With only one game left for the Dallas Cowboys to play before the post-season, there seems to be a slight problem that has been occurring lately with the Cowboys. Surprisingly, that problem has been with the defense.
The Cowboys have had much more success on offense over the past few games than they did at the start of the season for sure. Over the last five games, the Cowboys have scored 182 points. Over the first five games of the season, they scored 93 (with some of those points being scored by the defense). This is a huge step up for Dallas as the playoffs are near.
With that said, the defense seems to be going in the opposite direction. Over the first five games of the season, the Cowboys' defense let up a total of 72 points. Over the last five games, 129 points were allowed (with 7 points being off a pick-6).
This problem has been a concern for Cowboys fans as it seemed to first start at the Jacksonville Jaguars game that was played on December 18th when the Cowboys let up 40 points. This game seemed to expose how to defeat Dallas's defense because the very next week the Philadelphia Eagles scored 34 points against us with their backup QB.
So now what, are the Cowboys doomed come playoff time because of the demise of our defense?! No, I don't think so. However, I do think that there is a problem here that needs to be solved, as this problem isn't with the players.
We see each week how Linebacker Micah Parsons and Defensive End Demarcus Lawrence can get to the backfield and put pressure on the QB. We also see how the defensive players are good at stopping the run. While I feel like the secondary has been a bit sloppy lately, I still don't believe this is where the problem is.
I must point my finger at Defensive Coordinator Dan Quinn. I love the guy and I feel like he's changed the Cowboys' defense for the better, but lately, there is a conflict that he must fix fast. He finally was exposed and was discovered at the Jags game how he ran his defense, and now I feel like he doesn't know what to do. Teams are gonna watch tape on how the Jags and Eagles scored so many points against us and use it in the playoffs to defeat them.
Dan Quinn must find a way to slightly change the way his defense is operated and convert it back to a “hidden weapon”. In the early games, teams didn't know how to get past the pass rush, run D, and secondary whatsoever. But now, they have been eating us alive with points scored.
Dan needs to hide his defense better and make it a secret, however, he only has one more week to change this problem.
At the end of this post, I must say that it is a fact that the defense is declining for Dallas. However, I am still very proud of the defense this year. The players have been amazing and even though the coaching has declined a bit, Dan has done a very good job. Honestly, between Dan and the other coaches, I'd say Dan is the best at his job.
