Video: Voch: How The Dallas Cowboys Improved Run Defense
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QuincyCarterEra
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They were a top 5 run defense for a reason last year
Reason: Rod
Reason: Rod
TexasHillbilly
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Jstopper
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I don't expect big jumps but if there is steady improvement the Cowboys should be ready for the playoffs.
NEODOG
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Bullflop
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Incremental improvement throughout the regular season will, hopefully, become a big part in our welcome to the playoffs.
It's a nice start! Hopefully, some of our youngsters, while gaining experience, will develop into big factors for our success.
It's a nice start! Hopefully, some of our youngsters, while gaining experience, will develop into big factors for our success.
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xwalker
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That really does not explain how they improved from last season.
He goes over the simplistic issues that most people could see just watching the play.
The reality is that the Cowboys changed up how they play assignments as compared to last season and the Rams game in particular.
The Skins were showing outside run but planning an inside cut back. The Rams did that repeatedly to the Cowboys in the playoff game and you know the results.
If Collins "assignment" was to jump towards the outside and play the gap to the outside of #75, then this play looks entirely differently.
A much better video would be to show a similar play from last season to contrast with this play. There is more to it than Collins just making a good play.
Stash
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Praxit
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....but what happened in the final most important game? Rod was found out.
QuincyCarterEra
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What happened in the game right before that, that was just as important? Our team had one of the best rush defensive performances in the league for that season.
glimmerman
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Taking a few games to get going this season. As long as they continue to improve we will be fine.
sbark
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The Rams crowed that they were able to anticipate d.line movement with "tells", presume that fixed until new behavior pattern is a habit
Be fun to watch what belchek shows us midway
xwalker
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I think the "tells" thing was over-blown. They knew that if the 1-tech aligns a certain way in his stance that he was going to try to cross the face of the center but in his alternate alignment he would stay on the side of the center where he was aligned at the snap. The Rams RB would fake to the side where they knew the 1-tech would go and then the RB would cut back to the side they knew the 1-tech would vacate. They Cowboys made an adjustment on that issue (1-tech stance) before half-time. Unfortunately the bigger picture issue with regards to the Rams exploiting the Cowboys defensive assignments (see below) was not something the Cowboys could resolve by making in-game adjustments.
The Rams coaches tweaked their blocking scheme specifically to how the Cowboys play defense.
The Rams found a weakness in the situation where the offense threatens to run outside specifically to the same side where the 1-tech is aligned.
There are open gaps on each side of the 1-tech (no DL in those gaps). That means LBs have to fill those gaps.
The Rams realized that the 1-tech in the Cowboys defense has the assignment to move towards the outside on outside runs. That means he takes himself out of the middle of the field.
Then if they double-team the other DT (backside DT) that cuts him off from getting over to cover any area vacated by the 1-tech.
That leaves the LBs to cover a big gap in the middle. With the 1-tech taking himself out of the middle, that leaves an extra OL to get out to the MLB.
The Rams use motion and their propensity to run jet sweeps, reverses, etc. to hold the other LB on the backside.
When the RB cuts back to the inside it's wide open but not because the Rams OL over-power anybody to did anything wow from a physical perspective.
Once the Rams had success with that, they would run outside and the LBs were delayed getting outside because they were looking for the cut back. They would just have the "free" OLineman move to the outside instead of to the inside of the LB on that side and because the LB was delayed looking for the cut back to the inside, the OLineman was just standing there on the outside between the LB and the RB running outside.
What the Rams did was really simple from a big picture scheme concept but oddly other offenses did not do the same thing against the Cowboys and even now the Skins were running to the 3-tech side. The play that one of those guys that does videos tried to analyze in the Skins game was a run to the 3-tech side and the 3-tech (Colliins) blowing it up to tackle the RB in the backfield.
Having said all of that, I don't want to overlook the fact that the Rams players were very good in executing their scheme. Their OL didn't do anything wow physically, but they all executed their assignments with precision.
The Cowboys have changed some things up on the DL assignments this year but it's difficult to know if it will resolve the issues against a team like the Rams.
CB61
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I think our first goal should be actually getting to the playoffs not worrying about what to do when we get there just my opinion oh, we don't need to be looking ahead that gets us in trouble usually example Colts game last year
CowboyRoy
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