Stop trying to convince realists the defense is fine

[Billy Bullocks]

all things considered, we did shut down Favre. Rogers played well. But Favre did nothing against our D.

Last year, Manning was good, but not really great against us either.

So the only one of the 3 QBs you mentioned that lit us up was Brady, and he hasn't really not lit anyone up this year save for a few games.

Is this a dominant defense? With the perfomance they have put up, I'd say they can be exposed. But I would say they are pretty damn good. Our offense is better than anyone except for New England. And our defense is good enough.

 

[JoeCorrado]

The defense is 12-1 - seriously, the defense is not some new version of the Doomsday Defense but it is not as bad as some here might like to suggest. Some people just need to worry about SOMETHING.

The defense, last I looked is doing a pretty good job against most teams. They are giving up an average of 21.2 points per game (15th in the league) granted, those are not great numbers- but they are not sky is falling kind of numbers either. No cause to thump chests and beat the drums- but not gee wiz gosh awful either. - Respectable is more like it. Especially when they WANT to bring some heat.

The run defense has been ok so far and the Cowboys have played some games where opponents really DID try to run the ball in close games. That's right, not every Dallas game has been a blowout so those run defense numbers pass the stink test.

The PASS defense, ah- theres the rub. But you know what? The pass defense is improving EXCEPT when they CHOOSE to play soft. Reeves has come a long way this season, Watkins is playing improved ball and Newman / Henry are not quite 100% just yet. The Cowboys also activated Aaron Ball so he will add some depth in the dime and Roy is being protected in obvious passing situations by simply removing him from the feild.

Yes- this defense is still improving and that is a good sign.

Now, you take the Patriots for instance- they were as good as they were going to get when we played them earlier this season. Since then questions have been raised. It could be that some defenses in the league have just as much, or more to fear from a top rated offense than just our Cowboys.

Anybody want to talk about Terry Glenn coming back... our own version of a Wess Welker perhaps in time for the playoffs. Oh, what will we ever do?

 

[Hostile]

ok...since you said I ignored this post.....I'll respond....I love Jerry, but he is an admitted optimist....so some of things he says you have to take with a grain of salt...I don't know what more I can say Hos....we just disagree on this topic...I see a defense that can be spread out and thrown on when you get a superior QB...which is what Favre, Manning and Brady are. Remeber, for me...this is not about how we will look against Philly or Carolina or Washington. I think the defense will play well...I am forecasting that I don't like what I think is coming. That is the blueprint to putting up points on this defense....and there are teams in our way of the Lombardi trophy that are very capable of pulling this strategy off

The point is you PROMISED that no one at Valley Ranch shared the optimism of the non realists on this board. PROMISED. Your words, not mine.

You still haven't acknowledged that others having an opposite opinion isn't persecution. Or that labels are ished out by both sides. Then again, neither has anyone else who made the claim. Not that I expected honesty from the persecuted.

I don't give a flying fart if we allow 40 points a game if we score 1 point more than we allow. Will I love it? Hell no, but I care about winning. That's all I care about when it boils right down to tallow. I guess that's why I'm not a realist.

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

The defense is 12-1 - seriously, the defense is not some new version of the Doomsday Defense but it is not as bad as some here might like to suggest. Some people just need to worry about SOMETHING.

I dont think that everyone just wants something to worry about.

The offense has bailed out this defense more than once.

13 games played
8 games we have given up atleast 20... of those 8 games... 4 games we have given up 27 or more


THAT will work against us in the playoffs

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

I dont think that everyone just wants something to worry about.

The offense has bailed out this defense more than once.

13 games played
8 games we have given up atleast 20... of those 8 games... 4 games we have given up 27 or more


THAT will work against us in the playoffs

Well said!
In the playoffs there are no second chances. As I have said, if the offense has a rare off day during the playoffs, with this defense, that means big trouble.

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

Well said!
In the playoffs there are no second chances. As I have said, if the offense has a rare off day during the playoffs, with this defense, that means big trouble.

Well if we get a Buffalo or Detroit type game in playoffs... we are pushing our luck.....

We are, in essence, asking the offense to bail out the defense.... its possible that we could do it.... but thats a tall order for 2 playoff games and SB

 

[DBoys]

I dont think that everyone just wants something to worry about.

The offense has bailed out this defense more than once.

13 games played
8 games we have given up atleast 20... of those 8 games... 4 games we have given up 27 or more


THAT will work against us in the playoffs

Amen brother

 

[smarta5150]

I dont think that everyone just wants something to worry about.

The offense has bailed out this defense more than once.

13 games played
8 games we have given up atleast 20... of those 8 games... 4 games we have given up 27 or more


THAT will work against us in the playoffs

New England - 13 games played:

5 games they gave up 20+
4 games were 27+

It happens. The league is changing... scoring is in. Thank the NFL for that.

 

[smarta5150]

New England - 13 games played:

5 games they gave up 20+
4 games were 27+

It happens. The league is changing... scoring is in. Thank the NFL for that.

