Doomsday III

This time it's a 3-4

Ok, I Smitty near lifelong Cowboys fan, am starting to see the benefit of a 3-4 defense. I concede also that it is beyond my ability to make one work in Madden(I'm a Cover2 guy), but I digress. I guess it took a couple years before I truly grasped what Phillips 34 needs to work, and why it didn't last year. I also think that Wade may have the ingredients he needs to make the defense work this year, and these are my reasons.

1. Rookies will almost surely yield someone that can contribute to the secondary and at linebacker(Mickens, Smith, J. Williams, or Hodge)

Our weakness at safety necessitated soft coverages to protect whomever was playing SS. Sensabaugh can cover and Jenkins or Scandrick is an upgrade over A Henry. Rookies can play in dime packages and in situations where their skills match particular receivers.

2.Phillips 34 is based on pressure forcing errors/turnovers, sacks are a by-product. Turnovers are what we needed last year that we didn't get. More edge rushers will create more turnover opportunities.

DWare is a known product, and a damned fine one at that but he can't do it all. If Spencer emerges we're probably witnessing Ellis' last hurrah with the Cowboys. OLB's with speed make this defense work, ILB's with speed make it deadly.

3. Our base DLine is solid, as a group they should handle the run. They aren't required to get pressure, any they get is a bonus.

If any area seriously concerns me it is DLine depth. Ratliff is something special, but even he wore down at the end of games late in the season. Unless Spears is planning to man the middle for signifcant snaps Ratiff will wear down again. Savaii, and Anderson do not impress me at all. Savaii is big, but that's about it, I can't say much about Anderson.

Doomsday III, will it work? I think it will, we saw glimpses of it last year especially against the Seahawks, and Giants. At this point I'd say that we have enough pieces to make the defense work. Given what is known about the draft chpoices, and what we already have it should be fast and cover well.... or at least better than last year.