Hostile
The Duke
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Many of us are putting a lot of hope in the new way Wade Phillips and Brian Stewart will attack with this defense. The players especially seem excited. I consider this a very good thing. I've been dreaming of this for a long time. Basically ever since we drafted Roy Williams.
Look for more QB pressures and sacks immediately. Look for more takeaways too. But don't forget this very important thing, when a defense is in attack mode it is vulnerable to big plays. Anyone who thinks we won't get beat deep or with big plays just because we're harrassing the opposing QB is living in a Pollyanna world.
Offensive Coordinators are not dumb. If they see that we are coming with ears peeled back and focused on the QB they are going to do things to mess up the timing of the charge. Draws plays and play action can be broken for big gains if the Defense is too focused on attack and not making their reads. Most of us know this because we face the eagles twice a year and we know what it takes to stop a Jim Johnson attacking defense.
Too many think that if we attack we can't be exposed. That is a foolish assumption. The defense has not been created which can't be beaten. At one time people thought the 46 would revolutionize football. Why don't you see many teams running it? Because Offensive Coordinators are not dumb like I already said. There is almost always a seam. That's what makes this great game of human chess so wonderful.
Do not get me wrong, I am not saying we shouldn't attack. We definitely should, but beyond that what we really need is guys on this defense to simply step up and live up to their potential. Some can rightly ask "what potential?" It's true, some of our guys haven't shown much. Zimmer has been blamed. Parcells has been blamed. Lacewell has been blamed. Jerry has been blamed. The players themselves have been blamed, but to a lesser degree.
Well, now these players are talking, and make no mistake about it they will be expected to back up their bravado. If they don't the fans and the Dallas media are going to be on them like Dracula on a neck.
Everything is in place for this defense to be one of the best in the NFL except one thing. They haven't done it yet. That has to change right away. No more excuses, just get it done.
This defense has 8 guys who were chosen in the 1st round of the Draft.
Greg Ellis
Anthony Spencer
Bobby Carpenter
DeMarcus Ware
Marcus Spears
Terrence Newman
Roy Williams
Aaron Glenn
We also have 2 guys who were chosen in the 2nd round.
Kevin Burnett
Ken Hamlin
Two more in the 3rd round.
Jason Hatcher
Akin Ayodele
What this means is that 12 of our top players on defense were Day 1 Draft picks. There are few situations likely where 11 of them would be on the field at the same time, but what this means is that production is expected.
Where the rest of our key defensive performers were selected.
Three more in the 4th round.
Bradie James
Chris Canty
Anthony Henry
One in the 5th round.
Patrick Watkins
One in the 6th round.
Montavious Stanley
Six in the 7th round.
Jason Ferguson
Jay Ratliff
Courtney Brown
Alan Ball
Jacques Reeves
Nathan Jones
Four guys who were undrafted.
Junior Glymph
Stephen Bowen
Oliver Hoyte (if he goes back to ILB)
Keith Davis
Call me crazy, but I think that is a good mix of players for a top defense to be made of. Most of the guys are our own Draft picks or undrafted Free Agents, but we also have a mixture of guys who came in as Free Agents to make the unit solid.
In just about 5 days we begin to hear whether our expectations are grounded or not. They better be.
Look for more QB pressures and sacks immediately. Look for more takeaways too. But don't forget this very important thing, when a defense is in attack mode it is vulnerable to big plays. Anyone who thinks we won't get beat deep or with big plays just because we're harrassing the opposing QB is living in a Pollyanna world.
Offensive Coordinators are not dumb. If they see that we are coming with ears peeled back and focused on the QB they are going to do things to mess up the timing of the charge. Draws plays and play action can be broken for big gains if the Defense is too focused on attack and not making their reads. Most of us know this because we face the eagles twice a year and we know what it takes to stop a Jim Johnson attacking defense.
Too many think that if we attack we can't be exposed. That is a foolish assumption. The defense has not been created which can't be beaten. At one time people thought the 46 would revolutionize football. Why don't you see many teams running it? Because Offensive Coordinators are not dumb like I already said. There is almost always a seam. That's what makes this great game of human chess so wonderful.
Do not get me wrong, I am not saying we shouldn't attack. We definitely should, but beyond that what we really need is guys on this defense to simply step up and live up to their potential. Some can rightly ask "what potential?" It's true, some of our guys haven't shown much. Zimmer has been blamed. Parcells has been blamed. Lacewell has been blamed. Jerry has been blamed. The players themselves have been blamed, but to a lesser degree.
Well, now these players are talking, and make no mistake about it they will be expected to back up their bravado. If they don't the fans and the Dallas media are going to be on them like Dracula on a neck.
Everything is in place for this defense to be one of the best in the NFL except one thing. They haven't done it yet. That has to change right away. No more excuses, just get it done.
This defense has 8 guys who were chosen in the 1st round of the Draft.
Greg Ellis
Anthony Spencer
Bobby Carpenter
DeMarcus Ware
Marcus Spears
Terrence Newman
Roy Williams
Aaron Glenn
We also have 2 guys who were chosen in the 2nd round.
Kevin Burnett
Ken Hamlin
Two more in the 3rd round.
Jason Hatcher
Akin Ayodele
What this means is that 12 of our top players on defense were Day 1 Draft picks. There are few situations likely where 11 of them would be on the field at the same time, but what this means is that production is expected.
Where the rest of our key defensive performers were selected.
Three more in the 4th round.
Bradie James
Chris Canty
Anthony Henry
One in the 5th round.
Patrick Watkins
One in the 6th round.
Montavious Stanley
Six in the 7th round.
Jason Ferguson
Jay Ratliff
Courtney Brown
Alan Ball
Jacques Reeves
Nathan Jones
Four guys who were undrafted.
Junior Glymph
Stephen Bowen
Oliver Hoyte (if he goes back to ILB)
Keith Davis
Call me crazy, but I think that is a good mix of players for a top defense to be made of. Most of the guys are our own Draft picks or undrafted Free Agents, but we also have a mixture of guys who came in as Free Agents to make the unit solid.
In just about 5 days we begin to hear whether our expectations are grounded or not. They better be.
