(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.