Official Texans @ Cowboys Thread, 08/22/2008

[nero THE zero]

Originally Posted by Keith

Smith's zone crap is really starting to bug the hell out of me.

I don't get this at all. We have seen a lot of zone stuff to think that's his "defensive philosophy." But, from what the coaches say, the zone stuff is a reaction to the talent on the field and not the true scheme they want to run. They sign Jacques Reeves because he is supposedly made for man-to-man, press defense. They also hired Ray Rhodes, who's known for his zone scheme.

So, they're definitely sending out mixed signals here. You've had three years to get "your personell" in place, so if your intention is to run man, the time is now. But, not only are you still running out there with zone stuff, you hired a coach who's career philosophy has been zone. Things just aren't adding up.

There's two possible explanations. One, this "it's just preseason" stuff is legitimate, and we will see a drastic turnaround come the regular season. Or, historical precedent holds true, and Richard Smith is the incompetent coordinator his tenure has shown he is. I certainly hope the former is the case, but I'm not holding my breath.