Dallas defense challenges itself
Tom Orsborn
Express-News
The Dallas Cowboys' defense is running scared. So much so that veteran cornerback Aaron Glenn called a players-only meeting for the unit last week to discuss ways it can get back on track.
"We have a lot of pride," linebacker Bradie James said. "We don't want to be the unit to let this team down."
James and company have good reason to be worried. The defense has allowed an average of 30 points in the past three games and has been burned for a combined 11 touchdown passes by Eli Manning, Drew Brees and Michael Vick.
The playoff-bound Cowboys (9-5) hope to stop those trends Monday when they face the high-flying Philadelphia Eagles (8-6) and quarterback Jeff Garcia. Dallas coach Bill Parcells is confident his defense is up for the challenge of stopping the league's third-ranked offense.
If the Cowboys (9-5) win, they will claim their first NFC East title since 1998 and stay in the chase for the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye.
The Eagles (8-6) have won three straight and can clinch a playoff berth with a victory. Philadelphia can gain its fifth division crown in six years if it wins out, including a victory over Atlanta in its season finale.
"I know the kind of players I have, and I just think we can play better defensively," Parcells said.
Said Eagles coach Andy Reid: "I think they have a heck of a defense. Every defense has a weakness here and there, but they don't have many. It's as big and strong a defense as we've played."
It also might be the most vulnerable to the big play that Philadelphia has faced.
Dallas has surrendered five pass plays of more than 50 yards and five runs of 20 or more yards mainly because its front seven struggles to put consistent pressure on the quarterback and its safeties, including Pro Bowler Roy Williams, have problems locating deep balls.
"We know we can't play like that and make a move in the playoffs," nose tackle Jason Ferguson told the Dallas Morning News.
In the first meeting this season, the Eagles burned the Cowboys for TD passes of 87 and 40 yards en route to a 38-24 victory in Philadelphia.
Nearly three months later, Dallas remains susceptible to the pass.
Two weeks ago, the defense ranked seventh overall. But after allowing New Orleans' Brees to pass for five TDs and Atlanta's Vick to throw four, the Cowboys rank 11th overall and 20th against the pass.
But Parcells dismisses Vick's success because he says the game plan left the defense susceptible to the pass.
"The guy we were playing against makes you do things that the normal quarterback wouldn't make you do," Parcells said of Vick, who's poised to become the first quarterback in league history to rush for 1,000 yards. "Looking at what they had done passing, we thought it was better to try to keep tight (one-on-one) coverage on the receivers if we could and use extra people to keep him from buying time and hurting us with his feet, or buying time and finding his receivers.
"At the end of the day, it cost us two long passes resulting in two touchdowns. But it wasn't quite enough to beat us."
That's because the defense stiffened late and held the Falcons scoreless on their final four drives, preserving a 38-28 victory.
Still, Parcells remains worried that the defense will commit the same mental errors that allowed the fullbacks for the Saints and Falcons to combine for five red-zone TDs.
"We've got to get back to the basics, including not turning (fullbacks) loose (in the flat)," James said. "But all those things that have happened to us, that minor thing with the fullback leaking out, that's easily corrected."
Express-News
The Dallas Cowboys' defense is running scared. So much so that veteran cornerback Aaron Glenn called a players-only meeting for the unit last week to discuss ways it can get back on track.
"We have a lot of pride," linebacker Bradie James said. "We don't want to be the unit to let this team down."
James and company have good reason to be worried. The defense has allowed an average of 30 points in the past three games and has been burned for a combined 11 touchdown passes by Eli Manning, Drew Brees and Michael Vick.
The playoff-bound Cowboys (9-5) hope to stop those trends Monday when they face the high-flying Philadelphia Eagles (8-6) and quarterback Jeff Garcia. Dallas coach Bill Parcells is confident his defense is up for the challenge of stopping the league's third-ranked offense.
If the Cowboys (9-5) win, they will claim their first NFC East title since 1998 and stay in the chase for the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye.
The Eagles (8-6) have won three straight and can clinch a playoff berth with a victory. Philadelphia can gain its fifth division crown in six years if it wins out, including a victory over Atlanta in its season finale.
"I know the kind of players I have, and I just think we can play better defensively," Parcells said.
Said Eagles coach Andy Reid: "I think they have a heck of a defense. Every defense has a weakness here and there, but they don't have many. It's as big and strong a defense as we've played."
It also might be the most vulnerable to the big play that Philadelphia has faced.
Dallas has surrendered five pass plays of more than 50 yards and five runs of 20 or more yards mainly because its front seven struggles to put consistent pressure on the quarterback and its safeties, including Pro Bowler Roy Williams, have problems locating deep balls.
"We know we can't play like that and make a move in the playoffs," nose tackle Jason Ferguson told the Dallas Morning News.
In the first meeting this season, the Eagles burned the Cowboys for TD passes of 87 and 40 yards en route to a 38-24 victory in Philadelphia.
Nearly three months later, Dallas remains susceptible to the pass.
Two weeks ago, the defense ranked seventh overall. But after allowing New Orleans' Brees to pass for five TDs and Atlanta's Vick to throw four, the Cowboys rank 11th overall and 20th against the pass.
But Parcells dismisses Vick's success because he says the game plan left the defense susceptible to the pass.
"The guy we were playing against makes you do things that the normal quarterback wouldn't make you do," Parcells said of Vick, who's poised to become the first quarterback in league history to rush for 1,000 yards. "Looking at what they had done passing, we thought it was better to try to keep tight (one-on-one) coverage on the receivers if we could and use extra people to keep him from buying time and hurting us with his feet, or buying time and finding his receivers.
"At the end of the day, it cost us two long passes resulting in two touchdowns. But it wasn't quite enough to beat us."
That's because the defense stiffened late and held the Falcons scoreless on their final four drives, preserving a 38-28 victory.
Still, Parcells remains worried that the defense will commit the same mental errors that allowed the fullbacks for the Saints and Falcons to combine for five red-zone TDs.
"We've got to get back to the basics, including not turning (fullbacks) loose (in the flat)," James said. "But all those things that have happened to us, that minor thing with the fullback leaking out, that's easily corrected."
posted by The Gryphon at 5:50 PM
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