Hit, miss 'D' connected enough to win
By CARLOS MENDEZ
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
IRVING -- The Cowboys were not kidding when they said coach Wade Phillips' 3-4 scheme asks a lot of the cornerbacks.Anthony Henry and Jacques Reeves tried to come up with as many answers as they could.
Left in single coverage by the Phillips 3-4 blitzes, Henry and Reeves worked to gain position or leverage against the Giants' big veteran receivers, Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer.
Playing without Terence Newman, the Cowboys defensive backs came up short plenty of times, giving up 17 catches for 235 yards and three touchdowns to the Giants' top two wideouts.
But they did not receive the full benefit promised by the advertised pressure of Phillips' defense. The new 3-4 produced only one sack and barely made enough plays to hang on for the win. The Cowboys gave up 438 yards and 22 first downs.
The defense also drew a pair of careless penalties. Safety Ken Hamlin gave up a first down when he slapped the helmet of running back Brandon Jacobs, who had picked him up on a blitz. And Henry was given a delay-of-game penalty for spiking the ball on a third-down stop in the red zone.
For much of the first half, the Cowboys did not look like experts in anybody's 3-4. They used two timeouts on defense in the first half, once because they were trying to line up correctly and later when linebacker Bradie James stopped the action just before the snap.
The first timeout was important because it came as the Giants were gambling on fourth-and-2 from the Cowboys 34. After regrouping, the Cowboys forced an incompletion.
But the debut of the attack scheme had its hits. It produced some hurried throws, knocked out quarterback Eli Manning with a shoulder bruise in the fourth quarter and collected a takeaway with Reeves' interception in the second quarter.
The Cowboys might be disappointed that they couldn't protect leads of 31-19, 38-22 and 38-28, but they kept the Giants out of the end zone at two key points, following a fumbled kickoff at the end of the first half and on a fourth-quarter drive that reached the Cowboys' 10-yard line.
Key blitzes
The "Phillips 3-4" produced mixed results with its blitz schemes against the Giants. A rundown of some key plays.
First quarter
Situation Yard line Result
2nd-and-10 NYG 26 Completion, 14 yards, first down
1st-and-10 NYG 44 Completion, 14 yards, first down
4th-and-2 DAL 34 Pressure, incompletion
Second quarter 3rd-and-7 NYG 29 Interception by Jacques Reeves
3rd-and-8 DAL 27 Completion, 9 yards, first down
3rd-and-G DAL 5 Completion, touchdown
Third quarter
2nd-and-7 NYG 25 Sack by Jay Ratliff
2nd-and-6 NYG 44 Rush, no gain
1st-and-10 DAL 48 Completion, 16 yards, first down
3rd-and-3 NYG 26 Pressure, incompletion
Fourth quarter
3rd-and-10 DAL 11 Pressure, incompletion
2-PT try DAL 2 Sack by Anthony Spencer
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
IRVING -- The Cowboys were not kidding when they said coach Wade Phillips' 3-4 scheme asks a lot of the cornerbacks.Anthony Henry and Jacques Reeves tried to come up with as many answers as they could.
Left in single coverage by the Phillips 3-4 blitzes, Henry and Reeves worked to gain position or leverage against the Giants' big veteran receivers, Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer.
Playing without Terence Newman, the Cowboys defensive backs came up short plenty of times, giving up 17 catches for 235 yards and three touchdowns to the Giants' top two wideouts.
But they did not receive the full benefit promised by the advertised pressure of Phillips' defense. The new 3-4 produced only one sack and barely made enough plays to hang on for the win. The Cowboys gave up 438 yards and 22 first downs.
The defense also drew a pair of careless penalties. Safety Ken Hamlin gave up a first down when he slapped the helmet of running back Brandon Jacobs, who had picked him up on a blitz. And Henry was given a delay-of-game penalty for spiking the ball on a third-down stop in the red zone.
For much of the first half, the Cowboys did not look like experts in anybody's 3-4. They used two timeouts on defense in the first half, once because they were trying to line up correctly and later when linebacker Bradie James stopped the action just before the snap.
The first timeout was important because it came as the Giants were gambling on fourth-and-2 from the Cowboys 34. After regrouping, the Cowboys forced an incompletion.
But the debut of the attack scheme had its hits. It produced some hurried throws, knocked out quarterback Eli Manning with a shoulder bruise in the fourth quarter and collected a takeaway with Reeves' interception in the second quarter.
The Cowboys might be disappointed that they couldn't protect leads of 31-19, 38-22 and 38-28, but they kept the Giants out of the end zone at two key points, following a fumbled kickoff at the end of the first half and on a fourth-quarter drive that reached the Cowboys' 10-yard line.
Key blitzes
The "Phillips 3-4" produced mixed results with its blitz schemes against the Giants. A rundown of some key plays.
First quarter
Situation Yard line Result
2nd-and-10 NYG 26 Completion, 14 yards, first down
1st-and-10 NYG 44 Completion, 14 yards, first down
4th-and-2 DAL 34 Pressure, incompletion
Second quarter 3rd-and-7 NYG 29 Interception by Jacques Reeves
3rd-and-8 DAL 27 Completion, 9 yards, first down
3rd-and-G DAL 5 Completion, touchdown
Third quarter
2nd-and-7 NYG 25 Sack by Jay Ratliff
2nd-and-6 NYG 44 Rush, no gain
1st-and-10 DAL 48 Completion, 16 yards, first down
3rd-and-3 NYG 26 Pressure, incompletion
Fourth quarter
3rd-and-10 DAL 11 Pressure, incompletion
2-PT try DAL 2 Sack by Anthony Spencer
posted by The Gryphon at 7:56 AM
<< Home