Troy Aikman likes DC Dan Quinn but says Dallas Cowboys must upgrade talent on defense
Hall of Fame quarterback and current Fox broadcaster Troy Aikman was openly critical of the play and effort of the Dallas Cowboys defense when he did their games in 2020.
So Aikman, who won three Super Bowl titles with the Cowboys in the 1990s, understands why they fired defensive coordinator Mike Nolan and hired former Atlanta Falcons head coach Dan Quinn to replace him.
“You get judged on whether your defense does the job or not,” Aikman said on 1310 The Ticket. “I just know that the games that we had there were a number of times where the defensive call was fine, it just wasn’t executed particularly well. And yet the coordinator’s the one who gets criticized for that when those things happen. And ultimately, that’s where the buck stops.
“I still think Mike Nolan’s a good football coach. I think it became apparent that it was going to be his head on the chopping block over everyone else.”
In 2020, the Cowboys set a franchise record for points allowed in a season and gave up the second most yards and rushing yards ever.
Aikman likes Quinn as a defensive coordinator from his days with the Seattle Seahawks when they went to back-to-back Super Bowls in 2013-2014 with him leading the league’s No. 1 unit.
So Aikman calls Quinn a good coach and says it’s a good hire for the Cowboys.
He also said Quinn’s scheme is a good fit because it will mean a return to the same defensive system they ran under Kris Richard in 2018-19. Richard replaced Quinn in Seattle before joining the Cowboys.
But Aikman said the Cowboys still must upgrade the talent and attitude on defense.
“There are holes in the defense personnel-wise,” he said. “Those things have to be addressed. I’ve always believed that on the defensive side of the ball it’s more of a mindset. If you can get guys rallying to the football and playing at a certain level that you can do a lot of good things on the defensive side of the ball and you don’t necessarily have to have the best players. But you can have really good players that don’t buy in, don’t execute, don’t run to the football, don’t tackle well.
“You’ve got to have people who can get after the quarterback, you’ve got to have people who can cover.”
Aikman said the Cowboys still have a good pass rusher in defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence. And he likes the promise shown by rookie cornerback Trevon Diggs.
He said the Cowboys must use the draft and free agency to improve the personnel, especially in the secondary.
Smith has wrist surgery
Dallas Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith underwent surgery on his left wrist Thursday, sources said. He is expected to make a full recovery and be available for the team’s offseason program.
Smith played in all 16 games and led the Cowboys with 166 tackles in 2020, the second consecutive season he has led the team in tackles.
Smith is the second Cowboys player to undergo surgery since end of the season.
Receiver Amari Cooper had arthroscopic surgery on his right ankle and is also expected to be cleared in time to participate in the offseason program.
