IRVING – No revolts have been planned – at least, not yet. That, however, could all change next week, because there is discord in the Cowboys' locker room. Another poor defensive performance Saturday in Atlanta just might lead to the type of public criticism usually reserved for Tom Coughlin.
That's because several defensive players are sick and tired of the conservative approach the coaching staff has used much of this season. Their frustration heightened this week after one of the worst defensive performances in franchise history in a 42-17 loss to New Orleans.
The Cowboys don't blitz much. They stunt even less. For the most part, they line up in their base defense and dare you to beat them. With Greg Ellis, their best pass-rusher, still in the lineup they could play that way, but a ruptured Achilles' tendon has ended his season.
So it's time for the coaching staff to adjust its approach. This week. Right now. Is that enough urgency for you?
The 3-4, which requires each player to win his one-on-one battle, is a scheme based on winning physical confrontations. Do that and the defense performs at a high level. Fail and you get a butt-kicking like the one New Orleans delivered last week.
The players want to aggressively attack, forcing offenses to adjust, but they don't get to play that way. Hence, their frustration.
Some blame Mike Zimmer, the defensive coordinator. Others blame Bill Parcells for forcing Zimmer into a conservative approach. One player blamed both. Of course, the players must also take responsibility for allowing 62 points, 932 yards, 50 first downs and a 55 percent conversion rate (15 of 27) on third down in the past two games.
That's ridiculous.
In the past two weeks, there have been too many mental mistakes and too many missed tackles. How are the coaches supposed to trust the players with a more complicated scheme when they continually blow remedial assignments? The players say that's a cop-out.
That said, it's time for action, because the current approach simply isn't working. Parcells doesn't like blitzing. Never has. Feels the same way about stunts. Says they increase the odds the offense will make a big play, because somebody isn't where he's supposed to be.
"You die a little more slowly this way," Parcells said.
He has a point, but Parcells also has been spoiled by his championship teams with the Giants. Those teams had great players like Lawrence Taylor, Harry Carson and Carl Banks, so they didn't need to trick their opponents. This team isn't as fortunate.
Pittsburgh, the master of the 3-4, relies on confusing linemen with its elaborate blitz packages. Of the handful of teams that use the 3-4, the Cowboys have the most basic scheme. If the Cowboys blitzed more and took advantage of the scheme's flexibility, the results would improve.
Nothing in Zimmer's background suggests an aversion to blitzing. After all, the Cowboys blitzed like crazy in 2003, finished 10-6 and made the playoffs. This team is infinitely more talented than that unit, and it has cornerbacks capable of covering man-to-man in Anthony Henry and Terence Newman.
If this were early in the season, Parcells and Zimmer could take a more conservative approach to fixing the problem. But only three games remain in the regular season, and Dallas' one-game lead in the NFC East is tenuous at best.
JOHN F. RHODES/DMN
Players have expressed frustration that a conservative approach by coach Bill Parcells (left) and defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer is handicapping the defense.
Quarterbacks under duress make mistakes. At this level, quarterbacks allowed to relax in the pocket will always look like All-Pro performers. No cornerback can cover long enough to compensate for this anemic pass rush.
Parcells has publicly criticized defensive ends Marcus Spears and Chris Canty, but they're also handicapped by a scheme that requires them to play the run first and then transition to their pass-rush moves.
Jerry Jones has spent millions in free agency and high draft choices to make this defense an elite unit, but he's not getting his money's worth. More important, Dallas won't make the playoffs without an improved pass rush. The Cowboys have recorded one sack in the last 75 pass attempts. Dallas has just 23 sacks this season; only four teams have fewer.
That's not nearly good enough to end a nine-year drought without a playoff win and challenge for the Super Bowl in a conference full of flawed teams.
E-mail jjtaylor@dallasnews.com
