ByJon Machota / Special Contributor
jonmachota32@yahoo.com | Bio
8:05 PM on Tue., Sep. 27, 2011 | Permalink
It's difficult to compare stats from three games to stats from an entire 16-game season. But if numbers are a worthy barometer, there's reason to believe the Cowboys defense is better than last year's bunch.
Through three games, the Cowboys have held their opponents to nearly five points less per game than last season and rank fifth in the NFL in total defense. They also have recorded a league-best 13 sacks, over a third of their total output from 2010.
Whether the defense improves or regresses the responsibility will fall on the shoulders of Rob Ryan, the man hired to turn the Cowboys' 3-4 scheme into a more effective unit that creates turnovers and keeps quarterbacks guessing.
So far, the quarterbacks haven't played well, but they also haven't been the class of the NFL. Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez, who is clearly the best of the group, is still in the developmental stages of his career.
The number of turnovers also doesn't go far in identifying any improvements. The Cowboys forced 14 fumbles and intercepted 20 passes in 2010. This season, they have accounted for three forced fumbles and three picks.
Perhaps the reason to believe that things are headed in the right direction is simply because the players sound confident.
Here are some comments about the defense that followed Monday night's 18-16 win over the Redskins.
Outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware:
"When you look at where we came from in the preseason, we were making a lot of mistakes. The teams were making a lot of big plays on us and we weren't getting as many turnovers. But now, each one of these games it's flip-flopped. We're getting a lot of turnovers, we're making a lot of plays on defense. The mistakes are still there, but they're not the big mistakes, and everything is correctable, so we're headed in the right direction."
Outside linebacker Anthony Spencer:
"The communications with our guys is just getting better and better every week. We're going down the right path. ... I got all of the confidence in the world in our defense. Whenever we're on the field I really don't believe that anybody is going to be able to do much against us. That's just the type of mentality that we have as a defense."
Inside linebacker Bradie James:
"We have a veteran group and we have guys that feed off each other. We are lifting up the young guys. And us older guys are just playing lights out when we get in. It has been great. It's early, we still have some ball to go, but you guys (in the media) can see that we are playing on the same page. ... We are not just talking about it, we are proving it."
Defensive end Marcus Spears:
"We are grasping the system that Rob (Ryan) has in and we are realizing it is going to put us in a situation to make plays and guys are stepping up when the opportunities present themselves."
Quarterback Tony Romo:
"I'm ecstatic that our defense is playing the way it is. Rob Ryan has been phenomenal. These defensive coaches have these guys flying around."
jonmachota32@yahoo.com | Bio
8:05 PM on Tue., Sep. 27, 2011 | Permalink
It's difficult to compare stats from three games to stats from an entire 16-game season. But if numbers are a worthy barometer, there's reason to believe the Cowboys defense is better than last year's bunch.
Through three games, the Cowboys have held their opponents to nearly five points less per game than last season and rank fifth in the NFL in total defense. They also have recorded a league-best 13 sacks, over a third of their total output from 2010.
Whether the defense improves or regresses the responsibility will fall on the shoulders of Rob Ryan, the man hired to turn the Cowboys' 3-4 scheme into a more effective unit that creates turnovers and keeps quarterbacks guessing.
So far, the quarterbacks haven't played well, but they also haven't been the class of the NFL. Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez, who is clearly the best of the group, is still in the developmental stages of his career.
The number of turnovers also doesn't go far in identifying any improvements. The Cowboys forced 14 fumbles and intercepted 20 passes in 2010. This season, they have accounted for three forced fumbles and three picks.
Perhaps the reason to believe that things are headed in the right direction is simply because the players sound confident.
Here are some comments about the defense that followed Monday night's 18-16 win over the Redskins.
Outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware:
"When you look at where we came from in the preseason, we were making a lot of mistakes. The teams were making a lot of big plays on us and we weren't getting as many turnovers. But now, each one of these games it's flip-flopped. We're getting a lot of turnovers, we're making a lot of plays on defense. The mistakes are still there, but they're not the big mistakes, and everything is correctable, so we're headed in the right direction."
Outside linebacker Anthony Spencer:
"The communications with our guys is just getting better and better every week. We're going down the right path. ... I got all of the confidence in the world in our defense. Whenever we're on the field I really don't believe that anybody is going to be able to do much against us. That's just the type of mentality that we have as a defense."
Inside linebacker Bradie James:
"We have a veteran group and we have guys that feed off each other. We are lifting up the young guys. And us older guys are just playing lights out when we get in. It has been great. It's early, we still have some ball to go, but you guys (in the media) can see that we are playing on the same page. ... We are not just talking about it, we are proving it."
Defensive end Marcus Spears:
"We are grasping the system that Rob (Ryan) has in and we are realizing it is going to put us in a situation to make plays and guys are stepping up when the opportunities present themselves."
Quarterback Tony Romo:
"I'm ecstatic that our defense is playing the way it is. Rob Ryan has been phenomenal. These defensive coaches have these guys flying around."
