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The Cowboys are coming off yet another week where a bottom of the league quarterback looked like a Hall of Famer.
In week 15, they’ll go up against Jared Goff, a guy who has struggled mightily at times in 2019. When taking a look at Jared Goff’s season, it’s not hard to see how you can make life difficult for the Rams passing game. Put pressure on Goff. Don’t believe me? Here’s some evidence.
Per @PFF, Jared Goff's clean pocket vs. under pressure splits:
— Chris Trapasso (@ChrisTrapasso) November 26, 2019
Kept Clean - 76.6% Adj. Comp, 8.1 YPA, 8 TD/8 INT
Under Pressure - 57.5% Adj. Comp (35th out of 41) 5.7 YPA, 3 TD/4 INT
Not great in either category, but he's really crumbled under pressure this year
When preparing for the Rams, the first thing I wanted to look at was just how much the Cowboys defense has blitzed so far in 2019. Per Pro Football Reference, the Cowboys defense ranks 25th in the NFL in blitz percentage at 23.0%. This number is even more depressing than it looks when you take a look at the quarterbacks the Cowboys have faced this year, and how much they struggle dealing with pressure.
This is something the Cowboys defense must adjust going forward, or they will continue to struggle against mediocre quarterback’s that can get the ball out quick, or even have time to scan the field to find open receivers. Blitzing isn’t something Rod Marinelli or Kris Richard have liked to do a whole lot of in their tenure with the Cowboys, but it’s something they may want to reevaluate heading into week 15 against a suddenly hot Los Angeles Rams offense.