZiggy may be wrong for the scheme (I don’t know). Lawrence is Lawrence. Rest of the guys are old or JAGs. The DL is a disaster. Very easy to predict.

All that said I think they will be better.

In the words of the scouts, Osa "lacks sand in his pants." He's just not built to anchor down and hold his spot. He's a rotational type DT, a guy you bring in w/ fresh legs to disrupt. Not his fault, he's simply not an every down DT.

 

[kskboys]

Different players doesn't mean much if the guys they bring in aren't good.

Quinn focused on a pass rushing defense. Get a lead, and then feast.

Zimmer is in year 1. The front office let a few DE's walk, let Hankins walk. Ignored March outside of getting a Kendricks to decommit from the 49ers
The draft they took a LB in round 3 and then a DT in round 7.

The players are largely still guys drafted under Quinn, or Nolan. Minus D-Law.

The front office was betting on Osa, Mazi and our boy Carl to handle the load. Carl got cut.
Signed/traded for two 30+ year old DTs in August.

The defensive line still is not that good. You got a disappointment in Mazi, Osa-who is good overall but wouldn't say he's a + run stopper, D-Law who is 10 years into the league and Parsons who is just a pass rusher(Robert Quinn lite when at the edge). Oh and Kneeland who is a rook. And in the depth is *** at DT.

Well done.

Quinn is exactly who I compared Parsons to, because that's who he is at present. Needs to be a downhill LB, as he is a beast at stopping the run in the open field.

 

[kskboys]

This is spot on. I watched the highlights again and really focused on the DL. The DEs were getting blown out every snap. Zero contain. Zero seal. It was embarrassing.

Parsons will always be a lightly built gimmicky pass rusher at DE. It's simply not his position.

 

[Praxit]

We have had different players, coordinators, and schemes — but this simple fact remains:

We cannot stop the run.

We don’t shed blocks. We don’t fill gaps. We don’t occupy blockers up front at DT. We don’t diagnose. And we can’t handle misdirection or speed.

What in the actual hell is the problem?! And no— blaming JJ for this is simply too easy. He isn’t on the field.

Run D is about will, heart, and fundamentals. Why the HELL can’t we grow a pair of balls and figure this out?!?!

...I think smartphones are making football brains lazy. They probably want an Stop the Run App. .

 

[Creeper]

After watching several videos analyzing the Cowboys Saints game I have a contrarian view point.

First, Mazi was not as bad as it seemed. Mazi was taking on double teams and doing a decent job. In fact, Mazi got off the snap quicker in this game than I have seen him so far in is career, and when he does he is hard to handle. There is one play, a Kamara run outside, where Mazi gets into the guard so quickly he gets about 4 yards of penetration into the backfield. The guard literally tackles him to the ground. It should have been a holding call and run negated.

I am not saying he was great, but when he compare him to Jordan Phillips, it's night and day. Phillips gets shove 10 yards downfield by one guy, multiple times. He plays too high and gets no leverage. He is worse than useless.

Linval Joseph is slow, but he also holds his ground. I still think he needs to get in shape and he might make some plays for us.

Maybe the Saints are just that good at run blocking.

 

[Mac_MaloneV1]

After watching several videos analyzing the Cowboys Saints game I have a contrarian view point.

First, Mazi was not as bad as it seemed. Mazi was taking on double teams and doing a decent job. In fact, Mazi got off the snap quicker in this game than I have seen him so far in is career, and when he does he is hard to handle. There is one play, a Kamara run outside, where Mazi gets into the guard so quickly he gets about 4 yards of penetration into the backfield. The guard literally tackles him to the ground. It should have been a holding call and run negated.

I am not saying he was great, but when he compare him to Jordan Phillips, it's night and day. Phillips gets shove 10 yards downfield by one guy, multiple times. He plays too high and gets no leverage. He is worse than useless.

Linval Joseph is slow, but he also holds his ground. I still think he needs to get in shape and he might make some plays for us.

Maybe the Saints are just that good at run blocking.

Joseph and Mazi - Joseph especially - got reach blocked all day. They didn't get pushed like Phillips, really, but they got sealed easily. That allows the G to quickly get to the second level and forces the LB to play 2 gaps.

The edges were fine, but when you have immobile DTs, you are going to get sealed like that all day.

There is no solution in this defense, because they've purposely added worse DTs.

 

[CCBoy]

We have had different players, coordinators, and schemes — but this simple fact remains:

We cannot stop the run.

We don’t shed blocks. We don’t fill gaps. We don’t occupy blockers up front at DT. We don’t diagnose. And we can’t handle misdirection or speed.

What in the actual hell is the problem?! And no— blaming JJ for this is simply too easy. He isn’t on the field.

Run D is about will, heart, and fundamentals. Why the HELL can’t we grow a pair of balls and figure this out?!?!

Fact is, the Cowboys are at game 3 and are subject to that level scrutiny on a fully functional level. Not the scorn biased by historically being torched. Reasons.

What is actually on the cutting table, this team status here and now.

Up to here, the team did a respectable job game one against Cleveland. That doesn't disappear...you are biased.

The drive of the team for game two was on it's heels.

Game 3 is a tough one. A very good team has lost 2 games. Why? Because they are Dallas? No, there were correctibles involved and the team didn't over come that specific game's short comings. Differing stumbling blocks develop each and every game. Sometimes those are defeated. Sometimes not. Football.

Ravens, now...are extremely dangerous. Dallas on offense and defense can not be half stepping. The Ravens are actually good on both sides of the ball and couldn't be more motivated than this week to win.

