The Cowboys’ running defense was a disaster in the first half. The Bucs used the running attack in the first half as their main weapon. Cadillac Williams ran the ball eight times for 77 yards for a 9.6 yard per run average. Only three of his carries went for less than 6 yards. Not to mention that three of his carries went for double digit yards, including a 35 yard run with 12:18 left in the second quarter. Derrick Ward also contributed to their running attack with six carries for 17 yards. That is an average of 2.8 yards per carry. Both running backs combined for 94 yards in 14 carries for a disastrous 6.7 yards per carry average in the first half.

Do you realize that 20 teams on opening weekend didn’t give up that many yards during their entire game? The Cowboys’ coaching staff made the appropriate adjustments at halftime and came back in the second half to shut down the Bucs running game… wait. Did they really shut them down? I’ve heard nothing but praise about the halftime adjustments made by Coach Wade Phillips and the coaching staff, but I don’t see any results.

I don't know if I watched the same game as everybody else, but the Cowboys run defense did not improve that much from the first half. You see Cadillac Williams had only five carries for 20 yards and a decent 4.0 yards per carry. That is not so bad, considering that three of the five runs went for five or more yards. The problem is that Derrick Ward ran the ball six times for 45 yards and 9.0 yards per carry average. I understand that most of the yardage came from two carries of 12 and 22 yards in the third quarter, but it is still unacceptable to give a running back an average of nine yards per carry. Williams and Ward combined for 65 yards in 11 carries. Though not as good as the 6.7 yards per carry in the first half, a 5.9 yards per carry average in the second half to Williams and Ward are very good and respectable.

Don’t forget that Tampa Bay completely abandoned the run in the fourth quarter with 9:19 left in the game because they were trailing by two scores.

I completely understand that one game is by no means a trend. However, it can become a trend this season pretty soon. The next two weeks, the Dallas Cowboys face great running teams from last year in the Giants and the Panthers. Wade Phillips needs to demonstrate with his defense why he is a so called defensive guru. 

The defense was truly the reason the Cowboys didn’t make the playoffs last year. The Cowboys allowed more than 30 points in 6 games last year, going 1-5 in those. The Cowboys cannot continue to try to outscore their opponents in shootouts this year like they did last year.

Don’t tell me how the rushing defense was good in the second half because of the so called coaching adjustments. The defense got better but still allowed 5.9 yards per carry to the Buccaneers’ top two running backs. If Tampa Bay would have ran the ball more in the second half, they would still be running on the Cowboys.

The beginning of the season is the time to right the ship, so right it.

P.S. A little pass rush and causing turnovers could also help the total defense.