Cowboys Defense Will Tell the Story

[eromeopolk]

Everyone is talking about the Cowboys Defense needing the running game to play better. That is true. However for Doomsday to really return, the defense has to stand on its own, make plays on its own, and win games on its own.

The good thing about YouTube it has added those 1970's games for everyone to view. I forgot how dominate the Cowboys Doomsday I and II were during the Landry years. The Cowboys offense would go 3-4 series without a 1st down and the Defense would not only hold, they would make a play to give the Cowboys offense the ball on the other side of the field many times in the redzone.

The same could be said for the Doomsday in the 90's after Haley trade. But if you remember the 1989 season 49ers game everyone was saying that Dallas Defense showed well until it could not hold up a inept offense. So the next season the Cowboys were challenging for a playoff spot (falling short because Aikman was out hurt the last 2 games). By 1991 the defense was one player away from dominant. Then 1992 they got Haley and Doomsday was reborn for the 90's as Doomsday III.

Hopefully some of the young draft picks on defense and young veterans will develop where they will not have to rely on a dominate run game but compliment a dominate run game. I think one more defensive focused draft and that star player that came out of no where to develop like Cowboys Stars like Bob Lilly, Randy White, Ed Jones, Harvey Martin, Charlie Waters, Jethro Pugh, Leon Lett, Darren Woodson, Ken Norton, Tony Tolbert, Larry Brown, and Charles Haley is all the Cowboys need for another Doomsday Defense. Offense wins games but Defense wins Championships.

 

[Doomsday]

But if you remember the 1989 season 49ers game everyone was saying that Dallas Defense showed well until it could not hold up a inept offense. So the next season the Cowboys were challenging for a playoff spot (falling short because Aikman was out hurt the last 2 games). By 1991 the defense was one player away from dominant. Then 1992 they got Haley and Doomsday was reborn for the 90's as Doomsday III.

Jimmy had no answers for the run-and-shoot, and he details this in his book, which you should read. It's only a coincidence that he and Butch Davis figured out how to scheme against the run and shoot type offenses, in the same offseason that Haley was acquired. It wasn't Haley who made that defense dominant, it was all pieces and phases of it being excellent, and coupled with outstanding coaching and schemes.

In 1990 even with Aikman not hurt, and had we won those last two games, we likely don't make the playoffs in the NFC with 9 wins. Then if we did, we were a one and done team at that point.

In 1991 we had solved the backup QB situation and got in the playoffs, but were dismantled in the playoffs by Detroit and their run-and-shoot. Does 38-6 ring a bell? It was a 34-10 loss when we played Detroit in regular season that year. We also regularly lost to Houston's Run-And-Shoot during this period. (In fact, it was 26-23 loss in week 11 in 1991.) We simply had NO answer for that offense. Haley wouldn't have helped you there at all.

Haley was a last minute addition when the hay was already in the barn due to the 1991 and '92 draft. In the '92 draft we added Darren Woodson, Kevin Smith and Robert Jones and we also acquired Thomas Everett that same offseason.

Haley wasn't the "missing piece" he was a luxury add.

By 1991 the defense was one player away from dominant.

No it wasn't, as I just showed.

The Cowboys defense of the 90s benefited greatly from our ball control offense, keeping the opponent's offense on the bench and keeping our defensive guys fresh. A good offense can cover a multitude of sins on defense and if we don't have outstanding offense this year, our defense is going to get buttraped on a weekly basis.

 

[dbair1967]

I think our defense is going to be legit this year as-is. I don't think the last 5 games of last year were a fluke defensively, and I think we've only improved the personnel since the end of the season.

If they add Earl Thomas to the fold we could truly be an upper echelon, maybe even borderline dominant type defense

 

[Doomsday]

I think our defense is going to be legit this year as-is. I don't think the last 5 games of last year were a fluke defensively, and I think we've only improved the personnel since the end of the season.

If they add Earl Thomas to the fold we could truly be an upper echelon, maybe even borderline dominant type defense

I'm more optimistic on the defense this season than I've been in years past.


But not by a lot.

 

[yimyammer]

I think our defense is going to be legit this year as-is. I don't think the last 5 games of last year were a fluke defensively, and I think we've only improved the personnel since the end of the season.

If they add Earl Thomas to the fold we could truly be an upper echelon, maybe even borderline dominant type defense

can stfu already about Earl Thomas, you got damned homer

 

[theoneandonly]

I'm more optimistic on the defense this season than I've been in years past.


But not by a lot.

In keeping my place as resident curmudgeon, I am not. Earl would give a nice boost, really bring the secondary together. However I dont like the middle of the D Line and the most important player on D is held together with bubble gum and scotch tape (Sean Lee). I forget what their record is without Sean Lee but it aint good.

