Should Nolan Be Fired

[big dog cowboy]

Cowboys defense this year and why Nolan should go:

 

[stilltheguru]

No.

I don't want a return to a 4-3. Mike McCarthy is right to want a multiple DEF, that's what the best teams in the NFL do.
If McCarthy is returning and given the 'pass' that this was a difficult year due to Covid etc, so should Nolan.
These players are simply not good enough over a season McCarthy knows that and so does Nolan.
Let's see what they can do with a full offseason and draft.

So because the best defenses do it just keep any trash coach because they run a 3-4?

 

[Bullflop]

I think Dallas has been limited to less than average defensively in the past but the surplus of injuries surely was much worse in 2020. What bothers me the most is that we have broken league records for being as horrible as we are now. The remaining games should be taken into account, much like those that have already been played.

Jerry and Stephen must make sure to seek sound advice from knowledgeable defensive people and take it from there. I think both of them are quite ill suited to make defensive judgments for themselves. The limitations of our past defenses should bear that out. I doubt Nolan's mediocre past with other teams is anything to be seen as gratifying.

 

[stilltheguru]

4:59 a nolan special. 3rd and 9 against checkdown Alex and we see what he calls. B b but he runs multiple defenses. B b but it was Jaylons fault on that play.

 

[Hennessy_King]

No.

I don't want a return to a 4-3. Mike McCarthy is right to want a multiple DEF, that's what the best teams in the NFL do.
If McCarthy is returning and given the 'pass' that this was a difficult year due to Covid etc, so should Nolan.
These players are simply not good enough over a season McCarthy knows that and so does Nolan.
Let's see what they can do with a full offseason and draft.

No. These players are not good enough to play a 4-3 or a 3-4. We need better players that can play both

This guy/gal gets it. After watching the tape I have concluded these players suck

 

[Majic]

I think Dallas has been limited to less than average defensively in the past but the surplus of injuries surely was much worse in 2020. What bothers me the most is that we have broken league records for being as horrible as we are now. The remaining games should be taken into account, much like those that have already been played.

Jerry and Stephen must make sure to seek sound advice from knowledgeable defensive people and take it from there. I think both of them are quite ill suited to make defensive judgments for themselves. The limitations of our past defenses should bear that out. I doubt Nolan's mediocre past with other teams is anything to be seen as gratifying.

They did that in the past and consulted Larry Lacewell. The result was the scrapping of the 3-4, the release of Demarcus Ware (who went on to win a Super bowl) and the hiring of Monte Kiffin and then Marinelli and a 4-3 scheme that was a unsuccessful for 7 seasons.

The best they could do is look at what teams with historically successful defenses do and follow that model.

 

[ClappingCarrot]

Nolan should be gone. Any time you do anything historically bad in the NFL, I don't think you should be allowed to return to your position.

That being said, McCarthy should he held accountable not only for the hire, but overseeing a scheme change in Zoom meetings with no personal interaction. Players aren't off the hook either though.

 

[MonsterD]

Yes but I think for choosing his good friend that McCarthy should also go.

 

[MapleLeaf]

Yes.

1. Need a DC who will utilize a defensive scheme designed for the modern offensive approach taken by many younger coaches today.
2. Need a DC who will flex his scheme in game, week to week and for a specific team.
3. Need a DC who can run his position units, and make sure the technique and fundamentals are there for the players to be successful.

Creativity, flexibility and prreparedness.

It think Nolan is a better position coach at this point of his career. He is a good coach, but not a DC or a HC anymore.

 

[noshame]

The guy was hired because MM owed him a favor


That should have been a red flag

 

[Malhavoc]

Nolan was a bad hire because he didn’t have the personnel needed to succeed. Say what you want about the talent but it’s never performed THIS bad. Nolan isn’t a good fit. Defense does need more talent, but a better fit a DC is also needed

 

[xwalker]

Should Nolan Be Fired?

The answer I think most of us would give is yes. But I'd like to know why. I "DO" want Nolan gone, but my reason is because I want an aggressive 4-3 DC, but that's about all I got. And a DC the players are willing to work with.

