Photo Credit: Dallas Cowboys
FRISCO, TEXAS — The Dallas Cowboys’ defense has faced two entirely different offensive game plans from week one to week two, but the pass rush has been lackluster in both matchups.
In week one, the Rams primarily used a short passing attack on early downs that mitigated Dallas’ pass rush. Jared Goff got the ball off quick and defensive coordinator Mike Nolan did not have time to unleash pressure from the front four. The defensive line did not have much of an opportunity to rack up sacks on first and second downs as a result of Sean McVay’s approach.
In week two, the opponent’s game plan was no longer a viable excuse with the Falcons’ vertical attack. Matt Ryan consistently took shots downfield but once again, the Cowboys’ pass rush was nonexistent. Everson Griffen had a sack in the fourth quarter but throughout the game, Ryan had all day to throw the football. Dallas’ defensive line needs consistency with pressure and the squad did not win their one-on-one matchups at the line of scrimmage, which put more pressure on the secondary to shut down Atlanta’s stellar receiving corps.
“ First game, we had a lot of play action pass, a lot of full slide-things like that, “ Nolan discussed with media. “ To be perfectly honest with you, I think we need to do a better job of executing our pass rushes- whether it’s the rush, whether it’s how we handle the pocket. The challenge this week is that we have a quarterback that’s very mobile, more mobile than the last two we’ve faced. That’ll be a bigger challenge.”
Granted, there were no preseason games and players/coaches underwent an entirely virtual offseason program so there were bound to be some bumps along the way as the 2020 regular season began. Cowboy defensive players are still getting used to Nolan’s hybrid system and rushing from a two-point stance as opposed to a three-point stance. The unit will have to get in sync before facing dual-threat quarterback Russell Wilson on the road in week three.
Wilson is a nightmare for defenses when he breaks the pocket and extends drives with his legs. He is one of the best quarterbacks in the league and Dallas will have to try and keep him contained in the pocket.
Left defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence has been battling a knee injury that Mike McCarthy said the staff is “keeping an eye on” and No.90 will be further evaluated on Wednesday. Injuries do play a role in production but regardless; the Cowboys have to make adjustments to fix the uninspiring performance by the club’s four-man front in rushing the passer. Lawrence has not made a smooth transition to Nolan’s scheme. Before leaving the game due to injury against the Falcons, he made some plays against the run but could not get to the quarterback.
Owner and general manager Jerry Jones summed it up on local radio show 105.3 The Fan, “ We got a lot of work to do. You saw it defensively. We got some serious work to do. We got alignments to work on. We’ve got basic, if you will, defensive technique to work on. “
