I don't want to dissuade my excitement from our recent wins because they were huge and put our Boys in position to contend for the Division (and hopefully a SB). Yet with all the talk about how soft our next three games are, I have to temper expectations because the following three games in December have me worried.
As good as this team is playing, only two teams have committed to running the ball against us..which is mind boggling due to the well known weakness of the defense. The bears and the Packers. Fortunately, the offense make it too difficult for the Bears to complete a comeback.. but they were destroying us on the ground. The Packers stayed committed and eventually won in OT even though Dallas had a 2TD lead. Likewise, in the last few games (outside the Giants decimated OL) teams still have been able to run, but chose unwisely to challenge our pass rush.
The last three games of the season are against very tough DLs and “run oriented” teams. They can control TOP, keep our offense on the sidelines, and wear down the pass rush. None of this bolds well for Dallas.
Dak has been playing well, but I’m a realist.. Dak needs a run game to operate efficiently. So look at the following defense rankings of the last three games:
- Philly #2 total; #19 run (122 ypg)
- Tenn #17 total; #2 run (82 ypg)
- Wash #5 total; #6 (103 ypg)
And what about the other playoff contender
that kicked our butts last year by running it down our throats with Elijah Mitchell of all people?
- SF #1 total; #1 run (81 ypg)
So yeah, we can go ahead and possibly add OBJ..that only slightly helps our offense by keeping defenses honest. But I don’t expect the offense to drop 50 points a game. I mean, the offense is already throwing 40 burgers on teams.
Soon, we’ll be entering the part of the season that seems to only be an extension of the playoffs. The final three games will tell us a lot about our team. Unfortunately I’m worried the same Achilles Heel will present itself again…And SF‘s defense is stronger than last year. So as much as I’m trying to enjoy these recent wins…Someone please help me feel optimistic about our chances.
