Well, tell me if you have heard this before, the Dallas Cowboys run defense is once again an issue.
Dallas has struggled to stop opposing run games for years now, and didn’t do all that much to upgrade the defensive interior this offseason.
If Mazi Smith does not take another step forward, this team is going to once again be at the bottom of the league in terms of stopping the run.
I understand it is not all on him, but Smith being a no-show doesn’t help.
Guys like Solomon Thomas and linebackers Marist Liufau, Kenneth Murray, Jack Sanborn, Damone Clark and rookie Shemar James will have to pick up the slack until Demarvion Overshown returns from his gruesome knee injury.
Just Preseason?
The Cowboys have not really shown any answers for their run defense this preseason. The Ravens had 148 yards on the ground and on the first four or five drives, moved the ball at will.
The week before, the Rams put up 181 yards on the ground, Tyrus Wheat looked decent from time to time, and James Houston has really been the only bright spot for this defense thus far. He has made a good enough case to make the final roster.
The Cowboys’ defense have no answers for the run game. They’ve given up a league-high 5.4 rushing yards per attempt!
https://twitter.com/clarencehilljr/status/1956895141882417169On average, teams have been able to run the ball twice to pick up a first down against the Cowboys.
A defense can’t succeed like this. Opposing offenses can run incessantly, grind the clock down, minimize turnovers and consistently get within scoring range without even having to throw five passes a quarter.
I feel like we say this every year, just wait until the regular season starts, and once it does, teams just beat up on the Cowboys defensive line.
I honestly think Barkley is going to rush for 150 plus yards in week one against Dallas.
The only chance that they probably have is to load every single person in the box on almost every play, and the problem is, with that, you leave another weakness, the corners playing one-on-one coverage.
We will see how things pan out, but I do not trust this run defense, and honestly think it may be worse than it was the last few years.
If Micah Parsons holds out and does not play, it will be even worse. Things are looking very dark on that side of the ball. I wish the starters would play in the last preseason game, but you know how Jerry rolls. He calls all the shots.
