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Fraley: No way Cowboys can win when defense relaxes
06:02 PM CDT on Sunday, September 19, 2010
By GERRY FRALEY / The Dallas Morning News
ARLINGTON -- The Cowboys on Sunday played with a lead for the first time this season. The sheer giddiness of those intoxicating 95 seconds overwhelmed them.
The Cowboys responded to the windfall of a 7-3 lead, on Dez Bryant’ punt return late in the first quarter, with a truly hideous four-play stretch. The slapstick stretch included a dubious decision, a botched kickoff and a group brain-lock by the defense.
In 95 seconds, the lead was gone. So was the momentum, as the Cowboys escorted the Chicago Bears back into the game.
Good teams do not do that. It’s that simple. When a good team gets a lead, the defense and special teams tighten their grip. The Cowboys relaxed.
"You don’t know what that does to us," defensive end Marcus Spears said. "We take pride in keeping people out of the end zone. We gave up those points. You can’t allow those kind of things in this league, and we did.
"You can see what happened."
The downfall started with an admission of problems with the inexperienced kickoff-coverage unit.
Johnny Knox opened the game with a 42-yard return, the third of the season of more than 30 yards against the Cowboys. Rather than give Knox another try, coach Wade Phillips and special-teams coach Joe DeCamillis called for a short "pooch" kick.
The plan was for David Buehler to make defensive lineman Israel Idonije field the ball at about the 20. Instead, Buehler hit a short pop-up that cornerback Tim Jennings made a fair catch on at the Bears 42.
"I thought it was a time to be aggressive," Phillips said.
The defense held the Bears to no gain on first down. On second down, the Cowboys blitzed but made a mistake in coverage, allowing Devin Hester. He broke through free safety Alan Ball for a 19-yard gain.
"They found a spot," Ball said. "We all have to do execute better. I have to do my part."
The coup de grace came on third down.
The Cowboys blitzed again, sending linebackers Keith Brooking and Bradie James up the middle. The Cowboys made a mistake on coverage again, leaving the middle as open as far as the eye could see. Quarterback Jay Cutler made a quick flip over the middle to tight end Greg Olsen, who went 39 yards for a touchdown that wiped out the Cowboys’ lead.
Phillips exonerated Ball, who tried to cover two receivers on the play to make up for the breakdown in coverage. There was suspicion about strong safety Gerald Sensabaugh's role in this, but he hurriedly departed the locker room without being questioned. "That’s one series we definitely gave them something," James said. "That’s so uncharacteristic. That just doesn’t happen, but it happened. We were making calls, trying to make calls, and some guys didn’t get the call. And they got us."
Olsen’s reception set a disturbing tone for the Cowboys. They allowed three completions of more than 35 yards. Each big play either resulted in or set up a touchdown.
"There’s no way you can win playing like that," James said.
He was correct. The scoreboard said as much.
06:02 PM CDT on Sunday, September 19, 2010
By GERRY FRALEY / The Dallas Morning News
ARLINGTON -- The Cowboys on Sunday played with a lead for the first time this season. The sheer giddiness of those intoxicating 95 seconds overwhelmed them.
The Cowboys responded to the windfall of a 7-3 lead, on Dez Bryant’ punt return late in the first quarter, with a truly hideous four-play stretch. The slapstick stretch included a dubious decision, a botched kickoff and a group brain-lock by the defense.
In 95 seconds, the lead was gone. So was the momentum, as the Cowboys escorted the Chicago Bears back into the game.
Good teams do not do that. It’s that simple. When a good team gets a lead, the defense and special teams tighten their grip. The Cowboys relaxed.
"You don’t know what that does to us," defensive end Marcus Spears said. "We take pride in keeping people out of the end zone. We gave up those points. You can’t allow those kind of things in this league, and we did.
"You can see what happened."
The downfall started with an admission of problems with the inexperienced kickoff-coverage unit.
Johnny Knox opened the game with a 42-yard return, the third of the season of more than 30 yards against the Cowboys. Rather than give Knox another try, coach Wade Phillips and special-teams coach Joe DeCamillis called for a short "pooch" kick.
The plan was for David Buehler to make defensive lineman Israel Idonije field the ball at about the 20. Instead, Buehler hit a short pop-up that cornerback Tim Jennings made a fair catch on at the Bears 42.
"I thought it was a time to be aggressive," Phillips said.
The defense held the Bears to no gain on first down. On second down, the Cowboys blitzed but made a mistake in coverage, allowing Devin Hester. He broke through free safety Alan Ball for a 19-yard gain.
"They found a spot," Ball said. "We all have to do execute better. I have to do my part."
The coup de grace came on third down.
The Cowboys blitzed again, sending linebackers Keith Brooking and Bradie James up the middle. The Cowboys made a mistake on coverage again, leaving the middle as open as far as the eye could see. Quarterback Jay Cutler made a quick flip over the middle to tight end Greg Olsen, who went 39 yards for a touchdown that wiped out the Cowboys’ lead.
Phillips exonerated Ball, who tried to cover two receivers on the play to make up for the breakdown in coverage. There was suspicion about strong safety Gerald Sensabaugh's role in this, but he hurriedly departed the locker room without being questioned. "That’s one series we definitely gave them something," James said. "That’s so uncharacteristic. That just doesn’t happen, but it happened. We were making calls, trying to make calls, and some guys didn’t get the call. And they got us."
Olsen’s reception set a disturbing tone for the Cowboys. They allowed three completions of more than 35 yards. Each big play either resulted in or set up a touchdown.
"There’s no way you can win playing like that," James said.
He was correct. The scoreboard said as much.
