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Updated: October 13, 2010, 1:19 PM
Brock Kithcart of Branchville, NJ
Can you guys point a finger at why this defense can't force turnovers?
DallasCowboys.com Report
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(Editor's Note: Each day we will take the 2 best questions for our staff writers to answer from the Mailbag. "Click here" to email questions now.)
BROCK KITHCART - BRANCHVILLE, NJ: Can you guys point a finger at why this defense can't force turnovers? If they're going to turn this season around they need to start winning the turnover battles.
Nick: I agree they've got to get that turned around. It's mind-boggling in the past when they got so much pass rush. This year, they haven't gotten to the quarterback as much, but they haven't really gotten any turnovers at all. You can point to a lot of reasons why that is. But they don't strip for the ball like other teams. The safeties aren't really ball-hawk players. And as a result, the ball doesn't change hands as much as it needs to.
Rob: Totally agree. You can argue their man-to-man coverage hurts them because they're not always facing the ball. The truth is, they'd have more turnovers if they just make the play. Keith Brooking and Mike Jenkins had a chance for interceptions Sunday.
Josh: For one thing, they're not catching the ball very well when it comes to them. But it's going to be tougher in man coverage anyway, because a lot of times they're not able to see what the quarterback is doing. I heard the NFL Network's Michael Lombardi say recently, and it makes sense, that a lot of turnovers are a product of team speed on defense. Do we think the Cowboys are a particularly fast defense? When I look at the front seven, I don't see that.
CLINT ROBBINS - MASCOUTAH, IL: So the Cowboys cut a developing safety in Mike Hamlin. If that's the coaches' way of making changes, I hope they have something better coming. Cutting backup players does nothing. Cut an underperforming starter, like Jimmy Johnson, and you make the team take notice.
Nick: Jimmy really didn't do that a whole lot. I'm sure it happened that first season when everyone got cut. But Jimmy cut backup players like Curvin Richards to send a message. But they're not trying to send a message by cutting Hamlin. They're trying to improve the bottom of the roster.
Rob: The Hamlin cut was an eyebrow-raiser, at least to me, as a possible warning for the special teams guys at the bottom of the roster that kickoff coverage needs improvement. Benching a four-year starter like Leonard Davis should get more attention from the starters, for sure. But the general feeling you get from Wade Phillips is this team doesn't think big personnel changes are needed; they need to refine the fundamental stuff that's getting them beat in close games. Another loss, though, and it might be too late.
Josh: I don't think it was about making people take notice. You're right, cutting the 53rd guy on the roster doesn't make anyone shape up. Of course, I don't think cutting starters is ideal, either. Do that and you're stuck paying a guy millions of dollars to do nothing, and who knows if his backup is any good? Doesn't make sense.
Brock Kithcart of Branchville, NJ
Can you guys point a finger at why this defense can't force turnovers?
DallasCowboys.com Report
EmailPrintFacebookShareThis
(Editor's Note: Each day we will take the 2 best questions for our staff writers to answer from the Mailbag. "Click here" to email questions now.)
BROCK KITHCART - BRANCHVILLE, NJ: Can you guys point a finger at why this defense can't force turnovers? If they're going to turn this season around they need to start winning the turnover battles.
Nick: I agree they've got to get that turned around. It's mind-boggling in the past when they got so much pass rush. This year, they haven't gotten to the quarterback as much, but they haven't really gotten any turnovers at all. You can point to a lot of reasons why that is. But they don't strip for the ball like other teams. The safeties aren't really ball-hawk players. And as a result, the ball doesn't change hands as much as it needs to.
Rob: Totally agree. You can argue their man-to-man coverage hurts them because they're not always facing the ball. The truth is, they'd have more turnovers if they just make the play. Keith Brooking and Mike Jenkins had a chance for interceptions Sunday.
Josh: For one thing, they're not catching the ball very well when it comes to them. But it's going to be tougher in man coverage anyway, because a lot of times they're not able to see what the quarterback is doing. I heard the NFL Network's Michael Lombardi say recently, and it makes sense, that a lot of turnovers are a product of team speed on defense. Do we think the Cowboys are a particularly fast defense? When I look at the front seven, I don't see that.
CLINT ROBBINS - MASCOUTAH, IL: So the Cowboys cut a developing safety in Mike Hamlin. If that's the coaches' way of making changes, I hope they have something better coming. Cutting backup players does nothing. Cut an underperforming starter, like Jimmy Johnson, and you make the team take notice.
Nick: Jimmy really didn't do that a whole lot. I'm sure it happened that first season when everyone got cut. But Jimmy cut backup players like Curvin Richards to send a message. But they're not trying to send a message by cutting Hamlin. They're trying to improve the bottom of the roster.
Rob: The Hamlin cut was an eyebrow-raiser, at least to me, as a possible warning for the special teams guys at the bottom of the roster that kickoff coverage needs improvement. Benching a four-year starter like Leonard Davis should get more attention from the starters, for sure. But the general feeling you get from Wade Phillips is this team doesn't think big personnel changes are needed; they need to refine the fundamental stuff that's getting them beat in close games. Another loss, though, and it might be too late.
Josh: I don't think it was about making people take notice. You're right, cutting the 53rd guy on the roster doesn't make anyone shape up. Of course, I don't think cutting starters is ideal, either. Do that and you're stuck paying a guy millions of dollars to do nothing, and who knows if his backup is any good? Doesn't make sense.
