Cowboys Defense Hampered By Peculiar Offseason
by rabblerousr on Aug 12, 2011 12:02 PM CDT
in Dallas Cowboys Games
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PrintLeading up to the first preseason game, many Cowboys fans, including a lot of you on the BTB comment threads, could barely contain their excitement to see Rob Ryan's defense unveiled. The reports out of camp have detailed the exotic nature of the scheme and lauded the players for picking it up so quickly. It had to be disappointing, therefore, to see them somewhat confused and out of position last night.
A special target of Cowboys fans' frustration was the secondary, which seemingly picked up where they left off 2010, allowing several receivers to roam free, most notably on a 29-yard pass to Eric Decker, as Gerald Sensabaugh appeared to bust a coverage. Later, Dallas native Matt Willis got behind cornerback Bryan McCann, who found himself alone with safety help after Barry Church bit on a play fake, gathering in a 43-yard Tim Tebow bomb. Both plays had a disconcerting familiarity.
Perhaps more disconcerting was the ease with which the Cowboys gave up rushing yards--especially the first team, which was driven off the ball by the Denver Ones on the opening drive. The Broncos took the opening kickoff and picked up 5 first downs on a 13 play, 74 yards drive. In the middle of the drive, the Broncos ran the ball five consecutive times, gaining 6, 5, 12, 7 and 6 yards. Not pretty; not pretty at all.
And, to add insult to injury, the media has wasted no opportunity to jump on the "Dallas' defense still struggling" meme. Jacques Taylor notes that they are a work in progress, the same term employed by Dan Graziano in his post-game assessment. In addition, the twitterverse was awash last night in snarky comments by national media types who were only casually watching the game. None of these scribes mentioned what I think is the primary reason the defense struggled.
Thoughts after the jump...
A lot of the rust is a direct byproduct of this singular offseason in which there were no OTAs and mini-camps. While that certainly has put the defense behind, I think the fact that free agents couldn't begin practicing with their teams until the official beginning of the league year is a bigger culprit. Think about it: with the Cowboys missing several free agent defensive lineman the first week of camp, the defensive coaching staff didn't have enough bodies to run long series of plays in Ryan's base 3-4 sets. As a result, they ran what they could: exotic sets with one or two DL and as many as six linebackers on the field. The offense responded by setting up in multiple receiver formations (conveniently in one-back sets, as they had two backs sidelined).
The problem, of course, is that these complicated defensive formations are used primarily in obvious passing situations. The bulk of the time, the Cowboys D will be in something resembling a base 3-4 (although there will be a lot of overshifting and scheming for mismatches), precisely the formations they didn't have enough bodies to practice until August 4, when the likes of Marcus Spears, Jason Hatcher and Kenyon Coleman could legally hit the field. As a result, Dallas had been able to practice their base defense for a little less than a week before facing Denver.
According to my notes, Ryan called a fairly (wait for it)...vanilla game plan last night, sticking to the simplest defensive packages--exactly those which were most recently installed and least rehearsed. In the first half, for example, the defense was in base or traditional nickle, except for the following plays: the long pass to Decker on Sensabaugh's bust (when Dallas lined up in a 1-5); the 3rd and 7 in which a Bryan McCann penalty negated an interception (a 2-5); the third and 18 play after Clifton Geathers' sack of Tebow (looked like a 3-2); the final play of the Broncos' third drive, a third and 11 completion short of the first down; two plays after a holding penalty got the Broncos into 2nd and then 3rd and long (both 2-4, an inverted nickle); and two more just before the half, after Tebow's TD run was negated and the Broncos found themselves in longer goal-to-go situations (Ryan unveiled a 2-5 and then what looked like a 1-6). That's seven out of 38 total plays.
The defense is definitely a work in progress, but it's important to understand the non-correlative nature of what they have spent time working on and what they actually ran Thursday night. Nevertheless, I'd bet Ryan and his staff were embarrassed by the results of the game and will be working their charges hard in preparation for San Diego.
I'm looking forward to seeing how the players respond...
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you’re right. the scary thing is the defense struggled to stop the run.
John Fox is an ‘establish the run’ coach. He’s exactly what Dallas should be ok against (Dallas WAS average against the run you know).
It was the coaches that didn’t cooperate … and aired it on 1st down (Reid in Philly, Kevin Gilbride in NY) that really hurt Dallas.
I’m not freaking out but something no one has considered is possible.
the Dallas defense could get worse.
by Fan in Thick and Thin on Aug 12, 2011 12:10 PM CDT reply actions
no possible way it could get worse
because it was really, really bad last season…not possible.
In Romo we Trust
Why couldn't it get worse ?
