Dallas Cowboys' defense was talented but not dominant
by Brian Davis, The Dallas Morning News
Jan. 1--IRVING -- When Cowboys defensive players reflect on the season, they will probably think about one overriding question:
Why was the defense so inconsistent?
On paper, this unit should have been one of the NFL's best. DeMarcus Ware was one of the league's best pass rushers. Terence Newman was a top-flight cornerback. Greg Ellis and Ken Hamlin were coming off career years in 2007.
Zach Thomas wanted to prove he still had gas in the tank after 12 years in Miami. Chris Canty came into the season motivated in hopes of landing a big contract. And Adam Jones wanted to show the world he was ready to put his troubled past behind him.
In the end, the Cowboys defense made no major improvements.
The rankings indicate otherwise. The NFL's ninth-best defense in 2007 finished eighth best in 2008. But the points per game went up (22.8 from 20.3 in '07). The offense put the defense in bad situations because of 33 turnovers. The special teams were awful, which also hurt field position.
"It's funny how things wind up, you know?" Newman said as he was cleaning out his locker.
"We've had a lot of talent, but that doesn't necessarily guarantee you're going to win. Cowboys teams in the past had talent. Some of them won Super Bowls and some of them didn't. It doesn't guarantee anything."
How does a defense lead the league in sacks (59) but get only eight interceptions, the team's lowest total since 1997?
How does the run defense stuff Green Bay's Ryan Grant (54 yards on Sept. 21) and Washington's Clinton Portis (68 yards on Nov. 16) and then give up the longest back-to-back rushing plays in NFL history against the Ravens?
"It didn't come down to just one game," Thomas said. "You can go all the way back to St. Louis if you want or the first Washington game. There are a lot of reasons we're not in the playoffs."
Coach Wade Phillips knew something had to change after the lowly Rams steamrolled their way to 325 total yards in a 34-14 win Oct. 19. After that game, Phillips said he wanted more control over the defense but never outlined what that meant.
Multiple players said Phillips was going to start calling the defensive plays. But Phillips went the extra mile never to publicly rip defensive coordinator Brian Stewart.
Whoever was in charge, the defense improved. Ware was busy accumulating 20 sacks. Jay Ratliff was building a Pro Bowl resume at nose tackle with eight sacks. Bradie James was compiling a career year at inside linebacker. Anthony Spencer was showing that he is ready to supplant Ellis as a full-time starter.
All of this happened while Jones sat out six games for getting into an altercation with his bodyguard at a Dallas hotel.
As the defense improved, Phillips casually mentioned that he was calling the plays. Suddenly, Phillips wanted credit for the defensive turnaround.
But too many big plays turned the tide in December.
Santonio Holmes beat Newman for a 47-yard catch that flipped the field position in a tight game at Pittsburgh. Willis McGahee and Le'Ron McClain ran into Texas Stadium history with 77- and 82-yard touchdown runs. Then, Donovan McNabb hit Correll Buckhalter for a 59-yard catch-and-run that ignited the Philadelphia rout.
Defensive players were arguing with each other in the huddle in Philadelphia. Afterward, they had few answers.
"We didn't execute," Hamlin said in robotic fashion.
James said the team had a lot of different personalities in the locker room, and obviously they didn't jell. Somehow, they've got to figure it out during the off-season.
"When you know that you've got something on the line, and you're planning to go into the playoffs, and you know what you have to do," James said, "and you go out there and stink it up like that, that just speaks for itself."
Jan. 1--IRVING -- When Cowboys defensive players reflect on the season, they will probably think about one overriding question:
Why was the defense so inconsistent?
On paper, this unit should have been one of the NFL's best. DeMarcus Ware was one of the league's best pass rushers. Terence Newman was a top-flight cornerback. Greg Ellis and Ken Hamlin were coming off career years in 2007.
Zach Thomas wanted to prove he still had gas in the tank after 12 years in Miami. Chris Canty came into the season motivated in hopes of landing a big contract. And Adam Jones wanted to show the world he was ready to put his troubled past behind him.
In the end, the Cowboys defense made no major improvements.
The rankings indicate otherwise. The NFL's ninth-best defense in 2007 finished eighth best in 2008. But the points per game went up (22.8 from 20.3 in '07). The offense put the defense in bad situations because of 33 turnovers. The special teams were awful, which also hurt field position.
"It's funny how things wind up, you know?" Newman said as he was cleaning out his locker.
"We've had a lot of talent, but that doesn't necessarily guarantee you're going to win. Cowboys teams in the past had talent. Some of them won Super Bowls and some of them didn't. It doesn't guarantee anything."
How does a defense lead the league in sacks (59) but get only eight interceptions, the team's lowest total since 1997?
How does the run defense stuff Green Bay's Ryan Grant (54 yards on Sept. 21) and Washington's Clinton Portis (68 yards on Nov. 16) and then give up the longest back-to-back rushing plays in NFL history against the Ravens?
"It didn't come down to just one game," Thomas said. "You can go all the way back to St. Louis if you want or the first Washington game. There are a lot of reasons we're not in the playoffs."
Coach Wade Phillips knew something had to change after the lowly Rams steamrolled their way to 325 total yards in a 34-14 win Oct. 19. After that game, Phillips said he wanted more control over the defense but never outlined what that meant.
Multiple players said Phillips was going to start calling the defensive plays. But Phillips went the extra mile never to publicly rip defensive coordinator Brian Stewart.
Whoever was in charge, the defense improved. Ware was busy accumulating 20 sacks. Jay Ratliff was building a Pro Bowl resume at nose tackle with eight sacks. Bradie James was compiling a career year at inside linebacker. Anthony Spencer was showing that he is ready to supplant Ellis as a full-time starter.
All of this happened while Jones sat out six games for getting into an altercation with his bodyguard at a Dallas hotel.
As the defense improved, Phillips casually mentioned that he was calling the plays. Suddenly, Phillips wanted credit for the defensive turnaround.
But too many big plays turned the tide in December.
Santonio Holmes beat Newman for a 47-yard catch that flipped the field position in a tight game at Pittsburgh. Willis McGahee and Le'Ron McClain ran into Texas Stadium history with 77- and 82-yard touchdown runs. Then, Donovan McNabb hit Correll Buckhalter for a 59-yard catch-and-run that ignited the Philadelphia rout.
Defensive players were arguing with each other in the huddle in Philadelphia. Afterward, they had few answers.
"We didn't execute," Hamlin said in robotic fashion.
James said the team had a lot of different personalities in the locker room, and obviously they didn't jell. Somehow, they've got to figure it out during the off-season.
"When you know that you've got something on the line, and you're planning to go into the playoffs, and you know what you have to do," James said, "and you go out there and stink it up like that, that just speaks for itself."
posted by The Gryphon at 9:41 AM
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