Spreading the Blame and the Pain: Cowboys Defensive Stats
by Rafael Vela on Sep 16, 2009 8:53 PM CDT
259 comments
It was rotisserie miscues for the Dallas defense. No single area that was putrid, but Dallas had lots of areas where one or two big mistakes added up to a large handful of Bucs explosive plays.
Cornerbacks
The halves are 30 minutes each, Terence Newman. Newman had an outstanding, healthy Terence Newman line (6 attempts, 2 completions, a microscopic 2.1 YPA) in the first 28 minutes of each half, but gave up two huge YPA-inflating plays in the waning moments of each half. Michael Clayton got behind Newman for a 47 yarder in the last ten seconds of the first half and Newman gave up a 19 yard pass on Tampa's final drive, when Dallas was playing a very soft prevent.
| Player | Attempts | Yards | YPA | Success % |
| Terence Newman | 8 | 79 | 9.9 | 50.0 |
| Mike Jenkins | 8 | 66 | 8.3 | 37.5 |
| Orlando Scandrick | 2 | 12 | 6.0 | - |
It's a fat line, but a bit misleading. Newman looks like the old, healthy Newman.
Jenkins had the same problem. He had two picks slide though his hands. One was nullified by an illegal contact penalty on Gerald Sensabaugh and a second literally slid though Jenkins hands in the 4th quarter. He had a brain freeze and gave Antonio Bryant the wide side of the field for a 30 yard gain, on a 1st and 10 play where the Bucs kept eight in to block and sent out just two receivers.
Were receivers whipping either of these guys repeatedly, I would be concerned. I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt for now, especially Newman.
Rushes
- 4 men -- 27 plays
- 5 men -- 10 plays
- 6 men -- 3 plays
- 7 men -- 1 play
This was not your typical Wade Phillips game, which makes you wonder what he held in reserve for the Giants. Wade rushes 5 men roughly half the time. He only rushed five or more about a third of the time. He only called ten five man rushes and four of them were on Tampa Bay's last four plays from scrimmage.
Dallas put some fourth quarter pressure on Byron Leftwich, but to his credit, he stayed sharp despite being drilled four times in the final stanza by Stephen Bowen, Jason Hatcher and Marcus Spears, who had the strongest rushing game I've seen him have. Leftwich's sternum still has a tattoo reading "Marcus Was Here" right now.
Rush Defense
- Left: 2 attempts, 5 yards, 2.5 YPA
- Middle: 24 attempts, 142 yards, 5.9 YPA
- RIght: 2 attempts, 20 yards, 10.0 YPA
Not a pretty line, but an inconsistent one. The Bucs attacked the middle of the Dallas 3-4 and had a lot of success. Jay Ratliff pushed Jeff Faine all over the Bucs backfield, but the inside linebackers, Bradie James in particular, were confused and slow to get untracked. New Cowboy Keith Brooking was slow to react in the first 20 minutes but got faster at engaging plays run at him in the middle two stanzas.
James seemed confused by his gap duties and was slow to pursue early runs away from him. On Tampa's first drive, the Bucs ran a weakside Iso play at Brooking, who took on the Tampa fullback. The tackle was up to SS Gerald Sensabaugh and James, who should have pursued from the strong side. James dithered in his gap, and had no idea where the football was.
James got better at finding the football, but I'm troubled that he had a lot of trouble disengaging from guards when the play came directly at him.
Nonetheless, the Cowboys seemed to find their legs in the second and third quarters, when the Bucs punted on five drives and missed a field goal on a sixth, after taking an early 7-6 lead.
- Bucs first 10 runs: 86 yards
- Bucs next 10 runs: 25 yards
The Cowboys then got sloppy, with Brooking and James blowing an assignment on Derrick Ward's 22 yard run. I expect the Cowboys interior run defense to be sharper this week, but keep an eye on James. He needs to raise his play far above last week's level
Explosives
- Dallas -- 9 plays
- Tampa Bay -- 6 plays
The Bucs sprinkled their explosives across the offensive roster. Jenkins gave up one big pass. Newman gave up one. The big Ward run has been discussed.
Tampa earned three big ones, beating the Dallas nickel with a great pitchout call to Cadillac Williams, who hit the right sideline for 36 yards. Kellen Winslow beat the Dallas zone early for a 22 yarder, on the play where Demarcus Ware was injured, and Michael Clayton shook off a wicked Sensabaugh lick to gain 20 more in the third quarter.
0 recs |
259 comments
|
Email
Print
Comments
How soon before we have 3D monitors?
And the sign said long haired freaky people need not apply ...
http://twitter.com/BloggingTheBoys
by Aaron Novinger on Sep 16, 2009 10:12 PM CDT up reply actions
iF I'VE read this correctly, this thread makes absolutely no sense.
by One.Cool.Customer on Sep 17, 2009 3:32 AM CDT up reply actions
My sixth sense tells me
that Wade played this game very vanilla after realizing that we had the game in hand…thus adding to the Bucs’ stats.
He who knows nothing is closer to the truth than he whose mind is filled with falsehoods and errors. - Thomas Jefferson
It took me a good seven times
to figure out what one.cool was trying to say.
by Musiccitynorm on Sep 17, 2009 9:53 AM CDT up reply actions
Eight points
I got us winning by this Sunday night.
Never interrupt your enemy when he's making a mistake. - Napoleon
Bradie has had these kinds of poor games in the past.
(I’m thinking of a Detroit game when he got called out.) Does he generally bounce back the next game?
