Scheme, players or effort? Dallas Cowboys have no answers for historically bad defense.
At 3-9, the Dallas Cowboys are all out of reasons and excuses for their woes.
Now, there is seemingly a disconnect about what’s ailing them, particularly the defense that ranks last in the NFL against the run and is on pace to allow a team record in points allowed, and open questions about the team’s effort heading into the final four games.
After giving up 294 yards on the ground in Tuesday’s 34-17 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, coach Mike McCarthy blamed it on a lack of execution rather than the scheme.
The scheme was considered to be at the root of the defensive problems earlier this season because of communication breakdowns with the switch from the 4-3 to the 3-4. The Cowboys also didn’t have the benefit of an off-season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’re pretty far down the road to blame this on the scheme,” McCarthy said. “Our execution clearly wasn’t where it needed to be. That’s reflective of the big plays that come out. We knew that was part of the dynamic coming into the game and we didn’t get it done.”
It was the fourth time this season that the Cowboys have given up at least 200 yards rushing. They set a franchise record Oct. 4 when the Cleveland Browns rolled up 307 on the ground.
In fact, two of the three highest rushing totals by an opponent in 60 years of Cowboys football have occurred in 2020. They also gave up 306 rushing yards to Philadelphia in 2000.
But McCarthy says it’s not the scheme. So it must be a player issue or a talent issue, right?
Vice president Stephen Jones, however, refused to blame the players, especially when considering that the majority of them were part of a defense that finished 11th in the NFL against the run in 2019.
“I think we’ve got good football players, it’s just right now, we’re just not executing,” Jones said. “There’s a similar group of guys out on that field who last year weren’t that inefficient against the run. I’m convinced we can get the job done.”
Former defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli fielded defenses that not only finished 11th in the league in 2019 but also fifth in 2018, eighth in 2017 and first in 2016.
But that was under head coach Jason Garrett, who was fired after last season and replaced by McCarthy. Mike Nolan was brought in to run the defense and implemented the scheme that has resulted in historic woes.
The Cowboys have allowed a league-high 393 points, which is 35 more than the Detroit Lions have allowed (358) for second most.
Cowboys Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman didn’t hold back while working Tuesday’s game as an NFL analyst for Fox.
“There’s no other way to put it, this defense is just not very good,” he said.
When Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins scored on a 5-yard touchdown run to put the final touch on Tuesday’s blowout loss and prompted a teammate to yell “easy money,” Aikman questioned the Cowboys’ effort and direction of the organization.
“I think there are a lot of guys who have to take a hard look at themselves and ask what their effort is like,” Aikman said. “Just that last play alone, I would question some of that.
“What would be hard as a professional is when an opponent is yelling, ‘Easy Money!’ And it has been. I just don’t know where this organization is, where they go. There are so many things that have to be addressed this offseason.”
McCarthy didn’t dispute Aikman’s comments about a lack of effort late in the game.
“I would say our finish was not good enough, clearly,” McCarthy said. “I think it’s something, you don’t want to be addressing, particularly this time of year. We didn’t finish very well, that’s for sure.”
For now, the Cowboys face a short turnaround before Sunday’s game at the Cincinnati Bengals (2-9-1).
A win would keep the Cowboys’ fledgling playoff hopes alive in the woeful NFC East. They are two games behind the Washington Football Team and the New York Giants, who sit atop the division at 5-7, with four games to go.
A loss would move the Cowboys ahead of the Bengals for the third spot in the 2021 NFL Draft, when they will start addressing some of the issues Aikman mentioned.
“Don’t have a ton of experience with this, but everyone is disappointed,” McCarthy said. “Nobody feels good about the outcome of [the Ravens game]. We’ll obviously review quickly the Baltimore game and get into Cincinnati. This is a new experience for us to go through. Most importantly, we need to learn from it and dig ourselves out of this hole that we’ve created.”
This story was originally published December 9, 2020 at 4:47 PM.
