CCBoy
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 47,014
- Reaction score
- 22,608
Big D? Not So Much
The Cowboys are riding high after last Sunday’s takedown of the Eagles, but their secondary can easily be picked apart by Andrew Luck’s Colts ... plus, smart watching for Week 16 and film study revelations
By
Andy Benoit
http://mmqb.si.com/author/andybmmqb/
http://mmqb.si.com/2014/12/18/nfl-week-16-dallas-cowboys-indianapolis-colts/
Many are calling the Cowboys’ 38-27 win over the Eagles the biggest victory in Jason Garrett’s tenure. Impressive indeed, but the music will come to a scratchy halt this Sunday when Dallas’s overachieving defense collides with Andrew Luck’s Colts.
Contrary to popular belief, the Cowboys are not operating out of the Cover 2 base that has defined much of defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli’s career. Cover 2 has become for them what it’s become for about 29 other NFL teams: a situational scheme saved primarily for third down or two-minute situations. And like many of those 29 other teams, the Cowboys also dabble in quarters coverage or man-to-man in those situations.
If we have to label the Cowboys’ base defensive scheme, it’s a Cover 3. That is, each cornerback taking an outside third of the field and a single high safety taking the middle third of the field. In the box are four underneath defenders and four pass rushers. In this scheme, Marinelli has also been known to play man-to-man on the outside—the same thing Pete Carroll does up in Seattle.
But the Cowboys are a lesser version of the Seahawks. (With the possible exception of Orlando Scandrick as a nickel slot, every Cowboys’ starter would back up the current Seahawks’ starter.) The Colts, meanwhile, are one of the best “Cover 3 beating” teams in football.
It starts, of course, with Andrew Luck. Because he’s so deft at reading the field, both pre-and post-snap, he’s often immune to the copious disguises that precede many Cover 3 looks. He also plays in an offense that, under coordinator Pep Hamilton, has been superb at exploiting Cover 3 through play design.
It’s quite possible that Marinelli will employ different tactics this Sunday. The Cowboys have been decent in man coverage lately, something the Colts have struggled against. Above all, Cover 3 creates an eight-man box, which is why so many teams play it on first- and second-down. But the Colts’ rushing attack doesn’t warrant an eight-man box. The stiff-hipped Trent Richardson is the worst starting back in the NFL, and Dan Herron—the man who has been taking some of Richardson’s carries but should be getting all of them—is quick but not dynamic.
If Marinelli wants to keep two safeties back deep and play quarters, Cover 2 or “2-man,” he can. This does, however, mean Dallas could only rush four. Typically, Marinelli prefers that. But aside from the occasional splash (usually from 3-technique Tyrone Crawford), the Cowboys’ albeit improving D-line doesn’t generate consistent pressure. Plays can extend late in the down, when few quarterbacks are as good as Luck.
Expect the Colts to work the deep-intermediate levels of the field and challenge the Cowboys’ back seven, particularly safeties Barry Church and J.J. Wilcox. With rookie Donte Moncrief supplanting the mediocre Hakeem Nicks in more packages, the Colts have one of the league’s fastest receiving corps. This will be a week the Cowboys defense doesn’t overachieve...
The Cowboys are riding high after last Sunday’s takedown of the Eagles, but their secondary can easily be picked apart by Andrew Luck’s Colts ... plus, smart watching for Week 16 and film study revelations
By
Andy Benoit
http://mmqb.si.com/author/andybmmqb/
http://mmqb.si.com/2014/12/18/nfl-week-16-dallas-cowboys-indianapolis-colts/
Many are calling the Cowboys’ 38-27 win over the Eagles the biggest victory in Jason Garrett’s tenure. Impressive indeed, but the music will come to a scratchy halt this Sunday when Dallas’s overachieving defense collides with Andrew Luck’s Colts.
Contrary to popular belief, the Cowboys are not operating out of the Cover 2 base that has defined much of defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli’s career. Cover 2 has become for them what it’s become for about 29 other NFL teams: a situational scheme saved primarily for third down or two-minute situations. And like many of those 29 other teams, the Cowboys also dabble in quarters coverage or man-to-man in those situations.
If we have to label the Cowboys’ base defensive scheme, it’s a Cover 3. That is, each cornerback taking an outside third of the field and a single high safety taking the middle third of the field. In the box are four underneath defenders and four pass rushers. In this scheme, Marinelli has also been known to play man-to-man on the outside—the same thing Pete Carroll does up in Seattle.
But the Cowboys are a lesser version of the Seahawks. (With the possible exception of Orlando Scandrick as a nickel slot, every Cowboys’ starter would back up the current Seahawks’ starter.) The Colts, meanwhile, are one of the best “Cover 3 beating” teams in football.
It starts, of course, with Andrew Luck. Because he’s so deft at reading the field, both pre-and post-snap, he’s often immune to the copious disguises that precede many Cover 3 looks. He also plays in an offense that, under coordinator Pep Hamilton, has been superb at exploiting Cover 3 through play design.
It’s quite possible that Marinelli will employ different tactics this Sunday. The Cowboys have been decent in man coverage lately, something the Colts have struggled against. Above all, Cover 3 creates an eight-man box, which is why so many teams play it on first- and second-down. But the Colts’ rushing attack doesn’t warrant an eight-man box. The stiff-hipped Trent Richardson is the worst starting back in the NFL, and Dan Herron—the man who has been taking some of Richardson’s carries but should be getting all of them—is quick but not dynamic.
If Marinelli wants to keep two safeties back deep and play quarters, Cover 2 or “2-man,” he can. This does, however, mean Dallas could only rush four. Typically, Marinelli prefers that. But aside from the occasional splash (usually from 3-technique Tyrone Crawford), the Cowboys’ albeit improving D-line doesn’t generate consistent pressure. Plays can extend late in the down, when few quarterbacks are as good as Luck.
Expect the Colts to work the deep-intermediate levels of the field and challenge the Cowboys’ back seven, particularly safeties Barry Church and J.J. Wilcox. With rookie Donte Moncrief supplanting the mediocre Hakeem Nicks in more packages, the Colts have one of the league’s fastest receiving corps. This will be a week the Cowboys defense doesn’t overachieve...
