Woods nearly a top-five FS, numbers show

[Boys122]

Not at all.........more like on stats AND Richards post-draft comments


Straight from McClay himself:

You eventually drafted a safety, Donovan Wilson in the sixth round. What did you like about him?

When you talk about how we play football and what our style is, defensively we’re a one-gap football team, which means you have to have eight down in the box and you have to trust your free safety. Which we do with Xavier Woods, who is going to be a really good player, that’s developing. You’re looking for a box safety, most of the guys that were in the draft, there were more box safeties than free safeties. We felt like the physical presence that Donovan brings can give us some competition at that spot and a chancellor-like presence in a single one-gap football defense.
Click to expand...
"We're a one-gap football team, which means you have eight down in the box and have to trust your free safety. Which we do with Xavier Woods."

"You're looking for a box safety,"

Good stuff

 

[Sydla]

He misses tackles, and takes poor angles a good part of the time. But when he hits, he hits hard, and some fans like that. so therefore think he is better than he is.
He also benefits of being at the right place at the right time. Getting deflected interceptions, and a few times fumbles. Which is great, he was there. But as for picks from just a great play, no one seems to do that very often.

I don't mind Heath, just not as a starter.

Exactly.

Heath clearly has a role on this team and I want to keep him on the 53........... but define his role as special teams ace/3rd or 4th safety................

 

[Denim Chicken]

I don't know about top 5, but I've like what I've seen from him. I think he improved year over year and that's what you're looking for--especially when he played 86% of defensive snaps last year.

 

[TheSkaven]

I really don't like using the overall defensive ranking to justify why Heath is fine.

He's not fine. He's not a very good SS.

Why not? If the defense performed great, if they won the team games, what does it matter? But I am not disagreeing with you. As I said, if this is going to become a top 3 defense, they will need more turnovers out of that position at least. But I challenge you to show me where Heath cost this team a game last year.

 

[Sydla]

Why not? If the defense performed great, if they won the team games, what does it matter? But I am not disagreeing with you. As I said, if this is going to become a top 3 defense, they will need more turnovers out of that position at least. But I challenge you to show me where Heath cost this team a game last year.

It's hard to point to one player that "costs" you a game other than the QB, a guy who has the ball in his hands for half a game. The closest major screw up to "costing" us a game was the Rams game where he showed his complete inability to diagnose and react to a play and let Goff run right by him for a key first down. If Heath reacts better and stops Goff, I think there is a decent chance we could have tied that game up. But admittedly, it's not a single play that cost us the game.

A good defense can still have weaknesses and flaws. Heath is one of our shortcomings. I just don't agree with using how the overall defense is to gloss over it's weakness and an area that can be improved.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

So are you basing it off of the 1 stat provided which was passer rating against?

If so, you realize most of his success was as a slot CB and not a FS right?

Huh? There are two links with various stats. The landryhat blog that used passer rating against was cited as 2018 where he very obviously started at FS.

Are you trying to say that his success was only when he came up and single covered as if that somehow mitigates his effectiveness?

 

[Jake]

The issue isn’t really with Woods at FS. It’s with Heath at SS.

I really don't like using the overall defensive ranking to justify why Heath is fine.

He's not fine. He's not a very good SS.

They signed Iloka and drafted Wilson. It's not as if the Cowboys are ignoring the position. They just didn't decide to address it on Day 2 of the draft.

 

[Hennessy_King]

Who ever said anything about X Woods. That's how stupid this staff is that they think in 2019 you don't need 2 safeties that can tackle and cover effectively.

 

[Hennessy_King]

They signed Iloka and drafted Wilson. It's not as if the Cowboys are ignoring the position. They just didn't decide to address it on Day 2 of the draft.

Wilson would have been an ok pick 15 years ago. Iloka played ok last year but only played 11% of the snaps

 

[Sydla]

I am still on board with circling back and kicking the tires on Eric Berry. Maybe let him sit out there for a few more weeks/months and then go back to him and see if he's willing to play for a fair contract given his injury history.

