Why the Defense cant stop the Run

[Rampage]

Wade is saying right now that he called a lot of blitzes and dogs, some even run blitzes, and we didn't execute them well because they don't run those full speed much in practice -- too easy to get guys hurt when you're doing that. He went back to more base later in the game and they did better on that because they'd run it more in camp and practice.

Makes sense.

I know some will immediately say we should run all that stuff full speed in practice (soft! no hitting 25 days of camp! pads!) but I assume we will work more on it now that we see it wasn't executed well enough in live conditions. And it should get better as actual games are played anyway.

what exactly does this team do at practice? it doesn't even sound like he has these guys practice it sounds like they run walkthroughs all week with not going full speed on blitzes, not wearing pads and goofing off to terrible music played by a freaking dj.

 

[Hostile]

It's a copycat league. The Giants will do exactly what Tampa did, only with better players. So, you can call it just one week, but history shows when a weakness is taken advantage of, other teams will take advantage of that same weakness.

Yeah, but History doesn't show that teams have bad weeks or adjust huh?

Good to know. Yay History.

 

[21Savage]

It's a copycat league. The Giants will do exactly what Tampa did, only with better players. So, you can call it just one week, but history shows when a weakness is taken advantage of, other teams will take advantage of that same weakness.

So if we stop the run the next couple of weeks against two elite running teams, would you shut up (especially about the bigger NT) or would you offer a rebuttal?

 

[superpunk]

You're a knowledgeable poster, so I'll take your word from it.

Those are easily correctable things, and you can bet we're going to be focused and hungry next week against our most hated rivals.

I'm not worried about our defense at all. This was one game.

It's just my best guess.

The overpursuit was a problem without a doubt. And maybe they took advantage of Ratliff's overagressiveness to get in the backfield to just allow him to take himself out of the play, and get straight to the backers.

But we weren't getting blown off the ball. It's not like they said let's run it straight at Ratliff and just drove him 5 yards off the ball every play. The gap control was terrible, and in a one gap system if it's terrible then the other team is going to have a big day, especially with backs as talented as the Bucs.

 

[Doomsday101]

Gotcha, but it is becoming a pattern for this defense, IMO the DB's are coming along and that helps out the Sack ratio and vise versa, but stopping the run, is and has been a problem..and the questions is what or who is the problem, I read an article that Tampa thought they could run, and did a good job running against the Dallas. Why would they think that, what does the film show? thats what I am curious to no. D-Coordinators have found something IMO.

They may have felt they could run because they got some good RB's. I think Dallas gets over active up front and they end up taking themselves out of the play. Watching situation where Tampa had second and 8 Dallas would rush the passer and leave open lanes for the RB. No doubt we have to correct the problems on run defense but Dallas has faced good running teams and did much better than they did yesterday. I don't see this as an overall problem area I think they did not play the run well yesterday

 

[Frosty]

They may have felt they could run because they got some good RB's. I think Dallas gets over active up front and they end up taking themselves out of the play. Watching situation where Tampa had second and 8 Dallas would rush the passer and leave open lanes for the RB. No doubt we have to correct the problems on run defense but Dallas has faced good running teams and did much better than they did yesterday. I don't see this as an overall problem area I think they did not play the run well yesterday

Agree, lets hope it is an isolated case.....and not repeat of 2007

 

[Wrangler87]

So if we stop the run the next couple of weeks against two elite running teams, would you shut up (especially about the bigger NT) or would you offer a rebuttal?

I would be very happy.

 

[Wrangler87]

It's just my best guess.

The overpursuit was a problem without a doubt. And maybe they took advantage of Ratliff's overagressiveness to get in the backfield to just allow him to take himself out of the play, and get straight to the backers.

But we weren't getting blown off the ball. It's not like they said let's run it straight at Ratliff and just drove him 5 yards off the ball every play. The gap control was terrible, and in a one gap system if it's terrible then the other team is going to have a big day, especially with backs as talented as the Bucs.

They might not have said it, but they certainly did it.

 

[superpunk]

They might not have said it, but they certainly did it.

Now you're just making things up.

 

[Wrangler87]

Now you're just making things up.

Rewatch the game.

 

[superpunk]

Rewatch the game.

You watch it again. I've seen it, and I saw Ratliff breaking through for much of the game - he wasn't getting overpowered, he was shooting his gap and the backs were cutting inside of him. You can argue that he was getting too much depth, because you can bust through all you want, it doesn't do too much good if the back is already past you - but you don't know what his responsibility was on each play.

The fact is they weren't pushing us backwards - the problem was GAP CONTROL, not that Ratliff is smallish for a NT.

