When the Dallas Cowboys acquired Robert Quinn in March the idea was to pair him with All-Pro DeMarcus Lawrence to form one of the league’s top pass-rushing duos. Lawrence is off to a slow start with only 2.5 sacks in the first six games, Quinn however, has much more success.
After missing the first two games of the season for violating the NFL’s PED policy Quinn made his debut against his former team the Miami Dolphins. He didn’t waste any time making an impact as he not only picked up a sack but he had an amazing seven quarterback pressures. Quinn put on a tutorial of speed, power, and agility that proved why the Cowboys made the move to get him in free agency.
Week 4 in New Orleans was a defensive battle from start to finish, with Quinn being the shining star for Dallas. He was credited with four quarterback pressures, three quarterback hits, and two sacks. This would tie a franchise record for sacks in the first two games with the organization by any player. For a guy who broke a bone in his hand and got suspended within a matter of days a month before the season, Quinn was already looking like the All-Pro version of himself we saw in 2013 with the old St. Louis Rams when he had 19 sacks. Also, the fact that he produced such impressive numbers with limited fieldwork in the weeks leading up to his return was insane, to say the least.
Of course, you can’t get your numbers every week in the NFL, it’s just not realistic. When Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers came to town in Week 5 it was paramount that Quinn and others kept the future Hall of Famer under pressure all game, which didn’t exactly happen, at least not consistently. The Cowboys defense did manage five quarterback hits and two sacks but Rodgers was mostly untouched all game. Quinn would only record one tackle and a pass defended all game. It was also a game the entire defensive unit would like to forget as they allowed 34 points even though Rodgers didn’t throw a single touchdown.
That brings us to yesterday’s game against the New York Jets. This would be another game the Cowboys defensive unit would like to erase from their memory as Sam Darnold had a career day in his return from mononucleosis that sidelined him after the season opener. He threw for 338 yards and two touchdowns but the one bright spot on defense for Dallas was Quinn. He was the only Cowboys defender to register a sack (2), a quarterback hit (2) or a tackle for loss (2) the entire game. Now that’s what I would call a one-man show, wouldn’t you?
The Cowboys are seeing an immediate return on their investment already with Quinn. He now has five sacks in four games which puts him on pace to have 17.5 for the season, in 14 games, who wouldn’t want that? Robert Quinn is showing he could possibly be the biggest free-agent addition of 2019, and a player the Cowboys have to keep on this roster for the foreseeable future in order to reach the next level.
