The defense will be better with Zeke

[CowboyRoy]

To me, this was the most laughable line of the weekend. And to hear people buy that garbage is even more funny.

Now certainly keeping the defense off the field with a great run game is helping the team.

Its just another head scratching way for the Cowboys brass to justify ANOTHER offensive player with ANOTHER first round pick.

Taking an offensive player helps improve the defense?

Now I will agree it helps HIDE the defense, but it doesn't do squat to improve that side of the ball.

Fans need to wrap their head around one thing and one thing only. We will NEVER win a championship until this defense improves dramatically. Sure we can make the playoffs and have some winning seasons. And unless we spend some big money in FA over the next few years, I don't see it happening.

 

[Hardline]

There was no defensive player that justified taking over Zeke. This defense got a lot of help in this draft. It's not like it was ignored.

 

[KJJ]

Keeping the defense off the field in 2014 an average of 12 fewer plays than in 2013 helped improve the defense from the 3rd worst statistically to middle of the pack in 2014 and that was without Demarcus Ware. We accomplished that with a great running game. We went from ranked 32nd in 2013 on defense to 19th and we improved despite 6 fewer sacks in 2014. If a defense isn't on the field as much it's going to improve by keeping it fresh. Only Seattle and Pittsburgh's defense spent less time on the field in 2014 than the Cowboys defense. Even last season we had 3 more sacks than we had in 2014 but we forced more turnovers in 2014 because our defense was fresh and more alert. If you have a weakness you want to limit its exposure and ball control can limit the time a defense has to spend on the field.

Running the ball and running it effectively can help limit turnovers our QBs last season combined for 20 INT's compared to 11 INT's in 2014. Due to our rushing game only producing 8 TD's in 2015 compared to 16 rushing TD's in 2014 it put pressure on our QBs which led to mistakes. We had a combined 7 more turnovers in 2015 than in 2014 which put our defense back on the field having to defend a short field in some cases. There's no question we need better defenders on defense but right now our best defense is a solid, efficient offense that can maintain the ball and put TD's on the board. We've added a couple of backs that can put TD's on the board and take some pressure off Romo.

The Cowboys averaged just over 17 points a game last season which was the second lowest in the league. We we're having to depend on our QBs and Bailey for most of our points. Being able to move the ball on the ground in the redzone and bang it in, in goal line situations is going to help the team and keep the defense off the field. A fresher defense is a better defense. Last season our D was being worn down in games due to ineffective QB play and not being able to move the chains in short yardage situations especially on 3rd and one where we were the worst in the league. We should see a big improvement in that area in 2016.

 

[Galian Beast]

What if I told you that the defense was top 10 in points allowed per game in QTRs 1 through 3, but collapse in the 4th quarter?

 

[DTown214]

Worst thread of 2016

 

[zrinkill]

Great Offenses make mediocre defenses look decent
Great Defenses make mediocre offenses look decent.

Been that way since football started.

 

[CowboyRoy]

There was no defensive player that justified taking over Zeke. This defense got a lot of help in this draft. It's not like it was ignored.

Amazing, where was the "a lot of help"?

 

[gimmesix]

As far as making the defense great, nothing was done in the draft that clearly makes the unit dominant.

However, I am interested to see what Marinelli can do with Mayowa, Thornton, Collins and Tapper.

I'm not expected great things because it isn't exactly like we added Too Tall, Lilly the Manster and Martin, however, it wasn't likely that standing pat was going to improve a poor pass rush. I would have thrown another body or two in there, but we can only carry so many parts for Marinelli to try to turn into a cohesive unit.

Four new parts (along with UDFA Coe) added to a group that includes Lawrence, Gregory and Tyrone Crawford along with players with upside like Irving, Whaley and Russell give us an interesting bunch to watch this year to see who, if any, emerge.

If not, we're back to the drawing board next year looking to seriously upgrade our options.

 

[Toruk_Makto]

Keeping the defense off the field in 2014 an average of 12 fewer plays than in 2013 helped improve the defense from the 3rd worst statistically to middle of the pack in 2014 and that was without Demarcus Ware. We accomplished that with a great running game. We went from ranked 32nd in 2013 on defense to 19th and we improved despite 6 fewer sacks in 2014. If a defense isn't on the field as much it's going to improve by keeping it fresh. Only Seattle and Pittsburgh's defense spent less time on the field in 2014 than the Cowboys defense. Even last season we had 3 more sacks than we had in 2014 but we forced more turnovers in 2014 because our defense was fresh and more alert. If you have a weakness you want to limit its exposure and ball control can limit the time a defense has to spend on the field.