Worst case, he's not the same player and you are right back where you are now - with figuring out if Wilson or Iloka can supplant Heath at SS. Best case, you've upgraded SS with a veteran player maybe catching some of his old fire.

Doesn't seem to be much downside to that.

 

[Whyjerry]

The issue isn’t really with Woods at FS. It’s with Heath at SS.

Bingo!!!

 

[Whyjerry]

I agree but many fans trying to understand why FO passed over Thornhill who's clearly a FS. But I agree it was Heath they were looking to replace.

You could likely replace Heath with a bag of marbles. They would do a better job tackling than the rodeo clown with #38 on his back.

 

[GhostOfPelluer]

I am still on board with circling back and kicking the tires on Eric Berry. Maybe let him sit out there for a few more weeks/months and then go back to him and see if he's willing to play for a fair contract given his injury history.

Worst case, he's not the same player and you are right back where you are now - with figuring out if Wilson or Iloka can supplant Heath at SS. Best case, you've upgraded SS with a veteran player maybe catching some of his old fire.

Doesn't seem to be much downside to that.

Don't kick too hard, he already has a bum wheel

 

[foofighters]

Or they like Heath at SS and just wanted to keep the status quo at SS and FS? Looks like Marinelli persuaded them drafting DT was more important, which no one argues a talented DT is good to get. Just hope their decision on priorities pans out.

Again, how do you know?

 

[Ebnorice]

The issue isn’t really with Woods at FS. It’s with Heath at SS.

I’ve been screaming this for so long I can’t even remember!

 

[Hawkeye19]

Most teams would value a disruptive DT over a FS.

Absolutely. Pressure on the passer up the middle is the recipe to forcing more turnovers and negative plays.

 

[RS12]

What do your eyes show? Mine show adequate in coverage but another DB that doesnt get many turnovers.

 

[Hawkeye0202]

Absolutely. Pressure on the passer up the middle is the recipe to forcing more turnovers and negative plays.

+1 ......how good is your FS if QB has no pressure.

 

[gmoney112]

Both played good enough, this was a top 10 defense (#7) last year. What these stats don't show is the lack of turnovers, which is what this defense needs to climb to be a top 3 defense. Your free safety needs to intercept more than two balls. Look at the top defenses and they find ways to create turnovers from the FS spot.

But regardless, I like the way this team is approaching the situation. You make your safeties better when you create more pressure on the quarterback and force bad decisions. They're focusing on the defensive line, which is the key to building a championship team. Pressure creates turnovers and turnovers create short fields to score points.

*pulls up alongside and rolls down window*

Hi there,

Defense had their moments, but really they were about a notch higher than league average, outside the top 10. Points, yards, touchdowns, drive success rate, were all outside the top 10 per drive.

They stepped it up in the Redzone though, like #7-8 in points allowed in the Redzone. So, if people want to make the argument that made them a top 10 defense, I wouldn't necessarily argue.

The offense was #2 in the NFL in time of possession, so their "totals" are skewed. Yeah, if you're a coach and you're looking at a high level "hey we finished top 10", that's one thing. If you're someone using rankings, which are by nature a relative comparison, and trying to actually figure **** out, totals include offensive time which affects number of possessions, number of snaps, etc so half of it is just throwing noise into the equation.

If you, or anyone else, is actually interested in looking at more accurate data for any reason at all (even FUN!), FootballOutsiders has rankings for both offense and defense on a "per drive" basis, which helps filter out the noise. I mean, if you want to be good you still need to take into account *why* the numbers are what they are, but it's a lot more accurate if actually want to see how good your defense/offense is vs other teams.

*peels out*

 

[buybuydandavis]

I really don't like using the overall defensive ranking to justify why Heath is fine.

He's not fine. He's not a very good SS.

Heath is best as an over the top FS. But they like Woods more, and it's starting to pay off. Heath is a liability if he has to flip his hips and turn upfield. Box SS is the worst safety position for him. And Frazier couldn't beat him out of it. Even with Heath playing half the special team snaps in addition to almost all defensive snaps.

If either Iloka or the new guy can take the box from Heath, we get better, and Heath gets better on the remaining snaps he plays.