As offense flounders, improved Dallas Cowboys defense could be foundation of title run
The struggles of the Dallas Cowboys offense understandably have people questioning their viability as a legitimate Super Bowl contender even as they remain atop the NFC East and in contention for the best record in the NFC.
At 9-4, they are one game behind the Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers with four games to go.
But while slumping quarterback Dak Prescott and the offense have critics and pundits spooked, there is no loss of confidence inside the team’s headquarters at The Star in Frisco heading into Sunday’s game against the New York Giants (4-9) because of the improved play of the Cowboys defense.
Led by rookie linebacker sensation Micah Parsons, who is a leading candidate for defensive rookie of the year and defensive player of the year honors, the Cowboys defense has gone from being one of the worst in franchise history last year to being labeled as the strength of the team by owner Jerry Jones.
The reimagining of the Cowboys’ key to success was not lost on the team’s precocious rookie.
“Going from people having us saying we’re going to be last in the division to people actually saying we are carrying the team,” Parsons said. “I think it’s a great honor because nobody thought this defense could be what we’re doing right now.”
Jones said the Cowboys are playing the best defense he’s seen in the organization since the title teams of the 1990s as confidence grows that this is a championship defense in the making.
That was certainly the goal of coach Mike McCarthy when he made a commitment to overhauling the defense after last season when they gave up the most points in franchise history and the second most yards ever.
“I’ll say what I said after last year, you cannot win a championship without defense,” McCarthy said. “That’s been my personal experience as a head coach. Won one championship, we were a top-five defense that year. Defense regulates the game.
“Offense, the quarterback has to go finish it. That’s been the focus. It’s been fun to watch it grow. We don’t have it all figured out on defense, either. We have room for improvement. It’s a big part of our formula.”
The formula started when the Cowboys fired coordinator Mike Nolan and replaced him with Dan Quinn. They then added seven defenders in free agency, led by the impact safety trio of Jayron Kearse, Malik Hooker and Damontae Kazee, before taking eight defensive players in the 2021 NFL Draft.
The impact was immediate as the Cowboys have collected 31 sacks and 27 takeaways in 13 games after notching only 31 sacks and 23 takeaways last season. Dallas leads the NFL with 20 interceptions — twice as many as it managed all of 2020.
Parsons has been the unquestioned star, leading the team with 12 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, 3 forced fumbles and 31 pressures while playing all over the field as a linebacker, defensive end and safety at times.
The Cowboys are coming off two of their best defensive performances of the season. They recorded four interceptions in a 27-17 victory against the New Orleans Saints and notched five sacks and four turnovers in a 27-20 victory against the Washington Football Team.
They returned interceptions for touchdowns in both games, giving them five defensive touchdowns on the season that ties a team record for most in a season.
The Cowboys have a chance to get even better as the Washington game was the first time all season in which their top pass rushers in defensive ends DeMarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory and their top interior rusher in defensive tackle Neville Gallimore took the field with the dynamic Parsons.
All four recorded sacks in the game.
“It’s nice when you set out a vision of what you want your defense to look like and you’re watching it come together,” McCarthy said. “It’s been awesome. Really, to have the whole defense together, this is the first time they’ve all been together with everybody healthy since training camp. That’s obviously very exciting for us.”
Are they good enough to be the foundation of a championship team?
Quinn, who helped lead the Seattle Seahawks to back-to-back Super Bowls in 2012-2013 as defensive coordinator, said the Cowboys have the makings of a special unit because of their depth and versatility.
“I think the versatility makes you think there are new spaces we can get to,” he said. “We have safeties who have different, unique things. Linebacker that does stuff. Tackles that can move from inside to outside. So I love the versatility of it. So if we can continue to make progress then I will say then we would have that opportunity. I like where we are headed.”
Let Parsons tell it, they are already there. And if not, it’s only a matter of time.
“I think we got every piece that we need,” Parsons said. “I think we’re very deep and healthy right now. This is what we’ve been anticipating.”
And while it’s far from what anyone expected, it has reinforced the Cowboys’ confidence they can have a super ending.
This story was originally published December 15, 2021 at 4:07 PM.