 

[TheZoneSucks]

In keeping my place as resident curmudgeon, I am not. Earl would give a nice boost, really bring the secondary together. However I dont like the middle of the D Line and the most important player on D is held together with bubble gum and scotch tape (Sean Lee). I forget what their record is without Sean Lee but it aint good.

Point of contention - he's held together with duct tape, wire coat hangers, and bondo.

 

[TheZoneSucks]

Jimmy had no answers for the run-and-shoot, and he details this in his book, which you should read. It's only a coincidence that he and Butch Davis figured out how to scheme against the run and shoot type offenses, in the same offseason that Haley was acquired. It wasn't Haley who made that defense dominant, it was all pieces and phases of it being excellent, and coupled with outstanding coaching and schemes.

In 1990 even with Aikman not hurt, and had we won those last two games, we likely don't make the playoffs in the NFC with 9 wins. Then if we did, we were a one and done team at that point.

In 1991 we had solved the backup QB situation and got in the playoffs, but were dismantled in the playoffs by Detroit and their run-and-shoot. Does 38-6 ring a bell? It was a 34-10 loss when we played Detroit in regular season that year. We also regularly lost to Houston's Run-And-Shoot during this period. (In fact, it was 26-23 loss in week 11 in 1991.) We simply had NO answer for that offense. Haley wouldn't have helped you there at all.

Haley was a last minute addition when the hay was already in the barn due to the 1991 and '92 draft. In the '92 draft we added Darren Woodson, Kevin Smith and Robert Jones and we also acquired Thomas Everett that same offseason.

Haley wasn't the "missing piece" he was a luxury add.No it wasn't, as I just showed.

The Cowboys defense of the 90s benefited greatly from our ball control offense, keeping the opponent's offense on the bench and keeping our defensive guys fresh. A good offense can cover a multitude of sins on defense and if we don't have outstanding offense this year, our defense is going to get buttraped on a weekly basis.

Yeah it was the achilles heel for Dallas in that era, that damned run n shoot. Houston and Detroit had our number except for that one game where it was just our day and we trounced the Lions 37-3 in 1992.

 

[English Cowboy]

I remember Buddy Ryan as DC in Houston calling the Run 'N' Shoot "Chuck 'N' Duck" and getting so exasperated with the play calling he punched OC Kevin Gilbride. Bout the only thing he got right after leaving the Bears.

As for watching old 70's/80's games on YouTube, the first thing you'll learn is that the NFL isn't as good as it used to be. In fact, it's practically a completely different sport altogether. The rules have been bent so far in favor of passing offenses that you'll never see another Doomsday Defense. The NFL don't like dominant defenses, they want a game of Basketball instead. Best you can hope for these days is that they stiffen up in the redzone and force the opposition to take FG's instead of TD's.

 

[Doomsday]

Best you can hope for these days is that they stiffen up in the redzone and force the opposition to take FG's instead of TD's.

This exact thing was a hallmark of both Landry and Johnson's defensive philosophies. Stop touchdowns.

 

[English Cowboy]

This exact thing was a hallmark of both Landry and Johnson's defensive philosophies. Stop touchdowns.

True. But in those days you would often see games where a defense would completely stonewall an offense. Just shut them down for 4 quarters. It can still happen, but it's much rarer. Nowadays, everyone seems to rack up the yards regardless. With the way football is trending I just don't think we'll ever again see a Doomsday Defense, a Steel Curtain, a Purple People Eaters, a Bears '85 D or an Atlanta '77 D.

 

[Doomsday]

True. But in those days you would often see games where a defense would completely stonewall an offense. Just shut them down for 4 quarters. It can still happen, but it's much rarer. Nowadays, everyone seems to rack up the yards regardless. With the way football is trending I just don't think we'll ever again see a Doomsday Defense, a Steel Curtain, a Purple People Eaters, a Bears '85 D or an Atlanta '77 D.

Yep you just gotta limit damage by stopping touchdowns and applying scoring pressure on their offense. Limit mistakes and especially turnovers while at the same time creating turnovers by them.

It's all about points on the scoreboard, not yardage given up. They gone get they yardage.

 

[dbair1967]

can stfu already about Earl Thomas, you got damned homer

Eat a dick Yim

 

[yimyammer]

Eat a dick Yim

Even if I swung that way, its not possible, you're too busy hogging them all, you got damned cock gobbler!

 

[Doomsday]

Yeah it was the achilles heel for Dallas in that era, that damned run n shoot. Houston and Detroit had our number except for that one game where it was just our day and we trounced the Lions 37-3 in 1992.

By the time we lined up for the kickoff for that Detroit game, Jimmy had revenge on his mind and his vastly improved secondary to back it up. And the scheming vs. The R&S to make it so. What a great day that was. Jimmy had the Cowboys eating nails and shitting i-beams.