Defensively, the Cowboys know what needs to be repaired

A liberal dose
September 11, 2007

Cowboys defensive coordinator Brian Stewart already had bags under his eyes as he exited the locker room Sunday, a likely souvenir from a week spent trying to cover Plaxico Burress with Jacques Reeves.

Nor did he anticipate this week being easier, what with trying to bounce back after allowing a very ugly 35 points to New York and trying to do so without nose tackle Jason Ferguson, the third serious injury to a defensive starter.

'I probably need to get to church,' Stewart noted wryly when his lack of luck was mentioned.

Of course, by Monday morning, everybody had resumed traffic-cop mode at Valley Ranch.

Keep moving. Nothing to see here. Everything is fine.

'Mr. Fix It,' or whatever alias Coach Wade is foisting upon himself this week, went so far as to say the 438 yards -- 314 of it passing -- and 35 points allowed Sunday by the Cowboys were the result of small things really.

Communication errors. Poor tackling. Assignment mistakes.

Proving he is indeed capable of criticizing his team, 'Mr. Fix It' did note 'we have some areas to work on defensively' and 'some things we didn't do well.'

Like, I don't know, the virtual inability to cover by anybody in the secondary, the lack of aggressiveness by the defense, the failure to get to the Giants quarterback with any regularity, the whole allowing 35 points thing.

Don't blame 'Mr. Fix It,' though. Blame his tools.

Sorry, 'Boys, you can't have it both ways. Players cannot spend all off-season ripping Big Bill's 'system' for their lack of results then get in Coach Wade's much ballyhooed system, stink and not have the blame fall squarely on them.

Yes, Roy Willy, I am talking to you.

The Cowboys safety was the most vocal of the off-season whiners, noting how improper use by the previous regime had prevented him from being a bigger factor with bigger numbers. 'Mr. Fix It's' 34 Special was finally going to allow him to kick butt.

Here's the catch, though, Roy, you actually have to kick butt now.

Nor do I want to hear anybody say that poor Roy had to play out of position again Sunday. He spent a good amount of time in the box early in the game, and I cannot remember a single play where I noticed him, much less said, 'Wow.'

Then later, when helping out in coverage, he reverted back to his role as an absolute liability. I know, I know, he is not good in coverage. I get this, but this is kind of like saying, 'Other than that Mrs. Lincoln, how did you like the play?'

Your safety does not have to be Deion in coverage, but he can't lose the ball, his man and all sense of space and time every time he finds himself dropping back.

Of course, Roy likes to point out that none of us knows what we are watching. We just don't understand.

To be honest, I don't know if that scam is going to work again, Roy. Sunday provided pretty damning evidence. You looked lost. You looked very mediocre.

So did Roy just look like he was being beat or was he actually being beat?

'You're not going to get me to comment on my players to say this guy played bad or that guy did,' Coach Wade said. 'I just don't think it's right to go into it, especially when you win, to go into who didn't do this well and let's dwell on the negatives and all that.

'There are some negatives. Certainly we are going to dwell on them. I don't think out there for the public is really the right way to go.'

He'd have a point except Roy Willy loves to publicly point fingers at everybody not named him. Remember his off-season remark about how he was not the one out there getting burned?

He has no such alibi for Sunday.

A trusted Cowboys source told me that a couple of Burress' three touchdowns were a little of Roy Willy's work, not Reeves'. And his last TD definitely was on Roy.

Reeves did exactly what he was supposed to do, turning Burress to the inside where he became you-know-who's responsibility. He failed to secure him.

Touchdown Giants.

This is not to say Roy Willy was the only defensive problem Sunday. Hardly. He had plenty of friends, including Anthony Henry and Marcus Spears.

Nor is this meant to dismiss Coach Wade's point that the Cowboys won. They beat a division opponent. They overcame adversity to do so. There is plenty of good to build upon.

What has to go down as really good news for the Cowboys is the offense under first-year coordinator Jason Garrett is good enough to buy them time to clean up the messes.

But 'Mr. Fix It' better get cracking.

You do not win with a defense as porous as the Cowboys' was on Sunday. Not often. Not for long.

Where to start is simple. He needs to start by evaluating his tools. He needs to figure out who really was hampered by Big Bill's scheme last season and who was able to use it as an excuse for the fact they are just a guy.

'I've always said that it's not the scheme, it's the player that make plays,' linebacker Bradie James said. 'A lot of guys have been happy about the scheme but, at the end of the day, we have to go out there and make the plays.'

Go ahead and slap responsibility for making that happen on 'Mr. Fix It,' if you must. Mark me down as thinking his tools deserve a little blame as well.