The Dan Quinn led defense trended in the wrong direction for much of the year this season.
Now they are faced with a lot of questions as the season came to a disappointing end.
After the Cowboys brought back Quinn a season ago, me and pretty much everyone else were very excited, that excitement slowly drained as the year went on.
Outside out a handful of studs on the defensive end, this Quinn led group could not stop a nose bleed.
All season they struggled to stop the run, and we saw it again in the playoff loss to the Green Bay.
Aaron Jones ran for 118 yards and three touchdowns.
It seemed like Quinn was at his worst on Sunday. The Packers had guys running free all over the place.
They didn’t sack Jordan Love one time, the first it has happened in over 15 games.
Quinn seemed checked out, and he might be considering he has had interviews for head coaching jobs.
He might have knocked himself out of some offers with the performance last week.
Time To Go
I am just waiting on the announcement from Shefty or Ian that Quinn has been let go. McCarthy is coming back so that already sucks.
In all honesty though, Quinn has a more likely chance to not return next season than McCarthy.
This defense has play makers, but they are failing to make plays when it matters against good teams.
They did not make Jordan Love press at all, he had all day to throw, and for a team that ran pretty much man coverage all season, Quinn had them in Zone 90% of the time.
Makes absolutely no sense to me.
I understand that when the playoffs hit, pressure gets pumped up, but these guys have played here before.
They got beat up by a team who had never been there before.
I understand the offense was not good, but the defense forced, what, one or no punts?
Right from the start they had a sack wiped on a defensive penalty.
Mike McCarthy talked about Quinn at his press conference on Thursday morning.
He said that he wants Quinn to return if he doesn’t take a head coaching job.
To be honest, I loved him returning last season, but I don’t want him now. He gave up 40 to the Niners, 40 to the Packers, 40 to the Seahawks.
He didn’t have an answer for teams with above average offenses this season. He has the play makers, they just didn’t show up.
He ran drop coverages all wild card game when Aaron Jones was gashing them on the ground.
Even when Trevon Diggs returns next season, these problems are going to carry over into next year.
Who would take over?
If Quinn takes a head coaching job, the Cowboys have a few guys in the building who would have a chance to take the DC role.
Al Harris is growing on me.
The former Green Bay CB has been coaching for 12 years in the NFL.
In his short time in Dallas, he’s produced two guys that have led the league in interceptions.
Joe Whitt Jr. would be my first pick to take over.
Whitt, Quinn’s No. 2 in command, is the odds-on favorite of the internal candidates. It’s Whitt who fills in for Quinn as play-caller on occasions.
End of the day is that no matter what happens, this defense against above average teams might carry over.
Talent is everywhere, but fail to show up when it matters.
Was the 2022 season really any different? DQ seems so focused on DEs and DBs that he seems oblivious to the fact the Da-Fence starts at DT. Then the Cowboys weren’t even sure they wanted to resign LVE for 2023. Look where they are without him. Damone Clark has improved, but there is NOT a replacement for LVE on the roster. Kinda like the Cowboys have never effectively replaced Maliek Collins. Their idea of an effective DT was to pick up Hankins who is average at best. Odighizuwa would be better as a DE in a 3-4 scheme. And as far as “all the studs at DE” who exactly are they? Lawrence still has moments, but has declined to the point where he needs to be a rotational player. Dorance Armstrong led all D-Lineman in sacks . . . except that we know that Parsons is a DE. And don’t forget that Mike Zimmer has taken a couple of seasons off and might be ready to return to coaching. I’m not sure that DQ’s replacement is currently on this staff, and there are several NFL D-coordinators available. Some former head coaches who WILL or HAVE learned that their best talent is being a D-Coordinator and NOT as head coach. I wouldn’t hire DQ as either, but I sure hope someone else does . . . like Seattle~!
And I love the pic, BTW~! DQ is explaining to Big Mac how the Packers YING’d when he thought they would YANG~!