Who did they add to stop the bleeding ? This team needs a good big nt and they don’t have one as of yet. They don’t have good safties. Newman is either injured or has a brain fart every other game. So why can’t they get worse ? If Newman stays injured and Scandrick plays the starting cb role and Alan Ball is the 3rd cb does that make them better ?
Jerry is the end all in Dallas.
by football mensa on Aug 12, 2011 5:48 PM CDT up reply actions
You know an alternative headline to ‘dallas defense hampered by peculiar offseason’m
There’s an alternative interpretation
‘Dallas returns defensive players. Defense continues to be the same’
I know no one wants to hear rhat but it isn’t a crazy interpretation.
by Fan in Thick and Thin on Aug 12, 2011 1:02 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
It's not about not wanting to hear it. Could we at least wait until we have
all the starters in and they’ve had some time to work together on RR’s schemes before we pronounce them better, worse, or the same? It is irritating to have doom saying one game into the preseason with so little to go on.
If they’re still stinking it up when they’re all playing and RR has had more time to work with them, I’ll be glad to panic for ya.
And the time to panic:
Will be when we are 0-6 on the season and Michael Vick is slaughtering this defense to the point that it makes NBC want to trash Cowboys football and forces Jerry to make more changes.
I'm a proud fan of the Minnesota Twins and Dallas Cowboys!
"Life is precious and time is a key element. Let’s make every moment count and help those who have a greater need than our own." – Harmon Killebrew
weeeellll, i might panic a little before that. i also might wonder why the eagles
and cowboys would be on NBC. :P
Heck, I’ll start worrying if they have a poor showing in the 3rd preseason game. Right now is still way too early.
by TheBlueBaron on Aug 12, 2011 2:45 PM CDT up reply actions
Depends on what you want to do
But the NBC game I am referring to is the Sunday Night game in October at Philly.
I'm a proud fan of the Minnesota Twins and Dallas Cowboys!
"Life is precious and time is a key element. Let’s make every moment count and help those who have a greater need than our own." – Harmon Killebrew
+1
You do know that we were missing 4 of our starters right, especially our two starting corners. I wouldn’t start panicking just yet, it is only preseason. The important thing is that we came away with the win. Last I heard Jason Garrett said his approach to preseason is not saying “well, it’s only preseason”. Without a few starters (who probably all would have played had it been a regular season game minus Newman) and having some issues on the D-Line not being able to practice everything, of course they don’t have it together yet. Plus this team isn’t quite used to communicating and changing their fronts. This is new to them so it will be a while before they get it, probably not even in time for the season. So that is a good thing we don’t face any strong offensive teams coming out of the gate (Jets, 49ers, Skins, Lions). We have a bye before the Pats week 6 so we have a good 5 weeks in the season to fine tune things before we face a DANGEROUS offense.
"I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle, victorious." –Vince Lombardi
by ProBowlFactory on Aug 12, 2011 5:12 PM CDT up reply actions
This is also much of the same defense that was filled with Probowlers in 2009.
Everyday I feel a little better about the way this team is being run.
by Feeling Blue & Silver on Aug 12, 2011 2:13 PM CDT up reply actions
All makes sense, rabble. I also wonder how Ryan will adjust things for the next game
I also wonder if that baby he’s carrying is going to become a defensive-genius football coach….
Don't believe everything you think.
DCYank SHHHHH
Did your employer fire you your first month on the job even though he gave you all the pieces of the job puzzle. Did you teachers fire you Dare I say did the Coach send you packing or have you ever played the game.Those kind of commments after 1 preseason game are ridiculous…
Sarcasm font was used
It is two @ @ Signs with words between them.
Example:
The Weather was great during Super Bowl Week in Dallas.
I'm a proud fan of the Minnesota Twins and Dallas Cowboys!
"Life is precious and time is a key element. Let’s make every moment count and help those who have a greater need than our own." – Harmon Killebrew
Two quotes
Here are two quotes from last night that I like:
"I think for the defense the biggest challenge is everybody getting on the same page," Garrett said. "We knew that was going to be the case only a couple of weeks into the system."
"We’ve got to communicate better with that crowd noise," outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware said. "In practice we can hear everybody and say things. There were a couple of checks we didn’t mess up on but we just didn’t hear because the crowd was so loud. That’s a good thing, but you’ve got to figure out some hand signals on how you change to the check."
I don’t know what the defense will eventually be but I believe, more like hope they will get better.
I've never in my four decades of football watching
Heard a defensive player complain that the home crowd made too much noise. Incredible.
True
But Ware is basically saying that the defense is responsible for keeping itself together and not blowing coverage. They didn’t do that last night and are lucky that Denver came away with a field goal.
