The newly adopted tackling method is what bothers me against a guy like Cook. If you watch film on it, runners are always going forward after contact. The difference with Cook is he sheds most contact and keeps going.
We all know Cook is explosive.....not very elusive behind the line of scrimmage tho....take his running lanes at the point of attack....angle tackling is very important on the perimeter....the dbs haveta elude blocks, pursue fast and lay some wood when they get there.....last but not least....the DL must get penetration throughout...ends cannot read and react.....gotta get up the field fast to blow up off tackle runs....the push inside is the most important...If they're able play on the other side of scrimmage......the D will be able to "contain him" for most of the game..
I'm no great expert on X's and O's, but one thing the attacking defense does is sometimes open running lanes. i know that from watching it for years, especially when Jimmy Johnson first implemented it. he has admitted the defense can give up big plays on occasion. I remember some of the runs against us by Sammy Smith in the '80's. I agree, get penetration, disrupt before the blocking can form, but unless everything works perfectly, including I would guess LB's filling the holes, he will get some lanes and get some big plays. We're not protecting gaps with our defense and the odds are, sooner or later, he'll get a lane. He's not jukey behind the LOS, that's for sure, but ever since I watched him in HS, he was awesome at taking it deep behind the LOS, waiting for blocking to form, see the lane, and he'd be gone.
I wish we could have pulled Joe and Dalvin, but that was not to happen.