"Everybody wants something but nobody wants to pay the price" - Michael Irvin
I'm not excepting any excuses or giving anyone the benefit of the dought!
The next game will show for sure who we are and who we aren’t, for better or worse!
benefit of the drought?
or maybe benefit of the draught… as in beer, I could benefit from some of that right about now, no doubt lol
I says what I means and I means what I say!
Popeye the sailor!
I really hope Wade was holding some of his tricks
and it makes sense, no need to have everything on game film for the Giants, considering we got by with less, kinda pre-season vanilla version.
This is Our Problem in December
Not so much on defense but on Offense I think we show all our cards and by the last month, especially the teams within the division know how to shut us down.
I don't mind Vanilla
just don’t give us any Tootie-Fruity! I think we Should make Fudge Rippile out of Jacobs!
God help us...
if those ref’s wear those tootie fruitie uni’s again.
Oh that’s right, this won’t be an AFL throwback game, it will be a real game.
by Road Warrior on Sep 16, 2009 9:16 PM CDT up reply actions
They were awful
screwed around for 20 min with the menu before I realised the problem wasn’t my TV set!
Ha! Good one...
reminds me of those old Outer Limit shows. ’Don’t adjust the vertical on your TV’s’.
OK, just showing my age there.
by Road Warrior on Sep 16, 2009 9:20 PM CDT up reply actions
now that was late night TV at it's best!
When it was over they would show the flag, play the national anthem, then the only thing on the screen would be a broadcast signal thingy! All 3 channels!
Saturday Mornings:
Wake up … bowl of cereal … pole position on couch for A> Farm Report B> Davy and Goliath (what was that show?) C> The grand-daddy of all cartoon mornings … bugs, road-runner… D> Outside until dinner
Doomsday returns... Wade Phillips style.
I'm a chickenhawk!
And the sign said long haired freaky people need not apply ...
http://twitter.com/BloggingTheBoys
by Aaron Novinger on Sep 17, 2009 10:06 PM CDT up reply actions
I'm confused
was that as a kid or now?
Never wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty and the pig loves it.
dunk, you should know...
with the internet, I don’t wait until Saturday morning for bugs anymore…
“… playing solitaire ‘til dawn
with a deck of 51…
Now don’t tell me
I’ve nothing do to…”
Doomsday returns... Wade Phillips style.
opium retards the aging process
And the sign said long haired freaky people need not apply ...
http://twitter.com/BloggingTheBoys
by Aaron Novinger on Sep 17, 2009 10:06 PM CDT up reply actions
LOL ... when I finally get my hands on some (inevitable) I think the operative word will be "retards"
Doomsday returns... Wade Phillips style.
if James and Brooking struggle on Sunday night
you can bank on the Giants hogging about 35 minutes of clock time and winning by a TD or more
Jacobs and Bradshaw will ram it down the defense’s throat if they don’t hit their assignments properly.
Brooking doesn't bother me
he’s an old vet. He won’t make the same mistakes twice.
Bradie? He was overpowered at times. I’d be more interested in his response this week.
Bradie James doesn't normally get over powered either
by AustonianAggie on Sep 17, 2009 1:29 AM CDT up reply actions
actually he does
he’s the weak link on that front 7’s rush defense.
I’m going to be really interested to see if Jason Williams gives HIM a push when he returns. Everybody assumes he’s being groomed to take Brooking’s place but Bradie was even worse than Zach Thomas last year at defending interior runs.
by Rafael Vela on Sep 17, 2009 10:05 AM CDT up reply actions
I've noticed and commented on
Spears and ratliff are shooting gaps and Olshansky is playing strong. Ratliff and spears are letting blockers get to the linebackers and Brookings is shielded by Olshansky.
by Musiccitynorm on Sep 17, 2009 10:19 AM CDT up reply actions
(shakes head)
Dallas doesn’t two gap. The LBs are not shielded. This is the 3-4. The ILBs are big boys and have to beat blockers themselves.
The DL are supposed to move and get tackles and they are. James and Brooking had poor games, Bradie especially.
by Rafael Vela on Sep 17, 2009 10:21 AM CDT up reply actions
I agree but
watch them and you will see Olshansky just pushes the guy in front of him and Brookings plays right off his hip.
Ratliff and this year Spears are being very agressive, even in preseason I noticed the nose shooting a gap and the center just turning him and the guard destroying our linebackers. the running backs were simply reading the Nose and taking the other gap. The linebackers have to fill that gap but we have not done it yet.
by Musiccitynorm on Sep 17, 2009 10:24 AM CDT up reply actions
You can shield LBs in a 3-4...it's all about how they want you to play the technique
You can do this by shading your NTs and DEs.
When ratliff shades to the strong-side. The Mike can be instructed to stack the 1 gap to make his initial read. This protects him from a direct block in most cases.
Zone OL are generally taught the technique of doubling the gap player (especially if the run is designed to go up their butts) and then peeling to the next level wherever the LB scrapes to. Bradie and Brookings had some difficulty early on with getting engaged and having to deal with a powerful runner.
so this reputation Brady has as one of our better LBs
is not true? has he always been like this?
by AustonianAggie on Sep 17, 2009 4:50 PM CDT up reply actions
what about the last 8 weeks?
I thought Bradie really stepped it up over that period.