People keep saying this nonsense. It isn't true.

 

[DFWJC]

Scandrick should help

 

[jnday]

To me, this was the most laughable line of the weekend. And to hear people buy that garbage is even more funny.

Now certainly keeping the defense off the field with a great run game is helping the team.

Its just another head scratching way for the Cowboys brass to justify ANOTHER offensive player with ANOTHER first round pick.

Taking an offensive player helps improve the defense?

Now I will agree it helps HIDE the defense, but it doesn't do squat to improve that side of the ball.

Fans need to wrap their head around one thing and one thing only. We will NEVER win a championship until this defense improves dramatically. Sure we can make the playoffs and have some winning seasons. And unless we spend some big money in FA over the next few years, I don't see it happening.

I hope you are not serious. Ball control will keep the very average defense fresh and off the field which prevents them from being exposed. It is a simple concept. The opposing offense will usually be put in a position of having to pass in an effort to keep up on the scoreboard and that certainly helps the defense when they know the offense has to do this.

 

[CowboyRoy]

There was no defensive player that justified taking over Zeke. This defense got a lot of help in this draft. It's not like it was ignored.

Ramsey and then Henry in the 2nd would have been more prudent if we thought we needed a back. WE could have easily have signed Miller in FA if we thought we needed an upgrade. Trading back and picking up an extra 2nd would have been even better. Then taking 3 defensive players with those first 3 picks. Plenty we could have done.

 

[KJJ]

People keep saying this nonsense. It isn't true.

The experts keep saying it and the Cowboys said it after they drafted Zeke. It's true to anyone who knows football and you don't know football.

 

[CowboyRoy]

I hope you are not serious. Ball control will keep the very average defense fresh and off the field which prevents them from being exposed. It is a simple concept.

It is a simple concept. One I have been telling people for years. But drafting an offensive player does not improve the defense. It simply allows you to possibly keep them off the field. Once they get on the field, they are not any better than they were before. Only by drafting a stud pass rusher or CB can you actually improve that side of the ball.

 

[AdamJT13]

Keeping the defense off the field in 2014 an average of 12 fewer plays than in 2013.

Still spouting that lie?

Our opponents ran 1,094 plays in 2013. That's 68.4 plays per game.

Our opponents ran 978 plays in 2014. That's 68.1 plays per game.

Do the math. That's 7.3 plays per game, not 12.

And controlling the ball on offense is more about offensive pace, completion percentage and third-down conversions than it is about how much you run the ball or how well you run it. We played at the slowest pace in the NFL in 2014. We had the second-best completion percentage and the second-best third-down conversion rate. We had the second-best ball-control offense in the league that season because of THOSE things, not the running game. The running game helps a little bit, but those other things are the keys. Plenty of teams run the ball a lot, run it very well and still can't control the clock because they have a low completion percentage and can't convert on third-and-long.

 

[Sydla]

What if I told you that the defense was top 10 in points allowed per game in QTRs 1 through 3, but collapse in the 4th quarter?

What if I told you that time of possession stats between 2014 and 2015 weren't all that much different?

 

[Sydla]

The experts keep saying it and the Cowboys said it after they drafted Zeke. It's true to anyone who knows football and you don't know football.

Well of course the Cowboys are going to say it. They are trying to justify their pick.

But actual stats don't support the claim. But hey, let's just ignore actual data and just go with what our gut says!

 

[erod]

Wow, ok, let me put my third-grade teacher hat on.

Teams that can score, and are ahead, put more pressure on opposing offenses and make them take more chances than they have to against teams with poor offenses.

Teams that run the ball well wear down defenses, which forces opposing offenses to hold serve with less room for error.

Football 101.

 

[Sydla]

In theory, yes, if the offense is out on the field more the defense doesn't play as much and therefore should be fresher.

But that's not the problem with this analysis. People are floating the notion that the defense in 2015 suffered not necessarily from a lack of talent but rather that they were tired and worn out compared to 2014 because we didn't control TOP with McFadden than we did with Murray.

Unfortunately, the problem with that analysis is that TOP stats and analysis doesn't back up that claim.

 

[erod]

What if I told you that time of possession stats between 2014 and 2015 weren't all that much different?

Dallas scored 29 points per game in 2014, and only 17 last year.

That's the stat that matters.