When I look at the defense we should rightfully be getting torched in the air, we knew that from the start of the season. Lewis, Awuzie, woods aren't needle movers, Diggs is a rookie and Wilson is a good run defending, underneath type safety. But statistically our passing D is middle of the pack. Why?

Because our run Defense is the worst in the league. But that's where the household names were. Poe, Smith, DLAW, Gregory, Griffen. In Marinelli's Scheme you could one gap and go. In this Scheme it's not like that. I've scene Nolan even go to a 5man front and yet runs up the gut and around the corner are still happening. I don't necessarily believe at this point it's a lack of understanding, but a lack of effort. Aldon and DLaw getting caught inside and not setting the edge, Crawford getting blown off the ball. Then you look at the next level with LVE and Jaylon. I've seen especially early on where for example Poe was double teamed leaving Jaylon 1 on 1 with a back and Jaylon hesitates and gets burned for a 5 -6 yard run that should have been 2 at the most. LVE not picking the right Gap with Lamar Jackson's TD run.

Those things are not the fault of the playcaller. Also we need to be realistic about the players and how they play. DLAW freelanced à bit. If you notice he dips inside quite a bit on runs and doesn't set the edge all the time. More often than not it works in his favor though, but if a lesser player does that it's not gonna work out well. There are plays where DLaw dives inside gets in the backfield and hits the RB and gets a 5 yard loss, but if he sets the edge then the RB cuts back right into the LBs for no gain. But if DLAW misses when he ducks inside then that back now has a nice lane outside with the LBs being out of position.

My point is I've seen Nolan do several different things but the results are the same. If you recall the game against the Ravens was telling. The last TD featured a gut run and the RB was barely touched. There lineman said "easy money". A gut run in a goal line situation should NEVER be easy money. Is that Nolan's fault?

If he is fired and someone else is brought in, how do we know that the players won't pull this same nonsense then? I ask, is it Nolan's scheme? Is it a Talent deficiency? Lack of effort? Or all of the above?

Probably NOT.

It is impossible to "grade" the coaches this season due to Covid and injuries.

There is nothing fundamentally wrong with the defensive scheme. It's not a Rob Ryan wacky scheme that the majority of coaches in the media considered fundamentally unsound.

IF there was a great option available for D-Coordinator, then they should consider it; otherwise, give Nolan a few players and something resembling a real off-season then judge him in 2021.
- If the defense struggles in 2021, they always have the option to fire Nolan then and promote George Edwards.
- Some media people think they would have hired Edwards as DC originally but he would not commit immediately due to having been contacted about Head Coaching jobs.

• The fan/media obsession about 4-3/3-4 is comical.
  • They played some games this season with less than 10 snaps in a 3-4 alignment.
  • The majority of snaps are played in the 4-2-5 Nickel. That is true for the Cowboys and almost all NFL defenses.
  • When everything is summed up with regards to 4-3 vs 3-4, the 3-4 adds an NT and deletes the 4-3 SLB.
    • 3-4 OLBs were 4-3 DEs
    • 3-4 DEs were 4-3 DTs
    • 3-4 ILBs were 4-3 MLB & WLB
    • They play 3-4 on run downs. Who cares if DLaw is playing OLB or DE vs the run?
    • i.e. Space out the 4-3 DL, add the NT in the middle and remove the 4-3 SLB.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

Should Nolan Be Fired?

The answer I think most of us would give is yes. But I'd like to know why. I "DO" want Nolan gone, but my reason is because I want an aggressive 4-3 DC, but that's about all I got. And a DC the players are willing to work with.

When I look at the defense we should rightfully be getting torched in the air, we knew that from the start of the season. Lewis, Awuzie, woods aren't needle movers, Diggs is a rookie and Wilson is a good run defending, underneath type safety. But statistically our passing D is middle of the pack. Why?

