What hurt our defense this year

[Sheepherder]

The Dallas Cowboy's defense against the run wasn't as good this year. I feel like Vander Esch injury hurt because they had no answer for it. Correct me if I'm wrong but didn’t he call the plays on defense?

 

[thunderpimp91]

LVEs injury certainly hurt but I also don’t think he is a Fred Warner type of backer who can take a teams run defense and do a 180 with it either. LVE is a solid backer who at this stage is probably a stronger coverage backer than run defender.

The issue with the cowboys comes back to a complete lack of depth at the second level. They thought they were smarter than the rest of the league and could scheme around not having a true run defender back there. When they played with leads it worked great. When they didn’t and teams could stay balanced it was a disaster.

 

[Captain-Crash]

having to carry the offense all year?, just a thought.

 

[Sheepherder]

LVEs injury certainly hurt but I also don’t think he is a Fred Warner type of backer who can take a teams run defense and do a 180 with it either. LVE is a solid backer who at this stage is probably a stronger coverage backer than run defender.

The issue with the cowboys comes back to a complete lack of depth at the second level. They thought they were smarter than the rest of the league and could scheme around not having a true run defender back there. When they played with leads it worked great. When they didn’t and teams could stay balanced it was a disaster.

Right they had no depth was a major problem. Then they used safties for backups which didn't make sense to me. Poor roster management is the how I see it.

 

[DallasDW00ds0n]

LVE had a decent year prior and I think everyone was pretty hopeful he’d stay healthy. Losing him was obviously a major blow.

Losing Overshown was a blow.

Clark didn’t really elevate his play, that was a blow.

Harper definitely didn’t elevate his play, that was a blow.

So we relied on a 200lb safety to fill gaps and stuff runs.

Yeah I’d say they poorly calculated the LB position this summer, right after they knew Overshown was gone, there should have been a better effort to get depth

 

[Aven8]

I do not want LVE back even if he wants to give it go. It’s time for new blood.

 

[rnr_honeybadger]

This team has basically rolled without investing in the defensive line. Then they compounded it by thinking that they could get away with smaller speedier linebackers. You can't have a soft defensive line and smaller linebackers. It's one or the other, not both. When you have both you end up with teams running up the gut of your defense over and over again because you can't stop the run with your soft line and small linebackers getting the stuffing smashed out of them all game by offensive linemen.

 

[kskboys]

LVE had a decent year prior and I think everyone was pretty hopeful he’d stay healthy. Losing him was obviously a major blow.

Losing Overshown was a blow.

Clark didn’t really elevate his play, that was a blow.

Harper definitely didn’t elevate his play, that was a blow.

So we relied on a 200lb safety to fill gaps and stuff runs.

Yeah I’d say they poorly calculated the LB position this summer, right after they knew Overshown was gone, there should have been a better effort to get depth

I wasn't. LVE has been injury prone going back to his college days. I had no hope/confidence that he'd stay healthy.

Clark lacks lateral agility. He's incapable of elevating his play.

 

[kskboys]

This team has basically rolled without investing in the defensive line. Then they compounded it by thinking that they could get away with smaller speedier linebackers. You can't have a soft defensive line and smaller linebackers. It's one or the other, not both. When you have both you end up with teams running up the gut of your defense over and over again because you can't stop the run with your soft line and small linebackers getting the stuffing smashed out of them all game by offensive linemen.

Well said.

Whomever was responsible for this group of DT's/LB's is who is responsible for losing in the playoffs.

 

[visionary]

The Dallas Cowboy's defense against the run wasn't as good this year. I feel like Vander Esch injury hurt because they had no answer for it. Correct me if I'm wrong but didn’t he call the plays on defense?

Bad scheme
No commitment to stopping the run
Playing a LB at DE to make him happy
Playing safeties at LB

 

[offlimits]

The Dallas Cowboy's defense against the run wasn't as good this year. I feel like Vander Esch injury hurt because they had no answer for it. Correct me if I'm wrong but didn’t he call the plays on defense?

Yes. He herded the cats and put them in the right position. They were not nearly as good after he suffered his 5th neck injury.

 

[MikeT22]

Their philosophy on the DL is bizarre. After investing three 1st round picks on the OL they said it was time to remake the DL in similar fashion.

But most of the time it’s been in rounds 3-4. Tapper, Collins, Gallimore, Armstrong, Osa, Gholston. None of them are high end, most either busts or average.

In the last 10 years, the few times we did use a first/second it’s been Taco, Trysten and Mazi. It’s almost like our front office has no clue.

 

[Sheepherder]

This team has basically rolled without investing in the defensive line. Then they compounded it by thinking that they could get away with smaller speedier linebackers. You can't have a soft defensive line and smaller linebackers. It's one or the other, not both. When you have both you end up with teams running up the gut of your defense over and over again because you can't stop the run with your soft line and small linebackers getting the stuffing smashed out of them all game by offensive linemen.

Their philosophy on the DL is bizarre. After investing three 1st round picks on the OL they said it was time to remake the DL in similar fashion.

But most of the time it’s been in rounds 3-4. Tapper, Collins, Gallimore, Armstrong, Osa, Gholston. None of them are high end, most either busts or average.

In the last 10 years, the few times we did use a first/second it’s been Taco, Trysten and Mazi. It’s almost like our front office has no clue.

I appreciate your response. Yes I place all the blame on management.

 

[Mr_437]

There wasn't a commitment to stopping the run or running the ball on offense. Defensively, DQ wasn't showing 8 man boxes or going "Big" with his personnel to combat teams running its that simple.

Two cents: LVE isn't good enough to act like his loss was the reason because teams were doing same thing for years when he was in the lineup, plus he plays a finesse brand of LB.

 

[Sheepherder]

There wasn't a commitment to stopping the run or running the ball on offense. Defensively, DQ wasn't showing 8 man boxes or going "Big" with his personnel to combat teams running its that simple.

Two cents: LVE isn't good enough to act like his loss was the reason because teams were doing same thing for years when he was in the lineup, plus he plays a finesse brand of LB.

He was good his rookie year. The following year, he went down and never really got back. He was a risky pick by the Joneses if the truth be known.

 

[Mr_437]

He was good his rookie year. The following year, he went down and never really got back. He was a risky pick by the Joneses if the truth be known.

I agree, after he re-injured his neck, he was never the same and had to resort to a more finesse type game. Knowing his limitations playing WILB would've been better for him instead of MLB.

 

[kskboys]

Bad scheme
No commitment to stopping the run
Playing a LB at DE to make him happy
Playing safeties at LB

If you add in a 3 tech w/ no sand in his pants, I'll agree!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Cowboys5217]

The Dallas Cowboy's defense against the run wasn't as good this year. I feel like Vander Esch injury hurt because they had no answer for it. Correct me if I'm wrong but didn’t he call the plays on defense?

They were too "burnt out" for that.

 

[Big_D]

I do not want LVE back even if he wants to give it go. It’s time for new blood.

Time to move on!

 

[kskboys]

They were too "burnt out" for that.

Nope. They were too small. It's really no more complicated than that.

OK, think about the undersized positions on our D:

DE
DT
LB
LB
LB

That's 5 players who are undersized. That is a ton.