The Confidence Factor

[CouchCoach]

There is no worse affliction to strike any football player, unit or team than doubt. That was the primary obstacle that the defense could not get past and it was individual as well as unit and team doubt that limited whatever talent they did have.

That is Quinn's task. Get their confidence in him so they can get that in each other. Remove the fear of making a mistake. Make them believe in him and themselves. Because few others do.

All season long, the defense was getting called out. They were even saying the ST had improved but the D was just the worst, the worst in Cowboys history.

Think about that, the worst in Cowboys history. Think about being a player on that!

And most of that criticism fell on one player, Jaylon Smith.

Quinn comes in without having fixed the Falcons defense, the job he was hired to do. However, he had the same challenge Jimmy Johnson had in Miami, the entire team was built around the QB. Think it didn't take on hell of a sales job on Elway by Shanahan?

Quinn has to fix the defense and that all begins with one man, the one catching most of the blame. Unless they take Parsons with the idea of replacing Smith, the reclamation project begins with that one player. Fix him and he fixes the defense. Not saying it would be a top 5 but it could be a top 16 in 2021 and that's improvement and more importantly, something to build on.

Quinn's first job is to get Jaylon back to what he was and how he played at ND, instinctively. It is no surprise that he was the one player to speak out about Nolan's scheme, it required too much thought before instinct was allowed to take over.

Quinn has to get his MLB to where Landry had his when the Flex really began to click. The one player on the defense that was allowed to use his instincts was his MLB and Landry's MLB always led the team in tackles by design. Everything was designed to free him up to make the plays.

I am skeptical about Jaylon Smith's abilities, that player I saw all over the ND defense has not been seen here. I don't know his limitations and if he's as good as he's going to get but I do feel so goes Jaylon Smith, so goes this defense. I think Quinn's path to success is clear. Fix him and begin to fix it all.

This is also about Quinn gaining someone else's confidence. Jaylon is the owner's cornerstone of his defense but he is flawed and the owner knows it. If Quinn can fix him, the owner gives him more power and more power means better players.

What a challenge for Dan Quinn. Gain the confidence of the owner, his D players, specifically the leaders, the team and the media and few have that confidence in him now. What I see here is more hope than confidence and while I do have hope he can do it, I do not have that confidence.....yet.

 

[Einstein]

I like the idea, but not sure I completely agree with the whole concept, however I do believe that if Jaylon gets going it will help LVE get going.

 

[RS12]

Raheem Morris would have been a better hire but Jerry still has visions of legion of boom in his head.

 

[FiveSuperBowls]

This is a Jaylon make or break year. I’m hoping for the former.

 

[visionary]

Jaylon is garbage
We should have moved on this year

 

[Praxit]

...I think Jaylon can be Bad-*** LB. You have to tweak the guy a bit. Mentally, that is.

 

[john van brocklin]

There is no worse affliction to strike any football player, unit or team than doubt. That was the primary obstacle that the defense could not get past and it was individual as well as unit and team doubt that limited whatever talent they did have.

That is Quinn's task. Get their confidence in him so they can get that in each other. Remove the fear of making a mistake. Make them believe in him and themselves. Because few others do.

All season long, the defense was getting called out. They were even saying the ST had improved but the D was just the worst, the worst in Cowboys history.

Think about that, the worst in Cowboys history. Think about being a player on that!

And most of that criticism fell on one player, Jaylon Smith.

Quinn comes in without having fixed the Falcons defense, the job he was hired to do. However, he had the same challenge Jimmy Johnson had in Miami, the entire team was built around the QB. Think it didn't take on hell of a sales job on Elway by Shanahan?

Quinn has to fix the defense and that all begins with one man, the one catching most of the blame. Unless they take Parsons with the idea of replacing Smith, the reclamation project begins with that one player. Fix him and he fixes the defense. Not saying it would be a top 5 but it could be a top 16 in 2021 and that's improvement and more importantly, something to build on.

Quinn's first job is to get Jaylon back to what he was and how he played at ND, instinctively. It is no surprise that he was the one player to speak out about Nolan's scheme, it required too much thought before instinct was allowed to take over.

Quinn has to get his MLB to where Landry had his when the Flex really began to click. The one player on the defense that was allowed to use his instincts was his MLB and Landry's MLB always led the team in tackles by design. Everything was designed to free him up to make the plays.

I am skeptical about Jaylon Smith's abilities, that player I saw all over the ND defense has not been seen here. I don't know his limitations and if he's as good as he's going to get but I do feel so goes Jaylon Smith, so goes this defense. I think Quinn's path to success is clear. Fix him and begin to fix it all.

