This aint the same O

[theSHOW]

2013 Dallas Cowboys points per drive.

Offense - 2.41 Rank #4
Defense - 2.27 Rank #26

Both units are slightly elevated in ranking via the favorable turnover differential.

http://www.sportingcharts.com/NFL/stats/team-points-per-drive-statistics/2013/

Blame the offense? (does this) tell you anything. #4 ranked offense. And not for nothing but our crappy defense is one of a bunch of low down dirty shot full of holes defenses in the NFL this year. ala the Egals and Commanders and Packers ,,,San Diego, Minnasota, Denver, Houston, Pittsburgh,Jacksonville...come on this is NO D 2013!

 

[theSHOW]

Theyre both bad, but im tired of reading threads of the Cowboys DEF is so bad and nobody taking the time to really look on how bad this offense is. You look at the def and whos playing, and you can see why they struggle. But you look at the starting 12 for Dallas offense and its hard to understand why they're this bad.

Oh, we look, after covering my eyes while we are playing defense I take my hands off them finally after the other team scores. Of course we look.
Here it is in a nutshell for you. Our offense has problems but can score like any team when it is running on all cylinders. Our defense...cover eyes!

 

[DFWJC]

Even so, if you look at only the offense's drives that start inside their own 30-yard line, 33% of those drives end in scores. That's 7th in the league. 21% end in touchdowns. That's 6th. Last year, we were 8th and 11th. IOW, more of these drives end in scores than last year.

We're doing it because we're #2 in red zone passing and #1 red zone rushing, based on the percentage of red zone plays that result in either a TD or first down. We also rank #2 in fewest turnovers per drive. Last year, we were at the opposite end of those categories.

No, the defense isn't the only problem. The offense can be better. But the defense couldn't be much worse.

Pretty much sums it up.

And this wipes out some of the premis that some people here are trying to take from LT's research.

Yes, the offense is not perfect. In fact, I've said many time that I think a better scheme would really let these guys take off. But no, they are not anywhere remotely close to being theissue with this team's overall performance.

 

[percyhoward]

Does this number account for turnovers and going for it on fourth down? For instance if I fumble and that ends the drive is that disregarded or does that count as a "not punt" drive?

Yes, it counts as not punting. That's why I mentioned that we rank #2 in fewest turnovers per drive, and #2 in the red zone, and we were at the opposite end of those categories last year. This is what drives our scoring, and why we're a top 6 offense. As an offense, you're not doing your defense any favors by holding onto the ball a few extra plays and turning it over (instead of punting), and you're not helping your defense by settling for FG instead of TD either. That was our offense last year. A ton of yards with little to show for it.

 

[percyhoward]

I didn't realize Percy chimed in with support for this theory.

Not at all. My point is if you look at that first set of stats that I listed, this can appear to be a bad offense.

Then you look at the bottom-line stat, which is scoring, and it's top 6.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Not at all. My point is if you look at that first set of stats that I listed, this can appear to be a bad offense.

Then you look at the bottom-line stat, which is scoring, and it's top 6.

Thanks for your imput on this matter.

 

[conner01]

we had more td's this year than last with 3 games to go. we might even have more if maybe the defense stopped someone every once in awhile

 

[percyhoward]

Blame the offense? (does this) tell you anything. #4 ranked offense.

According to that site, our offense is 4th, defense is 26th. At Football Outsiders, the offense is 6th, defense 28th. Not a big difference between the two sources. One of them probably counts possessions at the tail end of games and halves where subjectivity enters into it in trying to determine if the possessing team was making an attempt to score. I've been following this stat and two others this season in posts like this one:

http://cowboyszone.com/threads/bottom-line-stats-13-games.277150/

 

[theSHOW]

According to that site, our offense is 4th, defense is 26th. At Football Outsiders, the offense is 6th, defense 28th. Not a big difference between the two sources. One of them probably counts possessions at the tail end of games and halves where subjectivity enters into it in trying to determine if the possessing team was making an attempt to score. I've been following this stat and two others this season in posts like this one:

http://cowboyszone.com/threads/bottom-line-stats-13-games.277150/

I would rank our defense last in the NFL. Many weeks have passed since we held the Eagles to 3 points. The eyeball test tells me we are last. But we play three teams to finish the season where each of them rank in the bottom 8 if you want my opinion. Throw in 3 backup QBs vs. Tony Romo and I think we have a good shot.

 

[percyhoward]

I would rank our defense last in the NFL. Many weeks have passed since we held the Eagles to 3 points. The eyeball test tells me we are last. But we play three teams to finish the season where each of them rank in the bottom 8 if you want my opinion. Throw in 3 backup QBs vs. Tony Romo and I think we have a good shot.

This is pulled from the post in the link I gave you.

