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So far so not-so-bad for the Cowboys' defense through four games
9:36 AM CT
Todd Archer
ESPN Staff Writer
FRISCO, Texas -- Four games into the 2016 season the Dallas Cowboys defense isn't bad. It's not great -- but it's not bad.
The dire predictions at the start of the season just haven't come true yet, just like they didn't come true in 2014.
Maybe the emphasis should be on the word "yet".
"As we get past the first month of the season you get into I guess the meat of (the season)," cornerback Brandon Carr said. "October and November is when the real football starts and you've got film on these guys and you kind of get an understanding of how they're going to attack you. Four games into it we know who is how and how teams are going to play and now the real football starts, so to speak, as far as how can you out execute and out prepare the next opponent."
The Cowboys are 18th in yards allowed per game. They are 11th against the run and 19th against the pass. They are 10th in points allowed, which is the most important statistic. They have not allowed more than 23 points in a game.
Of the major defensive statistics there are two categories in which the Cowboys are worse off than they were through four games in 2015: Rushing yards and sacks. The Cowboys are allowing 94.8 yards per game on the ground and 4.5 yards per carry. Last year they allowed 91.8 yards and 3.7 yards per carry. They have six sacks this season. They had eight sacks last year.
But they will welcome DeMarcus Lawrence, last season's team leader in sacks, to the lineup Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals after a four-game suspension.
"It definitely opens up more one-on-one opportunities for other guys," said defensive end/tackle Tyrone Crawford, who leads the Cowboys with two sacks. "Also, just sacks. He's going to help this team get more sacks."
For those hoping the Cowboys' defense would be some sort of newfound Doomsday or one of the top lockdown units in the NFL that was never going to be the case. The first two drives by the San Francisco 49ers were terrifying. The Niners did what they wanted to do when they wanted to do it, converting on their first seven third-down opportunities and gaining 143 yards.
After that, however, San Francisco converted just one more third-down chance and gained just 147 yards on their seven full drives the rest of the game. The Cowboys also had a takeaway and a key fourth-down stop.
"We got a read on them," safety Barry Church said. "We figured it out."
If you're looking for the way defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli wants to play things out, then listen to what he said after the Cowboys beat the Washington Redskins in Week 2.
"If you don't panic and you just keep playing, usually the offense will self-destruct," Marinelli said. "If you just don't give up the home run, you know, make them just keep punching away."
The Cowboys want to force opposing offenses to drive the field. It's a sound strategy which plays into Marinelli's desire to not blitz often.
If there has been an issue for the Cowboys in the first four games, it has been the big plays allowed even without bringing extra pressure on the quarterback.
The Cowboys have allowed 11 runs of 10 yards or more, accounting for 189 yards. Nearly 50 percent of the 379 rushing yards has come on those 11 plays.
Among the Cowboys' first four opponents, only the San Francisco 49ers (10th) have a run game ranked in the top-half of the league. Cincinnati's run game ranks 28th but the next four opponents after the Bengals have run games ranked in the top half of the NFL.
The Cowboys have allowed 16 passes of 20 yards or more. Of the 1,084 passing yards allowed, 45 percent of them have come on 16 of the 90 completions by the opposing quarterbacks.
Aside from Eli Manning in the season opener, the Cowboys have not seen an elite quarterback (Kirk Cousins, Brian Hoyer and Blaine Gabbert). In their next three games they see Andy Dalton, Aaron Rodgers and Carson Wentz.
"The defense needs to be better," Crawford said. "But it's been OK. We need to step up on our takeaways. More groups need to get takeaways. Our secondary is doing a good job but I feel like our down guys and our linebackers need to get more takeaways. I feel like we're running to the ball well. But we just need to continue to play our style of ball."
9:36 AM CT
Todd Archer
ESPN Staff Writer
FRISCO, Texas -- Four games into the 2016 season the Dallas Cowboys defense isn't bad. It's not great -- but it's not bad.
The dire predictions at the start of the season just haven't come true yet, just like they didn't come true in 2014.
Maybe the emphasis should be on the word "yet".
"As we get past the first month of the season you get into I guess the meat of (the season)," cornerback Brandon Carr said. "October and November is when the real football starts and you've got film on these guys and you kind of get an understanding of how they're going to attack you. Four games into it we know who is how and how teams are going to play and now the real football starts, so to speak, as far as how can you out execute and out prepare the next opponent."
The Cowboys are 18th in yards allowed per game. They are 11th against the run and 19th against the pass. They are 10th in points allowed, which is the most important statistic. They have not allowed more than 23 points in a game.
Of the major defensive statistics there are two categories in which the Cowboys are worse off than they were through four games in 2015: Rushing yards and sacks. The Cowboys are allowing 94.8 yards per game on the ground and 4.5 yards per carry. Last year they allowed 91.8 yards and 3.7 yards per carry. They have six sacks this season. They had eight sacks last year.
But they will welcome DeMarcus Lawrence, last season's team leader in sacks, to the lineup Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals after a four-game suspension.
"It definitely opens up more one-on-one opportunities for other guys," said defensive end/tackle Tyrone Crawford, who leads the Cowboys with two sacks. "Also, just sacks. He's going to help this team get more sacks."
For those hoping the Cowboys' defense would be some sort of newfound Doomsday or one of the top lockdown units in the NFL that was never going to be the case. The first two drives by the San Francisco 49ers were terrifying. The Niners did what they wanted to do when they wanted to do it, converting on their first seven third-down opportunities and gaining 143 yards.
After that, however, San Francisco converted just one more third-down chance and gained just 147 yards on their seven full drives the rest of the game. The Cowboys also had a takeaway and a key fourth-down stop.
"We got a read on them," safety Barry Church said. "We figured it out."
If you're looking for the way defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli wants to play things out, then listen to what he said after the Cowboys beat the Washington Redskins in Week 2.
"If you don't panic and you just keep playing, usually the offense will self-destruct," Marinelli said. "If you just don't give up the home run, you know, make them just keep punching away."
The Cowboys want to force opposing offenses to drive the field. It's a sound strategy which plays into Marinelli's desire to not blitz often.
If there has been an issue for the Cowboys in the first four games, it has been the big plays allowed even without bringing extra pressure on the quarterback.
The Cowboys have allowed 11 runs of 10 yards or more, accounting for 189 yards. Nearly 50 percent of the 379 rushing yards has come on those 11 plays.
Among the Cowboys' first four opponents, only the San Francisco 49ers (10th) have a run game ranked in the top-half of the league. Cincinnati's run game ranks 28th but the next four opponents after the Bengals have run games ranked in the top half of the NFL.
The Cowboys have allowed 16 passes of 20 yards or more. Of the 1,084 passing yards allowed, 45 percent of them have come on 16 of the 90 completions by the opposing quarterbacks.
Aside from Eli Manning in the season opener, the Cowboys have not seen an elite quarterback (Kirk Cousins, Brian Hoyer and Blaine Gabbert). In their next three games they see Andy Dalton, Aaron Rodgers and Carson Wentz.
"The defense needs to be better," Crawford said. "But it's been OK. We need to step up on our takeaways. More groups need to get takeaways. Our secondary is doing a good job but I feel like our down guys and our linebackers need to get more takeaways. I feel like we're running to the ball well. But we just need to continue to play our style of ball."