I'm a proud fan of the Minnesota Twins and Dallas Cowboys!
"Life is precious and time is a key element. Let’s make every moment count and help those who have a greater need than our own." – Harmon Killebrew
New kind of defense
And what comes with it is much more hand signals than actual words (from what I hear) so they are still adjusting to how Rob wants this to work. Gotta give them some time. 3-4 defenses are naturally more complex than a 4-3 defense that the Broncos were running.
"I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle, victorious." –Vince Lombardi
by ProBowlFactory on Aug 12, 2011 5:16 PM CDT up reply actions
There is no excuse for getting blown off the ball
That has othing to do with schemes, it’s more ability and want to than schemes.
The 12th commandment: "Know which side of the bread thy butter is on and keep thy knowledge close to thee."
Agreed
I think we knew scheme issues would be pervasive early on, but this team still lacks physicality up front in the trenches.
"Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?"
If the defensive line players we have are good for one thing, it’s not getting blown off the line (with the exception of Ratliff). I won’t start panicking until at least the third preseason game if we’re getting blown off the ball like that.
Let's talk about who was getting blown off the ball
Olshansky
Every play he was getting pushed 5 yards back. Hatcher and Spears did a solid job holding their spots on the line.
Watch the Denver runs. No matter which side of the line Olshansky is on, notice they run straight at him almost every time. Olshansky is useless out there.
The Ohio State Buckeyes are your Sugar Bowl champions... and for the 7th year in a row Michigan still sucks.
by Blue Eyed Devil on Aug 12, 2011 8:01 PM CDT up reply actions
Yeah he got absolutely by Ryan Clady on one play. Clady is great and all, but Igor should not get whipped like that and expect to be a starter.
If I had a nickel for every Super Bowl the Eagles have won, I would have zero nickels.
Terry, you say that every year
Are you saying we haven’t been patient enough???
"Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?"
if it doesn't happen soon the grasshopper will say "in McGee we trust"
Dware turns 30 soon & no matter who you are the body starts break down after years of abuse. this team has a 4 year window if things go really good health wise to win atleast 1 super bowl. once Witten, Ratliff, Dware, Romo are players this team is built around & there getting dinged up more eery year.
i hope your right Terry & Dallas atleast gets back to the super bowl a lot quicker then what it took to build Rome
Every team has a great gameplan until they get Punched in the Mouth!
That's what bothered me most about last night
"Treat a person as he is, and he will remain as he is. Treat a person as if he were where he could be and should be, and he will become what he could be and should be." - Jimmy Johnson
Three observations
Ratliff wasn’t playing.
Olshansky was getting worked.
The Cowboys gave up tons of rush yards with only 2 down linemen and in the nickle.
It was also one series, so Im not saying we shouldn’t worry, but we certainly shouldn’t think everything is lost. It will take some time.
"I am a true believer. Anthony Spencer will have 7 or more sacks in 2011 and David Arkin can ball!" - Kegbearer
"Leadership is a matter of having people look at you and gain confidence, seeing how you react. If you're in control, they're in control." - Tom Landry
Now on twitter: @kegbearerBTB
I think one thing that's fair to take away
is that Igor better play his tail off the rest of the preseason. He was already a big question before the game, didn’t do anything to help himself.
Igor should be cut
Spears, Hatcher, Coleman is a good DE rotation. Toss a Quinton Gaethers in there for depth and you’re a lot better off.
The Ohio State Buckeyes are your Sugar Bowl champions... and for the 7th year in a row Michigan still sucks.
by Blue Eyed Devil on Aug 12, 2011 8:01 PM CDT up reply actions
HAHA
I thought he would improve in Ryan’s scheme, but either really rusty or I was way wrong. He deserves it, he was really bad last night. Sure, double teamed often, but…
"I am a true believer. Anthony Spencer will have 7 or more sacks in 2011 and David Arkin can ball!" - Kegbearer
"Leadership is a matter of having people look at you and gain confidence, seeing how you react. If you're in control, they're in control." - Tom Landry
Now on twitter: @kegbearerBTB
I suppose the inverse might be true
i.e., that he’ll be exposed in a system that asks him to be quick and penetrate
Watch the tape, Denver just runs it right at him every play
Everyone in the league knows Igor plays football wearing roller skates.
The Ohio State Buckeyes are your Sugar Bowl champions... and for the 7th year in a row Michigan still sucks.
by Blue Eyed Devil on Aug 12, 2011 8:02 PM CDT up reply actions
That's what she said.
July 26th, 2011. The day the new era of the Dallas Cowboys began!