Now, Dallas must beat them now. Dallas does have enough team strength to do just that, but must now do it. Not on none game reasons.

 

[cowboys1981]

Outside of Osa we don't have a consistent DT. We continue to abandon this position and I'm dumbfounded as to why. This has been an issue for years! As far as scheme goes, I want to see how our players execute it vs another offense that runs misdirection and use motion.

In watching the game Sunday we just looked lost and players weren't hitting their gaps. Liufau shouldn't have had that many reps while Overshown was on the sidelines.

We got beat where it mattered most. How we respond Sunday will say alot.

 

[stilltheguru]

THIS is why Bill Belichick will be a top candidate. You say a lot of things about him but he can coach the hell out of a defense.

What bad dt did he make good?

 

[CCBoy]

In the words of the scouts, Osa "lacks sand in his pants." He's just not built to anchor down and hold his spot. He's a rotational type DT, a guy you bring in w/ fresh legs to disrupt. Not his fault, he's simply not an every down DT.

He is big enough and very good at pressuring against any line. Play selections have to be met by Dallas to counter teams.

 

[Blackspider214]

We have had different players, coordinators, and schemes — but this simple fact remains:

We cannot stop the run.

We don’t shed blocks. We don’t fill gaps. We don’t occupy blockers up front at DT. We don’t diagnose. And we can’t handle misdirection or speed.

What in the actual hell is the problem?! And no— blaming JJ for this is simply too easy. He isn’t on the field.

Run D is about will, heart, and fundamentals. Why the HELL can’t we grow a pair of balls and figure this out?!?!

Why can't we blame JJ? He runs the front office. The same front office that has never valued DTs or the interior of this D. We go the cheap route and build our defense outside in. We love the "sexy" DE's and DB's. Those guys are diminished if you can't stop the run or control the line.

You answered your own question. All different players, coaches, schemes and yet the same result. It's not any of that. It's the undersized, low quality personnel we have on the interior DL. This isn't a Disney movie. Will and heart only get you so far in pro sports. Talent comes into play and we just aren't talented in the interior, including LB's.

Until the front office actually values the DT, nothing will ever change.

 

[CCBoy]

Why can't we blame JJ? He runs the front office. The same front office that has never valued DTs or the interior of this D. We go the cheap route and build our defense outside in. We love the "sexy" DE's and DB's. Those guys are diminished if you can't stop the run or control the line.

You answered your own question. All different players, coaches, schemes and yet the same result. It's not any of that. It's the undersized, low quality personnel we have on the interior DL. This isn't a Disney movie. Will and heart only get you so far in pro sports. Talent comes into play and we just aren't talented in the interior, including LB's.

Until the front office actually values the DT, nothing will ever change.

The club has a new defensive coordinator and system, one that’s notoriously hard to learn. The stars didn’t play in the preseason whatsoever on either side of the ball, and they were missing one of their only two proven passing game weapons and the fill-ins hurt them on numerous occasions. But those excuses do nothing to assuage the feelings that this team has to have perfect circumstances to emerge victorious at the end of the season, and perfect doesn’t happen around here.

https://cowboyswire.usatoday.com/2024/09/18/cowboys-salary-cap-current-state-2024-2025/

Just knowing better is a start...all on the carpet have to own up. Not Jerry.

 

[Whiskey Cowboy]

<sarcasm> I have read it here, so I know it must be true...New NFL and rushing statics don't matter. It is a passing league, and we don't care about who rushes for what against us, because those stats just don't matter. <end sarcasm>

People talking out of their hind ends. This offense under Dak has always thrived with a running game and struggled without.

 

[Hawkeye0202]

What bad dt did he make good?

Here is OP's original post I responded to...........I'm not sure what/why you are asking about a "bad dt"



We have had different players, coordinators, and schemes — but this simple fact remains:

We cannot stop the run.

We don’t shed blocks. We don’t fill gaps. We don’t occupy blockers up front at DT. We don’t diagnose. And we can’t handle misdirection or speed.

What in the actual hell is the problem?! And no— blaming JJ for this is simply too easy. He isn’t on the field.

Run D is about will, heart, and fundamentals. Why the HELL can’t we grow a pair of balls and figure this ou

 

[Bagman]

We have had different players, coordinators, and schemes — but this simple fact remains:

We cannot stop the run.

We don’t shed blocks. We don’t fill gaps. We don’t occupy blockers up front at DT. We don’t diagnose. And we can’t handle misdirection or speed.

What in the actual hell is the problem?! And no— blaming JJ for this is simply too easy. He isn’t on the field.

Run D is about will, heart, and fundamentals. Why the HELL can’t we grow a pair of balls and figure this out?!?!

Run defense begins and ends with balls. It's a "want to" thing. Our team simply doesn't draft or acquire "dawgs". Ballers, gamers or whatever you want to call them. We need tough, physical and nasty animals willing to go out there and knock snot out of the other team. You don't need 30 of them but you do need 4-5 on BOTH sides of the ball to lead and motivate the unit on the field. We also never draft passionate, competitive players. Players who HATE to lose. Dez Bryant was like that and got called immature. Michael Irvin was the king of that. Hated to lose. There's none of that on this roster. Maybe Ferguson, but he's one guy. That's why we can't stop the run. Why we can't run. Why we can't win consistently on the road. And in the playoffs. Way too many easy going personalities in this organization, from the Owner down to the waterboys.

 

[Bagman]

What bad dt did he make good?

He didn't. He drafted and signed tough SOBs who were productive and dependable