Because our run Defense is the worst in the league. But that's where the household names were. Poe, Smith, DLAW, Gregory, Griffen. In Marinelli's Scheme you could one gap and go. In this Scheme it's not like that. I've scene Nolan even go to a 5man front and yet runs up the gut and around the corner are still happening. I don't necessarily believe at this point it's a lack of understanding, but a lack of effort. Aldon and DLaw getting caught inside and not setting the edge, Crawford getting blown off the ball. Then you look at the next level with LVE and Jaylon. I've seen especially early on where for example Poe was double teamed leaving Jaylon 1 on 1 with a back and Jaylon hesitates and gets burned for a 5 -6 yard run that should have been 2 at the most. LVE not picking the right Gap with Lamar Jackson's TD run.

Those things are not the fault of the playcaller. Also we need to be realistic about the players and how they play. DLAW freelanced à bit. If you notice he dips inside quite a bit on runs and doesn't set the edge all the time. More often than not it works in his favor though, but if a lesser player does that it's not gonna work out well. There are plays where DLaw dives inside gets in the backfield and hits the RB and gets a 5 yard loss, but if he sets the edge then the RB cuts back right into the LBs for no gain. But if DLAW misses when he ducks inside then that back now has a nice lane outside with the LBs being out of position.

My point is I've seen Nolan do several different things but the results are the same. If you recall the game against the Ravens was telling. The last TD featured a gut run and the RB was barely touched. There lineman said "easy money". A gut run in a goal line situation should NEVER be easy money. Is that Nolan's fault?

If he is fired and someone else is brought in, how do we know that the players won't pull this same nonsense then? I ask, is it Nolan's scheme? Is it a Talent deficiency? Lack of effort? Or all of the above?

yes. the defense had two good games against two offensive bottom dwellers. it doesn't make his defense good.

we need new DC or struggles will continue much like it did before....or are we going to keep him for 10 years, find excuses after excuses just like we did with garrett

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

the uptick in turnovers has been encouraging but at the end of the day it doesn't seem that he knows how to utilize one gap interior lineman.

Well I don't think that it is fair to evaluate him given the limited off-season I do believe that there are better options that will be available more suited to the people that we have.

 

[Kaiser]

One thing I have noticed, the Defense has improved and played much better this late in the season. Is it because the players are finally better understanding their roles in Nolan's defense or is it Nolan making better adjustments while starting the correct players? I think it's a little bit of both..

Agree, but when you have two huge problems in the injuries and the lack of time to implement the scheme, you also get other problems to compound the bigger problems. Players have start freelancing too much to try to cover for breakdowns by others, they take more gambles to try to make up for a breakdown earlier, etc.

I think Nolan is gone but XWalker is right that you really can't do a real evaluation in a trainwreck season like this.

 

[Praxit]

..I believe DC's have to have more brains than OC's. Defense alignments are much more complicated, getting the right players in positions to maximize their output. I think Nolan is not good fit for our players outputs.

Jurassic Marinelli executed better, but failed alot in crucial moments.

 

[IceStar-D7]

Asking if Nolan should be fired is like asking anybody on the planet to relive 2020...

 

[Captain-Crash]

yep, let's get somebody in here to help our dumb lazy players.

 

[xwalker]

the uptick in turnovers has been encouraging but at the end of the day it doesn't seem that he knows how to utilize one gap interior lineman.

Well I don't think that it is fair to evaluate him given the limited off-season I do believe that there are better options that will be available more suited to the people that we have.

If there are any D-Coordinators available that could convince management to cut Jaylon Smith, then that is the guy I would like for them to hire...

My only real concern for next season for the defense is that they'll keep Jaylon as a starter that plays over 90% of the snaps.

Normally I would not advocate cutting a starter until they have a replacement but I'm certain they're going to keep playing Jaylon near 100% of snaps in 2021 if he is on the roster.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

If there are any D-Coordinators available that could convince management to cut Jaylon Smith, then that is the guy I would like for them to hire...

My only real concern for next season for the defense is that they'll keep Jaylon as a starter that plays over 90% of the snaps.

Normally I would not advocate cutting a starter until they have a replacement but I'm certain they're going to keep playing Jaylon near 100% of snaps in 2021 if he is on the roster.

He's had over 900 snaps this season and only has maybe 10 or so splash plays according to Bob Sturm.

Tackles are not so significant when they're 8 yards down field or more