Differentials:
Philadelphia 4th, 6th, 9th
Dallas 15th, 3rd, 18th

pass rating:
Phi: off 5th def 11th
Dal: off 6th def 24th

give/take:
Phi: off 5th def 5th
Dal: off 1st def 5th

points per drive:
Phi: off 11th def 9th
Dal: off 6th def 28th

The differentials combine the offense's number with the defense's number for a team ranking.

If you can finish with a differential that ranks in the top 12 in all three categories, you'll win 10 games and/or make the playoffs.

Those differentials that keep Dallas out of the top 12 in pass rating and scoring are due to the work of our defense this year.

 

[noshame]

I don't care what offense we run or who calls the plays, I'm just sick of seeing us throw 3yds on 3rd and 7.

 

[DFWJC]

I would rank our defense last in the NFL. Many weeks have passed since we held the Eagles to 3 points. The eyeball test tells me we are last. But we play three teams to finish the season where each of them rank in the bottom 8 if you want my opinion. Throw in 3 backup QBs vs. Tony Romo and I think we have a good shot.

Nick Foles is playing better than the vast majority of starters in the league. He is no longer a backup QB and that Eagles offesne is playing more like a top 5 offense than a bottom 8 one.

 

[theSHOW]

Nick Foles is playing better than the vast majority of starters in the league. He is no longer a backup QB and that Eagles offesne is playing more like a top 5 offense than a bottom 8 one.

I agree Foles looks very sharp. I didn't say the eagles are a bottom 8 offense. They have a defense that has improved - that's part of the five game win streak, I put their defense as a bottom 8

 

[khiladi]

The offensive performance against Denver screwed a lot as a statistical anomaly.

 

[percyhoward]

I agree Foles looks very sharp. I didn't say the eagles are a bottom 8 offense. They have a defense that has improved - that's part of the five game win streak, I put their defense as a bottom 8

If you check out the link I gave you (or even go back to that site that you gave a link for in post #41), you'll see that the Eagles defense is nowhere near bottom 8.

 

[theSHOW]

If you check out the link I gave you (or even go back to that site that you gave a link for in post #41), you'll see that the Eagles defense is nowhere near bottom 8.

I am willing to adjust my assessment on the eagles somewhat. I agree with you that they have turned around the defense since the horrible 6 game start. In fact they have played pretty well. Dallas will have it's hands full if it plays out with a showdown in Arlington.

 

[percyhoward]

The offensive performance against Denver screwed a lot as a statistical anomaly.

Since the Denver game, we score touchdowns on 78% of our red zone possessions, which leads the NFL.

Last year, it was 51% - 23rd

Since the Denver game, the offense has started 57 drives from inside its own 30-yard line.

2 have ended in turnovers (4% - league best). Last year, it was 21% - 25th.
12 have ended in touchdowns (21% - 8th-best). Last year, it was 19% - 12th.

 

[NoLuv4Jerry]

This offense and its coaches have been together for years. This is the first year in this defense. This offense is healthy, has veterans and has NFL starter type talent. This defense is not healthy, has mostly backups playing and if full of youth. Simply put this offense has underachieved. No bettter example than Monday night when Harris had the big kick return. Ball was at the Bears 45. We proceed to go 3 and out after gaining 6 yards. That simply cannot happen. But it just proves that in spite of how bad the defense has been....this offense has not carried its own weight either.

 

[percyhoward]

This offense and its coaches have been together for years. This is the first year in this defense. This offense is healthy, has veterans and has NFL starter type talent. This defense is not healthy, has mostly backups playing and if full of youth.

And their respective performances show this. You would expect a perennial top 10 offense without many injuries to rank 4th-6th, and a perennial bottom 10 defense with injuries to rank 26th-28th, and that's exactly where they are in scoring.

Simply put this offense has underachieved. No better example than Monday night when Harris had the big kick return. Ball was at the Bears 45. We proceed to go 3 and out after gaining 6 yards. That simply cannot happen. But it just proves that in spite of how bad the defense has been....this offense has not carried its own weight either.

That's an example of an offensive failure, to be sure, but it doesn't prove anything beyond the fact the offense failed in that situation. Overall, more of this offense's drives end in touchdowns than 28 other teams, and more of its long drives end in TD than 25 other teams.

If the goal of the offense is to convert 3rd downs consistently and pile up a lot of yardage, then this offense is underachieving. If the goal is to keep its own defense off the field, it's better than most. If the main goal is to score points, and give its defense good field position, this offense is among the league's most successful.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Since the Denver game, we score touchdowns on 78% of our red zone possessions, which leads the NFL.

Last year, it was 51% - 23rd

Since the Denver game, the offense has started 57 drives from inside its own 30-yard line.

2 have ended in turnovers (4% - league best). Last year, it was 21% - 25th.
12 have ended in touchdowns (21% - 8th-best). Last year, it was 19% - 12th.

Great stuff PH.