Darren Woodson believes his former team, the Dallas Cowboys, has one major weakness on defense.
The Cowboys "are garbage at tackling," Woodson told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel this month. "They won't hit a soul."
Woodson's comments were packed into a larger conversation about the poor state of defensive fundamentals in today's NFL.
The Dallas slap-down is music to the ears of Cowboys haters, but Woodson points out it's a league-wide issue.
"Look at the (Green Bay) Packers and how they tackle," Woodson said. "They are terrible. It's the worst I've ever seen in my life. I love Charles Woodson, but it's either the spectacular play or the guy's getting an extra six or seven yards. They are all trying to make that big play."
Woodson believes tackling is at an all-time low, suggesting Detroit Lions wideout Calvin Johnson could score every game if he desired (which was not far from the truth in 2011). Woodson is currently an analyst for ESPN, but didn't shy away from citing his employer and "every broadcast you see" as making profits off big hits.
In the same piece, former Packers safety LeRoy Butler claimed the focus on mind-bending hits -- so-called kill shots -- has left proper tackling in the dust. Huge hits cause turnovers and spice up highlight reels. They lead to Pro Bowls, which lead to new contracts, but at what expense?
Former players can be notoriously grouchy when sizing up today's stars -- nobody worked as hard as they did, nobody bled as hard, nobody knew the game better (we get it, fellas) -- but Woodson and Co. might have a point this time around.
