Jones knows defense is the way
A partially torn calf muscle prevented Rodgers from practicing for 11 days leading up to the Cowboys’ 26-21 loss. Still, he completed 24 of 35 passes for 316 yards and three touchdowns with a passer rating of 125.4.
Rodgers, among the NFL’s best at moving in the pocket and throwing on the run, rarely strayed from the pocket — and the Cowboys still couldn’t make him uncomfortable.
That’s what happens when you have a raggedy pass rush.
It’s clear Jerry and the Cowboys took measures to ensure that scenario never happens again. Really, all you need to know is for the first time in franchise history the Cowboys did not select a wide receiver, running back or quarterback in the draft.
That’s right, the owner whose franchise was built on The Triplets — Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin and Emmitt Smith — and who always has wanted to collect more stars than the universe can hold, used the draft to help his defense.
“Even though we set a precedent by not taking an offensive skill player,” Jerry said, “we needed defensive skill players more than we needed offensive skill players.”
The Cowboys selected the player most likely to be a star or a bust in pass-rushing defensive end Randy Gregory. A projected top-10 pick midway through the college football season, a litany of off-the-field issues contributed to Gregory’s plummeting to the Cowboys with the 60th pick.
They took cornerback Byron Jones, the best athlete at February’s scouting combine who could eventually move to free safety, in the first round. They added Minnesota linebacker Damien Wilson in the fourth round, Purdue defensive end Ryan Russell in the fifth round, and Wyoming linebacker Mark Nzeocha in the seventh round.
Jones, Gregory and Wilson — the only rookie defensive players expected to have a role on the defense — and Pro Bowl defensive end Greg Hardy, who’s appealing a 10-game suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy, has Jerry giddy about the defensive possibilities.
So does the natural improvement the Cowboys believe they’ll get from defensive tackle Tyrone Crawford, safety J.J. Wilcox and defensive end Demarcus Lawrence. And we haven’t even discussed the return of linebacker Sean Lee (knee) from yet another injury and middle linebacker Rolando McClain’s return for a second season in this scheme.
If the defense can stay healthy and coordinator Rod Marinelli can get this collection of players to play to their pedigree, then the Cowboys have an opportunity to have one of the NFL’s better defenses.
“When I look across the board at how young we are on defense, this is a very significant seat change and it’s all for the better,” Jerry said. “We’re dramatically improved personnel-wise — even from the team that was on the field against Rodgers and Green Bay.”
If you deal in reality, then you understand the Cowboys’ defense last season was primarily a product of its sensational running game.
The defense allowed 5.8 yards per play, 25th in the NFL — and not too far from the 6.1 per play it allowed in 2013 when it was among the worst in NFL history. For what it’s worth, Seattle allowed a league-low 4.63 yards per play.
The difference: The Cowboys’ defense played only 27 minutes, 38 seconds per game and was on the field for only 978 plays, the fifth-lowest total in the league. In 2014, it ranked 27th in the league with 1,094 plays.
Obviously, Marinelli had a significant impact on the unit in his first season as defensive coordinator. The Cowboys played as hard as any unit in the league because that’s what Marinelli depends on every single play from the start of offseason organized team activities until the final game.
Exceptions don’t exist.
But this defense didn’t dominate because it didn’t have the pieces to dominate. The Cowboys had only 28 sacks. Only five other teams had fewer.
Quarterbacks under duress make mistakes; those comfortable in the pocket, as Rodgers demonstrated in the playoffs, put up big numbers and win games.
The Cowboys have taken the same approach they used to fix their offensive line, and they’re doing it on the defensive line.
They used second-round picks on pass-rushers such as Lawrence and Gregory each of the past two seasons, and a third on Crawford in 2012. Hardy signed a one-year deal, but you could certainly see him returning if he plays well, and defensive end Jeremy Mincey emerged as a leader in his first season with the Cowboys.
Those players will be the foundation of the Cowboys’ pass rush. The Cowboys expect Hardy, whenever he’s eligible to play, to force double teams that will allow Lawrence, Mincey, Gregory and others to get man-to-man matchups they’re expected to win.
And if they see Rodgers again in the playoffs, Jerry expects a different outcome.