Cowboys Film Room: New blood in Dallas secondary

After Byron Jones struggled to make a few tackles versus the run in the first half, the Cowboys decided to start Frazier in the second half as the strong safety.  And boy, did they make the right decision. Frazier was a star in the run game, making one tackle for a loss and another big hit that ignited the defense.

On the play below, Frazier took the correct angle and flew to the ball. The tackle was unspectacular, but this is the kind of play that Barry Church in Dallas for years. Everyone on the Cowboys’ defense filled the correct gap and it’s Frazier made the tackle. Again, nothing highlight worthy, but a play the Cowboys’ safeties as a group have failed to make consistently this season.

If you are looking for a highlight play, here it is. Again, it’s another play in which the running back bounces the run outside. But once again, Frazier made the play that he was supposed to. He started the play back peddling as he lined up as Cover-2 safety, but was able to come downhill and crush the running back after just a three-yard gain.

Despite how well Frazier played, it’s important to put his game in perspective. Almost all of the plays he made in this game were on the ground (or on special teams). He is pretty limited as a player and if he’s given “starter” snaps, he is eventually going to get exposed. He’s just not a player you want on passing downs, especially in man coverage versus tight ends. However, if you keep him in the box on first and second, he can be an adequate player.

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But how will the Cowboys find snaps for all of these defensive backs? Should they move Byron Jones to cornerback to play opposite of Awuzie? Should they move him to free safety? These are all fair questions that no one can answer yet. But what we do now is that right now, the unit is playing well, so expect them to continue to mix-and-match for the rest of the season.

While many will look at the overflow of defensive backs as a problem, it’s what the Cowboys envisioned. They wanted a ton of movable “chess pieces” so that they can match up with any offense in the league. And with the recent play of Chidobe Awuzie and Kavon Frazier, the Cowboys are eight deep in their secondary. That hasn’t been the case in Dallas in a long time.