"When I look back on this season, the problem I keep circling isn't talent, it's a tackling issue. I watched Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark, and Osa Odighizuwa control the interior, but play after play the second and third levels couldn't tackle. The middle of the defensive line won more reps than the scoreboard ever reflected, yet the players behind them missed the hole or the tackle to many times."
"Dallas recorded 966 total tackles with 97 missed, landing at 9.1% missed tackle rate, tied for the 7th-highest in the NFL. I know this isn't the bottom of the league, but I watched enough games to know it was death by a thousand mistimed steps. To get a good barometer of the missed tackle issue, the NFL league average is 8.5%, so Dallas finished the year well below the average."
The Dallas Cowboys defense consistently generated interior pressure through Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark, and Osa Odighizuwa, but the second and third levels failed to convert those opportunities into stops. The team recorded 966 tackles with 97 missed, a 9.1% missed tackle rate tied for seventh-highest in the NFL and above the league average of 8.5%. Opponents frequently escaped due to missed alignments, mistimed steps, and poor finishing rather than deficiencies among interior defenders. Improved tackling technique, leverage, violent intent, and execution across linebackers and defensive backs are necessary to capitalize on interior disruption in 2025.
Read at Inside The Star
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