Cowboys CB Scandrick surprised, disappointed at defense's struggles
IRVING, Texas – The Cowboys were supposed to be a more sound defense in 2013 under Monte Kiffin. So far, they are giving up more yards and points than Rob Ryan's unorthodox 3-4 defense did a year ago.
Cowboys rank 28th in the NFL in yards allowed with an average of 409.2 per game. They are also allowing 27.2 points per game.
Last year's defense under Rob Ryan allowed an average of 355.4 yards per game (14th in the league) and 25 points.
The results so far have stunned cornerback Orlando Scandrick.
"I'm surprised," Scandrick said Wednesday at the team's practice facility. "I didn't see this coming at all. I felt like we had a great group of players, we had a great scheme. We do have a great scheme, I feel like we just need to adjust to it. Sometimes we maybe try to do too much and, you know, everybody just needs to do their job and we'll be better off."
Scandrick said the problem is the number of big plays the Cowboys have allowed.
"Giving up big plays [is] people not doing their jobs, you know?" Scandrick said. "We need to fix it."
Scandrick is one of the few Cowboys' defensive players having a good season. After serving as a third cornerback most of his career, Scandrick has become a starter this season.
That doesn't mean he's happy about the defense's performance overall. Far from it.
"All I can say is that I'm very, very, very disappointed," Scandrick said. "I don't make those decisions about what schemes we run, what players we play. I just go out there and play as hard as I can. At the end of the day all I can do is go out there and play as hard as I can and give 100 percent effort and put it on tape what type of player I am."
Follow Keith Whitmire on Twitter: @Keith_Whitmire
