Two Minute Defense

[Alweezy]

To be honest as we approached the two minute warning our offense set the Defense up for failure...

Just the series before, Roy Williams made a game saving play to interecept the ball once again holding the Seahawks.. we should have had the game won at that point...

but we failed to move the ball any and settled for 3 not even running the clock out well beyond the 2 minute warning. IF our offense did their job the defense would not have even stepped on the field for that final series.

It is obvious we got a lot of work to do wrapping games up, but to be fair, Roy Williams and Ware had "closed" the game earlier, and the Offense opened it right back up.

 

[GoDallas]

Regardless about what the offense did (but I agree they screwed up), the fact is that the opposing team's offense drove against our effective defense & scored at the end of the game. How many more games are we going to lose at the end?

 

[zagnut]

last series, starting at their 19, was:

22 yard pass
22 yard pass
22 yard penalty
11 yard run
13 yard pass

This, after holding one of the best offenses to 3-and-outs all day.

 

[big dog cowboy]

The thing is that it has been going on for over 5 years.

Let's see -the head coach has changed, the defensive assistants have changed, the players have changed and the scheme has changed.

The only real constant has been Zimmer.

 

[Bizwah]

last series, starting at their 19, was:

22 yard pass
22 yard pass
22 yard penalty
11 yard run
13 yard pass

This, after holding one of the best offenses to 3-and-outs all day.

See, this is what I'm talking about.....this is inexcuseable.

I would see Cajun's point more if this didn't happen during every close game. But teams have made a habit of driving the field on us with two minutes left.

 

[Dale]

We had the lead at the end of the game......again........we let the other team march down the field to score a game-tying TD......again.

This is a problem.

It must be fixed.

End of story.

Now, I do agree that the offense sucked today......But we were in position to win and the last second defense let us down......again.

True, but how many times must the defense make the "game saving play"?

Last week, Roy made the fumble recovery at the goal line. Our offense just gave the ball back like a minute later with great field position.

This week, our special teams makes a huge fourth quarter play. Then Roy makes an INT and we have the ball in the red zone again.

Those WERE game-saving type plays, IMO. It's just, if you ask your defense to make three or four of them in the fourth quarter, you're bound to break.

I mean we were sitting on a 7-3 lead for just about the entire game today. That is not the sort of score you sit on. We all discussed this after the Washington game, saying our fatal flaw was assuming 13 was good enough to win.

In both games we needed 14 points. For whatever reason, either inability or reluctance, we could not do it.

 

[SultanOfSix]

True, but how many times must the defense make the "game saving play"?

Last week, Roy made the fumble recovery at the goal line. Our offense just gave the ball back like a minute later with great field position.

This week, our special teams makes a huge fourth quarter play. Then Roy makes an INT and we have the ball in the red zone again.

Those WERE game-saving type plays, IMO. It's just, if you ask your defense to make three or four of them in the fourth quarter, you're bound to break.

I mean we were sitting on a 7-3 lead for just about the entire game today. That is not the sort of score you sit on. We all discussed this after the Washington game, saying our fatal flaw was assuming 13 was good enough to win.

In both games we needed 14 points. For whatever reason, either inability or reluctance, we could not do it.

Good post Dale. This is the key point most of the coaching "bashers" (after a loss) have been frustrated with.

 

[joseephuss]

We had the lead at the end of the game......again........we let the other team march down the field to score a game-tying TD......again.

This is a problem.

It must be fixed.

End of story.

Now, I do agree that the offense sucked today......But we were in position to win and the last second defense let us down......again.

Everryone was on Zimmer for not pressuring Brunell in the Skins game. He was blitzing Hasselback and he and his receivers made the plays against Henry and Glenn. They also used something I think they call a play action pass around the goal line. I am not sure what it was. Must be against the rules because I don't see Dallas using that kind of play on offense.

 

[Bizwah]

True, but how many times must the defense make the "game saving play"?

Last week, Roy made the fumble recovery at the goal line. Our offense just gave the ball back like a minute later with great field position.

This week, our special teams makes a huge fourth quarter play. Then Roy makes an INT and we have the ball in the red zone again.

Those WERE game-saving type plays, IMO. It's just, if you ask your defense to make three or four of them in the fourth quarter, you're bound to break.

I mean we were sitting on a 7-3 lead for just about the entire game today. That is not the sort of score you sit on. We all discussed this after the Washington game, saying our fatal flaw was assuming 13 was good enough to win.

In both games we needed 14 points. For whatever reason, either inability or reluctance, we could not do it.

I agree that our offense was way to conservative.

But we had a 7 point lead......Their offense was held under control the entire day. They should not be able to drive the length of the field. We should've stopped them, but couldn't.

Again, I would understand if this was a one time thing. But other teams are finding a way to easily move the ball against us.

This has to end.

 

[Dale]

I agree that our offense was way to conservative.

But we had a 7 point lead......Their offense was held under control the entire day. They should not be able to drive the length of the field. We should've stopped them, but couldn't.

Again, I would understand if this was a one time thing. But other teams are finding a way to easily move the ball against us.

This has to end.

I agree, it has to end. But I guess my problem is that we knew this was going to happen, yet as a coaching staff cater to this style of game.

What's frustrating to me is that in consecutive weeks, the defense has delivered what appeared to be the game-winning play. And then our offense comes onto the field and fricks everything up....and then our defense melts down.

The defensive meltdowns are a problem, but not our biggest IMO. They delivered when the game was on the line, both this week and last week if you ask me. It's a team game though, and you can't ask one unit to deliver three or four game-saving type plays in the fourth quarter every week.

Conversely, it's the same problem I have with how we're using Bledsoe. He's supposed to be a bus driver, right? Isn't that what we're told? Yet he's been asked to win six of our seven games on the final drive. Please. No quarterback this side of the game's greatest legends will survive in such a situation.

 

[Alweezy]

Again, I would understand if this was a one time thing. But other teams are finding a way to easily move the ball against us.

This has to end.

"The Way" is playing aggressive...

Most of the game Seattle played very conservative, they became very adamant about allowing Shaun Alexander to get his yards, and for a good part of the first half the Cowboys did a great job stuffing him.

However when Seattle sped the tempo up and got aggressive we started falling off.. it happened in the 2nd QTR it happened in the 4th QTR.

As long as the team we are playing plays by the unwritten rule of not doing anything too drastic to lose the game we seemed to not have a difficult time stopping them, but immediately once a team rolls the dice our D has a tough time making the adjustment. It has been happening all year.

 

[Paniolo22]

Conversely, it's the same problem I have with how we're using Bledsoe. He's supposed to be a bus driver, right? Isn't that what we're told? Yet he's been asked to win six of our seven games on the final drive. Please. No quarterback this side of the game's greatest legends will survive in such a situation.

Amen! Even the Elways and Staubachs only have a small percentage of comebacks during their carreer. Elway has what, 29 4th qtr comebacks out of what, 15+ years in the league? I hate the strategy that we play it close until the end of the game. We need to put points up early, so our team can lower their blood pressure and win some games comfortably.