Where do you stand on this debate

[Chocolate Lab]

I'm listening to 103 this morning, and Chuck Cooperstein and Dale Hansen are having a pretty heated debate.

Cooperstein and Jen Engel seem to be pretty outraged at the game and Coop in particular is saying that this defense is still awful. He argues that we've only played two good QBs and both of them have torched us, and the only reason we've done any good the last few weeks is that the offenses we've played have been terrible.

Hansen -- yes, Hansen is actually defending us -- argues that the Pats are simply better and that especially with our injuries, we can't match up with that offense. He defends the criticism of Roy Williams and Newman by saying that the rules of the league are set up to encourage the pass (no touching WRs, protecting the QB etc.) and that the Pats are simply too good. He says, show me the defense that has stopped the Pats so far. At least they got some sacks on him and the D scored a TD.

In a nutshell, Coop and Jen seem to be arguing that the "This D has all these first rounders and Mr. Fixit and they still can't get it done."

Hansen is more calm and says that the defense shouldn't be expected to be totally fixed in just a few weeks (or months, counting summer camps), and that besides, there is no shame in not beating the best team in football. Sometimes the other team is just better -- their guys get paid, too -- and that the Cowboys are still one of the better teams in football and maybe the best team in the conference.

Just curious where you stand, because they were getting into it pretty good. Should we be angry that the team isn't better, or happy that we are still pretty darn good? (And yes, it is weird to hear Hansen defending how good this team is.)

 

[chinch]

there is no debate it's awful.

however with the new coach & henry/newman hurt i'm hoping by post-thankgiving the defense will be able to cover someone.

until i see otherwise it's awful.

we need to be more than just "one of the better teams in football" again.

 

[NoLuv4Jerry]

Either the players are not as good as advertised (which goes to the person doing the shopping)...or the schemes are not all that good. Personally I think they players are not as good as advertised...which is why I wish everyone would stop jocking Parcells

 

[theogt]

With Nate Jones and Jacques Reeves lining up against Randy Moss and Wes Welker the defense does suck. But they are getting pressure and should have, just out of pure random chance, held them on some of those 3rd downs.

By the 4th quarter they had given up and were completely exhaused (though that was their fault since they couldn't get off the field), so the final score isn't very telling of how they played.

 

[theebs]

I agree with hansen.

We were just overmatched. Throw in penalties that wrecked a couple of drives and you have no chance against that group.

I know this though, are season will be determined by the three divisional games we play in a month. If the team struggles to cover in those games we might be in for a rough second half.

Right now though, I am inclined to believe we just had our turn of getting run over by the pats machine. The eagles and Commanders turn is coming soon. Wait till the Commanders play them, they can not generate a pass rush with 5 guys and if you stay in zone you are dead against the pats.

 

[Doomsday101]

I saw many positive from the defense but felt they just wore out in the 4th qrt. They had been on the field all day aginst a high powered vet offense and it showed. I think this unit will improve as we move forward.

 

[sago1]

Can only imagine how the Skins young QB will do against the Pats. I think any NFC team that the Pats play will get hurt even more then we did.

 

[Mr Cowboy]

The windows in he77 are fogging over, and snow is on the horizon.

I am going to agree with Hansen for the most part. this defense will get better as the year goes on. It takes time to adjust to the new defense, and it is astonishing to me that the offense isn't haveing the same problems.

But regarding the fist round picks on defense...........yes there are a bunch of them, but also look at who was playing in the secondary yesterday. Two 7th rounders. I have always said that high draft picks were wasted by the past administratioin. Instead of using the Carpenter and Burnett picks on LB's, they should have picked up a couple of DBs.

Furhtermore, knowing Ellis' severe injury, they should have gone after a proven OLB, such as Adalius Thomas......like the Pats did. Same with WR, instead of relying on a 7th rounder and free agents behind the staters, they could have had Randy Moss, or Stalworth. The Pats did...........

Anyway, there is no shame in losing to the Pats, they are a great team, and one we should strive to be like.

 

[Cajuncowboy]

LOL! What a riot. We gave up 0 "ZERO" Td's on defense for two straight games. That is difficult to do in this league and we are awful? Ridiculous. Newman is just getting back into the swing of things, we have Ellis just coming back we lost our starting NT for the year and Henry has been out the last few games, yet we are Awful.

I wonder if these people actually believe this stuff or do they just make it up to have something to talk about.