I remember thinking a couple of times during the game
Marcus Spears was looking good.
by StillHateTheGiants on Sep 16, 2009 9:16 PM CDT reply actions
slimmer, trimmer version
maybe we should call him Marcus Javelin?
by bad knees on Sep 16, 2009 9:20 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
+1
And the sign said long haired freaky people need not apply ...
http://twitter.com/BloggingTheBoys
by Aaron Novinger on Sep 16, 2009 9:28 PM CDT up reply actions
I hate lazy players who
only perform in contract years.
by Musiccitynorm on Sep 17, 2009 8:54 AM CDT up reply actions
Marcus has gotten better every year he's played
maybe he’s just making the final jump. He’s always been solid against the run but didn’t show much rush talent. Now, he’s teasing that.
by Rafael Vela on Sep 17, 2009 10:07 AM CDT up reply actions
He did at the beginning of the season last year, too.
Let’s keep the bust talk up, so he doesn’t go Chri$ Canty on us in the off$ea$on.
And the sign said long haired freaky people need not apply ...
http://twitter.com/BloggingTheBoys
by Aaron Novinger on Sep 17, 2009 10:09 PM CDT up reply actions
Plasma sucks!
How many Icons do you have burned into the right bottom corner of your set?
No, criticism of you, just your TV!
plasma sucks? burn in problems?
uh, 2002 called – they want their lazy cliched plasma complaints back. If you’ve had a bad experience with a recent one, perhaps you should try buying one at a store rather than pulling one out of a dumpster
lol
I’ve had my 50 inch plasma since 2007 and have had no problems whatsoever, the picture is just as good as my 46 inch LCD.
In Romo we Trust
Bought a 42 in plasma in '03
By ’05 it was a very expensive paperweight
The 7th Rule of "Fight Club": Fights will go on as long as they have to.
Sony
Most disappointing purchase ever. Had a 3 in black stripe running from top to bottom
The 7th Rule of "Fight Club": Fights will go on as long as they have to.
Sony stopped making plasmas by '06
while the picture is best, the technology is too sketchy
The 7th Rule of "Fight Club": Fights will go on as long as they have to.
lol
And the sign said long haired freaky people need not apply ...
http://twitter.com/BloggingTheBoys
by Aaron Novinger on Sep 17, 2009 10:10 PM CDT up reply actions
that is statment based on Ignorance
I have been the service manager for a company that repairs all the major brands of TV’s and I have never seen anyone (who had any smarts and a little education) burn in a plasma. I actually have seen several rear projection CRT based come in burned though.
ya, it did
The our offense dictated the game to there offense!
am i the only one who saw the boys destroy the bucs...
and we had no idea what they’re game plan was no idea what they’re offence would look like and we handled them pretty well…..i think we have film on the giants and know what we’re getting….lets give some props. when there do and going in blind wade and co. did pretty good…i don’t think Tampa is a bad team…in fact they may rise to the top of there division or very close to it..
I don't need a compass to know which way the wind shines....
by hashishkabob on Sep 17, 2009 4:35 PM CDT up reply actions
Hmmmm, Top?
Maybe 3rd, Carolina looked bad, but then again they arn’t the Eagles so maybe not even 3rd!
not impossible
frankly, the mos unexpected team is always the one that surprises in the south. That division is severely overrated imo.
I think the Saints' Offense is legit...
I also think Atlanta’s big season was not a fluke, and that Matt Ryan will only improve. But I have to agree with hashish & foyes, TB will contend in that division. The problem is, they may start 0-2 after a tough trip to Buffalo this weekend.
The beauty of that trip? Tampa will get a chance to SHUT DOWN AND SHUT UP one receiver formerly known as good.
Doomsday returns... Wade Phillips style.
Detroit rolled up 27 points on the Saints...it will be like last year all over again. The Saints will score
a whole bunch of points but opponents will be allowed to score more…
by CaliFanInTx on Sep 17, 2009 11:20 PM CDT up reply actions
not so fast there.....
NO brought in Greg Williams, who happens to be a good DC. Also, they brought in some new DB’s. I think NO will do better this year because I think Payton’s a good coach and has a good supporting staff.
They'll do better?
Better? Hello? Detroit put up 27 points…what does a real offense put up?
You don't think
that we held at least a couple things secret for a game that opens the best stadium in the world and could have serious playoff implications? I’m not saying the defense sucked on purpose, but i’m 100% positive they won’t play that bad against the midgets.
I think it was poor preparation.
That said, the reason for poor preparation could be lots of things.
1. Nobody knew hardly anything about Tampa. (This wasn’t the Tampa we saw last year)
2. Wade was overconfident in his players ability and didn’t game plan as hard.
3. The players were overconfident in their own ability and didn’t focus during practice.
4. Tampa is better than everyone expected.
5. Dallas is not as good as they look on paper.
Take your pick, as for me I like number 4, and pray to God it isn’t number 5.
"Help, it's hot and dark in here and someone is laughing." Taco Bell
One thing Wade indicated
was that they probably didn’t spend enough time in practice working on run blitzing, which was what they were attempting as they got gashed in the first half. So preparation was part of the problem for sure.
Never wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty and the pig loves it.
For sure part of it is #4
A VERY interesting match-up this week:
Buffalo vs Tampa Bay
A shame one of these two teams will start out 0-2 … I wouldn’t write off either of them in terms of the playoff hunt.
Doomsday returns... Wade Phillips style.
I would
Buffalo didn’t overly impress me monday night. It looked like they benefited from brady’s rust moreso than doing anything impressively defensively. Offensively, they looked good, but I’d be shocked if the Pats have a top 10 defense this year. In a division where the Pats, Jets and Dolphins are ALL more complete teams than them, i’d be surprised if they won 9 games.
