What is wrong with this Defense???? *Merge*

[Yakuza Rich]

Bradie played well last night. Hamlin stunk, so did Scandrick and Newman.

Saying we get no pressure is ridiculous. We got plenty of pressure last night. But we struggle with tackling, Spencer is way too inconsistent, neither Spears or Igor do much with the pass rush, Ware is NOT playing all that great right now.

Still, the defense wasn't THAT bad...we pretty much shut down their running game. The big issue was the field position our boy wonder QB gave the G-Men along with the Felix fumble (at least Felix redeemed himself).




YAKUZA

 

[GoCowboysGo]

No sacks, no interceptions through two games. Opposing receivers are having a field day with our secondary. What the heck is going on????

If I'm not mistaken (big risk) I think it's been 15 quarters w/o a turnover.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

The big issue was the field position our boy wonder QB gave the G-Men along with the Felix fumble (at least Felix redeemed himself).

I don't understand why people don't seem to get this. You can't keep turning the ball over and expect your defense to stop them time after time after time.

Turnovers are pretty much the most important stat in the game. If you turn the ball over repeatedly, you lose. It's that simple, and it's been that way since the game was invented. If people are expecting our defense to be so uniquely superior that they can overcome that stat, they need to wake up to reality.

 

[Jake0]

Really our defense only looks amazing and top 5 if you go by the underwear olympics component, add in the mental side of the game and we are what we are, a mid-ranked defense.

The league is full of tremendous athletes. You have to be in the right place at the right time. Having a player that can lift 5 more reps on the bench and run the 40 yard dash .15 seconds faster is far less important than a player knowing what to do, not having to hesitate to react, or being allowed to rush unblocked.

It all boils down to film room study, preparation, and coaching. That's where this defense is really lacking.

 

[Hook'em#11]

I don't understand why people don't seem to get this. You can't keep turning the ball over and expect your defense to stop them time after time after time.

Turnovers are pretty much the most important stat in the game. If you turn the ball over repeatedly, you lose. It's that simple, and it's been that way since the game was invented. If people are expecting our defense to be so uniquely superior that they can overcome that stat, they need to wake up to reality.

Agreed Lab,

but, the problem is. OUR Defense recently NEVER gets that int fumble recovery to change the game like the Giants did last night. That first INT was the doom of it all, and it showed.

I am not looking for superiority, I am looking for the defense to for once make that big play that brings the momentum back to Dallas. And lately, that isn't happening. This year is still early, this is just venting now. But, come week 9 or 10? and it is still like this? We got a problem.

 

[AbeBeta]

I don't understand why people don't seem to get this. You can't keep turning the ball over and expect your defense to stop them time after time after time.

Also, the Giant's OL is REALLY good.

 

[FCBarca]

I don't understand why people don't seem to get this. You can't keep turning the ball over and expect your defense to stop them time after time after time.

Turnovers are pretty much the most important stat in the game. If you turn the ball over repeatedly, you lose. It's that simple, and it's been that way since the game was invented. If people are expecting our defense to be so uniquely superior that they can overcome that stat, they need to wake up to reality.

There weren't too many times that the D did their job, however...They couldn't get the stops when they needed to...They couldn't stop the passing game when the numbers in the secondary favored Dallas...And they couldn't even get a sniff of Eli in the backfield...It's mostly Romo but the D is certainly part of the problem from last night, as well.

 

[Noryb]

In Romo's 1st pick yesterday, you got Antonio Pierce blatantly listening to the calls at the line and making adjustments. He basically knows our offense as good as any player on our team.

We rushed for 250 yards, not very impressive for a defense that was in the know.

 

[Jake0]

We rushed for 250 yards, not very impressive for a defense that was in the know.

The passing game is where the smarts come into play. Rushing is smash-mouth football other than misplaying gap assignments. We dominated the line of scrimmage.

 

[gbrittain]

I don't understand why people don't seem to get this. You can't keep turning the ball over and expect your defense to stop them time after time after time.

Turnovers are pretty much the most important stat in the game. If you turn the ball over repeatedly, you lose. It's that simple, and it's been that way since the game was invented. If people are expecting our defense to be so uniquely superior that they can overcome that stat, they need to wake up to reality.

I don't expect the defense to have to match Tony turnover for turnover, what he did yesterday was unexcusable but this defense is getting a free ride from too many IMO.

Other teams appear to be able to force a fumble, or get an INT why can't the Dallas D?

Not only have they not forced any turnovers or gotten to the QB once, they have been shredded on the ground and in the air.

Can you imagine what Drew Brees will do to this defense if things don't change?

 

[Noryb]

The passing game is where the smarts come into play. Rushing is smash-mouth football other than misplaying gap assignments. We dominated the line of scrimmage.

On the play you speak of, I'm not quite sure how smarts come into play because Romo made a terrible throw. It's not even obvious which WR he was throwing it to.

I don't see how you can give them credit for knowing what was coming on that play.

 

[Jake0]

On that play specifically? You didn't see how Pierce's audible confused the **** out of Romo and the receivers with the play clock winding down which was the direct cause of the throw that went to supposedly nobody? Really?

