The Confidence Factor

[Flamma]

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

Do you remember when quarterbacks stopped the game because the crowd was too loud? What changed to prevent that? Are crowds just not loud anymore?

 

[Diehardblues]

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.

Jaylon is completely over rated. Most of us knew this. He had one good season.

LVE is our stud LB. if he can stay healthy.

 

[Rockport]

Jaylon is completely over rated. Most of us knew this. He had one good season.

LVE is our stud LB. if he can stay healthy.

Maybe. But I’m willing to give him another year under a new DC. It’s easy to quit, just look around in this forum. Quitters everywhere.

 

[Diehardblues]

Maybe. But I’m willing to give him another year under a new DC. It’s easy to quit, just look around in this forum. Quitters everywhere.

I thought our defense played much harder towards the end of the year.

 

[Rockport]

I thought our defense played much harder towards the end of the year.

I think they did too. Auditioning for the new DC maybe?

 

[BourbonBalz]

Three short years ago Smith and LVE were great. That alone shows they have the ability. The question is can they get back there again.

 

[DFWJC]

Confidence IS a big deal.

The defense seemed to be gaining that the 2nd halfof last year.

You compare defenses to others that same year,
Scoring was what across the league,ast year.

The 2020 defense finished

• 23rd in total defense
• 28th in scoring defense

That is nowhere near the worst defense Dallas has ever had
They were truly awful early on though

 

[Diehardblues]

I think they did too. Auditioning for the new DC maybe?

Yea but if we’re counting on Quinn to make a big difference without an infusion of talent , I’d argue it’s a pipe dream by some.

Many argued for years our defense under Marinelli suked cause of scheme when it obviously was more about the lack of talent.

 

[Diehardblues]

Confidence IS a big deal.

The defense seemed to be gaining that the 2nd halfof last year.

You compare defenses to others that same year,
Scoring was what across the league,ast year.

The 2020 defense finished

• 23rd in total defense
• 28th in scoring defense

That is nowhere near the worst defense Dallas has ever had
They were truly awful early on though

Right. They were awful early on.

It wasn’t our worst defense in team history. We don’t have to go back far this era to find one worse . 2013 historically was one of the worst with futility marks for the NFL and resembling our expansion year in 1960.

I think this confidence factor is more about the fans not the players. And who could blame them.

 

[CouchCoach]

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

Hell, he's the only thing preventing an all out DakAttack. He and Chubby Zeke.

 

[CouchCoach]

Do you remember when quarterbacks stopped the game because the crowd was too loud? What changed to prevent that? Are crowds just not loud anymore?

I can't remember the last QB to do that but the crowd just kept getting louder once they realized they were bothering him. Once their beer and nachos are gone, and they're broke, they get moody.

 

[TwoCentPlain]

@CouchCoach What exactly did Quinn do in Atlanta with the defense?
Quinn was gifted the awesome Seattle defense and road those coattails onto a head coaching gig. Anyone could have coached that Seattle defense.
Quinn went to the SB with Atlanta only because the offense got them there.

I'm not expecting much from Quinn.

The defense will be fine if they go back to the 2019 scheme and draft a few more players like Diggs and Gallimore. Quinn needs to get rid of the knuckleheads, tackle wimps, idiots who don't know the play call, and freelancers. One of which is Jaylon Smith.

 

[CowboyRoy]

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.

Try as some of you might, you cant get past the lack of talent. The Cowboys defense has been suspect going back 3 DC's. They werent good for Merinelli before last year and they werent good for Nolan. Granted Nolan had the worst talent and most injuries out of all of them. Then of course covid, new scheme, and no offseason or preseason.

 

[CowboyRoy]

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

 

[CowboyRoy]

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

He wasnt blamed, he just sucks and was called out for how badly he sucks. AS were the DT's, the safeties and the corners. Nolan was also called out.

 

[Diehardblues]

Hell, he's the only thing preventing an all out DakAttack. He and Chubby Zeke.

Lol

 

[Diehardblues]

He wasnt blamed, he just sucks and was called out for how badly he sucks. AS were the DT's, the safeties and the corners. Nolan was also called out.

This^^^

 

[CowboyRoy]

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.

Didnt you just make a thread yesterday talking about how "Jaylon is part of our great young core of talent"?

Now you say "its prove it or lose it"? When lambasted by the board for your laughable claim about Jaylon you responded calling us all haters.

Now you finally admit what many of us told you yesterday................."But I’ll be the first to say I have no clue about the players".

Congrats you finally got something right!!!

 

[Redball Express]

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.

Quinn is not going to save this team. Too many are crowning him as the answer. He isn't. The players have to build on 2019. They have to absorb their beating and come to TC ready to hit. We are not physical. We are too finesse in our approach . that is why we consistently lose to less talented teams. We are not physical. Whomever we draft has to have different attitudes in games. On defense we have to pursue and tackle. On offense we must play smashmourh and dominate the LOS. Otherwise Zeke and Dak are going to suffer. No more playing it close to try to win it late. Get a lead and protect it.

 

[charron]

If you don't know what to do you can't play confident/fast. Last year was too complicated without the reps needed to learn. Quinn's task is to get these guys to know the plays so they have confidence in what they are supposed to do and play fast.