Tag: Defense

After playing two consecutive games against division rivals, the Dallas Cowboys will finally get to play an opponent outside their own division Sunday night when they square off against the Chicago Bears in a primetime matchup at AT&T Stadium. This will be John Fox's first trip to AT&T Stadium as...

The Dallas Cowboys have long been known as America's Team. This distinction is in large part due to the fact that the organization has one of the largest fan base in not only Northern America, but the world. I always think it's really cool when I get a comment or...

The Dallas Cowboys came up short Thursday night against the Seattle Seahawks for their third "dress rehearsal" preseason game. The Seahawks outscored the Cowboys 27-17, but it was tied up at 10 apiece at half time when the Cowboys still had the majority of their starters still playing. The Cowboys...

The Dallas Cowboys will face off against the Seattle Seahawks tonight for their "dress rehearsal" preseason game. We probably couldn't have asked for a better team to match up against for the all-important third preseason game. We all know that the Cowboys pride themselves on their high-powered offense, while the...

There are a few defenses that are worth taking before the last couple of rounds of your fantasy football drafts. And depending on the settings and format, you might see people taking team defenses in the single digit rounds. The Strategy One important aspect that I look for in a team...

Even without Ezekiel Elliott, all eyes are going to be on the Dallas Cowboys' offense tomorrow night at home against the Dolphins. Tony Romo will get the start, Dak Presgoatcott and Jameill Showers will back him up, and the likes of Alfred Morris and Dez Bryant will make plays...

There is value to be had at the end of drafts for your Fantasy Football teams. When it comes to strategy, this is where I tend to draft kickers and defense in standard leagues. In your dynasty or keeper fantasy football leagues, you may consider a young defense like...

DeMarcus Lawrence, Tyrone Crawford, Sean Lee, Orlando Scandrick, and Byron Jones; the Cowboys top-five defensive players enter 2016 with high expectations. Granted, you could say this about most top talents on teams across the NFL and on either side of the ball. But these key Cowboys face some extra pressure because...

The Dallas Cowboys currently have 26 players with contracts deals that will expire after the 2016 season. That may not seem like a big deal in early July, when there are 90 guys on the roster. However, the list is much more significant than you might assume. Only six of the 26...

The Dallas Cowboys defense - a unit that has already been mired in mediocrity for far too long - is now depleted by three suspensions to start off the 2016 season. Collectively, three starters in the front seven will miss 18 games in total, with Rolando McClain out for...

Lately it seems that most in Cowboys Nation have already moved on from J.J. Wilcox. I'm starting to wonder if we're not being a bit premature. A fourth-year pro and Dallas' 2013 third-round pick, J.J. Wilcox is assumed to be the odd man out now that Byron Jones has moved...

Yesterday, fellow writer Sean Martin wrote a good piece on reasons for optimism for the entire Cowboys secondary. I'm not quite as excited about the cornerback situation as he is, and because of that I wanted to go a little deeper on second-year man Byron Jones. Despite his youth and inexperience, I think he is still paramount to the Cowboys' defensive success in 2016. All indication is that Jones, who shifted between cornerback and safety as a rookie, will be locked in as the free safety this year. His athleticism and skill set make him prototypical for the rangy, ballhawking "center fielder" that the Cowboys haven't had since...

For the second straight off season, the Dallas Cowboys defense is receiving nothing but bad news. For a team determined to deliver a Super Bowl to offensive stars like Tony Romo, Jason Witten, and Dez Bryant, the defense the Cowboys field under Rod Marinelli fails to resemble a unit that can help this dream become a reality. Ever since Randy Gregory's four game suspension has been set in stone, Cowboys Nation

The Dallas Cowboys provided a jaw-dropping moment in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft, when they decided to write linebacker Jaylon Smith's name down on their draft card. Why in the world would they draft a linebacker so highly when there's a chance he may have to sit out the entire 2016 season? Well, Smith's selection is based more on his future potential and that he can fully recover from a devastating knee injury that also caused nerve damage. If he can fully recover and become the player he was at Notre Dame, then the Cowboys would've drafted a player that is arguably the best defensive player in the entire 2016 NFL Draft. Can you say draft day steal?

The Dallas Cowboys, much like other teams around the NFL have players that are more important to the organization than others. That is simply the sad truth of the National Football League. I like to think of these players as being irreplaceable. These are the types of players that can pretty much ruin a season if they have to miss any length of time due to an injury. Unfortunately, this is something that we as Cowboys fans have recently had to deal with and something that can hopefully be avoided in the upcoming 2016 season.

There are a lot of questions surrounding the Dallas Cowboys defense for the upcoming 2016. Who will be the starting defensive ends with Randy Gregory and DeMarcus Lawrence missing the first four games due to violating the substance abuse policy? How will the cornerback situation shake itself out? Who will be the starting outside linebacker? These are just a few questions that surround the Cowboys defense that should answer themselves once the off-season practices really start getting underway.

The date was January 11th, 2015. After winning the NFC East with a 12-4 record, the Dallas Cowboys found themselves a win away from the NFC Championship game. Standing in their way was the Green Bay Packers, as the Cowboys visited Lambeau Field for the Divisional round. In a more literal sense, it was Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers that stood in Dallas' way, as the hobbled signal caller faced little resistance from a Cowboys' defensive line that hit him just 3 times - resulting in Rodgers completing 24 passes for 316 yards and 3 touchdowns. While this game will be remembered for the Dez Bryant catch-that-was-not, it's important to step back and realize how much this offense carried the team through the regular season.

Dating all the way back to the 2005 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys have selected at least one linebacker every year. Many of them have not worked out, but the position still remains one that has a seemingly bright future with a solid amount of depth. When both healthy and in sync, Sean Lee and Rolando McClain are as good of a tandem at this position than anyone in the league. Since Dallas' defense often plays dominantly in nickel packages, Lee and McClain see plenty of snaps as the only 2 linebackers needed on the field. However, the Cowboys current situation at LB may not be very sustainable in a long-term approach.

On the surface, Cowboys Nation has plenty of reasons to still be concerned about the team's secondary. However, a closer look at the depth available for Rod Marinelli and Dallas to work with warrants some optimism for a unit that has been holding the Cowboys back for years. Deji Olatoye and Terrance Mitchell stepped in at the end of the 2015 season to see some significant playing time, and certainly made the most of it. In the game the Cowboys were mercifully eliminated from playoff contention at AT&T Stadium against the Jets in week 15, Mitchell recorded the first interception by a Dallas corner since December of 2014 in a win at the Bears. Olatoye stepped in to start the very next week against the Bills, and recorded an interception of his own against Tyrod Taylor in the end zone.

The Dallas Cowboys spent 5 of their 7 draft picks in the 2016 NFL Draft on improving Rod Marinelli's defense. After grabbing Ezekiel Elliott at fourth overall, this defensive trend certainly makes sense, as the team will try to emulate the 12-4 season of 2 years ago where the defense often found themselves on the field in favorable situations. For a defense that showed some really good signs in the bleak 2015 season, this unit should be excited at the new additions joining the mix. The key will be finding roles for these rookies alongside the veterans. Let's attempt to do that for all 5 players: