(Editor's Note: Time to check the mail! The DallasCowboys.com staff writers answer your questions here in 'Mailbag' presented by Miller Lite.)
Head coach Brian Schottenheimer said after the game last Sunday, "I think we are beating ourselves quite a bit."* *How many times have we heard something similar over the last several years? Different coaches, different players, same undisciplined play. Is there any hope of ever fixing this issue? – Ryan Sullivan/Boston, MA
Nick: One thing I've learned over the years in covering the NFL, there's really no scientific way to determine penalties. I've seen teams that were really good but the most penalized in the league. I've seen teams that were rarely penalized but also missed the playoffs and had a high draft pick the following year.
Just look at this year, the Cowboys rank third overall in penalties enforced and penalty yards against them. First, is the Broncos who are 12-2 and the Jaguars are next and they're also leading their division with a 10-4 record. And then there's Dallas, the Giants and then the Eagles to round out the top five. Make sense of that.
I just don't think there's a good way to evaluate penalties. Some of them occur because they're not disciplined. Some because they're just not good enough to stay in front of their defender or the receiver they're covering. Sometimes the communication is bad between the coaches and players and there's penalties that can occur from that.
Let's not call this an excuse but it could be a reason for the penalties. The Cowboys started the season as the third-youngest team in the league with an average age of 25.3 years. That doesn't mean they should be committing penalties but it definitely makes sense when you think about players who are thinking more than they should. Either way, the penalties is just like the defense, special teams and red-zone offense of late- just not good enough.
Patrik: Two things are true here: the Cowboys have often played undisciplined football, and the Cowboys are not the only team in the NFL that often play undisciplined football. I say that to say it's a thing everywhere, but Dallas' problem is it happens far more frequently than Super Bowl contenders so, if they want to ever be in that air again, they better figure out the crux of the issue. Is it lack of focus? Is it playing hero ball? Is it the frustration in-game when things aren't going their way? I think the answer to all of those questions is a resounding "yes", but that puts the onus on coaches to 1. make sure they're prioritizing such things in practices and meetings and 2. to bench players who are habitual offenders, regardless of contract status or name recognition. Eventually, once players realize they're not above being pulled for avoidable penalties and execution issues, things tend to tighten up pretty quickly.
Mailbag
Here's your chance to ask a question for the staff writers. Submit your entry now!