I'll add one:
6. Dallas is playing with 5 new defensive starters, a new Nickel LB, and a new 4th CB. I saw Carpenter get knocked around on both goal line TDs, and Ball gave up the pass that set up one of them. These guys haven’t had much time in their actual schemes at full speed because they played limited time in the preseason, and when they did play together, it was vanilla defense.
by Baked Potato Soup on Sep 17, 2009 11:51 AM CDT up reply actions
Excellent point... but we need them to gel in a hurry, because the G'ints are coming, the G'ints are coming!
Doomsday returns... Wade Phillips style.
Its not holding back....its just the strategy they deployed verse Tampa
By rushing four for most of the game when most expected to see blizing they were attempting to earn a pick or two. They got one and had shots at two others. Its unfortunate that on a night where they only had four penalities two of them negated big plays for the Cowboys.
by Trey, on Sep 17, 2009 1:07 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
And when you're up by 20 points in the 4th Q,
why not pull some of the starters? Get guys like Siavii, Butler, and Octagon a little experience.
And the sign said long haired freaky people need not apply ...
http://twitter.com/BloggingTheBoys
by Aaron Novinger on Sep 17, 2009 10:13 PM CDT up reply actions
How about making adjustments?
Go back and check how the G-ants ran against us in that game in December.
by Road Warrior on Sep 16, 2009 9:27 PM CDT up reply actions
I had Frikkin on my fantasy team...
and needless to say, he didn’t do much.
by Road Warrior on Sep 16, 2009 9:34 PM CDT up reply actions
He looked good against the Browns.
And the sign said long haired freaky people need not apply ...
http://twitter.com/BloggingTheBoys
by Aaron Novinger on Sep 16, 2009 9:35 PM CDT up reply actions
I just picked him up in 2 of my FF leagues.
Thanks, Dallas D for allowing me to scout him! Hopefully, he’s not a fluke cuz Slaton was dookie. I know, I know…it’s early, but still…
And the sign said long haired freaky people need not apply ...
http://twitter.com/BloggingTheBoys
by Aaron Novinger on Sep 16, 2009 9:38 PM CDT up reply actions
No way.
Dookie should have his coming out party any time now.
And the sign said long haired freaky people need not apply ...
http://twitter.com/BloggingTheBoys
by Aaron Novinger on Sep 16, 2009 9:48 PM CDT up reply actions
Even when he breaks out, he still won't even sniff godawful schity's stats
Doomsday returns... Wade Phillips style.
Raf had a great post a couple years ago
about not putting too much into or taking too much out of the first game of the season. Our Boys got the win and that’s good enough for me at this point. Hopefully, any kinks are worked out by Sunday night.
I'll lend you mine
apparently, your glasses have a tint of G-ant blue in them.
by Road Warrior on Sep 16, 2009 9:28 PM CDT up reply actions
well good for you
what do you want, a medal? a coke? feeling superior? More “grounded?” Great. Pat yourself on the back, but spare me the lectures and the sanctimony.
everybody does
but it’s Wednesday night. what are they supposed to do? go into a time machine and replay the Tampa game?
You seem upset that nobody else is as angry of fretful as you are.
I personally don't see the article as written through rose colored glasses.
Just because it says that the whole playbook wasn’t opened, isn’t an excuse and I don’t see Raf as selling it as one.
In the same article he also calls out our number 1 MLB pretty strongly. Can’t you state an opinion base on analyzing?
by The Immortal Iron Fist AKA AFB on Sep 16, 2009 9:39 PM CDT up reply actions
yes sir everyone is intitled to an opinion.
Abd as the old saying goes………….some just stink more!
I happen to agree the Run defense was awful
and as I stated before the offense was the biggest reason Tampa getting away from it; but as someone stated earlier and showed the stats for the run D did tighten up in the second half.
Now, the Giants are a different team on defence than the bucks, but if Tony gets anytime, and that’s a big if, I think he can do the same to them.
Orange Fanta or Grape Crush, only.
Yes, I’m 12.
And the sign said long haired freaky people need not apply ...
http://twitter.com/BloggingTheBoys
by Aaron Novinger on Sep 16, 2009 9:50 PM CDT up reply actions
I was a Pepsaholic
but none of them are much good sense they stoped making the 16 oz glass bottle!
PBR?!
It won a Blue Ribbon for taste! Where else can you get a 24 pack for 12 dollars? :)
Superbowl, or BUST.
No wonder
the blog groupies Grizz offered you never happened…
Never wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty and the pig loves it.
Yeah, too many braces-locking opportunities.
And the sign said long haired freaky people need not apply ...
http://twitter.com/BloggingTheBoys
by Aaron Novinger on Sep 17, 2009 10:15 PM CDT up reply actions
In defense of 2 Cowboys
TNew couldn’t have had any better coverage on the long pass at the end of the half. TNew also came up and made quite a few tackles. I also watched Spencer closely to see how he was doing replacing Ellis. He gets an “I”. TB never ran at him or away from him in such a way that he could chase it down. The plays were straight up the middle, negating both OLB’s.
You're kidding right?
On the first sentence… please explain how he could have had better coverage without getting a pass interference? Can you just admit that it was a great throw and an even better catch?
by Road Warrior on Sep 16, 2009 9:31 PM CDT up reply actions
Guess you didn't see my apology for my misread?
by Road Warrior on Sep 16, 2009 10:02 PM CDT up reply actions
Oh-there it is
down below now!
