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Matt Mosley started his career at the Dallas Morning News, where he covered the Dallas Cowboys. He was the first full-time NFL blogger at ESPN.com. Mosley can be heard weekdays as part of Galloway and Co. on ESPN Radio 103.3 FM. Follow Mosley on Twitter: @MattMosley
IRVING, Texas – Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marcus Spears didn't hesitate when asked for an assessment of how the defense played against the run the past two games.
"Terrible," he said Wednesday at Valley Ranch.
It's a pretty apt description for a rush defense that was ranked No. 1 in the NFL after holding teams to an average of 69 yards over the first six games. And it's not like the Cowboys had lucked into that ranking. They had success against teams such as the Jets and 49ers, who pride themselves in running the ball.
Eagles running back LeSean McCoy gashed them two weeks ago for 185 yards. The Cowboys lost inside linebacker Sean Lee to a dislocated wrist in the first half of that game, but McCoy was already gaining huge chunks of yardage before Lee’s injury. The most disturbing sign came the following week against a Seattle offense that was ranked 31st in the league in rushing. Running behind a much-maligned offensive line, Marshawn Lynch ripped off 135 yards in a 23-13 loss to the Cowboys.
Now, this defense is preparing to face one of the hottest running backs in the league in Buffalo's Fred Jackson, who played just down the road from Cowboys Stadium at Arlington Lamar High School.
"It's not a worry, it's a challenge," Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said. "But yeah, we defended the run as well as any team in the league over the course of the first six weeks of the regular season and we just have to keep working on our individual technique and our discipline within our scheme. There are plenty of good things on tape for us to refer back to and there are plenty of things on tape for us to learn from. I think it's pretty obvious when the players watch it."
Beginning with Wednesday's padded practice, defensive coordinator Rob Ryan went out of his way to make stopping the run the top priority. Several players told FOXSportsSouthwest.com that Ryan had an extended walk-through session while installing "run fits" for the Bills so that players would better understand their responsibilities. After the Eagles game, a few players in the front seven started trying to do too much as individuals.
Spears said the defensive line walked into the locker room following Sunday's win over the Seahawks feeling somewhat embarrassed by its performance. That's probably a good sign considering that players on this team used to be extremely sensitive when asked about deficiencies following a win.
Players have studied Jackson from every angle, and they know not to trust the part of the scouting report that lists the Bills running back's 40-yard dash time as 4.67. He's certainly not a burner, but he's the first Buffalo running back to average 100 yards in the first eight games of a season since Thurman Thomas in 1993.
"We've got to make him get lateral," Spears said of Jackson. "Make him stutter step and not let him get going downhill at full speed. This guy doesn't like going east and west."
The return of Lee should definitely help the Cowboys run defense, although he'll be wearing a cast that completely covers his left hand. He joked Wednesday that he plans to put "stickum" on the cast in hopes of snagging his fourth interception of the season.
"It felt good," Lee said. "I felt more comfortable than I thought out there with the cast so it's kind of transitioning on how to use it, make it functional, but I felt pretty good. I didn't feel hesitant."
Lee said that he banged his cast into a defender during Wednesday's practice and was surprised by how much leverage he created. Outside linebacker Anthony Spencer later claimed that he got the worst end of that experiment.
Spencer is another player who needs to show more consistency. Teams try to commit extra players to limiting DeMarcus Ware, which should free up Spencer to make more plays. He pulled a vanishing act against the Eagles, but he did a nice job pursuing plays from the backside against the Seahawks *— and blocked a field goal.
The Cowboys defensive linemen have vowed to do a much better job staying in their gaps. When you fall 10 spots in the defensive rankings in two games, it's probably time to make some adjustments.
"When you have a back who can find creases, all it takes is one person breaking down," defensive end Sean Lissemore said. "We're hoping to put a stop to that this week."
If not, Jackson's more than capable of making the Cowboys pay.
Matt Mosley started his career at the Dallas Morning News, where he covered the Dallas Cowboys. He was the first full-time NFL blogger at ESPN.com. Mosley can be heard weekdays as part of Galloway and Co. on ESPN Radio 103.3 FM. Follow Mosley on Twitter: @MattMosley
IRVING, Texas – Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marcus Spears didn't hesitate when asked for an assessment of how the defense played against the run the past two games.
"Terrible," he said Wednesday at Valley Ranch.
It's a pretty apt description for a rush defense that was ranked No. 1 in the NFL after holding teams to an average of 69 yards over the first six games. And it's not like the Cowboys had lucked into that ranking. They had success against teams such as the Jets and 49ers, who pride themselves in running the ball.
Eagles running back LeSean McCoy gashed them two weeks ago for 185 yards. The Cowboys lost inside linebacker Sean Lee to a dislocated wrist in the first half of that game, but McCoy was already gaining huge chunks of yardage before Lee’s injury. The most disturbing sign came the following week against a Seattle offense that was ranked 31st in the league in rushing. Running behind a much-maligned offensive line, Marshawn Lynch ripped off 135 yards in a 23-13 loss to the Cowboys.
Now, this defense is preparing to face one of the hottest running backs in the league in Buffalo's Fred Jackson, who played just down the road from Cowboys Stadium at Arlington Lamar High School.
"It's not a worry, it's a challenge," Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said. "But yeah, we defended the run as well as any team in the league over the course of the first six weeks of the regular season and we just have to keep working on our individual technique and our discipline within our scheme. There are plenty of good things on tape for us to refer back to and there are plenty of things on tape for us to learn from. I think it's pretty obvious when the players watch it."
Beginning with Wednesday's padded practice, defensive coordinator Rob Ryan went out of his way to make stopping the run the top priority. Several players told FOXSportsSouthwest.com that Ryan had an extended walk-through session while installing "run fits" for the Bills so that players would better understand their responsibilities. After the Eagles game, a few players in the front seven started trying to do too much as individuals.
Spears said the defensive line walked into the locker room following Sunday's win over the Seahawks feeling somewhat embarrassed by its performance. That's probably a good sign considering that players on this team used to be extremely sensitive when asked about deficiencies following a win.
Players have studied Jackson from every angle, and they know not to trust the part of the scouting report that lists the Bills running back's 40-yard dash time as 4.67. He's certainly not a burner, but he's the first Buffalo running back to average 100 yards in the first eight games of a season since Thurman Thomas in 1993.
"We've got to make him get lateral," Spears said of Jackson. "Make him stutter step and not let him get going downhill at full speed. This guy doesn't like going east and west."
The return of Lee should definitely help the Cowboys run defense, although he'll be wearing a cast that completely covers his left hand. He joked Wednesday that he plans to put "stickum" on the cast in hopes of snagging his fourth interception of the season.
"It felt good," Lee said. "I felt more comfortable than I thought out there with the cast so it's kind of transitioning on how to use it, make it functional, but I felt pretty good. I didn't feel hesitant."
Lee said that he banged his cast into a defender during Wednesday's practice and was surprised by how much leverage he created. Outside linebacker Anthony Spencer later claimed that he got the worst end of that experiment.
Spencer is another player who needs to show more consistency. Teams try to commit extra players to limiting DeMarcus Ware, which should free up Spencer to make more plays. He pulled a vanishing act against the Eagles, but he did a nice job pursuing plays from the backside against the Seahawks *— and blocked a field goal.
The Cowboys defensive linemen have vowed to do a much better job staying in their gaps. When you fall 10 spots in the defensive rankings in two games, it's probably time to make some adjustments.
"When you have a back who can find creases, all it takes is one person breaking down," defensive end Sean Lissemore said. "We're hoping to put a stop to that this week."
If not, Jackson's more than capable of making the Cowboys pay.
