2026 Season | Week 2 | Gameday Chatter Thread | Redskins @ Cowboys | 09/20/2026

Here's a small example of how much coaching can help. I know people clown on Marinelli but he did a nice job all things considered.


Here's the 2014 defensive starters, from a team who won a playoff game and darn near made at least the conference championship.


LDEGeorge Selvie
LDTNick Hayden
RDTTyrone Crawford
RDEJeremy Mincey
LLBBruce Carter
MLBRolando McClain
RLBAnthony Hitchens
LCBBrandon Carr
RCBOrlando Scandrick
SSBarry Church
FSJ.J. Wilcox

That's a stunningly bad personnel group for a playoff team.

We're certainly more talented right now on defense than that group.

The difference is coaching. We're not well coached right now.

That defense wasn't very good early in the year, we were down like 28-3 or something against the Rams in week 2 or 3.

They got better as the year went on to where they were decent, I'm willing to wait and see for a few more weeks with this group, but I agree that this defense certainly has more talent than a group like that one and should be at least as good.
 
The difference is coaching. We're not well coached right now.

I agree but I'm not ready to give up on this defensive coaching staff. I know it sucks watching the defense giving up plays but I also think that we are still adjusting. Adjusting to the system, adjusting to the players. Against the Skins I thought it looked better but guys just weren't finishing. To me that's a sign of improvement but not enough.

Also can we find a way to get Bell off the field on defense? I thought the guy looked terrible. It's third and 18. Guy runs a 20 yard route in front of you and you're back at 30 yards not breaking on the ball. That's just bad. And frankly he looked bad all game to me too.
 
Also can we find a way to get Bell off the field on defense? I thought the guy looked terrible. It's third and 18. Guy runs a 20 yard route in front of you and you're back at 30 yards not breaking on the ball. That's just bad. And frankly he looked bad all game to me too.

Plus he steps on his teammates' balls.
 
Thoughts on ML? I thought he did look better this game. I guess the rush where he dives at Daniels' feet is the one I remember where instead of juking, he just charged at the LT's outside shoulder and got around the corner fast. Now I see that even then he had a little hesitation first.

They really need to figure out the three, maybe four at most, moves that he does best and learn to use just those depending on what he sees or anticipates out of the OT.

 
I wish we had some insight into the dynamic between Parker and the defensive players. I'm not ready to say he's a bad coach after two games. I think he's definitely suffering from being new at the job. And maybe that's an indictment on his coaching, but I don't see glaring scheme errors. I see players making errors within the scheme itself. Is that coaching? I guess to a degree.

I assume it's a combination of players and coaching and maybe it's never going to work. Maybe he's the type coach that moves on to a different environment away from Jerry culture and thrives.
 


Almost Donovan. Almost Malachi. Not the same ring as Almost Anthony. But similar results.
 
Thoughts on ML? I thought he did look better this game. I guess the rush where he dives at Daniels' feet is the one I remember where instead of juking, he just charged at the LT's outside shoulder and got around the corner fast. Now I see that even then he had a little hesitation first.

They really need to figure out the three, maybe four at most, moves that he does best and learn to use just those depending on what he sees or anticipates out of the OT.



He looked better, just has to keep ascending and he'll be fine, you can tell he's still figuring things out.
 
They looked at him like he was piece of litter on the ground.
I wonder how much he is disliked over the number thing. To you and I, seems petty, but maybe he rubs folks the wrong way. I think the Cowboys OL would collectively lose their minds if Prescott did this.
 
More on ML... Obvious small Siberian salt mine with what they say, but last week he got one of the worst grades.



Top 5 Preliminary PFF grades for the Cowboys 37-20 win in week 2 (I take these with heaviest grain of salt):
Offense:
1. Ceedee Lamb 92.4
2. Dak Prescott 90.8
3. Jake Ferguson 80.9
4. Javonte Williams 78.9
5. Tyler Booker 76.7
HM: Tyler Guyton 76.3

Defense (min 10 snaps)
1. Jaishawn Barham 94.5
2. Shemar James 74.8
3. Malachi Lawrence 71.3
4. Jonathan Bullard 70.5
5. Von Miller 68.3
 
The pressure was much better yesterday, part of it was we had the lead all game, part of it is the Skins have a worse OL than the Giants, but the pressure was pretty good and against a less mobile QB they'd have had at least 2-3 sacks.

Little things like that are giving me patience at the moment with this group because you can see the little flashes that could potentially improve to become more.
 
Thoughts on ML? I thought he did look better this game. I guess the rush where he dives at Daniels' feet is the one I remember where instead of juking, he just charged at the LT's outside shoulder and got around the corner fast. Now I see that even then he had a little hesitation first.

They really need to figure out the three, maybe four at most, moves that he does best and learn to use just those depending on what he sees or anticipates out of the OT.




I think he shows flashes and is promising. I think it'll be a little while before he gets good but I think he can get there.
 
The pressure was much better yesterday, part of it was we had the lead all game, part of it is the Skins have a worse OL than the Giants, but the pressure was pretty good and against a less mobile QB they'd have had at least 2-3 sacks.

Little things like that are giving me patience at the moment with this group because you can see the little flashes that could potentially improve to become more.
We will likely not face an OL/TE group this bad the rest of the year.
 
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