Stop trying to convince realists the defense is fine

[03EBZ06]

What does our record have to do with our defense almost losing the game for us? If Romo was not the baddest mofo around you apologists would be singing a different tune.

So defense had no impact on this team being 12-1, right?

 

[superpunk]

Name a current top team for which this is NOT true.

I'm just going to go ahead and answer this.

I don't care about what other teams do! I want the Dallas Cowboys to be the best and you can throw stats around all day that doesnt change the fact that this defense will let us down in the playoffs are you trying to say that you think this defense can handle the pats after we let jason campbell tj duckett and jon kitna have career days against us? you can throw stats around all day long i dont want to hear it i dont care what other teams do i dont want to hear about stats or what other teams do and most of all i dont care what other teams do.

 

[Doomsday101]

They played good at the end of the game no doubt. But they lost the NE game for us and let GB back in the game. They cannot keep a lead if their lives depended on it. They are also the worst 3rd and long defense I have ever seen.

They can't keep a lead? GB made a comeback but they never took the lead. NE yes they scored on us and yet it was the defense who got the scoring going vs NE when we sacked Brady and returned the fumble for the TD. Like anyone I want to see more improvement from this unit but sorry I don't think they are as bad as you are trying to portray.

 

[DBoys]

If the defense did not hold up at the end and force the Punt, Romo does not get the chance to win the game. Dallas was out of time outs and with a little over 2 min to play all Det needed was 1st down. The D stood up and got the job done in the end. Overall yes it was a bad day but to overlook the caracter of this unit is a bit short sighted. How many times in the past did this unit fail to make a big stand in critical stages of the game?

I am with you they played great at the end of the game. The defense plays clueless at times but they always seem to close the game strong so I admire them for that. NE is the only game I though they got spanked.

 

[tomson75]

I'm just going to go ahead and answer this.

I don't care about what other teams do! I want the Dallas Cowboys to be the best and you can throw stats around all day that doesnt change the fact that this defense will let us down in the playoffs are you trying to say that you think this defense can handle the pats after we let jason campbell tj duckett and jon kitna have career days against us? you can throw stats around all day long i dont want to hear it i dont care what other teams do i dont want to hear about stats or what other teams do and most of all i dont care what other teams do.

Spot on.

 

[DBoys]

They can't keep a lead? GB made a comeback but they never took the lead. NE yes they scored on us and yet it was the defense who got the scoring going vs NE when we sacked Brady and returned the fumble for the TD. Like anyone I want to see more improvement from this unit but sorry I don't think they are as bad as you are trying to portray.

They are pretty bad on 3rd and long you have to admit that

 

[baj1dallas]

like I said....spin away....especially if it makes you feel better...but the "aw shucks we will fix it next week" is going to catch us.

I am a fan...a diehard fan....but their is nothing wrong with watching my favorite team and being happy with the win, but puzzled by the perfomance of our defense.

I do wonder at the lack of pressure on Kitna, otoh they were in max protect for a lot of the game. Or at least kept in extra blockers.

 

[Doomsday101]

I am with you they played great at the end of the game. The defense plays clueless at times but they always seem to close the game strong so I admire them for that. NE is the only game I though they got spanked.

I agree NE present problems but we are talking about a team who is 13-0. Hey as I said I expect more out of this defense and while I think the Det game was a bit of a setback for the defense I still believe this unit will continue to get better.

 

[Doomsday101]

They are pretty bad on 3rd and long you have to admit that

At times we are. I don't look at this unit as a finished product and feel we are still too inconsistent on that side of the ball. However they have proved to me that when the chips are down they can get the job done and have done so in many games this season but I'm all for more improvement. :laugh2:

 

[joseephuss]

I do wonder at the lack of pressure on Kitna, otoh they were in max protect for a lot of the game. Or at least kept in extra blockers.

Moving Damien Woody out to play RT was a better solution than what the Lions had going for them the rest of the season. George Foster and Jonathan Scott have been tried at RT and both would get manhandled.

 

[aikemirv]

I'm just going to go ahead and answer this.

I don't care about what other teams do! I want the Dallas Cowboys to be the best and you can throw stats around all day that doesnt change the fact that this defense will let us down in the playoffs are you trying to say that you think this defense can handle the pats after we let jason campbell tj duckett and jon kitna have career days against us? you can throw stats around all day long i dont want to hear it i dont care what other teams do i dont want to hear about stats or what other teams do and most of all i dont care what other teams do.

It is about realistic expectations though, not how good can we be.

 

[YosemiteSam]

QB doesn't need stats when the RB runs over the entire defense. The defense as a whole was AWFUL. Special teams saved us (starting field position, missed chip shot FG), along with Romo, Witten and Barber.

Kitna: 22 of 36 for 246 yards and 6.83 yards per attempt = 81.48 QB Rating. That isn't that bad.

