FRISCO, Texas – The identity of the Dallas Cowboys has shifted.
The strength of the franchise no longer rests in the offense, but in Dan Quinn’s formidable crew.
In last year’s 6-10 output, everyone witnessed the collapse of the Cowboys’ defense in the Mike Nolan one-gap/two-gap experiment. In 2021, many expected a serviceable defensive unit in the new system and for the Dallas offense to set the tone. Over the first seven games of the season (6-1 record), Dak Prescott and co. averaged 32 points a game and offensive coordinator Kellen Moore garnered esteemed praise for his adaptation to defenses. However, the tide has turned.
Now, it is the defense fostering the team’s surge. The defensive front has spearheaded the onslaught, wreaking havoc on opposing quarterbacks and creating opportunities for the secondary. In the past five games, Dallas has registered 13 takeaways, including four in each of the past two contests.
At FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland, the defense made a statement. Dan Quinn rotated 10 defensive linemen against Washington with both Randy Gregory (calf) and Neville Gallimore (elbow) back in the mix – 11 with rookie sensation Micah Parsons starring as both an off-ball linebacker and defensive end. Below is the snap count:
Micah Parsons: 54
DeMarcus Lawrence: 47
Randy Gregory: 31
Osa Odighizuwa: 30
Neville Gallimore: 30
Dorance Armstrong: 29
Trysten Hill: 28
Tarell Basham: 27
Carlos Watkins: 19
Chauncey Golston: 18
Quinton Bohanna: 7
Quinn unleashed the weapons in his arsenal. With the return of Gregory and Gallimore, Quinn often lined up five pass rushers on the line of scrimmage, creating favorable one-on-one pass rush situations and matchups on running backs.
In Week 14, Gregory led the charge against Washington. He defended the cut block and got his hands up to tip Taylor Heinicke’s pass to himself for the interception. A touchdown/two-point conversion resulted on the ensuing offensive drive. Then came the menace, Micah Parsons. He beat guard Brandon Scherff on a dip-rip move and closed for the strip sack on Heinicke. Dorance Armstrong scooped up the ball and returned it for a 37-yard touchdown. The score became 18-0. Jourdan Lewis forced a fumble in the third quarter, turning into Greg Zuerlein’s fourth and final field goal. Finally, Gregory iced the win with a strip sack late in the fourth quarter.
Parsons notched another sack in the first half, bringing his season total to 12 and emboldening his case for Defensive Player of the Year. The impressive stat line continued for Gallimore, Gregory and Lawrence. Gallimore posted a sack, two tackles for loss and two quarterback hits. He made several key run stops and Lawrence finished with a sack and two quarterback hits. For good measure, Gregory put up a sack, two quarterback hits, one interception, one pass deflection and a forced fumble.
For context, the defense held Washington scoreless with just 29 total yards in the first half. WFT had -7 net passing yards in the first half and concluded the day three of 14 in third-down efficiency.
The performance drew praise from owner/general manager Jerry Jones.
“We were all anxiously awaiting to see [Randy] Gregory and [DeMarcus] Lawrence and [Micah] Parsons at the same time, but the interior there, those guys with Osa [Odighizuwa] as well as the new returnees with Trysten [Hill] and with [Neville] Gallimore in there,” Jones told 105.3 The Fan. “It was really rewarding to see. It’s hard to handle. We know it presents a lot of problems. We have those kinds of problems when we run up against fronts and have numbers of guys that can be threats to be a pressure. So, it was really good to see. There’s no question. It’s a strength of the team.”
With a struggling offense as of late, the defense has powered the team. After being fired midway through the 2020 season as the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, Dan Quinn spent his sabbatical assessing his scheme, studying evolving offensive patterns, and asked himself, “does what I am doing still work?” The time he spent away from the game seeing football through a different lens has materialized to production on the field. He made a change. Gone are the days of his prototypical base 4-3 and Cover 3 zones on the back end. Quinn has maximized the talent at his disposal and has put players in position to succeed with multiple looks up front/more man coverage in the secondary. Most noteworthy – evaluating and acquiring the right players to ignite the scheme between the hash marks.
He has built the foundation of the defense around young star, Micah Parsons. Quinn has created rush packages around his rare pursuit skills and closing speed – sparking the defensive turnaround. The Dallas defense became the laughingstock of the league last year and now a year later, has become one of the most feared units in football.
“I think it’s just the beginning,” Parsons said. “I think we have a long journey ahead, and I think the more you guys see us playing together, the more you guys will understand what I’m saying.”
