FRISCO — Mike Zimmer couldn’t lie to himself, the defensive staff, the defensive players, the head coach, and team owner and general manager Jerry Jones.
The Cowboys’ defensive coordinator is in charge of fixing a mess of a defensive unit.
“It’s just like inconsistency,” he said. “It’s definitely frustrating. We’ve been playing really good teams and we’re going to get there. I believe in these guys, the way they work. It’s like I got 20 holes in a dike and I put my finger in this one and I put my finger in that one.”
Sunday night, the Cowboys face the San Francisco 49ers, a team missing two starting wide receivers and a running back due to injuries. Yet, the 49ers remain a dangerous offensive team to handle.
If the Cowboys can somehow win a ballgame, their defense might need to lead the way.
The first six weeks of the season haven’t shown that. Dallas has allowed the eighth-most average yards per play (5.7) in the NFL. The Cowboys’ 10 rushing touchdowns allowed are only surpassed by the Carolina Panthers (13). On the season, opponents average 143.2 rushing yards per game, among the highest in the league.
Turnovers forced, once a staple with this defense, are lacking. Dallas has generated the seventh-fewest takeaways (5) in the NFL.
When you think about the problems, injuries factor into it.
Seven defensive players were missing because of injuries in the Week 6 loss to the Lions. But one game didn’t bring the Cowboys to their current state.
“A lot of it comes down to high discipline,” Zimmer said. “Guys running, trying to get somewhere fast where they don’t need to be. Then the other part is for the most part we’re playing the box but not getting off the block.”
Zimmer admitted he panicked with his play calls in the loss to the Lions. The defensive front, a place that needs to establish itself, has been pushed around the majority of the season.
Stopping the run is essential to any defense.
It’s not happening.
One of the problems is shedding blocks up front, allowing linebackers to fill lanes and make plays on ball carriers. And defenders are missing tackles.
It seems the Cowboys’ defense isn’t playing with a physical presence.
“At times I think it’s playing blocks, getting off blocks our tackling has got to get better, we’re looking at everything,” defensive run game coordinator Paul Guenther said. “The bye week you dissect everything, the alignments, assignment block destruction, tackling all those things. It takes all 11 to play the run effectively.”
This weekend, the return of some injured starters might help.
Cornerback DaRon Bland hasn’t played all season with a fractured toe. Linebacker Micah Parsons missed the last two weeks with an ankle sprain. Linebacker Eric Kendricks hopes to return after missing the Lions game with calf and shoulder injuries.
Whether or not they return isn’t a guarantee of success.
Parsons and Kendricks were part of a defense that’s had its struggles. With Parsons out, opposing quarterbacks have gotten more time to throw the ball. According to Next Gen Stats, quarterbacks average time to throw is 2.71 seconds with Parsons on the field. When he’s out, quarterbacks take nearly three seconds to attempt a pass.
Overall, quarterbacks are taking 0.21 more seconds to attempt passes against this Cowboys’ defense than last year. It’s the largest increase year-over-year against any defense in the league.
“I think a lot of teams are just comfortable right now,” Parsons said. “We got to go into these games and step on somebody’s neck.”
Parsons noted you can’t change the roster to solve your problems. Zimmer said going over the fundamentals is one way to get the defense into a good place. Mike McCarthy tweaked the practice schedule for more team drills in comparison to some of the individual drills to help. At the start of a Wednesday practice, a turnover drill was introduced.
The Cowboys are trying.
Will it help?
“What can help us besides the people in this room and the people in this organization that’s here right now at this 3-3 start?” Parsons said. “It’s not really much of anything right? I just think at this point, the only things and opinions that matters should be the person that’s next to ya.”
Find more Cowboys coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
