Scout’s Eye: How The OL Fueled The Win Over The 49ers; Grading The Defense’s Performance

waving monkey

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FRISCO, Texas – There’s so much we can say about the success this offense had in San Francisco on Sunday – and I’m going to get to that.

The Cowboys nearly cracked 200 rushing yards for a second-straight week, and Dak Prescott once again played efficient football in the win. That all bears mentioning.

I also wanted to make sure I highlight this Dallas defense, though. As the story has been all season long, the Cowboys didn’t play a completely clean game, but did they ever get the job done when they needed to.

Today’s film study is going to start heavy on offense, but let’s make sure we credit a strong defensive effort, as well.

  • It’s a shame Keith Smith was unable to keep his balance on that 3rd-and-2 during the opening drive. Doug Free, Zack Martin and Travis Frederick blew open a hole on the right side -- wide enough where Ezekiel Elliott was into the second level before the defense had a chance to react. If Smith didn’t rock forward, Ezekiel Elliott was going to be one-on-one with Eric Reid with nothing between him and the end zone. Even though the play was blown dead, it was a great example of what was lying ahead for the 49ers run defense.
  • On the Jeremy Kerley touchdown reception for the 49ers, it appeared the initial problem with the Cowboys’ blitz was they weren’t able to get the rushers home due to the gaps they took. The free rusher was Anthony Brown, but he got held up on the play when he got stuck behind Byron Jones. There were two guys attacking one gap, which the 49ers were able to handle. Another problem appeared to be the depth with which Benson Mayowa dropped. If he was a little deeper it’s likely that Dallas would have been able to pick up Kerley across the field. This is a tough spot because Mayowa hasn’t done much dropping in coverage since his days in Oakland last season. Just something that happens when you blitz and don’t get rushers home.
link/http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2...-win-over-49ers-grading-defense’s-performance
 
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