That happens sometimes
by Realist Larry on Sep 16, 2009 11:45 PM CDT up reply actions
I use too many contractions
My girlfriend, an english teacher always tells me so. I guess it contributes to confusion.
by JimmyJohnson on Sep 17, 2009 7:43 AM CDT up reply actions
I didn't think Spencer had a bad game,
considering nobody else got to Byron before he rid himself of the pigskin. Spence did seem to have a presence though, that looked aggressive and physical. If he and Spears keep it up over there, the line will be quite balanced.
And the sign said long haired freaky people need not apply ...
http://twitter.com/BloggingTheBoys
by Aaron Novinger on Sep 16, 2009 9:33 PM CDT up reply actions
Sorry bro....
I misread your first sentence. My bad.
by Road Warrior on Sep 16, 2009 9:40 PM CDT up reply actions
Raf did spencer stand out at all, how was his overall performance?
Ignore the Mainstream Media, EMBRACE THE HATE!!!!
anyway, lets not take away from the fact that
TB’s OL is a very good one especially pass blocking
Letfwich is a madman....
If that were Fav-re back there and the original LT was rushing, he’d have gone fetal 10 times.
by Road Warrior on Sep 16, 2009 9:44 PM CDT up reply actions
Dude could certainly take a hit.
They were pummeling him there towards the end. That OLine had better stay consistent unless they want to see Freeman sooner than expected.
And the sign said long haired freaky people need not apply ...
http://twitter.com/BloggingTheBoys
by Aaron Novinger on Sep 16, 2009 9:54 PM CDT up reply actions
Did we all really think that before this game?
I’d never heard of that….
I’m hoping Ware’s concussion was part of it-and that he’s 100%
by Realist Larry on Sep 16, 2009 9:56 PM CDT up reply actions
TB O-Line
the TB Offensive has been quietly built with high round draft picks over the last few years.
LT Donald Penn, UDFA, 26
LG Jeremy Zuttah, 3rd round, 23
C Jeff Faine, 1st round, 28
RG Davin Joseph, 1st round, 25
RT, Jeremy Trueblood, 2nd round, 26
by One.Cool.Customer on Sep 17, 2009 3:24 AM CDT up reply actions
Tampa has been touting this line all summer
Morris has had nothing but praise for his O-Line all summer (I live in Tampa…for now) and they’ve been talking about their “3-headed monster” RB trio as much or more than we have.
Just because most were ignorant of the Bucs prowess along the ground doesn’t mean that they aren’t good. I think the season will tell us that most highly underrated the Bucs.
He who knows nothing is closer to the truth than he whose mind is filled with falsehoods and errors. - Thomas Jefferson
Their RT is a vampire?
And the sign said long haired freaky people need not apply ...
http://twitter.com/BloggingTheBoys
by Aaron Novinger on Sep 17, 2009 10:17 PM CDT up reply actions
BTW, Trueblood is a Free Agent in 2010
I’d bet the jersey sales alone would cover the cost of his contract if we were to acquire him.
by One.Cool.Customer on Sep 18, 2009 3:57 AM CDT up reply actions
To be more constructive on the "Vanilla" comment
it could be an excuse for the pass rush-but I don’t think it excuses the RUN defense.
Unless we’re going to start throwing a bunch of “run-blitzes” in, which I doubt.
And an excellent fanpost by someone points out that despite the improvement, the run D was still pretty poor in the 2nd half.
So, perectly legitimate to “Fret”, seeing as how the best running team with about the best OLine is coming to town, and will be HIGHLY motivated!
It will be interesting to see if the front 7 look better this week. I’d like to notice the new guy, Olshansky
Me2.
Other than his tatts and cool name. He’s gotta be a rock. 174 yards is 174 yards.
And the sign said long haired freaky people need not apply ...
http://twitter.com/BloggingTheBoys
by Aaron Novinger on Sep 16, 2009 9:58 PM CDT up reply actions
No doubt....
but, if we stop the run this week, and Ellie Mae has 300 yards passing, when do we just say.. hey, that’s what adjustments are made for?
by Road Warrior on Sep 16, 2009 10:01 PM CDT up reply actions
Eli's Coming...........see no one is a feard!
If Eli puts up 300 on us then it’s already to late to worry.
True, but then you'll hear.....
what are we going to do about Jenkins, Scandrik and Newman…oh my!
I don’t want to make light of the run D, but this is football boys. If everything went perfectly, we’d probably be just like that 2007 perfect New England team that went.. cough, cough, 18-1.
by Road Warrior on Sep 16, 2009 10:09 PM CDT up reply actions
all valid points and i'm with you on the pessimistic view, but
if we score TD’s on our first two possessions (only complain about our offence) , instead of FG’s (as in TB’s game) we will put them out of their game plan, unlike trailing 6-7 to TB
good point that
gotta take advantage in the red zone.
I believe we were 1/3.
I’m hoping for some loooong drives this week, even thugh I love the big play as much as anyone.
80 yard plays are not going to come every week.
As a matter of fact, that may end up being his longest pass of his career!
by Realist Larry on Sep 16, 2009 11:48 PM CDT up reply actions
Good point.
Down 14 Cadillac is not running the ball since the Bucs are in catch up mode.
"Help, it's hot and dark in here and someone is laughing." Taco Bell
Rafael...
Do you really think Wade or the players on D where trying to save some of the good stuff for the Giants?. Not to give you crap but I have a hard time believing that in the NFL anybody holds back anything……since they always say a game at a time and all that matters is this week, etc etc…..This game was looking crappy in the 2nd qtr.
