Machota: Celebrate the offense all you want, but Cowboys defenders were the stars in Green Bay

Cotton

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Celebrate the offense all you want, but Cowboys defenders were the stars in Green Bay

By Jon Machota , Staff Writer

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- A stunning sound came from the 78,481 at Lambeau Field during the fourth quarter Sunday afternoon.

The home crowd appeared to be booing its Super Bowl-winning quarterback.

Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers has struggled this season. He rarely looked like a former league MVP during Sunday's 30-16 loss to the Cowboys.

And with Rodgers having a poor day, the Dallas defense took advantage.

Through the first five games of the season, the Cowboys forced five turnovers. Against the Packers on Sunday, they recorded four.

"It's a little bit more guys to the ball, but it's also the ball bouncing your way sometimes," safety Barry Church said. "This year I feel like it's bouncing our way, and we're taking advantage of it."

Church got things started by forcing a fumble that cornerback Morris Claiborne recovered at the Green Bay 36 late in the first half. In the third quarter, Church found himself in the right place at the right time, picking off Rodgers and returning it 14 yards to the Dallas 49.

"I never saw him," Rodgers said. "Obviously, I threw it right in his chest."

Dan Bailey made a 22-yard field goal seven plays later, giving the Cowboys a 20-6 lead. On the next series, defensive lineman David Irving forced and then recovered a Rodgers fumble at the Dallas 4.

Irving added another fumble recovery at midfield late in the fourth quarter to seal the victory.

"I thought they executed Rod Marinelli's game plan to the T," owner Jerry Jones said. "They stayed in their lanes. They let us have confidence in them at the end of the ball game. They gave that offense every opportunity to win this game for us. I'm really pleased. I'm proud of that defense."

The Cowboys were outstanding at forcing turnovers in 2014, finishing second in the NFL with 31 takeaways. They were terrible in 2015, finishing last in the league with 11.

So what's different about these first six games?

"We're playing defense the right way," linebacker Sean Lee said. "We're playing the techniques the right way. We're playing with the right effort. And it's not just one group, it's the entire defense. When you put it all together, that's when it shows up on the football field."

It's more than just creating turnovers, though. A defense that has taken a back seat to a star-studded offense, has quietly held its own. No opponent has scored more than 17 points against the Cowboys over the last four games.

Even when Claiborne exited with concussion-like symptoms in the first half, players such as rookie cornerback Anthony Brown and second-year safety Byron Jones stepped up on the back end.

"The star of the defense is the defense," Lee said. "How we execute, how hard we play, it's showing up."

Sunday marked the sixth consecutive game the Cowboys have not allowed a 100-yard rusher or a 100-yard receiver. The Minnesota Vikings, the NFL's only undefeated team, are the only other club that can say the same.

"I feel like we're scratching the surface," Irving said. "We all feel it. We're going to keep improving each week. I couldn't tell you how good we can be, we'll just have to see each week."
 

Texas Ace

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They were awesome yesterday, especially that secondary.

Is the new DB coach really making THIS much of a difference? I mean, you've got Wilcox and Barry Church making plays now.

It's crazy.

Every single guy we're giving time to is making plays and doing their job. Carr, Claiborne, Brown, Jones, Church, and Wilcox -- all these guys have been very good in coverage, have made interceptions, forced fumbles, and some of them have done all of the above.

Barry Church alone has forced like 4 or 5 turnovers this season.

We've become great at both knocking the ball loose or stripping it out the ballcarrier's hands, and we'd have even more turnovers if 3 of those balls hadn't gone out of bounds.

It is astonishing what a group that looked average to below average for most of the last 4 years is doing this season.
 

ravidubey

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"I feel like we're scratching the surface," Irving said. "We all feel it. We're going to keep improving each week. I couldn't tell you how good we can be, we'll just have to see each week."
Tell em, Leon.
 

townsend

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God. Imagine what this team could look like if Smith and Tapper actually manage to contribute next year.
 

Simpleton

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God. Imagine what this team could look like if Smith and Tapper actually manage to contribute next year.
Don't care about Tapper, if he comes back, great, if not, who cares we should be drafting a DE in the first 2 rounds anyway. Lawrence/Crawford/Irving/1st or 2nd round pick is perfectly fine at DE, and you may even be able to throw Ryan Davis in there as well.

Now Smith, if he can just return to about 90% of what he was athletically, that's a potential All-Pro LB we'd be adding to a position group that sorely needs reinforcements.
 

Texas Ace

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I thought Sean Lee had his best game yesterday too.

He didn't have many splash plays, but he looked like his old, instinctive self again.

He was in on a lot of tackles right at the snap and he was around the football and was unlucky to not end up with a possible pick 6.

I hope that's a sign that he's starting to get going.
 

townsend

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I thought Sean Lee had his best game yesterday too.

He didn't have many splash plays, but he looked like his old, instinctive self again.

He was in on a lot of tackles right at the snap and he was around the football and was unlucky to not end up with a possible pick 6.

I hope that's a sign that he's starting to get going.
He also knocked Claiborne out of the game.
 

Simpleton

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Best to just completely forget about Gregory, if we get anything out of him moving forward, great, but he shouldn't be factored in when making personnel decisions or plans.
 

E_D_Guapo

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Best to just completely forget about Gregory, if we get anything out of him moving forward, great, but he shouldn't be factored in when making personnel decisions or plans.
Yeah, I think he eventually gets completely weeded out of the DL mix.

:drums

{chokes self}
 

UncleMilti

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Maybe...just maybe ole' PT Barnum will get a couple legitimate DE's next year.

:lol
 

22cowboysfan22

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I think I'd be perfectly fine with one legitimate RE.
Yep, you give us a legit stud at RE and shift Lawrence back to LE and this pass rush can be very good. I'd like to see us go DE, DT and CB in the first four rounds (as long as there's value to be had at those positions when we pick).
 

boozeman

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Best to just completely forget about Gregory, if we get anything out of him moving forward, great, but he shouldn't be factored in when making personnel decisions or plans.
Got that right, Simp.
 
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Yep, you give us a legit stud at RE and shift Lawrence back to LE and this pass rush can be very good. I'd like to see us go DE, DT and CB in the first four rounds (as long as there's value to be had at those positions when we pick).
Somewhere in there should be a replacement for Doug Free drafted! He is the weak link of the line!
 
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