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The Rams rushed for more than 180 yards in the first preseason game and reportedly had no trouble running the ball in the earlier scrimmage when the starters played. We've been told we shouldn't be too worried at this point, but we've been talking about this for what seems like years and here we are again. So yeah, I'm worried. Is there a fix for the run defense? – Reggie Anderson/Houston, TX
Patrik: I'm not sure yet if the run defense is or is not fixed, to be honest with you, considering so many starters who were held out of the preseason opener against the LA Rams. What I can tell you, though, is that I have a very real concern about depth behind those starters who will also be asked to help stop the run in the event of injury at their respective position. Marist Liufau was an uncaged animal and that's a beautiful thing, but he can't do it alone. I'm hopeful that with more reps this August, I'll see a player like Jay Toia begin to transfer what I'm seeing in Oxnard onto the field as a rookie, and I did see flashes from Perrion Winfrey on the interior. But, to your point, I saw Blake Corum having his way far more often than not, leading to Stetson Bennett doing the same (on the ground and in the air), and the fix might simply be when ALL of the starters are on the field — my fingers being crossed as I write this sentence.
Tommy: The fix for your run defense is getting a plug up front at defensive tackle and having your linebackers play the run better. I thought the Cowboys linebackers did a decent job of that in Tuesday's joint practice with the Rams, but not so much in the preseason opener on Saturday. It wasn't a great day for Jay Toia, but he did his part of taking on double teams a good bit, and Dallas' linebackers at times either got pushed out or just didn't shoot the gap the way they should've. Plus, the Cowboys just straight up didn't tackle well across the board. That's always going to be a problem against the run. So, to answer your question, the fix comes in tackling better and the linebackers doing their part when the defensive tackles do theirs, although that position group needs to be better up front too.
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