All in all, if they sack Eli 13 times and he ends up with the SP from Spencer tatooed on his forehead and has nightmares about Ware for the rest of the season, I’ll be one happy dude…..and even more if they take Jacobs out of the game on their first offensive series with a concussion or even better, broken tooth….
I never heard of holding back in the regular season either
maybe I’m wrong. Does Wade have some kick arse plays in store for Sunday?
Well...
to some extent they were holding back. The stats for nmber of guys rushing seems to show that pretty nicely. I don’t think Wade was blitz crazy in training camp for the heck of it.
I don’t know, it makes sense to me to hide most of your blitzes from TB when you have NYG and CAR coming up.
Wade rushes 5 or more men roughly 50% of the time andhas his two years here.
He faces an immobile QB in the first start for a new team and he cuts his blitzes down to 20%.
What’s your theory?
by Rafael Vela on Sep 16, 2009 10:51 PM CDT up reply actions
oooh, oooh, i can answer for tex
Wade is a fat idiot and romo is not troy aikman (not sure what that has to do with the defense but it sounds good).
Are you referrinvg to the pear shaped one who has a taste for
the nightlife, tabloid mags, and loose divorcee’s.
KICK ASS every day!!!
My impression was that their early run success was due to our overly aggressive blitzing...
The D adjusted by going a little more vanilla … not in an effort to “hold back” anything, but purely to adjust to TBs game-plan. It worked, we essentially held them for 6 straight drives. Nothing to do with “holding back” but rather an in-game adjustment.
I’m not happy with TBs early success running the ball, but I’ll withhold all judgment until after this weekend’s game. I don’t see the problems as stemming from poor personnel (like last year’s SS issues), but rather from poor scheming and execution. The difference: it’s correctable.
Doomsday returns... Wade Phillips style.
and everybody just eats up that press conference BS?
Hope you don’t watch Home Shoping Network, Infomersials or WWE.
Oh anyone what to by a Thigh Master?
You should get to bed earlier
you’re very grumpy at 6 am…
Never wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty and the pig loves it.
This is hilarious!
Who hasn’t lived this?
Never wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty and the pig loves it.
Awesome!
That’s going in my ‘save-that-for-later file’.
And the sign said long haired freaky people need not apply ...
http://twitter.com/BloggingTheBoys
by Aaron Novinger on Sep 17, 2009 10:19 PM CDT up reply actions
What was the reason for their late run success?
by Baked Potato Soup on Sep 17, 2009 11:53 AM CDT up reply actions
My impression was that they didn't have much success after the first 20 minutes or so...
Maybe I’m forgetting a long run that affected the stats? Or maybe I’m just wrong about that … there’s always a first.
Doomsday returns... Wade Phillips style.
even if we lose to the giants it doesn't mean our season is over...there a very good team
and hopefully we’ll come out on top but if we don’t I’ll still root for the boys the next week and next the week and all the weeks until the year is over……they’re my team for better or worse until AL Davis departs..
I don't need a compass to know which way the wind shines....
by hashishkabob on Sep 17, 2009 5:15 PM CDT up reply actions
Rafael....
If you’re correct….then I disagree 100% with his game plan vs Tampa Bay….at some point that game was getting ugly (or is it just my paranoia?) and I would’ve hated to loose because we held back or didn’t wanted to show our stuff to the Giants. In the NFL teams must focus on winning each week and cannot worry about the next until you’ve won the first one.
My theory then would be that Wade throught that 4 men blitzes would cause enough pressure to get sacks or turnovers and 5 man were not needed.
Everybody is wrong!
It was a counter intelligence move to throw off the real enemy! We want them to think we’re weak aginst the run! What a great job of deception it was too!
wishfull thinking....
hope you’re not in for a rough awakeining bro.
sry was asleep in the chair
Good thing my implanted pacemaker fired off!
I have no delusions about the Cowboys, this game will tell the truth. I think I posted somewhere in the off season that the run defense may not be as good as advertised.
I also disagree with Wade's approach
But this is not the 1st time he’s intentionally held back things.
He also “experiments” too much and his history of in-game adjustments are not great.
He who knows nothing is closer to the truth than he whose mind is filled with falsehoods and errors. - Thomas Jefferson
knees on a roll... :)
I liked Wade’s in-game adjustments… we OWNED the middle 20 minutes of that game.
Doomsday returns... Wade Phillips style.
Fellas
The comment was related to the amount of people dallas rushed and how much. he didnt rush 5 as much as he had done in the past. Either it was part of his gameplan or maybe he help stuff back for the next game, thinking what he had planned would be enough.
Rafael also alluded to missed assighments and poor ILB play, not something rosy glasses would show.
You’re going to see some things, offensively and defensively, that you didnt in Week 1. Its not necessarily holding back, its gameplanning a particular opponent and using the portions of your playbook that are most applicable to that opponent and their given strenghs/weaknesses.
what he said
And, I don’t see the purpose in trying to reason with a mob.
The Cowboys gave up some run yards, so they suck, y’see. Despite their winning, they lost. How can you not see that? Y’see, last week they played the Giants AND the Bucs. And next week equals all the games for the rest of the eternity, so you can see why everyone is so worked up. I mean, come on.
Well, and we have a new FS, and two very young corners
who still apparently have weaknesses.
Wade may not trust the secondary yet and want to wait a few weeks for them to get in sync.
(As opposed to Backstreet Boys, maybe.)
I wouldn’t be blitzing the store first game with this secondary yet either.
Is that a good theory Raf?
by Realist Larry on Sep 16, 2009 11:56 PM CDT up reply actions
yeah it is
but when Wade was in a similar position two years ago, with Newman out and then Anthony Henry out, he blitzed like crazy and played a lot of zone behind them.