This is also about Quinn gaining someone else's confidence. Jaylon is the owner's cornerstone of his defense but he is flawed and the owner knows it. If Quinn can fix him, the owner gives him more power and more power means better players.

What a challenge for Dan Quinn. Gain the confidence of the owner, his D players, specifically the leaders, the team and the media and few have that confidence in him now. What I see here is more hope than confidence and while I do have hope he can do it, I do not have that confidence.....yet.

Hopefully Quinn can make a positive difference

 

[Bobhaze]

There is no worse affliction to strike any football player, unit or team than doubt. That was the primary obstacle that the defense could not get past and it was individual as well as unit and team doubt that limited whatever talent they did have.

That is Quinn's task. Get their confidence in him so they can get that in each other. Remove the fear of making a mistake. Make them believe in him and themselves. Because few others do.

All season long, the defense was getting called out. They were even saying the ST had improved but the D was just the worst, the worst in Cowboys history.

Think about that, the worst in Cowboys history. Think about being a player on that!

And most of that criticism fell on one player, Jaylon Smith.

Quinn comes in without having fixed the Falcons defense, the job he was hired to do. However, he had the same challenge Jimmy Johnson had in Miami, the entire team was built around the QB. Think it didn't take on hell of a sales job on Elway by Shanahan?

Quinn has to fix the defense and that all begins with one man, the one catching most of the blame. Unless they take Parsons with the idea of replacing Smith, the reclamation project begins with that one player. Fix him and he fixes the defense. Not saying it would be a top 5 but it could be a top 16 in 2021 and that's improvement and more importantly, something to build on.

Quinn's first job is to get Jaylon back to what he was and how he played at ND, instinctively. It is no surprise that he was the one player to speak out about Nolan's scheme, it required too much thought before instinct was allowed to take over.

Quinn has to get his MLB to where Landry had his when the Flex really began to click. The one player on the defense that was allowed to use his instincts was his MLB and Landry's MLB always led the team in tackles by design. Everything was designed to free him up to make the plays.

I am skeptical about Jaylon Smith's abilities, that player I saw all over the ND defense has not been seen here. I don't know his limitations and if he's as good as he's going to get but I do feel so goes Jaylon Smith, so goes this defense. I think Quinn's path to success is clear. Fix him and begin to fix it all.

This is also about Quinn gaining someone else's confidence. Jaylon is the owner's cornerstone of his defense but he is flawed and the owner knows it. If Quinn can fix him, the owner gives him more power and more power means better players.

What a challenge for Dan Quinn. Gain the confidence of the owner, his D players, specifically the leaders, the team and the media and few have that confidence in him now. What I see here is more hope than confidence and while I do have hope he can do it, I do not have that confidence.....yet.

Confidence for this defense is certainly a reclamation project only won when the defense itself helps win some games instead of being the main reason we’re losing them.

I agree that Jaylon is a critical piece in fixing this D as evidenced by his paycheck and the Jones boys’ commitment to him despite his up and down performance. Where I disagree with you is I think the key for improvement for this D not just in fixing Jaylon, but also in creating a collective identity or swagger that they are an asset to this team, not a colossal embarrassment as they have been lately. Success breeds success.

 

[JoeKing]

Quinn and Whitt will have their hands full fixing this D.

 

[Flamma]

Confidence for this defense is certainly a reclamation project only won when the defense itself helps win some games instead of being the main reason we’re losing them.

I agree that Jaylon is a critical piece in fixing this D as evidenced by his paycheck and the Jones boys’ commitment to him despite his up and down performance. Where I disagree with you is I think the key for improvement for this D not just in fixing Jaylon, but also in creating a collective identity or swagger that they are an asset to this team, not a colossal embarrassment as they have been lately. Success breeds success.

The Cowboys D was trash, but most defenses in this league aren't very good. I just watched the Dolphins beat the Bears in 1985 on you tube. The Dolphins had the 26th rated defense at the time. That's 26 out of 28 teams. They didn't look as bad as many of the defenses I see today. Goes to show you it's relative. Besides that, I'm still trying to get over the shock of how different the play was then compared to the garbage I watch today. But I try to keep watching those games to a minimum so that I can continue to watch today's NFL.

 

[CouchCoach]

Confidence for this defense is certainly a reclamation project only won when the defense itself helps win some games instead of being the main reason we’re losing them.

I agree that Jaylon is a critical piece in fixing this D as evidenced by his paycheck and the Jones boys’ commitment to him despite his up and down performance. Where I disagree with you is I think the key for improvement for this D not just in fixing Jaylon, but also in creating a collective identity or swagger that they are an asset to this team, not a colossal embarrassment as they have been lately. Success breeds success.