"I don’t know if we win all-hype team. I think that might have gone to somebody else, but we’re going to beat their ass when we play them." - Rob Ryan
"I did a couple of push-ups, grabbed a couple of protein shakes and said, I'm ready to do it, Coach!" - Victor Butler
So, after all the Josh whatever-whatever hype that's been doled out...
we’re still a Ratliff injury away from being unable to defend the most basic of running attacks?
Jeepers.
"Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?"
Brent plays when he wants to
you see him make a couple moves & think hey he can play then he fizzles out. it might be his conditioning or something but A.Franklin is looking a lot better.
heck i would’ve been happy to see Bowen & Hatcher resigned. we could’ve signed Bowen for what Spears & Coleman cost (and we all know Coleman is washed up).
Every team has a great gameplan until they get Punched in the Mouth!
I agree
With your statement, but if your unsure of where you’re supposed to be, it will take away from your ability and want to because your more focused on being in the right spot.
by aubatron2011 on Aug 12, 2011 12:56 PM CDT up reply actions
I think the three down linemen know where they're supposed to be
If they don’t, we have bigger problems than anything I’ve intimated.
"Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?"
John Boy
There is a reason that football coaches at every level tell their players not to think, they know that thinking clouds the mind. If you are thinking “Should I be lined up here or should I be over there?” That is taking a way from your focus on the task in front of you. As the defense gets more and more use to the terminology the thinking will go a way.
by aubatron2011 on Aug 12, 2011 1:29 PM CDT up reply actions
You're right right about the thinking
It’s the old saying, you’re better off doing than thinking. I’m hoping that they come around, and in another year I wouldn’t be worried. Hell, this time LAST year I woudln’t be worried, because the D was coming off of a very good year. With all the stuff they gave up last year let’s just say I’m gun shy and looking for some positive evidence.
The 12th commandment: "Know which side of the bread thy butter is on and keep thy knowledge close to thee."
Gotcha.
I too am a little gun shy about the Defense, but I believe it will be a work in progress. I mean as you said two years ago they had a great year. I don’t believe the talent level dropped, I think there was something missing. Last night there was rusty line play around the league. The good thing is that you know in the film sessions today RR was ripping them new ones.
by aubatron2011 on Aug 12, 2011 11:09 PM CDT up reply actions
maybe there is an excuse
DeMarcus Ware said they couldn’t hear the signals and I don’t know about you but if a play starts while I am trying to figure out if I need to shift then the guy opposite of me has a huge advantage.
And the D looked like it was hesitant, like a mental work in progress. Let’s give it a bit more time to see how the New Defense settles in, then we can judge it… and that means round about the time of our bye week. So don’t go holding your breath just yet
by LiveNDieBlue on Aug 12, 2011 3:23 PM CDT up reply actions
Are we at a point where we care about excuses?
I mean, come on…after last year’s defensive letdown?
Scheme can only cover up so much.
"Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?"
Agreed too
It’s not much comfort to read that Ryan had the D running a “vanilla” defense. If he was looking for basic execution on basic techniques—like not getting blown off the line of scrimmage—he didn’t see it (yet).
Every act of creation begins with an act of destruction.
by Transplanted Texan on Aug 12, 2011 6:33 PM CDT up reply actions
missing time - really?
So, if Newman is not back until the opener or later, how long does it take him to adjust to the system? To me the time excuse is exactly that an excuse. The Denver offense has the same issues I am sure. Heck, they have an entire new coaching staff and new players. I think we will have to be the Chargers of the 80s and outscore the opponent.
"Don't measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but what you should have accomplished with your ability."
-John Wooden
T.O
This is why I wouldn’t mind seeing T.O back in Dallas. Our offence needs to outscore teams to win this season until Ryan’s system is fully understood by our defence. He’ll come in cheap, 1-yr deal, no dead money and lets Harris develop as the 4th WR. I like Ol’ Tree but I just don’t see the upside. The rest of our WR’s need to develop more.
I totally understand though that people don’t trust T.O and would rather give raw kids a chance to shine. But T.O has proven to be a good soldier in BUF and CIN. If we can work him into a 3rd WR/mentorship role then I see his signing as a positive one.
no, just no
TO is hurt and 38. At this point all he can do is prevent the ’boys from figuring out what they may or may not have in ’tree & Harris… as well has having to give up on a player like Radway or Leong.
I was a TO supporter, but I don’t want him back.
"There are no traffic jams along the extra mile." ~ Roger Staubach
And we have better and quicker WR's to boot.
That Harris kid will llikely get a few first team looks vs San Diego. Let the Minnesota Vikings sign TO.
I'm a proud fan of the Minnesota Twins and Dallas Cowboys!
"Life is precious and time is a key element. Let’s make every moment count and help those who have a greater need than our own." – Harmon Killebrew
Yeah, Like RADWAY!
Kids big, fast, seems to be getting it quickly, and is returning kicks. He’s the perfect 5th receiver. His height makes him a weapon. Useful near goal-line. He can break a big return, yet he causes no risk of injury to starters. Love this kid. Absolutely no need to sign TO or any veteran receiver.
He's good, but he's no Danny White!
Harris didn't look that fast to me.
Watched the replay and he only looked fast while running away from DL and LB once he was around other DB they were running him down. He didn’t look that fast in college because he wasn’t… and isnt.
Everyday I feel a little better about the way this team is being run.
by Feeling Blue & Silver on Aug 12, 2011 2:17 PM CDT up reply actions
But he will likely be used in short yardage situations
Where the defense expects the Cowboys to run the ball. I agree with Radway as well. He and Dez could make a deadly combo on punting and kickoff situations.
I'm a proud fan of the Minnesota Twins and Dallas Cowboys!
"Life is precious and time is a key element. Let’s make every moment count and help those who have a greater need than our own." – Harmon Killebrew
Slot receivers don't need to be fast
I know in some systems the speedy guy is the slot receiver to stretch the field but in this system it isn’t. If you look at the kind of receivers Jimmy had in Green Bay, none of them were burners, but guys with the most important thing, sure hands. Jimmy Robinson will work on getting the receivers to that point. And the slot guy here, well he just needs to be a physical guy that catches well in traffic. In case you missed it, that was the biggest reason they drafted Harris. A sure handed guy who is much more QUICK than he is fast and can take a hit and come down with the ball.
"I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle, victorious." –Vince Lombardi
by ProBowlFactory on Aug 12, 2011 5:23 PM CDT up reply actions
Wes Welker 4.55 40yd
Harris 4.53 40 yd. He’s fast enough. And like PBF said, quick.
July 26th, 2011. The day the new era of the Dallas Cowboys began!
"I don’t know if we win all-hype team. I think that might have gone to somebody else, but we’re going to beat their ass when we play them." - Rob Ryan
"I did a couple of push-ups, grabbed a couple of protein shakes and said, I'm ready to do it, Coach!" - Victor Butler
T.O.'s skills has regressed and is coming off an ACL injury
No way he could play better than the WRs we currently have
In Romo we Trust
Nooo
I understand your reasoning, but totally disagree.. Our “O” is potent enough.. We still dont even know the extent of its potentcy because we’ve never had a completely healthy/smart Dez B.. (smart = knowing the playbook & his routes)
by AmericasTeamm on Aug 12, 2011 1:51 PM CDT up reply actions
are you kiddin?
there’s no way TO comes back, he doesn’t even get along with garrett, doesn’t matter how helpful he could be, he’s not coming to dallas
The only way TO is coming back to Dallas
Is with one of our opponents. Maybe he can rejoin the 49er’s or hail to the Redskins, and maybe this doozy, become a New York Giant. Maybe there is room for him on the Miami Dolphins roster. Regardless, there is no way he will return to Dallas as a Cowboys player. I am done with him no matter how good he plays.
I'm a proud fan of the Minnesota Twins and Dallas Cowboys!
"Life is precious and time is a key element. Let’s make every moment count and help those who have a greater need than our own." – Harmon Killebrew
Easy tigers...
…remember we WON. How ’bout them Cowboys!
First preseason game after a super quick offseason where a new Defensive coach came in. There is no way we were going to see anything even remotely average last night from the defence. Too much information coming from sidelines to the guys on the field which is what Garrett spoke of regarding crowd noise.
To work Ryan’s schemes you need in-game reps and lots of them. His system can work with our group of guys…but he needs time and it may take an entire season for some guys to get it. I’m hoping Ryan’s leash is long because if he can get this defence to work then we are 1-2 seasons away from being a legit Super Bowl contender again. And I know everyone on this blog wants a winner in Big D so lets try to show some patience.
Agreed
One thing not mentioned in this article and by the media was that key members of that defense didn’t play. Of course, that was the case around the NFL last night. For example, Tom Brady didn’t play and pretty much every starting offense and defense will only get one or two series at best.
I'm a proud fan of the Minnesota Twins and Dallas Cowboys!
"Life is precious and time is a key element. Let’s make every moment count and help those who have a greater need than our own." – Harmon Killebrew
Here's the money quote from Raf on his site
I spent some time last night watching some of the other pre-season games, to avoid Cowboys tunnel vision.
What did I see?
I saw Ray Rice break a long run on a flare because an Eagles linebacker blew an assignment and left Rice alone.
