Where is that magical Wade Phillips D?

[Bob Sacamano]

I like to keep it simple. I can't think of any defense that is designed to give up points. Is this like a Wade Phillips special strategy?

it's designed to stop the deep, passing plays

it's designed so that the pass-rush makes the opposing QB throw into coverage

if the pass-rush isn't on, it's not a good D

our front 7 players are asked to shoot gaps, and the front 3 are lined out wide, so it's open to being gashed by the run if players aren't in the right spots

 

[CATCH17]

Hey Detroit played a heck of a game today.

I dont care if the most moronic coach on the planet is calling our defense Demarcus Ware and Greg Ellis will still get to the Quarterback and they didn't today because Detroits tackles played some good ball.

So maybe Wade is a little to blame because he is the coach but give Detroit a little credit as well.

 

[khiladi]

I don't remember a single time where Wade ran the package where he had Ware, Spencer, and Greg Ellis lined up on one side that tends to cause havoc. I just don't get it. The only thing I can think of is it seems that Wade is holding back and running some vanilla defense before the play-offs.

He seems to be doing that against scrub QBs....

 

[Rampage]

That should end the thread right there. And this was without our front seven getting much pressure at all. I'd have to say the secondary stepped up today.

:laugh2: and you question my football knowledge :laugh2:

 

[Chocolate Lab]

I'm not reading all this thread, I just popped in to say that other than a little more pleasure (by virtue of the return of Greg Ellis), this defense doesn't look remarkably better than it did under Parcells/Zimmer. WE play a little more deep zone and stunt more, but otherwise same old same old.

Does it matter that last year we were incredibly healthy, while this year we have two gimpy corners and have lost our NT for the year?

You're very reasonable, Crown, so this isn't directed at you. But some of the things I've seen in this thread... Wow. Just unbelievable. How can some of you not realize that we didn't play well at all today? Even Landry's great teams had those two or three "flat" (as he called them) games where the team just doesn't have any energy. It happens over the course of a 16-game season. But it doesn't mean that's what the team is going to be every week. And winning games despite being flat is a good thing, not a bad thing.

I bet most of the people screaming today are the same ones that screamed after the Buffalo game that we couldn't possibly beat any good teams. How's that turn out?

 

[Idgit]

Sometimes I'm embarrassed by the insecurity of my fellow Cowboys fans. Seriously. This thread is one of those times. All y'all need to get a grip and some perspective before going on on histrionic binges like this.

 

[5mics]

10/17, 121 Yards, 0 TDs, 0 INTs

That's their 2nd half stats. Oh my god, we suck!!!!!!!!111111111

Bingo! My God, some people here are so asinine. They'd probably nit-pick Jesus Christ himself.......

 

[AdamJT13]

And when those guys throw interceptions, it's usually in one or two games. Please spare me the statistical comparisons with the likes of these QBs. Peyton Manning threw six interceptions in one game, and Romo threw what, five against Buffalo.

You obviously haven't looked at what any of those quarterbacks have done this season, including Kitna.

Romo has 10 games with at least one interception. So does Anderson. Palmer and Brees have nine games with at least one interception. Manning and Roethlisberger have eight. Kitna? Only seven. So this is the SIXTH time that he has gone without an interception in a game. That's MORE than Manning, Roethlisberger, Palmer and Brees, and TWICE as many as Romo and Anderson.

And I don't seem to recall that pass defense only includes the secondary. When did I blame just the secondary? Your the one presenting the picture that, to borrow your words, "pass defense" was playing well, when in fact, you had Greg Ellis calling a huddle on the sideline trying to get them to play ball...

Ellis was upset about the run defense, not the pass defense.

 

[Ben_n_austin]

The defense was totally gutless.

I thought they stepped up at times. Detroit played good offense.

What's with all the bashing? Kitna's very last play on the last possession, where he was rushed to throw the ball away, was thwarted by Phillips' aggressive pass rush.

I think we are playing not to get hurt at this point, but to also still win games.

We've clenched the division...

 

[hmcorp]

its pretty clear that our offense is winning ball games.

any defense can hit up a stop here and there.