 

[Chocolate Lab]

I don't expect the defense to have to match Tony turnover for turnover, what he did yesterday was unexcusable but this defense is getting a free ride from too many IMO.

Oh, they shouldn't get a free ride, and I don't see people giving them that.

I'm just saying that, going back to last year, I've seen times where our special teams or offense (or both) give opposing offenses great field position time after time, and if our D doesn't hold them every single time, people say how soft and weak our D is. That's just not realistic to hold NFL offenses time after time on short fields unless you're playing a really bad team.

I mean, the whole reason we spent a draft pick and roster spot on Buehler was to gain maybe 10 yards of field position, from maybe the 30 to the 20. If those ten yards deep in enemy territory are that important, imagine how tough it is to stop teams starting at the 40 or even in our territory.

 

[gbrittain]

Oh, they shouldn't get a free ride, and I don't see people giving them that.

I'm just saying that, going back to last year, I've seen times where our special teams or offense (or both) give opposing offenses great field position time after time, and if our D doesn't hold them every single time, people say how soft and weak our D is. That's just not realistic to hold NFL offenses time after time unless you're playing a really bad team.

I agree, sometimes the expectations are unrealistic. However, right now I am not talking field position. I am talking about defense that rarely makes a big play (none this year), has been shredded on the ground and in the air.

Maybe a different QB wins the game last night, I admit that is not only quite possible but likely.

The QB position will be irrelevant if the defense stays near the bottom in forced turnovers and yardage allowed.

 

[ultra5]

No sacks, no interceptions through two games. Opposing receivers are having a field day with our secondary. What the heck is going on????

what's going on is that they don't like to get "dirty" like the Ravens, Steelers, Jets, etc. do... the Cowboys are soft on D and don't feel they need to stick their nose in there and do the basic things like tackle consistently and play fundamental football.

it's a good thing Wade "took over" as the D coordinator this year. lol

it's the same old story for how long now?

 

[ScipioCowboy]

The answer is so simple that it's overlooked: The defense simply isn't very good. The talent overall is crassly overrated and largely mediocre.

With all the resources that have been committed to the defensive side of the ball over the past several seasons and all the hype surrounding them, I've fully expected the defense to emerge as a genuine top 5 unit, but they haven't for one simple reason: They lack top 5 talent. Top 15, perhaps, but not top 5 and certainly not elite.

Because we fans sorely want at an easy fix, we lay blame on the coaching, one or two players, or some other seemingly easily correctable malady. But the truth is that the talent deficiencies are pervasive.

 

[DallasDomination]

There is nothing wrong with the defense they just are not very good. it's that simple really.

 

[gbrittain]

The answer is so simple that it's overlooked: The defense simply isn't very good. The talent overall is crassly overrated and largely mediocre.

With all the resources that have been committed to the defensive side of the ball over the past several seasons and all the hype surrounding them, I've fully expected the defense to emerge as a genuine top 5 unit, but they haven't for one simple reason: They lack top 5 talent. Top 15, perhaps, but not top 5 and certainly not elite.

Because we fans sorely want at an easy fix, we lay blame on the coaching, one or two players, or some other seemingly easily correctable malady. But the truth is that the talent deficiencies are pervasive.

I very much agree. I am no Wade fan, but I don't know if any other D-Cord would get better results with this group.

 

[Future]

He was getting doubled and tripled all night long with nobody on the other side thats a proven and effective pass rusher they just take him out of the game

Though if the secondary could hold their own he would have more time to shed the blocks and get after it

No he was getting chipped and then they let him go. Then he was getting stonewalled by the tackle over and over again. He was flat and didn't do anything. He hasn't seen anything scheme-wise last night or against Tampa that he didn't see pretty much every week last year.

The defense flat out is not smart. Two of the key mental positions on our D are manned by mental midgets, MLB and FS. (Bradie James and Ken Hamlin)

The defense has raw talent which is great and all, but when it's not accompanied by football IQ it's full of lapses.

In Romo's 1st pick yesterday, you got Antonio Pierce blatantly listening to the calls at the line and making adjustments. He basically knows our offense as good as any player on our team.

Our team dating back to the Parcells era has always tried to just be a defense that wins heads up battles, nothing fancy. I see smart plays made on defense around the league watching other games and wonder what Dallas' defense could be if it had smarter players.

I agree with you 100% that this defense is just plain dumb. All around guys don't know where to be or how to adjust it seems.

But I refuse to give credit to Pierce for that pick. Crayton was WIDE open and Tony missed him. Just because he makes a lot of noise doesn't make him good. He was abused all night.

 

[ScipioCowboy]

I very much agree. I am no Wade fan, but I don't know if any other D-Cord would get better results with this group.

Wade is not a great coach by any stretch, but he is a very good defensive coordinator as evidenced by his resume and track record.

Fans constantly complain about the lack of something: man coverage, blitzes, etc.

But those things are only effective if the defense is capable of doing them on a consistent basis.