I can’t recall a game in the Wade Dallas era when he played 4 man rushes so often. Especially after he spent all the summer blitzing his own guys silly.
by Rafael Vela on Sep 17, 2009 12:00 AM CDT up reply actions
Well, we'll see what he does against NY
I guess the key is 1st down-2nd/3rd and long, we can blitz.
But if we rush too many they can kill the Boys running the ball.
Have to stop the run, score early for a lead, then blitzing looks a little better, right?
by Realist Larry on Sep 17, 2009 9:32 AM CDT up reply actions
Very good analysis...
this coming game may define the season for both teams. For the Giants, they could put an early peg in the division by winning this game. For the Cowboys, they could get the edge on the division. The fact that the Giants beat a division rival in Week 1 certainly helps; the Cowboys getting to 2-0 early, though, will help to get some traction here. This will be an exciting game!
In Reese We Trust
These guys are professionals.
They can’t be “motivated”, they perform their best every play.
How could a contract make a difference?
Are you suggesting he hasn’t been trying as hard the last 3 years?
lol
Right?!
by Realist Larry on Sep 16, 2009 11:51 PM CDT up reply actions
Right.....
Can you believe that some people would believe that there are “professional” football players who do not give their all in April/May/June/July except when big money is at stake.
That’s just crazy talk
I get what you're saying
I think the majority of them do.
But some don’t.
There’s a reason why you hear about the ‘contract year.’
by Realist Larry on Sep 17, 2009 9:28 AM CDT up reply actions
If spears keeps it up
I take the money i saved in not signing canty and offer it to him.
never understood the grief he gets
I’ve even heard some refer to him as the dreaded “bust.”
hmmm, he’s started every game since dallas drafted him and been solid, not my definition of a bust.
I agree with you
I think “first round” has to translate to Pro Bowl for some to consider it a success.
If he was a 2nd-rounder people would be satisfied.
He’s like a Russell Maryland, dependable.
I would like to see a Leon Lett instead, but he’s not that type, in this D.
by Realist Larry on Sep 16, 2009 11:53 PM CDT up reply actions
Loved that line in the post.
“Leftwich’s sternum still has a tattoo reading ‘Marcus Was Here’ right now.”
"We'll see." --Bill Parcells
No one
Can say we are peaking to early! We better figure it out fast because NYG needs to run the ball to be effective..
"No matter where you go, you are what you are playa"-Jay Z
Twitter Account
by Wmillion on Sep 16, 2009 10:41 PM CDT via mobile reply actions
I would imagine
that none of the 32 teams are at full tilt as far as using their entire defensive or offensive arsenals after just one game. And yes, I do believe that some teams “hold back” certain formations or blitz packages for their more beloved inter-divisional foes. It’s a poker game with these coaches and coordinators anymore.
I happen to agree with the Vanilla D theory
It wouldn’t shock me at all if some coaches called plays conservatively, so as not to expose themselves too much.
Nobody expected Tampa to win. Wade could have toned down the blitzing and what have you simply knowing we could come out victorious without having to expose some of his newer wrinkles in the scheme.
But it’s just as likely some of our guys were just rusty. Either way, I’m not too concerned. It’s called “mid season form” for a reason. Nobody’s playing their best football right now.
Epic Fail since 1985
Concerns about the interior run defense are not based of the Tampa game
On the possitive side the run defense has held up fairly well in short yardage. The problem is not three yards and a cloud of dust. The problem is the break away runs.
This defensive scheme as implemented in Dallas sometimes gives the ILB the awful difficult assignment of taking on OG on certain inside runs. Zach Thomas was overmatched in this role last year, but James also struggled with the assignment when matched up with the more athletic guards.
Sometimes its a missed assignment, but the concerning plays is when a OG stick to one of the linebackers and the interior run defense is dependent on the saftey to prevent the break-a-way run.
My alternative theory to why Wade called fewer blitzes
As Tampa was running out new and unpredictable plays, Wade was hesitant to call high risk Defenses, and instead focused on making Tampa drive the field
Not too worried about the pass rush.
When they decide to bring 5 or more Leftwich was crushed although they were getting a split second too late. Ware being handled one on one by their tackles is a little worrisome but I’m hoping that stinger played a factor in that.
But will continue to be worried about the run D...
…until they actually shut the other team down. Just git r done and Alfred will stop worrying.
Tampa Bay: 174 rushing yards, 31 carries, 5.6 yard/carry avg.
"What? Me worry?" ~ Alfred E. Neumann
SI has a good article on Romo's efficiency
Sorry if somebody already posted it.
What a great article....
I sure hope he does NOT read it!!!!……
What makes Romo even better than what the numbers show is that I dont believe our O-Line is good at all. He makes them look good because he releases the ball quickly and he has great insticts to move away from the pressure.
I would agree that
it’s not as good an o-line as the other top-rated QBs in the league have.
Never wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty and the pig loves it.
Not sure I'd agree
Big Ben gets sacked about twice as much as Romo – every year – yet still managed decent stats and some bling along the way.
by One.Cool.Customer on Sep 17, 2009 10:07 AM CDT up reply actions
I agree....
in fact, the Bus was criticizing the line the other day saying if they didn’t do something, Big Ben was going to get killed this year. Patriots OLine looked a little weak the other night as well. Did you see how many hits Brady took? Quite a few.
Brady doesnt have the escape abilities that Romo has....