Other nuggets:

Steelers - 4 games of 20+
Colts - 7 games of 20+
Packers - 5 games of 20+


I still don;t know what you were getting at Mick but 2 others agreed with you... well what does that mean for the 4 teams above.

They have inconsistent defenses that need help to?




I understand 8 is more than the field I mentioned but they still haven't been "lights out."

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

I have been saying since week 5 that the Pats have changed the way these chicken littles view a win .....

If we do not win by 20 we showed weakness.

It has become embarrassing to barely beat an NFL team.

Unbelievable.

What a complete suckup

 

[dooomsday]

What a complete suckup

Thank god the coaches dont think like these guys. I am sure they are well aware of our faults and are doing the their best to improve. We can using schemes etc. Hopefully there arent standing around saying "lets just win by 1!"

Our pass rush is lacking (tho our sacks maybe up, thanks Mr. Ellis.) and the injury bug has kept us from playing to the best of our ability in the backfield. Shame. I think that alone would make a difference.

Yes, if we outscore the opponent by one point we win. Wonderful. Will we play Buff and Det. every week? If not there is also a flip side to that. What happens that one game when the D gives up just 1 point too much and we lose by that point? Game over.

Or, if we dont benefit from a fumble, missed FG or onsides kick! All plays we can count on right? LOL. Cause we make our own luck.

 

[Next_years_Champs]

Or, if we dont benefit from a fumble, missed FG or onsides kick! All plays we can count on right? LOL. Cause we make our own luck.

Do you mean the FG we missed in Detroit and how about the fumble on the one foot line does that count?

The fact is both sides of the team had its share of problems in Detroit, however when the defense positively had to have a stop they made it and when the offense positively had to score a TD they did.

If we hadn't won in Detroit both sides of this team would have made significant contributions to the loss, just as both sides ultimately contributed to the win.

 

[aikemirv]

And an even better question, does it have to be?

I don't necessarily think it has to be championship caliber to win a Superbowl, but it has to do better than we have seen against the pass if we are playing NE.

If by chance you ended up with someone like Indy or Pitts (Pitts I highly doubt, Indy has a good chance) our defense will keep us in the game I think.

Lets face it, while I think out D has been decent most of the time, the difference for the Cowboys this year from being a 9-4 team versus a 12-1 team is Romo. Both games against the Giants - the reason we won is not a better defense or a better running game or a better oline - it is a better QB.

What gets me about this whole thread is that the game against Detroit was a big abberation IMO because we were bad against the run the whole first half and it set the tone for an anemic pass rush the likes of which we have not seen this year.

 

[Maikeru-sama]

I don't necessarily think it has to be championship caliber to win a Superbowl, but it has to do better than we have seen against the pass if we are playing NE.

If by chance you ended up with someone like Indy or Pitts (Pitts I highly doubt, Indy has a good chance) our defense will keep us in the game I think.

Lets face it, while I think out D has been decent most of the time, the difference for the Cowboys this year from being a 9-4 team versus a 12-1 team is Romo. Both games against the Giants - the reason we won is not a better defense or a better running game or a better oline - it is a better QB.

What gets me about this whole thread is that the game against Detroit was a big abberation IMO because we were bad against the run the whole first half and it set the tone for an anemic pass rush the likes of which we have not seen this year.

This a very good analysis.

A couple to things. If you think about it, the Defense didn't play great against the Patriots either, but they were good enough to allow the team to dig itself out of a 14 point deficit.

The Patriots were a better team but Penalties on offense destroyed any chances of a win.

Which pass defense do you think is the real Cowboys, the one we saw against the Packers or the one against the Lions?

 

[aikemirv]

This a very good analysis.

A couple to things. If you think about it, the Defense didn't play great against the Patriots either, but they were good enough to allow the team to dig itself out of a 14 point deficit.

The Patriots were a better team but Penalties on offense destroyed any chances of a win.

Which pass defense do you think is the real Cowboys, the one we saw against the Packers or the one against the Lions?

I'm not sure we really know what it is. We have not had all 3 corners 100% healthy all year. Then we get Newman and Henry starting together again and move them back to their original positions and have some adjustment there too.

We are good against the deep ball that is for sure. I think we are weak against the short pass because while Henry is good overall he does not have the quickness to stay with the short routes. Reeves cannot play press coverage, therefore he gets beat short a lot. Newman is the only all around great corner who can do it all. Jones is a huge liability when he is on the field.

With all that pressure dictates how good our secondary is at this point. If we don't get pressure we are going to struggle - that is the case with all defenses I suppose, I think we just seem worse at it because we get to see every mistake the Cowboys make and don't get to watch all the other teams bad plays.

 

[zrinkill]

What a complete suckup

What a complete football ******

 

[zrinkill]

Or, if we dont benefit from a fumble, missed FG or onsides kick! All plays we can count on right? LOL. Cause we make our own luck.

So our opponents can count on Folk missing a fieldgoal, Romo fumbling the ball, or Witten fumbling on the one yard line?

Some of you guys act as if you have never watched football before this year.