Dan Quinn and Dallas Cowboys’ revamped defense taking ball away, putting NFL on notice
With three interceptions in the first three games, Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs has set up a no-fly zone in his area of the secondary and is trying to put the league on notice.
What does he want them to know?
“That I am here,” Diggs said softly and confidently.
Diggs was named NFC Defensive Player of the Month.
In addition to 3 interceptions in 3 games, he has a league-leading 6 passes defended.
So is definitely here and he has brought a few new friends with him on a revamped Cowboys defense that through three games in 2021 looks nothing like the abominable unit of a year ago that set a club record for points allowed and gave up the second most yards and rushing yards in franchise history.
Credit the development of second-year players like Diggs who are coming into their own.
Credit the addition of eight free agents and eight rookie draft picks, led by first-round pick Micah Parsons.
And credit the addition of new defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, who has been the master manipulator of it all, moving the players around like chess pieces and having them strike with fear and reckless abandon to help fuel the team’s 2-1 start.
“It’s a totally different defense,” Diggs said. “You can take that whole year last year and just throw it away. It’s a whole new defense. We’re ready. We’re hungry. We got some guys ready to ball and ready to compete.”
The Cowboys rank 26th in the league in yards allowed — a number skewed by their bend-but-don’t-break philosophy and an Eagles team that passed for 326 yards in a 41-21 blowout loss on Monday night.
But they are sixth in rushing yards allowed, giving up just 70.3 yards per game.
It’s a huge improvement from last season by a unit that allowed more than 150 yards rushing eight times in 2020, including four games of more than 200 yards, topped by 294 by the Baltimore Ravens and a team-record 307 by the Cleveland Browns.
The Cowboys have given up just 23.3 points per game through three games after giving up 29.6 in 2020.
Through the first six games of 2020, only three teams in NFL history allowed more points.
“It’s amazing,” cornerback Jourdan Lewis said. “We knew we had the talent to go out there and do it. We just had to have the perfect storm to go out there and get it done.”
What’s been the perfect storm?
Lewis quickly identified Quinn, his staff and his scheme.
“He has a system where he gets his playmakers to the ball,” Lewis said.
The unit’s calling card has been its ability to create turnovers. They have eight takeaways, including a league-leading six interceptions.
It’s their most takeaways through three games since 2007. They did not record their eighth takeaway in 2020 until their 10th game.
This is precisely what the Cowboys hoped to accomplish when they got rid of defensive coordinator Mike Nolan, whose 2020 unit could have been characterized as undisciplined, confused and soft.
Quinn, the former Atlanta Falcons head coach who went to back-to-back Super Bowls as the Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator in 2012-13, said he jumped at the opportunity when Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy offered him the job.
“I love doing hard (expletive) with a group of people,” Quinn said before the season. “I love being at the game, in the line, right on it. To be here is why I was pumped when Mike offered me the opportunity to come and join him.
“Having that chance and getting a chance to work with the guys here is absolutely where I want to be.”
Diggs has played great and Parsons, the rookie linebacker-turned-defensive end out of necessity, has taken the league by storm.
Parsons and rookie defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa lead the team with 1.5 sacks each.
But Quinn who has made the biggest difference for a defense that played without one starter in the 31-29 season-opening loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, four starters in a 20-17 victory against the Los Angeles Chargers and six starters in the blowout victory against the Eagles.
“I mean he’s done a phenomenal job as a coordinator,” McCarthy said. “When you look at coordinating as really five key responsibilities, obviously utilizing your personnel is one of them. Dan doesn’t blink.”
Quinn just moves his players around to put them in the best position to help the team. Parsons starting the season at middle linebacker and moving to defensive end the past two games is the best example.
“I’ve always felt this way of players: let’s not talk about what they can’t do, but about what they can do,” Quinn said. “Find roles for people who have unique stuff. That’s what’s fun about this defense as we’re going, finding guys and putting them in different spots. You saw it with Micah the last couple of weeks playing a leading role at defensive end.”
The most exciting thing for Quinn and the Cowboys is that there is still room for improvement.
They are just three games into a new system and they have a number of players who will soon return from injuries and the COVID-19 list including Pro Bowl defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence (foot), defensive tackle Neville Gallimore (elbow), defensive tackle Carlos Watkins (knee), defensive end Dorance Amstrong (ankle), safety Donovan Wilson (groin), linebacker Keanu Neal (COVID) and defensive end Bradlee Anae (COVID).
“Yes, and that’s what excites me because there are guys we know we’re going to get back in the regular season,” Quinn said. “So when those moments happen, it continues to feed into the defense and what we want to be about. So I am pleased with where we’re at.
“I feel their energy. And we are making progress. We are going to stay relentless in how we go about things. We’re starting to connect stronger. We’re getting there, but we’ve still got a long way to go. But that’s the fun part.”
This story was originally published September 29, 2021 at 4:02 PM.