Agree but he has to start somewhere, with one player and this one happens to be the vocal leader of that bad defense.

I got to thinking about this because of my personal experience. In 5 of my radio jobs I was the turnaround guy. My job was to take an underperforming business and make it perform and all things being equal, that comes down to personnel, both the talent and motivation.

I had to quickly assess the staff, especially the leaders, and decide which ones were salvageable and go from there. When I went to PA, the EVP of Sales for the company told me I'd have to change out the entire sales staff, they were a loss. Of the 6 salespeople, I had to remove 1, the leader. Leaders can lead in many directions and he had led them to believe he knew better than anyone in management. Long story short, we became the 2nd biller in the market within 18 months and 2 of those salespeople went on to manage their own stations,

It wasn't me, it was them. They had what was necessary, they just didn't realize it and just like Seabiscuit, they'd been taught to lose. Once they had the confidence and you are right, that comes with winning, they felt invincible.

Quinn needs to turn this team around and that can only start with the guy that first admitted they were lost. Jaylon became that vocal leader when he told the media that Nolan needed to dumb it down. He wasn't just speaking for himself, they were all lost and being put in positions to lose. Quinn must put them in positions to win. And he can't approach it like they're a remedial defense, he must come at it from it was all the old coach's fault. The hindrance is gone and help has arrived.

Bullet, I am not saying he can turn Smith into a HOF LB but he must get confidence back into his leader or change him out, there is no other way. That D is going to take their read off Jaylon Smith with Lawrence and Brown backing him up. Quinn must start with them, winning the hearts and minds of a group of players representing the worst Dallas Cowboys defense in 60 years. They wear that until he can help them remove it.

 

[CouchCoach]

The Cowboys D was trash, but most defenses in this league aren't very good. I just watched the Dolphins beat the Bears in 1985 on you tube. The Dolphins had the 26th rated defense at the time. That's 26 out of 28 teams. They didn't look as bad as many of the defenses I see today. Goes to show you it's relative. Besides that, I'm still trying to get over the shock of how different the play was then compared to the garbage I watch today. But I try to keep watching those games to a minimum so that I can continue to watch today's NFL.

Man am I with you on that and that's not all on the rule changes to defang the defenses.

 

[Bobhaze]

Agree but he has to start somewhere, with one player and this one happens to be the vocal leader of that bad defense.

I got to thinking about this because of my personal experience. In 5 of my radio jobs I was the turnaround guy. My job was to take an underperforming business and make it perform and all things being equal, that comes down to personnel, both the talent and motivation.

I had to quickly assess the staff, especially the leaders, and decide which ones were salvageable and go from there. When I went to PA, the EVP of Sales for the company told me I'd have to change out the entire sales staff, they were a loss. Of the 6 salespeople, I had to remove 1, the leader. Leaders can lead in many directions and he had led them to believe he knew better than anyone in management. Long story short, we became the 2nd biller in the market within 18 months and 2 of those salespeople went on to manage their own stations,

It wasn't me, it was them. They had what was necessary, they just didn't realize it and just like Seabiscuit, they'd been taught to lose. Once they had the confidence and you are right, that comes with winning, they felt invincible.

Quinn needs to turn this team around and that can only start with the guy that first admitted they were lost. Jaylon became that vocal leader when he told the media that Nolan needed to dumb it down. He wasn't just speaking for himself, they were all lost and being put in positions to lose. Quinn must put them in positions to win. And he can't approach it like they're a remedial defense, he must come at it from it was all the old coach's fault. The hindrance is gone and help has arrived.

Bullet, I am not saying he can turn Smith into a HOF LB but he must get confidence back into his leader or change him out, there is no other way. That D is going to take their read off Jaylon Smith with Lawrence and Brown backing him up. Quinn must start with them, winning the hearts and minds of a group of players representing the worst Dallas Cowboys defense in 60 years. They wear that until he can help them remove it.

Well said. I agree getting Jaylon at least to a level of consistent good play, it’s a huge step forward. I would add D-Law and maybe even Trevon Diggs to that list too. This defense needs some leaders who perform consistently and hold themselves accountable when they don’t. If Jaylon and DLaw would talk less and let their better play speak, I think they could pull some the other players up to a higher level.

 

[CouchCoach]

Well said. I agree getting Jaylon at least to a level of consistent good play, it’s a huge step forward. I would add D-Law and maybe even Trevon Diggs to that list too. This defense needs some leaders who perform consistently and hold themselves accountable when they don’t. If Jaylon and DLaw would talk less and let their better play speak, I think they could pull some the other players up to a higher level.

