I know, it's just a Total Defense Rank ( total yard rushing and passing allowed) but it's nice to know going into the playoffs we have D that can hold their own. We almost always had a good offense except for that gap between our last SB win and 2006
Total Defense Ranks of all Dallas Playoff games since the last Super Bowl win (opponent Total D rank)
- 2003--1st____(Car-8th)....diff +7
- 1996--3rd____(Car-10th)....diff +7
- 1996--3rd____(Minn-16th)...diff +16
- 2023--5th____(GB--17th)....diff +12 Loss
- 2018--7th____(Sea--16th)...diff +9 Win
- 2018--7th____(LAR--19th)...diff +12 Loss
- 2009--9th____(Phi--12th)...diff +3 Win
- 2009--9th____(Min--6th)...diff -3 Loss
- 2007--9th____(NYG--7th)...diff -2 Loss
- 1999--9th____(Min--27th)...diff +18
- 2022--12th____(TB--10th)...diff -2 Win
- 2022--12th____(SF--1st)....diff -11 Loss
- 2006--13th____(Sea--16th)...diff +3 Loss
- 2016--14th____(GB--31st)...diff +17 Loss
- 1998--18th____(Az--21st)...diff +3
- 2021--19th____(SF--2nd)...diff - 17 Loss
- 2014--19th____(Det--2nd)...diff -17 Win
- 2014--19th____(GB--15th)...diff -4 Loss
This is kinda fascinating in light of this ongoing Romo v Dak debate that the Dak-aholics always want to have whenever he goes belly up each year in January.
So if you look at these #'s--I highlighted the Romo playoff starts in
red and the Dak playoff starts in
blue
In Romo's 6 playoff starts, the Cowboys averaged 13th ranked defensively and the opponent averaged 9.7 ranked defensively. Average 3.3 better ranked defense in favor of our opponents. 4 of his 6 starts, the Cowboys had a worse ranked defense. Biggest Cowboys advantage, +3 (twice, in a win vs Philly and the loss vs Seattle). Biggest Cowboys disadvantage, 2014 vs Detroit (-17). Cowboys win.
In Dak's 7 playoff starts, the Cowboys have averaged 10.9 ranked defensively, and our opponents have averaged 13.7 ranked defense. Average 2.8 better ranked defense in favor of the Cowboys. In 4 of his 7 playoff starts the Cowboys have had a better ranked defense. Biggest Cowboys advantage, +17 vs GB in 2016, +12 vs Rams in 2018, +12 this year vs GB. All losses. Biggest Cowboys disadvantage, same as Romo -17 vs SF in 2021. Yet the Cowboys won the -17 game with Romo, lost it with Dak.
Just interesting to look at the data and see what it tells us.
and it undeniably tells us that overall Dak has been backed by better defenses in his playoff starts than Romo was, and has less to show for it.
Romo was backed by a better defense than the opponent twice and they split those games (win Detroit, loss Seattle). Dak has been backed by a better defense than the opponent 4 times (1-3 record). 3 times the Cowboys have had a double digit advantage in defensive ranking vs the opponent and all 3 games, we've lost with Dak at QB (GB twice in 2016 and 2023, and Rams).
Food for thought.
