Watkins: Anthony Spencer on how these Cowboys differ from 2009 version

[ravidubey]

I think the ILBs would have been more effective if the line was better at keeping blockers off of them.

It was a flawed design.

The 3-4 DL is supposed to block first and penetrate second, but Wade had the opposite approach which leaves the LB's exposed. This might have been fine in the finesse 1980's AFC but it is a complete fail in today's game.

 

[Clay_Allison]

It was a flawed design.

The 3-4 DL is supposed to block first and penetrate second, but Wade had the opposite approach which leaves the LB's exposed. This might have been fine in the finesse 1980's AFC but it is a complete fail in today's game.

The weird thing is that wasn't his approach in Buffalo. He had Ted Washington as the centerpiece of the defense that was #1 in the league in 1999. His San Diego D had Jamal Williams at NT, also a big guy.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

How is it a flawed design or a complete fail? That's absurd. It worked here, it worked in Houston. It's just a one-gap defense not that different from a lot of 43s, but with more versatility.

If he played the standard two-gap 34 like most people, Bruce Smith would've been wasted in Buffalo.

If I have one criticism of his defense, it's that it's first and foremost focused on hitting the QB and that can leave people in the secondary outnumbered. With today's ultra-protective rules on the QB and practically legalized holding, I almost think you're better off playing bend-don't-break and hoping to hold people to FGs like we're doing now. Sad state of the NFL, but it's what the league wants.

 

[Clay_Allison]

How is it a flawed design or a complete fail? That's absurd. It worked here, it worked in Houston. It's just a one-gap defense not that different from a lot of 43s, but with more versatility.

If he played the standard two-gap 34 like most people, Bruce Smith would've been wasted in Buffalo.

If I have one criticism of his defense, it's that it's first and foremost focused on hitting the QB and that can leave people in the secondary outnumbered. With today's ultra-protective rules on the QB and practically legalized holding, I almost think you're better off playing bend-don't-break and hoping to hold people to FGs like we're doing now. Sad state of the NFL, but it's what the league wants.

I like playing one-gap with the DEs, I don't like having an undersized and easily overwhelmed NT. Not sure that was Wade's fault. Jerry was completely gay for Ratliff, giving him not one but two extensions when he wasn't close to being a free agent.

 

[ravidubey]

How is it a flawed design or a complete fail? That's absurd. It worked here, it worked in Houston. It's just a one-gap defense not that different from a lot of 43s, but with more versatility.

If he played the standard two-gap 34 like most people, Bruce Smith would've been wasted in Buffalo.

If I have one criticism of his defense, it's that it's first and foremost focused on hitting the QB and that can leave people in the secondary outnumbered. With today's ultra-protective rules on the QB and practically legalized holding, I almost think you're better off playing bend-don't-break and hoping to hold people to FGs like we're doing now. Sad state of the NFL, but it's what the league wants.

C-Lab, I get that it's been successful in the past-- with the right players.

Though DeMarcus Ware was like Cornelius Bennett, Dallas had no one like Darryl Talley in the middle. What Wade did in Dallas was the equivalent of playing Bruce Smith at NT and benching Talley for an inferior backup.

Ratliff would get blown up vs. the run leaving Bradie James to soak up the hits. It made little sense.

Dallas lacked the personnel to play Wade's system, and playing Ratliff at NT clearly made things worse. They had years to fix the problem, but they stuck with Ratliff until they broke him.

Given his choice later on Wade didn't play JJ Watt, a much bigger-bodied DL, at NT, so I suspect Jerry-interference in starting Ratliff.

 

[Clay_Allison]

Wade's 3-4 has a lot in common with the 46, only he plays it safe in coverage and won't sell out for interceptions (that's the worst part of his defense, it ranks well but won't force turnovers).

In the 46, you have two 3 techniques (Steve McMichael and Dan Hampton), a NT(Refrigerator Perry), pass rush DE(Richard Dent), a Mike LB(Mike Singletary) and two OLBs and a SS(Otis Wilson, Wilber Marshall, Doug Plank) that move around and blitz.

In the 3-4 version the DEs are the 3-techniques, but you have two pass rushing OLBs and two ILBs. The default is a 5 man rush with the OLBs and DEs providing pressure, but the ILBs and SS provide a lot of opportunities for creativity in zone blitzing.

 

[boozeman]

I won't lie and say I was a believer in the resiliency thing 100%...until Sunday. They had every, literally, every reason to quit. From 14-0, to the missed (!) FG by Bailey that brought zero points, to the Lawrence fumble.

That was a game to be proud of and honestly, this has been a better year than 2009, no matter what happens. They were undermanned and overachieved, which is a rarity for this franchise in recent memory. Winning that game, like we did, really brought a lot of things into perspective. The resiliency thing is not just talk it is reality. These guys are growing up and it is exciting to see.