 

[LatinMind]

i think newman should just shut up from now on. didnt he open his mouth last yr before the lions game and got torched all game, and even by mike williams.

shut up newman, just shut up

 

[mmohican29]

Regarding the draft: I think we def need to go best Corner available Rd. 1. This team is one player that can EFFECTIVELY transition between covering the slot and outside receivers away from winning a world championship. A more stout, speedy ILB than Ayodele would be helpful as well, but I don't think Akin is a bad player whatsoever.

The key to the whole Pats offense is Wes Welker. Wes Welker. Wes Welker. 7 of 10 of the Pats 3rd down conversions are to Wes Welker. What can be done about covering him? That's the question that needs answering before the playoffs begin provided we play well enough to make the big game.

 

[superpunk]

The thing that the D did poorly yesterday was get off the field on third downs. The Lions on average are a 30% conversion team. Yesterday they went 50%, and that number is probably a little lower because we stopped them a few times late when they seemed to go a little more conservative.

Bad run defense let Kitna get into many managable downs and distances. It was like we went in thinking they were going to pass pass pass, and then never woke up to what they were actually doing.

 

[AdamJT13]

The thing that the D did poorly yesterday was get off the field on third downs. The Lions on average are a 30% conversion team. Yesterday they went 50% and that number is probably a little lower because we stopped them a few times late when they seemed to go a little more conservative.

They were 50 percent in the first half, 50 percent in the second half and 50 percent overall. And I'm not sure what you mean by "a little more conservative," since they were all pass plays on third-and-long.

 

[Grevus]

Wow. We're 12-1, we have one bad half, and the head coach is getting fired?

Please ban yourself.

Thank you. If I told you before the year started that we would be 12-1, but play poorly in 2 of them, but still win; would you care?

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Here's a quote from an article about the Dallas/Detroit game:

"The Cowboys defense was more ineffective than predictable Sunday afternoon. That happens when you allow a team to rush for more yards than it has in two seasons."


I'm sure some will try to turn that into something that sounds like a good thing for the Dallas defense.

 

[Crown Royal]

Does it matter that last year we were incredibly healthy, while this year we have two gimpy corners and have lost our NT for the year?

You're very reasonable, Crown, so this isn't directed at you. But some of the things I've seen in this thread... Wow. Just unbelievable. How can some of you not realize that we didn't play well at all today? Even Landry's great teams had those two or three "flat" (as he called them) games where the team just doesn't have any energy. It happens over the course of a 16-game season. But it doesn't mean that's what the team is going to be every week. And winning games despite being flat is a good thing, not a bad thing.

I bet most of the people screaming today are the same ones that screamed after the Buffalo game that we couldn't possibly beat any good teams. How's that turn out?

To answer your first question I don't think that is a valid argument. Yes, we lost Ferguson, but Ratliff has been a very bright point for this defense, not vice versa. Regarding the corners, I don't think their gimpiness is a result of anything. Newman seems healthy and played pretty well yesterday, and Henry hasn't really given much up either.

The post you responded to addressed last year's big injury- Greg Ellis. That defense was a pretty good pressure D before he went down, too, which is why I don't see much difference.

My point was that the defense isn't any improved - that doesn't mean it's awful, it just isn't real good, either.

But to me, that really isn't a big shocker. The only people who seem to be surprised are the Anti-Zimmer crew who thought that Phillips was some blitz-god.

 

[superpunk]

They were 50 percent in the first half, 50 percent in the second half and 50 percent overall. And I'm not sure what you mean by "a little more conservative," since they were all pass plays on third-and-long.

lol...I meant that they seemed a little more conservative. "Seemed" suggesting that I'm just going with how I felt about what they were doing.

Regardless, the problem was the run D, and lack of pressure on third downs leading to a 50% completion rate - which is not good at all.

 

[JPM]

i think newman should just shut up from now on. didnt he open his mouth last yr before the lions game and got torched all game, and even by mike williams.

shut up newman, just shut up

Mike Williams had 2 catches for 28 yards in that game. Do you actually consider that torching ?

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Mike Williams had 2 catches for 28 yards in that game. Do you actually consider that torching ?

Well looking back over Mike Williams' career so far... :laugh2: