BTB: What The Heck Were The Cowboys Coaches Thinking On Giants Final Drive?

Genghis Khan

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4-3, 3-4, Tampa 2.....the scheme isn't the problem.

The problem is that we have neither the front office nor the coaches capable of putting the right pieces in place to run any system.

When you draft an unreliable pot head and an injured guy who may never play again in back to back years in the 2nd round, you're not going to field a successful defense regardless of what system you choose.
The scheme isn't the problem per se, and I never said otherwise. But as I did say, it's easier to fill a lot of the key positions in a 3-4, particularly pass rushers.

So if you are saying here that personnel and our ability to pick them is the problem, then being in a 3-4 would probably help.
 

Smitty

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I'd go back to a 3-4.

Gregory can be an outside rusher if he gets his shit together. Crawford is a 3-4 end. McClain and Thornton are NTs. Not sure where Lawrence fits in. Maybe he could bring something in a trade.
 

Texas Ace

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The scheme isn't the problem per se, and I never said otherwise. But as I did say, it's easier to fill a lot of the key positions in a 3-4, particularly pass rushers.

So if you are saying here that personnel and our ability to pick them is the problem, then being in a 3-4 would probably help.
I'm not arguing against that, just simply saying that we'd be having the same frustrations in a 3-4 because we'd still be making bone-headed decisions in the talent acquisition department that would lead to holes on the field in that scheme as well.

Gregory, for example, has the build of someone who is better suited to play 3-4 OLB than 4-3 DE. But if we were in a 3-4 right now, would it matter in his case? We'd still be down a pass rusher because we foolishly spent a prime pick on an unreliable player.

Same goes for Jaylon Smith. He was projected by many to be a great prospect as a tweener, but again, would he be on the field right now? No, and that's my point.

As long as the organization is short on good football people, we're going to continue to make poor choices that affect the on-the-field product regardless of the scheme we employ.
 

ravidubey

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The Cowboys are gashed equally because of a bad guesses as much as bad talent.

Marinelli is a perfect Jerry Jones assistant. Good enough to create something on his own enough to convince the Jones they can take more shortcuts.

We haven't had a reliable DL over 310 lbs since Chris Canty, so Jerry gets cute and signs fringe cuts like McClain and Thornton instead of a strong interior defender like Snacks Harrison because he's got "an edge" with Marinelli.

Not Rod's fault. Just utter stupidity at the top.

No one can guess the right play all the time.
 

ravidubey

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But as I did say, it's easier to fill a lot of the key positions in a 3-4, particularly pass rushers.
Enough NFL teams run 3-4 defenses that this is no longer true.

You aren't going to find 3-4 star rushers in later rounds anymore.

In fact, if you can rush the passer at all teams are drafting you whether you fit their schemes or not, case in point Gregory who played in college at 235 and was a better fit at OLB.

It would be one thing if Dallas had size to complement Gregory, but we don't. Each and every player is undersized.
 

Cowboysrock55

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I'd go back to a 3-4.

Gregory can be an outside rusher if he gets his shit together. Crawford is a 3-4 end. McClain and Thornton are NTs. Not sure where Lawrence fits in. Maybe he could bring something in a trade.
So why go to a 3-4 just so you can trade away one of your best young defenders? Seems really dumb to me. Especially when McClain and Thornton are already fits at NT in our 4-3 defense and Crawford is already a fit at the 3 technique. You're just creating holes for the sake of creating holes by switching to a 3-4.
 

Texas Ace

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So why go to a 3-4 just so you can trade away one of your best young defenders? Seems really dumb to me. Especially when McClain and Thornton are already fits at NT in our 3-4 defense and Crawford is already a fit at the 3 technique. You're just creating holes for the sake of creating holes by switching to a 3-4.
Yup.

The problem isn't scheme, it's the lack of talent and coaching on that side of the ball.
 

Cowboysrock55

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Yup.

The problem isn't scheme, it's the lack of talent and coaching on that side of the ball.
The spot where I think you and I may disagree is that I actually think we have some legit talent coming up through the ranks. It's just sort of a matter of letting that talent develop. It's like having an elite freshman class in football and expecting your college football team to dominate. Odds are you won't see the true impact of that class for a couple of years. Jaylon Smith is going to be a stud. I've seen no indication as to why he won't be back to full strength next year. I really like Collins potential at DT. I think Tapper has some legit talent at DE. Obviously we have a couple of DE's suspended right now but I think both are very talented young guys. Byron Jones looks like an excellent safety.

The problem is that most of the guys I just named are suspended or they are rookies. It's going to take a little time for that talent to develop. It's not going to be this year.
 

Jiggyfly

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So why go to a 3-4 just so you can trade away one of your best young defenders? Seems really dumb to me. Especially when McClain and Thornton are already fits at NT in our 4-3 defense and Crawford is already a fit at the 3 technique. You're just creating holes for the sake of creating holes by switching to a 3-4.
Nobody is a pure 4-3 or 3-4 anymore everybody is playing a hybrid depending on the down and distance.

We played plenty of 3 down lineman with a stand up rush in the last game.
 

Joe Fan

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The spot where I think you and I may disagree is that I actually think we have some legit talent coming up through the ranks. It's just sort of a matter of letting that talent develop. It's like having an elite freshman class in football and expecting your college football team to dominate. Odds are you won't see the true impact of that class for a couple of years. Jaylon Smith is going to be a stud. I've seen no indication as to why he won't be back to full strength next year. I really like Collins potential at DT. I think Tapper has some legit talent at DE. Obviously we have a couple of DE's suspended right now but I think both are very talented young guys. Byron Jones looks like an excellent safety.

The problem is that most of the guys I just named are suspended or they are rookies. It's going to take a little time for that talent to develop. It's not going to be this year.
It'd be nice to think that Jaylon will come back as good as ever but I still don't think his nerve is healing as well as everyone claims it is.

Then again what would you expect from a staff that still thinks Romo has 4-5 more years.

I agree that if he comes back from the injury that he'll he a stud but given our history I'm not counting on it.
 

dallen

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If you trust the information this team discloses about injuries I would like to talk to you about a bridge I have for sale
 

Cowboysrock55

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If you trust the information this team discloses about injuries I would like to talk to you about a bridge I have for sale
Do I trust Jerry? Hell no. But I do trust Jaylon Smith and medical professionals who are at the top of their community. I've seen no indication or reason to believe there has been a set back. Listening to Jaylon talk about the injury gave me zero indication that rehab is going anything but excellent.
 

townsend

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Do I trust Jerry? Hell no. But I do trust Jaylon Smith and medical professionals who are at the top of their community. I've seen no indication or reason to believe there has been a set back. Listening to Jaylon talk about the injury gave me zero indication that rehab is going anything but excellent.
I feel like every report on an injured player is suspect. Especially in Jerry world where so many injured players (Like Dez, Gregory, and Romo last year) are sold as being back to full health, when they absolutely aren't. They did the same thing with Romo in 2010, Terry Glenn in 2007, Woodson in 2004, and Larry Allen in 2002. Either teasing that they were going to come back soon (when they never do) or forcing them back on the field when they can't contribute.

Jerry pumps sunshine and lies about injuries.
 

Cotton

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I feel like every report on an injured player is suspect. Especially in Jerry world where so many injured players (Like Dez, Gregory, and Romo last year) are sold as being back to full health, when they absolutely aren't. They did the same thing with Romo in 2010, Terry Glenn in 2007, Woodson in 2004, and Larry Allen in 2002. Either teasing that they were going to come back soon (when they never do) or forcing them back on the field when they can't contribute.

Jerry pumps sunshine and lies about injuries.
Yep.
 

dallen

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Do I trust Jerry? Hell no. But I do trust Jaylon Smith and medical professionals who are at the top of their community. I've seen no indication or reason to believe there has been a set back. Listening to Jaylon talk about the injury gave me zero indication that rehab is going anything but excellent.


Call me
 

Cowboysrock55

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:lol

That is funny but it's not like we are talking about ole Jer's timeline of Jaylon playing this year. We are talking about the normal timeline that everyone and their brother projected with Jaylon of playing next season. I think it's a bit absurd to assume a guy with a knee that is basically 100% other then the nerve is not going to be ready a year from now. Especially since the nerve is firing and improving. But I get that the standard on this board is to just predict the worst case scenario on everything, even if there is zero evidence to indicate so.
 
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