Run defense hampers Cowboys
By TOM ORSBORN
San Antonio Express-News
It started against Washington, and the Dallas Cowboys are hopeful it will end against Washington.
“It” is the Cowboys’ inability to stop the run, a big reason they’re 5-4 and in danger of dropping out of the playoff hunt. Over the last three weeks, Dallas has surrendered 428 rushing yards on 88 attempts, including 180 yards and 200 yards in losses to St. Louis and the New York Giants, respectively.
But it wasn’t always that way. In starting the season 3-0, the Cowboys yielded an average of just 84.3 rushing yards.
Then came their first meeting with the Redskins.
Led by a 121-yard, 21-carry effort by Clinton Portis, Washington gashed Dallas for 161 yards on 37 carries en route to a 26-24 victory on Sept. 28 at Texas Stadium.
“From what I remember, he had a couple of big runs,” Cowboys linebacker Zach Thomas said of Portis. “One was a third-and-3, and they caught us in a dime package. But other than that, they just stuck with it. Most of the time, they had the lead the whole game, so they stuck with the run. They stuck with their game plan and kept getting some here and there.”
Faced with what some of their top players have characterized as a must-win game Sunday night at Washington (6-3), the Cowboys know they’ll have to do a much better job against Portis.
That is, if they get to face Portis. He was unable to practice Monday because of a sprained right knee and is questionable for the NFC East showdown.
“I’d say there’s a 50-50 chance,” Redskins coach Jim Zorn said Monday. “I’m hoping he’ll be even better than that. Another day of rest, and then we’ll see how he comes in on Wednesday. We’ve got to get the pain out of the knee and see how he progresses along.”
Regardless of Portis’ status, the Cowboys are determined to shore up their run defense, which ranks 18th in the NFL.
“We work on a lot of things as far as run defense is concerned, and it has to do with personnel, it has to do with schemes, it has to do with techniques that we’re running,” said Cowboys coach Wade Phillips.
Phillips is also counting on the return of quarterback Tony Romo to aid the defense. The thinking is Romo, who missed the last three games with a broken right pinkie, will spark the offense and allow the Cowboys to play with a lead that will force opponents to pass more and run less.
“Washington was the only team that’s rushed for 100 yards (this season) in a game Romo played in,” Phillips said.
“Not that Romo plays defense, but some of that is the game itself and whether you’re ahead or not.”
San Antonio Express-News
It started against Washington, and the Dallas Cowboys are hopeful it will end against Washington.
“It” is the Cowboys’ inability to stop the run, a big reason they’re 5-4 and in danger of dropping out of the playoff hunt. Over the last three weeks, Dallas has surrendered 428 rushing yards on 88 attempts, including 180 yards and 200 yards in losses to St. Louis and the New York Giants, respectively.
But it wasn’t always that way. In starting the season 3-0, the Cowboys yielded an average of just 84.3 rushing yards.
Then came their first meeting with the Redskins.
Led by a 121-yard, 21-carry effort by Clinton Portis, Washington gashed Dallas for 161 yards on 37 carries en route to a 26-24 victory on Sept. 28 at Texas Stadium.
“From what I remember, he had a couple of big runs,” Cowboys linebacker Zach Thomas said of Portis. “One was a third-and-3, and they caught us in a dime package. But other than that, they just stuck with it. Most of the time, they had the lead the whole game, so they stuck with the run. They stuck with their game plan and kept getting some here and there.”
Faced with what some of their top players have characterized as a must-win game Sunday night at Washington (6-3), the Cowboys know they’ll have to do a much better job against Portis.
That is, if they get to face Portis. He was unable to practice Monday because of a sprained right knee and is questionable for the NFC East showdown.
“I’d say there’s a 50-50 chance,” Redskins coach Jim Zorn said Monday. “I’m hoping he’ll be even better than that. Another day of rest, and then we’ll see how he comes in on Wednesday. We’ve got to get the pain out of the knee and see how he progresses along.”
Regardless of Portis’ status, the Cowboys are determined to shore up their run defense, which ranks 18th in the NFL.
“We work on a lot of things as far as run defense is concerned, and it has to do with personnel, it has to do with schemes, it has to do with techniques that we’re running,” said Cowboys coach Wade Phillips.
Phillips is also counting on the return of quarterback Tony Romo to aid the defense. The thinking is Romo, who missed the last three games with a broken right pinkie, will spark the offense and allow the Cowboys to play with a lead that will force opponents to pass more and run less.
“Washington was the only team that’s rushed for 100 yards (this season) in a game Romo played in,” Phillips said.
“Not that Romo plays defense, but some of that is the game itself and whether you’re ahead or not.”
posted by The Gryphon at 8:42 AM
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