Stats: Cowboys Defense vs Skins Offense

[xwalker]

The Cowboys Defense had a good game against the Skins.

Skins Rushing Yards: 47 (Cowboys Offense 213)
Skins Rush Yards/Carry: 2.8 (Cowboys Offense 6.3)

Skins Completion Rate: 70% (Cowboys Offense 87%)
Skins Gross Pass Yards: 213 (Cowboys Offense 269)

Note: Despite a higher than average completion rate, the Skins had less total pass yards than expected from 37 pass attempts due to below average yards/completion.

Less total yards but higher completion percentage is the definition of Dink & Dunk.



Calculations for Expected Yards on 37 Pass Attempts
Skins (in this game)
70.3% completion rate
8.2 yards/completion

2018 League Average
64.9% completion rate
11.4 yards/completion

The Skins had 37 pass attempts and 213 passing yards.

Skins
37 x 70.3% = 26 completions
26 x 8.2 = 213 yards

2018 League Average (Expected Yards on 37 Pass Attempts)
37 x 64.9% = 24 completions
24 x 11.4 = 274 yards

 

[dfense]

The Cowboys Defense had a good game against the Skins.

Skins Rushing Yards: 47 (Cowboys Offense 213)
Skins Rush Yards/Carry: 2.8 (Cowboys Offense 6.3)

Skins Completion Rate: 70% (Cowboys Offense 87%)
Skins Gross Pass Yards: 213 (Cowboys Offense 269)

Note: Despite a higher than average completion rate, the Skins had less total pass yards than expected from 37 pass attempts due to below average yards/completion.

Less total yards but higher completion percentage is the definition of Dink & Dunk.



Calculations for Expected Yards on 37 Pass Attempts
Skins (in this game)
70.3% completion rate
8.2 yards/completion

2018 League Average
64.9% completion rate
11.4 yards/completion

The Skins had 37 pass attempts and 213 passing yards.

Skins
37 x 70.3% = 26 completions
26 x 8.2 = 213 yards

2018 League Average (Expected Yards on 37 Pass Attempts)
37 x 64.9% = 24 completions
24 x 11.4 = 274 yards

Well this kind of logic just kills this kind of post.

 

[Kolemmitt]

Well this kind of logic just kills this kind of post.

Especially since the last drive was half/prevent mode.

But Tank sucks, our whole Dline sucks, our secondary sucks, our LBs are good but played poorly. Did I miss anything?

 

[doomsday9084]

I wish it was possible to get some objective stats for when the team isn't playing prevent victory defense on a per play or per drive basis and compare it league wide. In the last two games, the team was in prevent for extended periods of time and was getting gashed for it and I think that has skewed the stats.

 

[CATCH17]

D line does need to play better and shed their blocks.. D Law is not playing bad though.. He just hasn’t got a sack and that’s what some will judge him on.


Jaylen needs to play better. His positioning has not been well. Over pursuiting or being a little off in Zone. He needs to step up.

Safeties need to pick off gimme interceptions.

Anthony Brown needs to learn to tackle.



Byron and D Law will get better as the season goes on. They missed all offseason and TC. They’ll get it going.

 

[Maxmadden]

Especially since the last drive was half/prevent mode.

But Tank sucks, our whole Dline sucks, our secondary sucks, our LBs are good but played poorly. Did I miss anything?

Our kicker sucks

 

[Hot_Toddy]

Especially since the last drive was half/prevent mode.

But Tank sucks, our whole Dline sucks, our secondary sucks, our LBs are good but played poorly. Did I miss anything?

Just to add:

3rd down conversions:
Dallas: 63%
Commanders: 22%

 

[JD_KaPow]

The Cowboys Defense had a good game against the Skins.

Skins Rushing Yards: 47 (Cowboys Offense 213)
Skins Rush Yards/Carry: 2.8 (Cowboys Offense 6.3)

Skins Completion Rate: 70% (Cowboys Offense 87%)
Skins Gross Pass Yards: 213 (Cowboys Offense 269)

Note: Despite a higher than average completion rate, the Skins had less total pass yards than expected from 37 pass attempts due to below average yards/completion.

Less total yards but higher completion percentage is the definition of Dink & Dunk.



Calculations for Expected Yards on 37 Pass Attempts
Skins (in this game)
70.3% completion rate
8.2 yards/completion

2018 League Average
64.9% completion rate
11.4 yards/completion

The Skins had 37 pass attempts and 213 passing yards.

Skins
37 x 70.3% = 26 completions
26 x 8.2 = 213 yards

2018 League Average (Expected Yards on 37 Pass Attempts)
37 x 64.9% = 24 completions
24 x 11.4 = 274 yards

That's a complicated way to say:

Commanders passing: 5.97 yards per attempt (that's terrible)
Cowboys passing: 8.97 yards per attempt (that's excellent)

No takeaways continues to be a problem, though.

 

[jazzcat22]

On the post game show, they interviewed Byron Jones, he said they need to clean up the tackling especially in the open field.