If you subtract the first Lions drive (4 rushes for 64 yards at 15.75 yards per carry) The Cowboys didn't play that bad. They just sucked that first defensive stand against the rush and then they went back to how they always play the run.

Lions rushing after first drive: 28 for 89 yards at 3.17 yard per carry.

So, basically the Lions ran roughshot over the Cowboys on the first drive, then the Cowboys returned to their run stuffing form. As for the passing game, the Cowboys protected against the big play and allowed the Lions underneath.

You have to give the Lions some credit, they played like Buffalo did. They gave it everything they had. Be happy, the Cowboys took their best shot and beat then anyway.

 

[ThreeSportStar80]

Ummm, step away from the ledge...

 

[Hostile]

I see where your going but I think in the case of Dallas our defense cannot hold a lead. I am joking here it is almost like they blow the lead to build the legend of Romo

In Buffalo and Detroit we had the lead for all of 18 seconds combined.

The defense was good enough to hold the other teams until the offense had enough time to secure the wins.

You'd call that bad defense?

 

[YosemiteSam]

I'm just going to go ahead and answer this.

I don't care about what other teams do! I want the Dallas Cowboys to be the best and you can throw stats around all day that doesnt change the fact that this defense will let us down in the playoffs are you trying to say that you think this defense can handle the pats after we let jason campbell tj duckett and jon kitna have career days against us? you can throw stats around all day long i dont want to hear it i dont care what other teams do i dont want to hear about stats or what other teams do and most of all i dont care what other teams do.

You need a life boat? The defense isn't on an island. They have Romo and the offense to lean on too. Just as the offense has leaned on the defense a few times this year. You aren't going to rout everyone. Even the already crowned Patriots have learned that.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

I don't care about what other teams do! I want the Dallas Cowboys to be the best and you can throw stats around all day that doesnt change the fact that this defense will let us down in the playoffs are you trying to say that you think this defense can handle the pats after we let jason campbell tj duckett and jon kitna have career days against us? you can throw stats around all day long i dont want to hear it i dont care what other teams do i dont want to hear about stats or what other teams do and most of all i dont care what other teams do.

Clean up those four or five instances of proper capitalization and punctuation and you just might make it around here.

 

[aikemirv]

And by the way.

Against Green bay we were up by 3 and had a chance to go up by 10 - INt in the endzone and the defense was forced to stop them again - guess what, they did and we get another chance to go up by 10 again.

Against Detroit, we hold them to 7 points in the second half, 123 yards - the only TD we gave up was on a drive they started at the Dallas 41.

The offense is at the 1/2 yrd line and fumbles.

The defense is asked to hold again - they do and we get another chance.

It was a poor game but they came out and did pretty well in the second half.

Expectations are a bit high IMO

 

[CanadianCowboysFan]

In Buffalo and Detroit we had the lead for all of 18 seconds combined.

The defense was good enough to hold the other teams until the offense had enough time to secure the wins.

You'd call that bad defense?

Damn in Buffalo, they gave up a whopping 3 points.

 

[superpunk]

You need a life boat? The defense isn't on an island. They have Romo and the offense to lean on too. Just as the offense has leaned on the defense a few times this year. You aren't going to rout everyone. Even the already crowned Patriots have learned that.

we cant count on the offense in the playoffs to carry us all the time. in the playoffs you have to run and stop the run and here we are letting ryan grant and tj duckett and that guy for the giants and kevin jones have career days....and on top of that we cant cover anyone or stop anyone on third down....i mean when jason campbell has a career day on you you know you have problems....im not asking to rout anyone i think we should rout these bad teams i mean lthe lions were the worst rushing team and worst sacked team in the league and you wouldnt have known that yesterday and i dont care about the patriots so dont talk to me about the patriots i care about the cowboys....i dont want to hear your stats or comparisons to other teams i look at this team and see a weakness and youre just a homer if you think it isnt or that this wont come back and bite us.

 

[PosterChild]

Random thoughts--

*Wade was right: He was largely responsible for failing to prepare them for a running game just as he was out coached vs the Jills and the Foreskins.Not that i don't like Wade, but he needs to prepare them for alternative offensive game plans that deviate from the one that is anticipated. It's clear to me that it didn't occur to them that they could attack on the ground and were baffled at the reality of it... as if defending it was foreign to them.

*Marcus Spares was getting pushed around quite a bit yesterday.(I re- watched parts of it already). He's supposed to be primarily a run stuffer; he's primarily a talker, rapper dude bent on exhibiting his delusions of talent. Well, he can rap for another team next yr, preferably a divisional opponent.

*Roy Williams seems to not enjoy contact anymore. Anybody notice that? His pass coverage was actually pretty good, though, I'm really worried about his aversion to tackling nowadays more than his coverage skills.

*What happened to Spencer? I know Ellis took his spot back and I'm ok with it, but can't he be worked into the mix a little more?

* Would have liked to see the secret weapon that is Nate Jones unleashed yesterday when it was apparent their schemes were not putting enough pressure on Kitna.