My theory is that you wanted a NT in the offseason, we didn't get one, and now that someone has gotten some running game on us to the interior, you're letting your preconceived notions determine what you think the problem was (because we didn't do what YOU wanted), rather than what you actually saw.

 

[Wrangler87]

You watch it again. I've seen it, and I saw Ratliff breaking through for much of the game - he wasn't getting overpowered, he was shooting his gap and the backs were cutting inside of him. You can argue that he was getting too much depth, because you can bust through all you want, it doesn't do too much good if the back is already past you - but you don't know what his responsibility was on each play.

The fact is they weren't pushing us backwards - the problem was GAP CONTROL, not that Ratliff is smallish for a NT.

My theory is that you wanted a NT in the offseason, we didn't get one, and now that someone has gotten some running game on us to the interior, you're letting your preconceived notions determine what you think the problem was (because we didn't do what YOU wanted), rather than what you actually saw.

...And my theory is you simply saw what you wanted to see.

 

[superpunk]

...And my theory is you simply saw what you wanted to see.

Why would I want to see that? I didn't have any position on our NT situation in the offseason. All game long, I *ACTUALLY* saw Ratliff in the backfield. He wasn't getting pushed backwards like you've been suggesting. That's just a flat out lie.

Now we can have a discussion about whether you think he played his gap correctly - overshot his assigment or simply continued to run himself out of the play - that's all possible.

But your notion that he was just getting blown backwards because he is small is completely without merit.

 

[Hostile]

You watch it again. I've seen it, and I saw Ratliff breaking through for much of the game - he wasn't getting overpowered, he was shooting his gap and the backs were cutting inside of him. You can argue that he was getting too much depth, because you can bust through all you want, it doesn't do too much good if the back is already past you - but you don't know what his responsibility was on each play.

The fact is they weren't pushing us backwards - the problem was GAP CONTROL, not that Ratliff is smallish for a NT.

My theory is that you wanted a NT in the offseason, we didn't get one, and now that someone has gotten some running game on us to the interior, you're letting your preconceived notions determine what you think the problem was (because we didn't do what YOU wanted), rather than what you actually saw.

Tell the truth, did you read this first?

http://cowboyszone.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2941475&postcount=83

If not...





You da man :holmes:

 

[superpunk]

Tell the truth, did you read this first?

http://cowboyszone.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2941475&postcount=83

If not...





You da man :holmes:

Nope. I just know how the internet sports forum game works.

If he had been pushing to draft a corner or safety, all these posts would be about Jenkins or Hamlin and our soft middle coverage yesterday.

if your dreams didn't come true in the offseason, and then in the first game something happens that could even just possibly be attributed to your pet cat not being fed, then obviously that must be the problem.

If it was, I would agree. But I thought Ratliff was making plays all day yesterday. The trouble was, when he forced it backside because he got penetration, there was noone there! That's why I think it's a gap and responsibility problem. We weren't getting pushed backwards, there was just noone home.

 

[Hostile]

Nope. I just know how the internet sports forum game works.

If he had been pushing to draft a corner or safety, all these posts would be about Jenkins or Hamlin and our soft middle coverage yesterday.

if your dreams didn't come true in the offseason, and then in the first game something happens that could even just possibly be attributed to your pet cat not being fed, then obviously that must be the problem.

If it was, I would agree. But I thought Ratliff was making plays all day yesterday. The trouble was, when he forced it backside because he got penetration, there was noone there! That's why I think it's a gap and responsibility problem. We weren't getting pushed backwards, there was just noone home.

I tip my hat to you then.

 

[CF74]

Teams know they can RUN against Dallas, why, what is the problem, scheme, lack of size at NT or LB, or just lack of quailty depth.

The lack of a solid run defense has plagued the cowboys for years..The defense still has no identity, except bend and dont break. Tampa's running attack sure looked a lot like last years game against Baltimore.

Even though some fan will post crazy stats that show dallas is #1 against the run, Here is a challenge... to all the monday morning Coach's,

Breakdown the game down and tell/show us, why this team is not able to stop the run? what is the key to stopping the run? or is Phillips, bend and dont break defense the defense of choice?

According to Wade and Bradie James:

"We were pretty aggressive on the calls, and they caught us in some blitzes," Phillips said. "We wanted to put some pressure on the quarterback early and they ran the ball."

The Bucs ran for more than 100 yards in the first half. Williams had 77 of those yards. In the second half, he was held to 20.

The difference: Phillips toned down the number of blitzes and left the Cowboys in their base defense.

"They were making plays early," linebacker Bradie James said. "We were moving around, and they were gashing us a little bit. We had to make some adjustments.

"Once we made those adjustments, we played our gaps and made plays. We were able to control the running game."