Dallas Cowboys Defense Now In Full Crisis Mode
By Erik Lambert
Super Bowl were the two words the Dallas Cowboys were thinking at the start of 2016. Problem is that’s difficult to achieve with just half a team.
At least that’s how it feels at the moment. Things look good for the offense. Tony Romo is working his way back and should be ready for the season. Dez Bryant and Jason Witten are ready. The offensive line is still a powerhouse and now Ezekiel Elliott arrives to invigorate their ground attack. Expectation are, assuming Romo stays healthy, that the team is going to score a lot of points. Problem is stopping opponents from doing the same is looking like a bigger problem every week.
The Cowboys had the 17th ranked defense in 2015, and since then things have taken a colossal turn for the worse. Already they lost Greg Hardy to free agency, necessary as it was. Then news hit that their two other key pass rushers Randy Gregory and Demarcus Lawrence would be serving suspensions for league violations. Not long after that, linebacker Rolando McClain drew one of his own.
To top all of that off? Dallas was dealt another blow when their best defensive tackle Tyrone Crawford was sidelined with a concerning back problem.
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"“Cowboys defensive lineman Tyrone Crawford has a back injury and won’t be available for the team’s first day of practice in full pads, Dallas coach Jason Garrett told reporters Monday. Crawford underwent an MRI on his back and there’s no timetable for his return, Garrett said.Garrett added that back issues have plagued Crawford in the past but the issue has flared up again.”"
Crawford had five sacks last season at defensive tackle. So not only is their edge rush decimated by suspension, now their interior rush took a huge hit as well. Rod Marinelli is a tremendous defensive coordinator with years of experience, but he’s not a miracle worker. Every defense is determined by its talent. A good coach can only cover up so many of the deficiencies. How much worse could this unit be through the first month of the season, especially since it’s unlikely to get much help from the draft class this season?
Forget the Super Bowl. The Cowboys need to think about survival because this doesn’t look anything like a roster ready for a championship run.