I saw a backup Eagles receiver blow past sloppy cornerback coverage and grab a bomb over a very sluggish Ed Reed, who looked lost and had no hop to counter the football.
I saw a lot of veteran offensive linemen overwhelmed by coordinators installing pressure. And with short summers, every coordinator is unwrapping his pressure packages early.
It’s real early folks. Linemen are trying to play their way into shape. Veteran DBs like Reed are still trying to knock rust out of their aging joints. What we saw with the first team Dallas defense occurred in every game.
I’ll wait until the first team gets more than one series of a preseason game to call this defense a bust.
Thanks to rabble and the other front page writers tapping the breaks on the “this defense is horrible” crowd. It is still wait and see. Judgement needs to be reserved until the defense gets a chance to play at least 2 quarters of football.
"There are no traffic jams along the extra mile." ~ Roger Staubach
by TK19 on Aug 12, 2011 1:20 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs
I saw similar things with the Pats,
they were being gashed by the Jags, and we’re not talking about Jones-Drew doing this. All teams are having rust we’re just gonna have to wait to see how the season plays out
Andy's Kolb was really bad so Andy hatched a plan, when his Kolb said play me now, Andy shouted no and ran. Andy tricked his mean old Kolb and traded him to the Cardinals, The Cardinals didn't know Kolb sucked, because Andy never told them
Rabble is right
Conisdering that we didn’t have Offseason workouts and minicamps, the first few weeks of the season might be glorified preseason games. The only difference is that the first team plays the entire game.
I'm a proud fan of the Minnesota Twins and Dallas Cowboys!
"Life is precious and time is a key element. Let’s make every moment count and help those who have a greater need than our own." – Harmon Killebrew
Raf excuse me :)
I'm a proud fan of the Minnesota Twins and Dallas Cowboys!
"Life is precious and time is a key element. Let’s make every moment count and help those who have a greater need than our own." – Harmon Killebrew
i appreciate the sentiment and agree with the article...
I was definitely disappointed but all is not lost. I do believe we’ll be better when the real season starts.
But I’ll just add this one statement …. although I hate the Steelers…
(Mike Tomlin voice)
No excuses! No explanations!
You talked all that crap, Rob. Gotta back it up.
I’m still fairly confident you will tho.
"They need security in the world, Craig!"
Really want to see a great D against the run.
Our interior D linemen with the exception of Rat are not known for their pass rushing skills. They must perform against the run in order for RR’s exotic schemes to work. This I hope is correctable or the season will be long.
Wish you were here
That is true
But we seen a few players that didn’t play, and RR used a defense that was simple enough that you had to wonder if some players blew their coverage on purpose (not likely).
I'm a proud fan of the Minnesota Twins and Dallas Cowboys!
"Life is precious and time is a key element. Let’s make every moment count and help those who have a greater need than our own." – Harmon Killebrew
Where is the pride, RKG ?
From a win/loss point of view, stopping the run is overrated v. stopping the pass. But if the opponent is running all over you, its unwatchable. Winning the trenches makes football fun and THAT should be the RKG way.
one thing I almost forgot.......
Penalties? Holdings? False Start?
Finally after long time I wasnt pissed off because of penalties….and thats really important thing for me….
before there was law, there were the Cowboys!!!
+100000000
I noticed that every time a penalty was called, it wasn’t against us. I think that having the Referees there are starting to payoff. This should be an every practice thing. This alone should keep our drives going, and help the defense get off the field.
F**** establishing a culture, we need to establish dominance...
Nice angle Rabble. Hope you're right.
“…it’s important to understand the non-correlative nature of what they have spent time working on” My favorite!
He's good, but he's no Danny White!
I look at it as everyone still getting familiar.
And I certainly don’t expect Rob Ryan to get even close to showing everything this defense has got one month before he faces his brother.
The preseason game where the starters play the most (Usually the 3rd one, right?) we’ll get a real good idea of what this defense will be able to do this year. And hopefully they’ll be all over Donovan McNabb since they don’t get their 2 yearly meetings against him this season.
"My clique should be cancelled. Freaks and Geeks...." ---Childish Gambino
Tweeting sports, movies, TV, just about everything @alstevenmann
Good to hear about Spears
Was wondering about his play. He’ll have to step it up this year to help Rat in the middle.
Wish you were here
I Was Pleased With Our Young O-Linemen
I Watched All The Other Games as Well as Our Cowboys. Same Crap Different Game. As Many Have Noted – A Lot Of Rust Needs To Work itself Free Here The Next Few Weeks. Lets Not Freakout After One Preseason Game!
I wouldn't start to freak out until after the opening game.
As long as the starters appear in sync in game three there’s nothing to worry about.
Wish you were here
Don't panic, but DO worry
Let’s revisit the Public Relations History of the Dallas Defense:
2006: After the Saints shred us and the pass defense implodes, we are “too predictable” on defense.
2007: New Wade Phillips scheme improves defense, but few turnovers.
2008: Several games into the season, complaints that Brian Stewart is “too complicated” cause Wade to take over and “simplify” defense. Defense improves, still few turnovers.
2009: Wade’s “best” D finishes second in scoring D, but yields few turnovers, leaves offense with consistently long fields.
2010: Wade’s D is not “too predictable,” generating few sacks and turnovers and generally playing soft.
Now, here we are in 2011. In my opinion, scheme heavy, blitz-heavy Defenses like Greg Williams’ and Rob Ryan’s can work well for teams that consistently take an early lead (forcing the other team to pass). But I don’t think we can scheme ourselves around an average secondary and a below average front 3 (or 4). If we again settle into mediocrity (or worse), what will be the Spagnola Spin for this year?
LOL!!
“Spagnola Spin” was funny! But hey, he’s paid by the team so he’s obviously going to toe the company line (even when it changes from week to week). ;-)
However, I’m not jumping on the panic button yet. Let’s at least see a few real games first y’all. I imagine we’ll see “vanilla” defense for most of the preseason (as we should). If we start out 0-2 and can’t stop the run and our secondary still looks lost……then all bets are off. It’s time to officially freak out!
"A successful coach needs a paitient wife, a loyal dog, and a great quarterback. But if you don't have a wife the dog can pull double duty." --Barry Switzer
by Tennessee_Jed on Aug 12, 2011 3:36 PM CDT up reply actions
Tim
Last night we didn’t have Jay Ratliff who is an above average d-lineman, he might be undersized at NT, but he’s still an above average d-lineman. He’ll be back for the next game. I believe we haven’t seen our best front yet, so judging off of last night’s game is a little ridiculous.
by aubatron2011 on Aug 12, 2011 3:53 PM CDT up reply actions
Jay Ratliff above average??? Really??
by dcsince77 on Aug 12, 2011 5:46 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
Yes
Ratliff is an above average d-lineman. He’s not in the correct position (he’s a DE), but he’s above average. Until last year, he probably was our second best player on defense behind Ware.
by aubatron2011 on Aug 12, 2011 6:18 PM CDT up reply actions
My guess
It would have to do with the lockout.
I'm a proud fan of the Minnesota Twins and Dallas Cowboys!
"Life is precious and time is a key element. Let’s make every moment count and help those who have a greater need than our own." – Harmon Killebrew
I don't agree...
We knew coming into this year that it would take some time to get the defense down pat. That and the fact that there where no OTA’s or mini camps. I was not looking for the Doomsday defense in the First game. I want players to be evaluated and know their roles. The rest will work itself out.
F**** establishing a culture, we need to establish dominance...
Here is a nice read about how you should think about this defense
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/803095-broncos-vs-cowboys-3-thoughts-on-dallas-preseason-week-one-performance#/articles/802855-dallas-cowboys-vs-denver-broncos-rob-ryans-defense-struggled-in-debut-good
Excuses. No time for 'em. Back to the grindstone.
The Chargers will be at Cowboys Stadium at 7:00pm on Sunday, Aug 21st…
Cry 'Havoc!'
...and we know how you are about them there Chah-Juz
"Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?"
HAHA
"I am a true believer. Anthony Spencer will have 7 or more sacks in 2011 and David Arkin can ball!" - Kegbearer
"Leadership is a matter of having people look at you and gain confidence, seeing how you react. If you're in control, they're in control." - Tom Landry
Now on twitter: @kegbearerBTB
One thought
I haven’t watched the game yet, and regretfully I already know the outcome, but hey it’s preseason so it didn’t really matter. I want to see how people play more than win, but I STILL want a win. On that note, McGee I hear played really well. Not only that but played very well in the clutch, and that is something every team needs is a clutch QB. Now, I don’t see him being a starter in Dallas really ever. However, we may just have some trade bait on our hands if a team is hungry for a QB. Maybe a team like the fins since they keep signing our leftovers anyway. Not saying that he’ll get a Kevin Kolb kind of value trade but one could hope.
"I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle, victorious." –Vince Lombardi
One thing that seemed very different last night
was after the defense gave up big plays, Ryan could be seen yelling at players as they came off the field. How long has it been since these guys had to answer for mistakes? I’m not saying that yelling and screaming will turn this team around, only good scheming, good players, and execution will do that, but its a hell of a lot better than the Head Coach just standing there looking confused and frustrated. Even Garrett walked out 5 yards onto the field a couple of times to ask guys what the hell they were thinking when they screwed up. Wow, accountability. (Note to self: Self, stop smiling.)
Those who can't laugh at themselves leave the job to others.
Was thinking the same thing
RR wasn’t giving his players the deer-in-the-headlights ‘Wade face’.
Whether it will translate to defensive success remains to be seen, but at least he appears intolerant of mistakes. That’s progress, I guess.
Dwayne Harris = Bill Bates (potentially)
Harris reminds me so much of Bill Bates—a stealth guy who never did much except just step up and make play after play in real game situations. I see Harris on offense and think of a young Bill Bates on defense. Hope that wish comes true.
Every act of creation begins with an act of destruction.
by Transplanted Texan on Aug 12, 2011 6:37 PM CDT reply actions
IT'S PRESEASON SO RELAX
Lets remember almost everyone got reps… mostly all were rookies nd back ups… Im keeping it optimistic because there were alot some good plays not mentioned… There were names on the field I never knew were a part of the team or existed on the team… We haven’t had much practice and to be truthful i think we’ll be WAY BETTER then we were last year. IMO we did make mistakes and i was yelling at my monitor but i had to check my self by thinking about the amount of time we had to try nd pick up on the RR schemes. So all in all im not concerned yet nd i dnt expect our team to make it to the Super Bowl. If we do then OUR STAR ARE SHINNING… If we dont no big deal, there is always next year…
"Texas Stadium has a hole in its roof so God can watch his favorite team play." ~ D.D. Lewis
by California805Cowboy on Aug 12, 2011 6:40 PM CDT reply actions
Thank you...
My lead line was going to be the same. It is preseason folks. The goal here is to learn, not give away to much for video, get ONE win, and go onto the season HEALTHY! Wake me up when it counts.
by jtgreet02 on Aug 12, 2011 8:18 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
didn't Denver/a lot NFL teams suffer the same problems as Dallas & some even worse?
A lot of the rust is a direct byproduct of this singular offseason in which there were no OTAs and mini-camps. While that certainly has put the defense behind, I think the fact that free agents couldn’t begin practicing with their teams until the official beginning of the league year is a bigger culprit. Think about it: with the Cowboys missing several free agent defensive lineman the first week of camp, the defensive coaching staff didn’t have enough bodies to run long series of plays in Ryan’s base 3-4 sets.
.
Denver has a new head coach, coordinators & even front office (Elway). Denver also expected to be one the teams to suffer the most from the lockout but there number 1s & 2s were way better prepared then the players Dallas had. i was disapointed to see them get stopped on Romo’s opening drive & having to settle for a FG that barely made it (on HD TV it didnt look good but hey i take it). our secondary (even with Newman & Jenkins) just isn’t that strong & our DL (cross your fingers) needs to improve a lot more or there going to get pushed around this season. i know Ratliff didn’t play but teams will know where DWare or Ratliff are every play & get them doubled teamed like last season. Butler/Hatcher might be a legit 3rd option that can beat one on one battles but ouside of them theres no other threat. Brent looks better at practice then in games (kinda like Spencer) & he is just warm body thats not consistent. no real threat in the secondary but i will say Lee could be answer at ILB for a lot of years to come.
does anyone know remember why Garrett selected Murray over Ridley? the story i read on that kid was unreal & couldn’t believe he fell to the 3rd round lol. i know Garrett was intrested in him but i am thinking the Pats picked before us that round?
okay fingers crossed they fix the DL & Newman/Jenkins return to probowl form bc where going to need it. Hatcher, Ratliff & either Spears or Coleman should start. Igor stayed on the ground more the Haynesworth in Washington but i also Spears getting man handled. Lissemore could come on later in the season but the other young DEs didnt look great. Bowen Ratliff Hatcher would’ve been pretty sweet & they could’ve signed Bowen for about the same money as Spears & Coleman. sad…ok done & ready for some football. it is what its & this its not like you can stop loving the team you supported over 30 years. i wish the Cowboys the best & i look forward to reading the writers stories, opinions, toughts & break downs of games.
i was just shocked to see Tebow hightlights that reminded of last years disaster & after watching it on NFLN lasy night i was even more shocked to see how more prepared & sharp Denver was compared to Dallas.
i will say i am pleased with Harris, Lee, Butler
Every team has a great gameplan until they get Punched in the Mouth!
Patriots took Ridley a couple of places
After we took Murray. I’m generally of he opinion high picks on running backs are a waste of resources, unless you snag a Marshall Faulk or Emmitt Smith class back.
And it is strange that another team with even more churn and less talent can look better than us early on. There’s some good young talent here but something about this team doesn’t look right to me.
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