Ellis' injury destroyed Dallas' 'D'
By Brian Baldinger - SportingNews
Brian Baldinger
SportingNews.com
In Week 10, Tony Romo won his second game in three starts and life in Dallas was good. The Cowboys were starting to look like a legitimate Super Bowl team. But outside linebacker Greg Ellis tore his Achilles' tendon in that game and the defense -- and the Cowboys -- haven't been the same since.
With Ellis and outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware, the Cowboys had a pair of elite edge pass rushers. It was like having the Giants' duo of Carl Banks and Lawrence Taylor or, for a more contemporary example, San Diego's Shawne Merriman and Shaun Phillips. Opposing quarterbacks were in peril. But the loss of Ellis has destroyed the defense.
No one emerged to replace Ellis' pass-rushing prowess, which launched a chain reaction. Ware remains a great threat, but double-teams have made his job much harder. The Cowboys must blitz to get significant pressure on the quarterback, which has exposed the safeties in coverage. And the team just can't get off the field on third down. Dallas' defense has been the league's worst on third down since Ellis went out, which means that unit is getting tired and deflated while the offense is getting fidgety on the sideline.
With the defense struggling, Romo must play near-perfect football for Dallas to win. And he hasn't been perfect, which is a ridiculous expectation of anyone, particularly a quarterback who has made 10 NFL starts. But that's where the Cowboys are.
Without Ellis, Dallas' defense is ordinary on its best day. The Cowboys have tried to apply pressure with ends Chris Canty and Marcus Spears, but all those two can do is protect the linebackers and tie up the run. Akin Ayodele could be a decent replacement for Ellis -- he brought some heat from his outside linebacker position in Jacksonville -- but the Cowboys moved him inside and aren't likely to change that. And a switch at this point might be hard to pull off anyway.
The Cowboys should be kicking themselves for passing on outside linebacker Manny Lawson in the draft. They used the 18th pick of the first round on outside linebacker Bobby Carpenter, whose rookie season has been a washout. Four picks later, the 49ers took Lawson, who has displayed strong pass-rush skills in his first season. Frankly, if Lawson were in Dallas, the Cowboys' season probably wouldn't have unraveled the way it has. Sorry, Dallas fans, but it's over.
Brian Baldinger
SportingNews.com
In Week 10, Tony Romo won his second game in three starts and life in Dallas was good. The Cowboys were starting to look like a legitimate Super Bowl team. But outside linebacker Greg Ellis tore his Achilles' tendon in that game and the defense -- and the Cowboys -- haven't been the same since.
With Ellis and outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware, the Cowboys had a pair of elite edge pass rushers. It was like having the Giants' duo of Carl Banks and Lawrence Taylor or, for a more contemporary example, San Diego's Shawne Merriman and Shaun Phillips. Opposing quarterbacks were in peril. But the loss of Ellis has destroyed the defense.
No one emerged to replace Ellis' pass-rushing prowess, which launched a chain reaction. Ware remains a great threat, but double-teams have made his job much harder. The Cowboys must blitz to get significant pressure on the quarterback, which has exposed the safeties in coverage. And the team just can't get off the field on third down. Dallas' defense has been the league's worst on third down since Ellis went out, which means that unit is getting tired and deflated while the offense is getting fidgety on the sideline.
With the defense struggling, Romo must play near-perfect football for Dallas to win. And he hasn't been perfect, which is a ridiculous expectation of anyone, particularly a quarterback who has made 10 NFL starts. But that's where the Cowboys are.
Without Ellis, Dallas' defense is ordinary on its best day. The Cowboys have tried to apply pressure with ends Chris Canty and Marcus Spears, but all those two can do is protect the linebackers and tie up the run. Akin Ayodele could be a decent replacement for Ellis -- he brought some heat from his outside linebacker position in Jacksonville -- but the Cowboys moved him inside and aren't likely to change that. And a switch at this point might be hard to pull off anyway.
The Cowboys should be kicking themselves for passing on outside linebacker Manny Lawson in the draft. They used the 18th pick of the first round on outside linebacker Bobby Carpenter, whose rookie season has been a washout. Four picks later, the 49ers took Lawson, who has displayed strong pass-rush skills in his first season. Frankly, if Lawson were in Dallas, the Cowboys' season probably wouldn't have unraveled the way it has. Sorry, Dallas fans, but it's over.
posted by The Gryphon at 7:26 PM
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