(Editor's Note: Time to check the mail! The DallasCowboys.com staff writers answer your questions here in 'Mailbag' presented by Miller Lite.)
Last year during OTAs, minicamp and training camp, the coaches kept praising how everyone was buying into coordinator Mike Zimmer's defensive philosophy. Based on the defense's performance early in the season and Zimmer himself admitting he should have done things differently, how does Matt Eberflus and his staff prevent a repeat of the slow start everyone suffered through last year? – Gary Hemming/Blackshear, GA
Mickey: Indeed, the Cowboys defense got off to a slow start last year, within the first seven games giving up 44 points to the Saints, 28 to Baltimore, 47 to Detroit and 30 to San Francisco, in the end giving up an average of 27.5 points a game. Not good. This defense will be challenged early, Matt Eberflus having sort out the cornerback position until Trevon Diggs is ready to play – at least he's off PUP. The other challenge will be the defensive tackle position, key to stopping the run. They are good with Osa Odighizuwa and Solomon Thomas but will need more from Mazi Smith and rookie Jay Toia in the middle against the run. Now also would help if the offense is dynamic, and that side of the ball got off to a slow start, too, last year. After scoring 33 points in the opener, only once in the next nine games did the Cowboys score more than 24 points, and that was 25 in a 28-25 loss to the Ravens and remember Dak Prescott having gone down for the season in Game 8. Some of that goes hand in hand.
Tommy: Well, having your best player on defense back on the field would definitely help. Brian Schottenheimer's confident that'll be the case with Micah Parsons, but with how this saga has unfolded so far who knows? Aside from that, I think Eberflus has a lot of guys on this staff that are familiar with how he does thing and his system. That wasn't necessarily as much of the case with Mike Zimmer. Familiarity with the scheme and how Eberflus will call the defense in general helps avoid some of the things early from last season that Mike Zimmer regretted not doing earlier.
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