But the 3rd down defense has improved from last year.
Babe said last week NY was 2-9, and today Washington was 3-11 or something like that.

But that means they are giving up too many 1st and 2nd down big plays for the yards given up.

 

[Hennessy_King]

Yards do not tell the story. Biggest stats to look at for a defense are takeaways, sacks, and pressure %. We are not good in all 3 categories. I hope these first 3 games dont give the defense false confidence.

 

[xwalker]

That's a complicated way to say:

Commanders passing: 5.97 yards per attempt (that's terrible)
Cowboys passing: 8.97 yards per attempt (that's excellent)

No takeaways continues to be a problem, though.

Many people have no idea what it good or bad on that stat and based on past experience just putting terrible or excellent next to the stat is not going to change that.

 

[Doomsday101]

Dallas D held Washington to 2 of 9 on 3rd down for 22%. Defense did nothing to knock my socks off but I felt they played a solid game holding Skins to 14 points before giving up a garbage score at the end of the game.

 

[Portnoy1]

Yards do not tell the story. Biggest stats to look at for a defense are takeaways, sacks, and pressure %. We are not good in all 3 categories. I hope these first 3 games dont give the defense false confidence.

Those are good stats, but the no. 1 thing is points. We only gave up 21. With the offense playing well, another team scoring 21 or less will be fine especially if the D is not in prevent mode.

 

[Outlaw Heroes]

Our D held them to 2 of 9 (22%) on third down conversions. They helped themselves by going 2 for 3 on 4th down conversions, but on the whole the D did a good job of getting off the field.

 

[Sydla]

Our D held them to 2 of 9 (22%) on third down conversions. They helped themselves by going 2 for 3 on 4th down conversions, but on the whole the D did a good job of getting off the field.

Yardage and even points are nice but as you note, what really will win you games is third down conversation percentage, turnovers and QB pressures.

Giants were 2-10 on third down last week. So thus far, 3rd down D is pretty good.

 

[G2]

The defense got pressure all game long. There were rushed passes and missed opportunities for INTs by the secondary.

 

[charron]

Dallas- 9 drives 31pts
Wash- 9 drives 21pts

Seems when wash was able to drive the ball we couldn't stop them. We used to be pretty good at holding teams to FG's, but have struggled doing this so far this year.

 

[gimmesix]

The Cowboys Defense had a good game against the Skins.

Skins Rushing Yards: 47 (Cowboys Offense 213)
Skins Rush Yards/Carry: 2.8 (Cowboys Offense 6.3)

Skins Completion Rate: 70% (Cowboys Offense 87%)
Skins Gross Pass Yards: 213 (Cowboys Offense 269)

Note: Despite a higher than average completion rate, the Skins had less total pass yards than expected from 37 pass attempts due to below average yards/completion.

Less total yards but higher completion percentage is the definition of Dink & Dunk.



Calculations for Expected Yards on 37 Pass Attempts
Skins (in this game)
70.3% completion rate
8.2 yards/completion

2018 League Average
64.9% completion rate
11.4 yards/completion

The Skins had 37 pass attempts and 213 passing yards.

Skins
37 x 70.3% = 26 completions
26 x 8.2 = 213 yards

2018 League Average (Expected Yards on 37 Pass Attempts)
37 x 64.9% = 24 completions
24 x 11.4 = 274 yards

I was just about to post that I'm not worried about the defense yet, but my reasoning has more to do with the fact that in both games we limited the scoring until victory was out of reach. The Giants only had 10 points until late in the fourth quarter and the Commanders only had 14 until close to the final two minutes. (And even seven of those points came following a turnover returned into our territory.) Sure, there are things that need to be tightened up, but defenses play differently with a big lead than they do in close games, worrying more about time than points or yards.

We'll get some good tests down the road where the defense will need to step up, and we'll need a better pass rush, but if we're concerned about the defense based on two blowout victories, I think we're not considering the nature of these two games.

 

[TwoCentPlain]

On the post game show, they interviewed Byron Jones, he said they need to clean up the tackling especially in the open field.

But the 3rd down defense has improved from last year.
Babe said last week NY was 2-9, and today Washington was 3-11 or something like that.

But that means they are giving up too many 1st and 2nd down big plays for the yards given up.

Only turnovers are more important than 3rd down conversions when rating a defense. A 3rd down stop is almost as good as a turnover but the field position gets switched.

Next biggest stat is chunk plays. The NYG had a few. Barkley's big run (were there missed tackles? I can't remember) and the pass to Shepherd (?) where Awuzie had almost perfect coverage but the throw by Eli was on the mark. I haven't seen the Skins game yet. Taped it but didn't watch yet. Any chunk plays given up to the Skins?

Tackling by DBs is an issue for a few. DB Brown being the biggest culprit. One of the biggest issues I see with the defense is giving up a score early and falling behind.

Also, have to take into account the score of the game when evaluating a defense. Defenses play a lot different with a big lead.