Will Cowboys Being 'Pissed' Lead To Defensive Turnaround at Eagles?

The Dallas Cowboys' defense under coordinator Christian Parker hasn't been good or "improved'' through six weeks; in fact, it's been bad, despite the occasional uptick in performance.

Yes, there have been small signs of improvement, but not enough for any observer to be confident about the unit that ranks in the basement of the NFL ...

Just like last year's team did.

There was more pocket pressure in the loss to Green Bay, and the Cowboys finally registered their first interception. But the defense still allowed third-down conversions at will (the Packers were 8 or 8 at one point), and three Packers receivers dropped touchdown passes, so yeah, it is still a work in progress.

Oh, and Dallas lost, 23-13.

We have heard so many times over the past six weeks that the team is practicing well and has good study habits, yet when they take the field, it's as if they forget what they were taught in the days before.

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So how can the Cowboys' defense take their "good practices" and make it translate on game day?

Linebacker DeMarvion Overshown - who is hoping to return from the injury list to the field for Monday night at Philadelphia - shared his thoughts on that very thing, and his answer was rather telling.

"It's really just not trying to do somebody else's job when you're out there and just not making things complicated," Overshown said. "It's easier said than done, of course, because when you go out there, you want to make a play, you want your name in the newspaper, but that's going to come when 11 guys doing their job.

"In this league, offenses, they win games by explosive plays and the other team making mistakes. So once we clean that up, and play mistake-free football, which been the key in all of our talks, how can we not beat ourselves?"

And that's the thing, it has been self-inflicted wounds that have killed Dallas.

Miscommunication, missed tackles, and not being in the right position all add up to a bad defense.

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Given the hype the unit had entering the year with the Parker hire, plus the offseason additions of Caleb Downs, Malachi Lawrence, Jaishawn Barham, Jalen Thompson, Cobie Durant,  Otito Ogbonnia and Rashan Gary?

Expectations were high, but this defense has fallen flat on its face for six straight weeks.

Despite that, Overshown knows that things won't change unless players do what they need to do to facilitate that.

"I wouldn't say it makes me angry, I wouldn't say we're frustrated, but I would say as competitors, you want to play better, you want to win," he added. "So, we're going to do whatever it takes, to do that.

"No matter how we feel, whether we come in here smiling or whether we come in here, punching the walls, the results not going to change until we take it upon ourselves to do what we got to do to change it."

The "angry'' issue is an interesting one.

Head coach Brian Schottenheimer said this week his 2-4 team is made up of players who are generally "pissed.''

Asked if he would want his team to be "angry'' or "measured'' in their approach, Schottenheimer said, "I always like guys that are angry."

"I'd say right now I'm pretty pissed off," he said, adding, "I think they're pissed off, too."

But veteran leader Gary countered by saying, “I’m excited, man. Can’t be angry. This game of football teaches a whole lot of life lessons. Another great thing about this game is you can lose one week and you come back to the next week and be on top of the world.

"So, just trying to chase that feeling, chase consistency once again, but no reason to be mad.”

Gary is taking some heat for that view, but he's not wrong in this sense: There is no automatic "right'' answer here.

But this much is true: Dallas' little bursts of defensive promise have been obscured by overall ineptitude. Somehow, that is what has to stop.

Maybe starting with being "pissed at Philly'' against the Eagles on Monday night.