 

[YosemiteSam]

Can't stop third downs = awful.

 

[AmishCowboy]

With Nate Jones and Jacques Reeves lining up against Randy Moss and Wes Welker the defense does suck. But they are getting pressure and should have, just out of pure random chance, held them on some of those 3rd downs.

By the 4th quarter they had given up and were completely exhaused (though that was their fault since they couldn't get off the field), so the final score isn't very telling of how they played.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

You can't judge the defense just this year. It's been HORRIBLE for a while now and when faced with 2 quality passing attacks this year it has been destroyed!

Also Trent Green lit us up for a while and if he would have been accurate that day it would have been a lot worse. The fact is they aren't a good defense and at some point you just have to admit that our secondary personnel is overmatched against any quality NFL passing attack.

 

[Bull Frog]

I can't stand Hanson, but I agree with him. The QB argument maybe valid, but the depth and quality of the Pats WR corps is unparalled. We've yet to play a game with both starting CB's.

 

[Cochese]

LOL! What a riot. We gave up 0 "ZERO" Td's on defense for two straight games. That is difficult to do in this league and we are awful?

Wow, against mighty St. Loser and Buffalo. Two teams that have ONE win between them. What an amazing accomplisment.

 

[Stash]

How do you cover Moss, Stallworth and Welker with Nate Jones and Jacques Reeves?

If any genius can tell me the answer to that, we can fire Wade and hire them as soo as today.

The Patriots are a great team with teriffic offensive weapons and a HOF quarterback. They are the measuring stick and the best team in the league right now.

I'd like to see the Cowboys and Patriots play at full strength with a competent officiating crew. That's not what we got yesterday.

As to the 'debate'? It's a stupid one. An undermanned defense still under construction was chewed up by the league's best QB. No reason for shame there.

 

[dboyz]

I agree with Hansen. We aren't that bad and if Henry is healthy we could've put more of a fight up against them.

Right now, the Patriots are the class of the league. No one -- not even the Colts -- can destroy teams the way the Patriots are.

I think it would've made a difference if Henry had been healthy and we could've put Newman on Welker one-one one. At least we would of had a chance. Our pass rush was actually decent. I think it was more coverage issues than anything else. I'll tell you the recipe for beating the Patriots:

-We have to much better on the penalties, especially the unforced errors like false starts, illegal procedure, etc.

-We have to start quicker. We can't spot good teams double digit leads in the first half and expect to win. We were able to claw back for a while in this game, but it doesn't always work that way.

-Hit Brady. We did ok at times, but we need to get him rattled.

-Cover better.

 

[canters]

We are the best team in a weak NFC, right now.

We have a lot of high picks on D that play like average joes. We need better DB and or pressue to get to the next level.

 

[ScipioCowboy]

Yes. This defense should be better. A defense with 7 first rounds picks, 1 very high second round pick, and 3 high-priced free agents--an entire starting unit--should be able to play much better than it has in 3 of 6 games thus far this season.

The sky isn't falling, but Dallas' defense is extremely underwhelming.

 

[JIMMYBUFFETT]

Same stupid argument that is made after every loss . Dallas is suppose to win every game , and if they don't they suck . It doesn't matter how many good games they have , it won't be recognized . Only the bad games and bad plays will be recognized by certain members of the media and members of this board . Dallas will shut down the league's leading rusher and probably rookie of the year next week , and all that will be said is "So what , it was against the Vikings and they suck" .

 

[Kangaroo]

This is virtually the same personal as last year on the defense and the secondary is still the biggest weakness we added Hamlin and it still has not helped. Losing Henry who is a solid CB should not be an issue how the hell has NE been able to grab guys of the practice squad (couple years ago) and have them play press coverage if need be and we can not.

How is it 3 years and Roy Williams still does not defend the ball he just lets people make the catch then hits or tackles them. He rarely makes plays on the ball. Nate Jones should have been cut and Aaron Glen should have been the slot guy.

We played 3 of the worse teams in football this year so that has made the defense look better. I have to agree that so far any quality QB has owned this defense. Funny this trend has been that way since after the Indy game.

What the heck happen to the the defense it dominated the Colts and then fell of the cliff as a defense and still lays there to this day ?

I fall on the side of the argument that the defense is not good and they have yet to prove that they are a good defense. People keep defending the defense yet there is no sign that the defense can do anything against a good qb. This is not a new trend then go's all the way back to last year.