Defense carries Dallas Cowboys
Unit puts the pressure on Carolina, records five sacks
02:36 AM CST on Sunday, December 23, 2007
By ALBERT BREER / The Dallas Morning News
abreer@dallasnews.com
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – If there was one positive to come out of the Dec. 16 loss to the Eagles, the Cowboys' first defeat in two months, it was the defense's ability to contain a top 10 offense.
Saturday night, that progress continued, fading the unit's uneven effort in Detroit on Dec. 9 even further from the memory bank and bringing to fruition the concept Wade Phillips had of an aggressive, attacking unit.
In the last two games, the Cowboys yielded just 23 points combined against Philadelphia and Carolina, less than they gave up to Detroit alone (27) and the team's lowest two-game total since September.
"It's December. You want to go into December and finish December playing your best ball," captain Bradie James said. "We're really just trying to put it all together in all phases. That's where we are right now, you don't want to go into the playoffs winning by the skin of your teeth."
Despite the one-possession differential in the score, the game never had that feel. And that was because of a defensive effort that forced three three-and-outs, registered a season-high-tying five sacks and came up with an interception.
The above factors, plus the offense's ability to churn out long drives, limited the Panthers to 47 offensive snaps and just 21:00 of possession.
Where did this all come from? Well, last week, the Cowboys' defense, according to James, went into the Eagles game with the attitude that the offense would eventually come up with a play to turn the tide. When that didn't happen, it left an impression on the group.
That was simply this: The defense needed to play as if it had to carry the day, which was just what it did in Charlotte.
"Championship teams have great defenses," outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware said. "We have to step up every week, no matter what [the offense does]."
To do that, the Cowboys went back to the core philosophy of a Phillips-coached defense. Stop the run first, force long-yardage situations, and tee off from there.
Take away a big 39-yard run on a great individual play by Panthers tailback DeAngelo Williams, and Carolina had just 30 yards on 13 carries. That put rookie quarterback Matt Moore in passing situations, making it easier for the Cowboys pass-rushers.
Plenty of the pressure was put on by the team's "Cowboy" front, which puts edge rushers Ware, Greg Ellis and Anthony Spencer on the field at the same time and works to confuse an offense on who's rushing and who's dropping into coverage. And it's only plausible to bring that personnel grouping in non-run situations.
So it takes a total effort, from first to third down, to make it all happen, and that's just what the defense gave the Cowboys on Saturday night.
"Defense wins championships," James said. "We can't worry about what our offense is doing."
02:36 AM CST on Sunday, December 23, 2007
By ALBERT BREER / The Dallas Morning News
abreer@dallasnews.com
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – If there was one positive to come out of the Dec. 16 loss to the Eagles, the Cowboys' first defeat in two months, it was the defense's ability to contain a top 10 offense.
Saturday night, that progress continued, fading the unit's uneven effort in Detroit on Dec. 9 even further from the memory bank and bringing to fruition the concept Wade Phillips had of an aggressive, attacking unit.
In the last two games, the Cowboys yielded just 23 points combined against Philadelphia and Carolina, less than they gave up to Detroit alone (27) and the team's lowest two-game total since September.
"It's December. You want to go into December and finish December playing your best ball," captain Bradie James said. "We're really just trying to put it all together in all phases. That's where we are right now, you don't want to go into the playoffs winning by the skin of your teeth."
Despite the one-possession differential in the score, the game never had that feel. And that was because of a defensive effort that forced three three-and-outs, registered a season-high-tying five sacks and came up with an interception.
The above factors, plus the offense's ability to churn out long drives, limited the Panthers to 47 offensive snaps and just 21:00 of possession.
Where did this all come from? Well, last week, the Cowboys' defense, according to James, went into the Eagles game with the attitude that the offense would eventually come up with a play to turn the tide. When that didn't happen, it left an impression on the group.
That was simply this: The defense needed to play as if it had to carry the day, which was just what it did in Charlotte.
"Championship teams have great defenses," outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware said. "We have to step up every week, no matter what [the offense does]."
To do that, the Cowboys went back to the core philosophy of a Phillips-coached defense. Stop the run first, force long-yardage situations, and tee off from there.
Take away a big 39-yard run on a great individual play by Panthers tailback DeAngelo Williams, and Carolina had just 30 yards on 13 carries. That put rookie quarterback Matt Moore in passing situations, making it easier for the Cowboys pass-rushers.
Plenty of the pressure was put on by the team's "Cowboy" front, which puts edge rushers Ware, Greg Ellis and Anthony Spencer on the field at the same time and works to confuse an offense on who's rushing and who's dropping into coverage. And it's only plausible to bring that personnel grouping in non-run situations.
So it takes a total effort, from first to third down, to make it all happen, and that's just what the defense gave the Cowboys on Saturday night.
"Defense wins championships," James said. "We can't worry about what our offense is doing."
posted by The Gryphon at 12:02 PM
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