I agree but someone has to speak for the pride of the defense. These guys were maligned a lot last year and men still have their pride. We pretty much hammered Jaylon for the Swipe move but we do not know what it was like on that defense. What is was like to be them.

One of the saddest days in my Cowboys years was the day the article appeared in the DMN about Roy OU Williams. He was so beat down, so lacking in confidence that he openly admitted to being fearful the ball was coming his way. I wondered how could this happen? This guy was responsible for ESPN creating Jacked Up and was the most feared hitter in the NFL. He was now afraid the QB would find him? And was OK admitting that????

Quinn must gain their confidence to help them regain their confidence in themselves and each other. This is exacerbated by the fact they're really not a very talented defense, he must wring every bit of talent out of them and count on synergy of the units.

 

[Diehardblues]

There is no worse affliction to strike any football player, unit or team than doubt. That was the primary obstacle that the defense could not get past and it was individual as well as unit and team doubt that limited whatever talent they did have.

That is Quinn's task. Get their confidence in him so they can get that in each other. Remove the fear of making a mistake. Make them believe in him and themselves. Because few others do.

All season long, the defense was getting called out. They were even saying the ST had improved but the D was just the worst, the worst in Cowboys history.

Think about that, the worst in Cowboys history. Think about being a player on that!

And most of that criticism fell on one player, Jaylon Smith.

Quinn comes in without having fixed the Falcons defense, the job he was hired to do. However, he had the same challenge Jimmy Johnson had in Miami, the entire team was built around the QB. Think it didn't take on hell of a sales job on Elway by Shanahan?

Quinn has to fix the defense and that all begins with one man, the one catching most of the blame. Unless they take Parsons with the idea of replacing Smith, the reclamation project begins with that one player. Fix him and he fixes the defense. Not saying it would be a top 5 but it could be a top 16 in 2021 and that's improvement and more importantly, something to build on.

Quinn's first job is to get Jaylon back to what he was and how he played at ND, instinctively. It is no surprise that he was the one player to speak out about Nolan's scheme, it required too much thought before instinct was allowed to take over.

Quinn has to get his MLB to where Landry had his when the Flex really began to click. The one player on the defense that was allowed to use his instincts was his MLB and Landry's MLB always led the team in tackles by design. Everything was designed to free him up to make the plays.

I am skeptical about Jaylon Smith's abilities, that player I saw all over the ND defense has not been seen here. I don't know his limitations and if he's as good as he's going to get but I do feel so goes Jaylon Smith, so goes this defense. I think Quinn's path to success is clear. Fix him and begin to fix it all.

This is also about Quinn gaining someone else's confidence. Jaylon is the owner's cornerstone of his defense but he is flawed and the owner knows it. If Quinn can fix him, the owner gives him more power and more power means better players.

What a challenge for Dan Quinn. Gain the confidence of the owner, his D players, specifically the leaders, the team and the media and few have that confidence in him now. What I see here is more hope than confidence and while I do have hope he can do it, I do not have that confidence.....yet.

I guess I missed that Jaylon was blamed for our horrid defense last year.

 

[Diehardblues]

I agree but someone has to speak for the pride of the defense. These guys were maligned a lot last year and men still have their pride. We pretty much hammered Jaylon for the Swipe move but we do not know what it was like on that defense. What is was like to be them.

One of the saddest days in my Cowboys years was the day the article appeared in the DMN about Roy OU Williams. He was so beat down, so lacking in confidence that he openly admitted to being fearful the ball was coming his way. I wondered how could this happen? This guy was responsible for ESPN creating Jacked Up and was the most feared hitter in the NFL. He was now afraid the QB would find him? And was OK admitting that????

Quinn must gain their confidence to help them regain their confidence in themselves and each other. This is exacerbated by the fact they're really not a very talented defense, he must wring every bit of talent out of them and count on synergy of the units.

I think most fans and critics , at least the ones I follow, felt our futility on defense was more talent related than confidence.

 

[Bobhaze]

I guess I missed that Jaylon was blamed for our horrid defense last year.

He’s been widely blamed from what I’ve seen.

 

[Diehardblues]

If we’re expecting Dan to make something more out of this defense without injecting more talent then we might be in for a huge disappointment.

 

[Rockport]

This is a Jaylon make or break year. I’m hoping for the former.

Yep, it’s prove it or lose it for Jaylon. I don’t think he’s a 3 down LB’er. But I’ll be the first to say I have no clue about the players. Seems he’s more of a 3rd down guy.

 

[Diehardblues]

He’s been widely blamed from what I’ve seen.

Really. Held totally responsible for a horrid defense ? By who? I’d love to see the link.