Specially now coming back from that surgery….that’s why he got hit so much.
agreed but they were saying......
that Buffalo was using the same blueprint that Giants and Philly used against him in 2007. Bring lots of pressure from everywhere. He is not nearly as effective once he gets outside the pocket.
The Patriots players were actually commenting about how Buffalo stopped bringing pressure on those 2 drives, which allowed Brady to eat them up.
by Baked Potato Soup on Sep 17, 2009 11:59 AM CDT up reply actions
agree Baked Potato......
when the linebacker, Polazunsky(or whatever his name is) went out with a broken arm, the Bills stopped putting pressure on Brady.
NE and Brady wouldn't be in the discussion without a bone-headed fumble
Having said that, Brady’s stats are impressive. He’s usually been blessed with a solid line. Big Ben is the only QB I’ve ever seen that can win games with an inferior line, but I also think Romo makes this line look better than it is.
Doomsday returns... Wade Phillips style.
Your stats are off
Considering they only had to go less than 30 yards on the last score, there’s no way the yardage is correct.
He who knows nothing is closer to the truth than he whose mind is filled with falsehoods and errors. - Thomas Jefferson
Big Ben
doesn’t have the greatest numbers individually either. In QB rating he ranked 24th last season. People rate him up there largely for wins and of course two SB. I’m not saying he’s not a very good QB. In fact with a better line, I think he’d put up some much better numbers.
Never wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty and the pig loves it.
Sometimes, Big Ben is to blame too.....
He even admits it. He hangs on to the ball too long causing some of the sacks.
WHEN
has Ben had decent stats? He throws as many picks as TDs;
Hey Terry, doesn’t Romo usually keep up a 2 to 1 TD to INT ratio?
So pardon my disposition; why should I listen to a system that never listened to me?
according to Wade he switched to vanilla in the second half
this was because “players” (B.James) were missing there gaps and giving up big runs as a result. In other words, b. james was not prepared to play this game. That is a big problem imho. Because the biggest weakness on this team last year was focus and discipline, and in the first game the vocal leader of the defense doesn’t know his assignments. This is not a new system for him. This performance was inexcusable and a very bad sign, but atleast he owned up to it, and hopefully he’ll but halo 3 down and pick up his playbook
Where was D Ware in this game?
Nice analysis, Raf, but not 100% complete. There’s not a word in here about D Ware’s or Spencer’s play, yet I think several of the big runs came b/c one of those guys got taken out of the play far too easily.
Ware also looked as bad as I’ve seen him on the pass rush. I can’t remember how many times the left tackle took him on by himself and easily pushed him wide. Ware didn’t seem to have any countermove, and with the way the Bucs were gashing our run defense, Wade didn’t seem to want to call many stunts to free him. The right tackle also seemed to handle Ware by himself, and I saw Ware on that side a lot.
Was this mostly due to his bell being run to start the game?
uh, you see how many runs were between the tackles
and how few were to the perimeters?
Tampa was running inside.
by Rafael Vela on Sep 17, 2009 10:14 AM CDT up reply actions
that's why the defense was so disturbing.....
they were running right up the gut. Bradie James was getting man-handled from my view-point. I didn’t notice quite as much with Brooking but I kept seeing James get pushed out of the play.
yeah I kept saying who is that .....
getting consistently pushed around and on replay you could always see the back of #56.
I saw several runs off the inside shoulder of Ware or Spencer
where a single blocker, or their own up-field rush, took them out of the play.
Plus, your analysis was covering the whole defense, I thought. To not have a word about Ware or Spencer made it seem incomplete to me.
Sorry but,,,
Bradie James has never really impressed me. He is average and certainly not of Dat Ngyuen’s caliber
+1....been saying the exact same thing for 2 years now.....
He was one of the players that I pointed out that was getting blown off the ball. This should be nothing new for everyone, because it happens alot with him. His coverage skills are not so great either.
I seriously hope Wade starts looking for his replacement in next years draft or at least an upgrade through FA. Bradie is signed through 2011 so we should be looking for his replacement. There is no way this guy gets resigned and it’s a real possibilty he doesn’t see the end of his contract.
I said it too!
Don’t forget about me! LOL
I said the same thing last year when he was claiming to be a Pro-Bowler. He did seem to step it up around mid season last year, but obviously struggled in the last couple of games. Hopefully he can prove us all wrong for good.
by Baked Potato Soup on Sep 17, 2009 12:01 PM CDT up reply actions
its funny how this things work, a bad game by a ILB
who has been one of the most vocal leaders on the team and everyone starts calling for his head LOL
Agreed - James has given real cause for concern, but there's a wide gap between Pro-Bowl and CUT!
Doomsday returns... Wade Phillips style.
yep thats true, but we only have to stop the run, heaving said that
I’m more concern about our offence. AS good a game we had against TB, NY D is a different beast.
good point
if we don’t get up early those 8 D lineman could wear down our O line
"What we've got here is failure to communicate"
The key point is though that it is a defense that our offense is extremely familiar with
and has been planning around since the beginning of camp (remember Wade bringing tons of pressure in practice). Now obviously TB is one of Romo’s better teams to play because of how he can pick apart their coverages, but NYG is not a bad matchup either. And, when you consider our now numerous choices in the passing game, that makes beating NY’s blitz all the more easy.
If I had a nickel for every Super Bowl the Eagles have won, I would have zero nickels.
by Cowboyfan729 on Sep 18, 2009 10:35 AM CDT up reply actions
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Blogging The Boys
Related FanShots on Blogging The Boys
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Certain photos copyright © 2010 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
