I dunno...
I'd blame Kiffin and his style of defense if I thought the linebackers were playing it correctly– they aren't.
Just like ABQ said earlier on in this thread, the linebackers aren't getting deep enough on their drops. This has been a consistent problem, from the Giant game onward. My knee-jerk reaction is that they're too concerned about the run.
And yet we have been getting killed on dump offs to backs that consistently gain an uncontested 7 yards at least.
And yet we have been getting killed on dump offs to backs that consistently gain an uncontested 7 yards at least.
the won the game b/c of the run game and dump offs to the running backs and tight ends. it kept them in 2nd and short all game. like you said, maddening how it was happening on every drive but there were little to no adjustments.QFT - we don't drop deep enough to cover the TEs and drop too deep to prevent the constant stream of passes to the RBs. That nobody stayed home to cover the RBs is simply inexcusable. The RB passes kept every Bronco drive alive. When we did get any coverage downfield, there was NOBODY on the RB. I mean they didn't even congest the line to make it tough for them to get into coverage - they'd just run in the gaps and be wide open in a throwing lane for Manning. Maddening, just MADDENING.
wade's scheme was too simple....ran him out.
ryan's scheme was too complicated...ran him out.
now kiffen's scheme is too outdated...time to run him out.
this **** is getting old. we should have hired ray horton a few years ago.
From my amateur's point of view, any defense is going to give up something and I think the dump off to a back is a problem for the Tampa-2, but on the other hand these defense should be better at stopping those passes in the middle of the field. There's too much space between where the linebackers drop and where the safeties sit.
Julius Thomas, 9 rec 122 yards, 2 TD's.
I don't get the point of this defense then.
The point (from my understanding) is to keep everything in front of you. The deeper the pass, the harder is should be for the offense to complete it. Let the back catch the short pass out of the backfield and pummel him for a short game.
Up till now the Cowboys are giving up an astronomical amount of 20+ yard completions.
That isn't going to work against Peyton Manning. Heck, Phillip Rivers tore it up.
Really thought that our linebackers would fit perfectly in this system, yet they've been awful all year.