EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Kris Richard, the man in charge of speaking to the media for the Cowboys’ defense, was pretty direct on Sunday.
“We have yet to put together for a whole entire game, our style, for who we are,” said the Cowboys defensive backs coach/passing game coordinator. “From what we know to be true. For what we believe to be true. When we do it, the proof is there. There isn’t enough consistency there with it yet. So we’re still a work in progress.”
Richard is talking about a defense that was left rattled at MetLife Stadium following an embarrassing 24-22 loss to the New York Jets.
The Cowboys’ defense gave up 338 passing yards to second-year quarterback Sam Darnold, playing in just his second game of the year. Darnold had missed the previous four weeks while recovering from mono.
There was concern about Darnold’s ability to play, given the effects mono has on a spleen. Darnold was sacked twice but looked comfortable in the pocket, even after his team lost its starting left tackle to an ankle injury.
“Their quarterback really played well,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said.
The Cowboys have lost their last three games and the defense has played a role in it. You could say it’s time for some changes to be made to this defense.
We could start with this funky defensive line rotation defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli uses.
At times, especially in the first half, the Cowboys will sit the highest-paid defensive end in the NFL for Dorance Armstrong. The theory is to keep players fresh for the second half.
Well, DeMarcus Lawrence is a man that needs to be on the field for at least 80% of the snaps. Coming into the game, Lawrence played in just 61% of the plays.
Now Lawrence missed training camp recovering from shoulder surgery and was still getting in football shape early in the season. Well, here we are in the middle of October. If he’s not in football shape now, he’ll never get there.
Health is an issue the Cowboys just need to overcome. Byron Jones left the game with a hamstring injury. But after making a nice play on the ball early in the game, he gave up a big play later.
And speaking of big plays, the game turned in the second quarter after the Cowboys failed to convert a fourth-and-2 at the Jets 7. On the next play, receiver Robby Anderson ran a stop-and-go route, sending cornerback Chidobe Awuzie nearly to the ground. Safety Jeff Heath, playing center field, or maybe left field depending on your point of view on the play, arrived late to provide help. Anderson caught the pass and turned it into a 92-yard touchdown to give the Jets a 14-3 lead.
“Definitely technique,” Awuzie said. “The name of the game is to eliminate the deep ball, and I did a poor job of that on that play. It’s pretty much it. No excuses.”
The Cowboys’ pass rush, despite getting two sacks from Robert Quinn, was credited with just two hits the entire game.
That’s zero hits from Lawrence. That’s zero hits from the rest of the defensive end rotation which consists of Armstrong (who left the game in the first half with a neck injury), Kerry Hyder and Tyrone Crawford, when they let him play end.
“I think we got some good pressure and made him [Darnold] move his feet,” Quinn said. “There were some moments in the game he was getting the ball out quick, and he made some big throws. It’s nothing we can’t talk around. This is in critical moments [where] they made some big plays and we didn’t.”
It’s not just the pass rush that’s a problem. The secondary continues to struggle and fails to produce turnovers.
When slot corner Anthony Brown left with a hamstring injury, the return of Jourdan Lewis brought some positivity to the defense.
He intercepted a pass in the red zone. He’s now tied for the team lead with Awuzie. The Cowboys have just two interceptions in 2019, and it’s probably time to give Lewis more playing time. He’s got more career interceptions (3) than Jones (2) with less playing time.
Let’s not forget the safeties, Heath and Xavier Woods, who are not scaring anyone with their performances.
Remember when people were saying the Cowboys might have the best young linebacker duo in the NFL in Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander Esch?
Those two men could be more impactful as well.
It’s just not one thing that’s hurting the Cowboys’ defense right now. It’s a combination of things. And when you’re losing, solutions are needed.