Cowboys' much-maligned defense inconsistent but not responsible for loss to 49ers

[Deuce]

Brandon George
Dallasnews.com

ARLINGTON — The Cowboys’ much-maligned defense can’t be blamed for Sunday’s loss to San Francisco.

Cowboys defensive players certainly didn’t have a lot to pound their chest about in the first half, but overall, it wasn’t that bad.

San Francisco finished with 316 total yards and had only two legit touchdown drives.

A Cowboys’ defense that ranked last in the league in 2013 would have done cartwheels for those kinds of results last season.

Remember, this was a unit that allowed 478 yards or more six times last season, including giving up more than 620 yards twice in a three-game span.
And the 11 defensive starters who took the field Sunday didn’t include DeMarcus Ware, Jason Hatcher or Sean Lee. (Incidentally, Hatcher had 11/2 sacks for Denver, and Hatcher had one for Washington.)

“Defensively, I saw us do some things out there that if we hadn’t gotten ourselves in such a hole, we might have had a more rewarding experience,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. “The way the game went, it took a lot of air out of us to have three turnovers.”

San Francisco started the game by returning a DeMarco Murray fumble 35 yards for a touchdown. Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo had three interceptions, one of which was returned to the 2-yard line. San Francisco scored on the next play.

Before the Cowboys’ defense could really settle in, the 49ers were way ahead. San Francisco ran only four plays in the first quarter but held a 21-3 lead.

San Francisco’s Colin Kaepernick had a near-perfect 156.6 quarterback rating in the first half. He completed 11 of 13 passes for 157 yards and two touchdowns.

The Cowboys’ defense wasn’t anywhere close to the unit that new coordinator Rod Marinelli wants. It didn’t force a turnover. Bruce Carter had the only sack of Kaepernick, and the Cowboys hit him only three times.

Cornerbacks Morris Claiborne and Brandon Carr struggled in coverage. Claiborne, who didn’t play in a preseason game for a second consecutive year because of injuries, particularly had trouble in third-and-short situations.

San Francisco faced a third-and-4 on its second drive of the third quarter, and Claiborne was about 7 yards off the line of scrimmage when the ball was snapped. Claiborne back-pedaled after the snap and was 5 yards away from receiver Anquan Boldin when Kaepernick threw the football to the left side for an easy first down on a 9-yard gain.

“It’s zone. You have responsibilities and that’s not your responsibility at that moment,” Claiborne said, explaining why he wasn’t tighter on Boldin at the line. “In zone, you have places where you’re light and places where you’re strong. And we gave up some catches in that zone. It happens.”

Sure, the Cowboys still had their problems on defense. But it wasn’t all bad.

The Cowboys’ defense looked much better in the second half. Of course, the 49ers’ offense could have lost interest by then because of their 28-3 halftime lead.

Regardless, the Cowboys’ defense pitched a shutout in the second half. Dallas allowed 200 yards on 24 plays in the first half. The Cowboys’ defense allowed only 116 yards on 30 plays over the last two quarters.

One of the biggest bright spots was linebacker Rolando McClain, the eighth overall pick in 2010 who has since retired twice and been arrested three times.

McClain started at middle linebacker and was active, tying weak-side linebacker Justin Durant for the team lead with eight tackles.

McClain finished the game also playing in the nickel defense in place of Durant and alongside Carter. Durant, who almost intercepted a Kaepernick pass in the third quarter, left the game in the fourth quarter with a strained groin.

“I’ve been trying to tell people for a while. He’s coming on strong,” Cowboys safety Barry Church said of McClain. “He was out there all over the place.”

Carter played better from the strong-side linebacker spot after struggling last season at weak-side. He had a sack, pass breakup and five tackles.

Of the Cowboys’ starting 11 on defense, only two players had sacks in 2013. Carter had two for the Cowboys, and defensive end Jeremy Mincey — a free agent addition in the offseason — had two sacks last season for Jacksonville.

This isn’t a star-studded defense.

And for one game, at least, it hung in there only to see the offense let down Dallas.

“I just like how they battled,” Marinelli said. “Bunch of really tough guys who care and play hard. So we just got to build off of that.”

 

[ravidubey]

San Francisco could have scored more, but they aren't built that way. Dallas essentially handed them the game, so why score? After the first quarter they were never in danger of losing the game.

What scared the shit out of me were the outrageous breakdowns in coverage. The 49er WR's and Davis were running wide open.

 

[jsmith6919]

San Francisco could have scored more, but they aren't built that way. Dallas essentially handed them the game, so why score? After the first quarter they were never in danger of losing the game.

What scared the shit out of me were the outrageous breakdowns in coverage. The 49er WR's and Davis were running wide open.

I'm leaning to this also, while the defense appeared better I'm just not sure how much of that was the niners going into cruise mode

 

[L.T. Fan]

I'm leaning to this also, while the defense appeared better I'm just not sure how much of that was the niners going into cruise mode

Teams generally don't go into cruise control at the start of the third Quarter. I saw an improvement in the defensive play in the second half especially against the run game.

 

[jsmith6919]

Teams generally don't go into cruise control at the start of the third Quarter. I saw an improvement in the defensive play in the second half especially against the run game.

Happens more than you think when they start the 3rd quarter with a 25 point lead, but I can understand not thinking its the norm if you've been watching Garrett's playcalling

 

[L.T. Fan]

Happens more than you think when they start the 3rd quarter with a 25 point lead, but I can understand not thinking its the norm if you've been watching Garrett's playcalling

You pick the exception to the rule.

 

[Texas Ace]

I didn't see the 2nd half so I can't speak on what happened, but I would be cautious about praising the defense.

They had a 25 point lead at half time so I'm sure they took their foot off the gas and looked to manage the game and play good defense to close out the win.

So while not allowing 0 points in the half is nice, I'm not so sure that would've remained the case had the 49ers had full intentions of trying to move the ball at all costs.

 

[jsmith6919]

We also got some very fortuitous calls, on both offense and defense.

 

[Carp]

I can't be mad at this defense at all. Two guys who stood out to me on the line were Mincey and Coleman. They were both active and impressive. Crawford started to get some pressure as well. The gaps in the zones are alarming for sure. If I see a bunch formation I know we are fucked.

 

[p1_]

I can't be mad at this defense at all. Two guys who stood out to me on the line were Mincey and Coleman. They were both active and impressive. Crawford started to get some pressure as well. The gaps in the zones are alarming for sure. If I see a bunch formation I know we are fucked.

Funny, the defense's effort is what got lost in the haze of Romo's all too common pickfest. I didn't watch too much of the game, so I didn't see how the makeshift front 7 performed.
All I know is that the majority of SF's points came off Romo turnovers in the 1st quarter.

 

[Carp]

McClain was better than expected...that is for sure. The coverage schemes have to improve...Wilcox has no idea what he is doing, so just play man and be done with it.

 

[L.T. Fan]

Funny, the defense's effort is what got lost in the haze of Romo's all too common pickfest. I didn't watch too much of the game, so I didn't see how the makeshift front 7 performed.
All I know is that the majority of SF's points came off Romo turnovers in the 1st quarter.

I think the reason it got lost is because it sticks in some craws that they stepped up in the second half. Too many have already pronounced the defense as being worse than last year to acknowledge they actually looked like some improvement has taken place.

 

[NoDak]

I think the reason it got lost is because it sticks in some craws that they stepped up in the second half .

You seriously think there is anybody here that is upset that the defense might be better than last year? If so, own it. Who do you think it is?

I think the defense was somewhat let off the hook. The niners idled back on the throttle when the game was pretty much in hand by the end of the first quarter. Of have you forgotten the 80 yard, 4 play TD drive while the game was still of a competitive score?

 

[Deuce]

You seriously think there is anybody here that is upset that the defense might be better than last year? If so, own it. Who do you think it is?

I think the defense was somewhat let off the hook. The niners idled back on the throttle when the game was pretty much in hand by the end of the first quarter. Of have you forgotten the 80 yard, 4 play TD drive while the game was still of a competitive score?

Let's also not forget they moved the ball fairly easily when they needed to. It took some phantom penalties like the pick play by Lloyd to get us off the hook sometimes.

 

[Carp]

Good lord...you might want to calm down a little bit there NoDak.

 

[E_D_Guapo]

You seriously think there is anybody here that is upset that the defense might be better than last year? If so, own it. Who do you think it is?

I think the defense was somewhat let off the hook. The niners idled back on the throttle when the game was pretty much in hand by the end of the first quarter. Of have you forgotten the 80 yard, 4 play TD drive while the game was still of a competitive score?

Yeah, the game I watched did absolutely nothing to inspire any confidence in the defense. SF totally took their foot off the gas in the second half. It was very obvious. Anyone here honestly think that SF couldn't have put a couple of second half TDs on the board if they'd needed them?

The defense looked like they were playing hard, I'll give them that. And they did make a few stops in the second half. But if I'm supposed to take some sort of positive out of the defense's performance then I guess I was watching a different game than LT.

 

[NoDak]

Good lord...you might want to calm down a little bit there NoDak.

Huh? Calm down?

 

[L.T. Fan]

You seriously think there is anybody here that is upset that the defense might be better than last year? If so, own it. Who do you think it is?

I think the defense was somewhat let off the hook. The niners idled back on the throttle when the game was pretty much in hand by the end of the first quarter. Of have you forgotten the 80 yard, 4 play TD drive while the game was still of a competitive score?

I think there was a discussion not to long ago where I posed the question how anyone could automatically pronounce this defense who had not played a down was absolutely going to be worse than last year. I was all but pronounced insane for not thinking the same thing. In fact someone even said that everyone except L.T. knows the defense will be worse. I haven't heard anyone say yet that they are worse than last year. There is a long way to go but I see some improvement with the run defense in the second half.

 

[Carp]

Yeah, the game I watched did absolutely nothing to inspire any confidence in the defense. SF totally took their foot off the gas in the second half. It was very obvious. Anyone here honestly think that SF couldn't have put a couple of second half TDs on the board if they'd needed them?

The defense looked like they were playing hard, I'll give them that. And they did make a few stops in the second half. But if I'm supposed to take some sort of positive out of the defense's performance then I guess I was watching a different game than LT.

I definitely took some positives from the defense. I thought Gore would gash us, but outside of one big run he was kept under wraps. Considering what the D was supposed to be and what it was...I'd say there is some positives in it. Having Scandrick back will make a huge difference too.

 

[E_D_Guapo]

I definitely took some positives from the defense. I thought Gore would gash us, but outside of one big run he was kept under wraps. Considering what the D was supposed to be and what it was...I'd say there is some positives in it. Having Scandrick back will make a huge difference too.

OK, well it's in the eye of the beholder I guess. I still see a unit that isn't nearly good enough to consistently stop a halfway decent offense.

Do you think that if this were a close game and SF had needed to score more TDs that the Dallas D would have stopped them? I know that's a hypothetical, but speculate a little bit.