Safety was expected to be a position of strength for the Cowboys this season, but it seems like this group is struggling. Is it really a problem? Is age catching up with them? Or are they just victims of a poor defensive line? – Reggie Peterson/Memphis, TN
Mickey: Mickey: Well, look at it this way. As for age, not really since Malik Hooker is just 28 and Donovan Wilson 29. Here is what I think happened in the San Francisco game. The Cowboys were putting a high priority trying to stop the run, with linebackers filling the gaps on the line of scrimmage, at times have six to seven guys on the front. That put safety Donovan Wilson in a lot of single coverage it seems on the tight end, George Kittle, who is a handful to start with, and pass coverage is not a strength of Wilson's. Tough matchup for a safety more of a run stopper. Plus, not sure we saw much pressure on Brock Purdy. Seemed to have the time of day in the pocket, which allows those crossing routes when in man, and if in zone, the communication must be spot on. Just need to get their top defensive guys out with injuries back on the field.
Tommy: It's a mix of everything, but I think the largest factor in the safeties' struggles is the fact that the defensive line has really struggled to generate pressure and quarterbacks have a lot of time to throw the football. On Sunday night, Brock Purdy was pressured on 33.3% of his drop backs, and when he wasn't under duress, he completed 13 of 18 passes for 231 yards. With more than 2.5 seconds to throw, he was 9 of 15 for 151 yards. And the back breaker of them all was his second career highest output on the ground, with 56 yards and touchdown on eight carries. All ofthat shows me that even when the secondary is doing their job and covering receivers downfield, opposing quarterbacks aren't being pressured nor brought to the ground enough to give the back end of the defense some support. It's all a part of the complimentary football formula that the Cowboys have tried to establish through these first seven games but have come up short in doing so.
