Dan Quinn Gets Too Much Credit For The Defensive Turn Around

[MountaineerCowboy]

For one, he only had be better than the worst Cowboys defense of all time for it to be considered an improvement in 2021.

Second, Micah Parsons being drafted and being great right away and Trevon Diggs emerging (he showed signs in 2020 but injuries derailed it) as an elite ball hawk after his injury his rookie season was going to happen regardless of Quinn. That's just who they are and I don't believe Quinn unlocked anything in them. Diggs showed the signs his rookie season and Parsons was a no brainer.

Daron Bland is basically the only guy, besides Parson(who was a no brainer), that has been drafted in the Quinn era and contributed greatly and he came out of nowhere and only got a chance because of injuries, it wasn't like Quinn saw this special talent from him and put him on the field. He was put on the field out of necessity.

The run defense has always sucked under Quinn and the defense has been this weird live or die by the turnover type of defense that, like the Cowboys as a whole, chokes in big games and against good opponents.

Mazi Smith, Sam Williams, Damone Clark, Kelvin Joseph, Osa, Cox, Golston, and Wright all basically have done nothing and most of these guys are 2nd and 3rd round picks.

 

[cowboys5xsbs]

Parsons was the bigger change. Dan Quinn just lucked into a generational talent and it carried his defense.

 

[atlantacowboy]

Last I checked, his defense gave up 41 points in a home playoff game. Nobody fears his defense.

 

[75boyz]

He is no doubt a night and day improvement over Nolan so there is that.

But all his pass rushers seem to play better out of the gate and up to half a season and then kinda disappear for whole games at the midway point/Thanksgiving holiday.

Linebacking is truly a mystery. Weird cuz of his background with Wagner in Seatlle that he wouldnt address the 2nd level of the dee more effectively.

Safeties had a good year the year before last but not so much just this past year.

Corners I am okay with and totally impressed by Bland's production.

Agree with the previous poster who said how lucky he was to luck into Parsons or the dee could really be a complete mess.

Also agree with your comment on all the 2nd/3rd round misses that set the dee back even further personnel wise.

 

[Mikexike]

For one, he only had be better than the worst Cowboys defense of all time for it to be considered an improvement in 2021.

Second, Micah Parsons being drafted and being great right away and Trevon Diggs emerging (he showed signs in 2020 but injuries derailed it) as an elite ball hawk after his injury his rookie season was going to happen regardless of Quinn. That's just who they are and I don't believe Quinn unlocked anything in them. Diggs showed the signs his rookie season and Parsons was a no brainer.

Daron Bland is basically the only guy, besides Parson(who was a no brainer), that has been drafted in the Quinn era and contributed greatly and he came out of nowhere and only got a chance because of injuries, it wasn't like Quinn saw this special talent from him and put him on the field. He was put on the field out of necessity.

The run defense has always sucked under Quinn and the defense has been this weird live or die by the turnover type of defense that, like the Cowboys as a whole, chokes in big games and against good opponents.

Mazi Smith, Sam Williams, Damone Clark, Kelvin Joseph, Osa, Cox, Golston, and Wright all basically have done nothing and most of these guys are 2nd and 3rd round picks.

Agree with everything stated.... when was the last time we had a good run def? was it the ratliff era?

 

[zrinkill]

Agree with everything stated.... when was the last time we had a good run def? was it the ratliff era?

Tyrone Crawford era ................ and everyone wanted to run him out of town​

 

[Mikexike]

Tyrone Crawford era ................ and everyone wanted to run him out of town​

Forgot about anthony spencer also

 

[MikeT22]

Yeah, I posted about the same thing in another thread a day or two ago.

I also don’t see him getting a HC job this year, so he will probably be back. If / when he does leave I don’t see us doing anything different than what we’ve done the last decade or so. Probably another retread or in house promotion.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Last I checked, his defense gave up 41 points in a home playoff game. Nobody fears his defense.

Exactly.

 

[SackMaster]

Last I checked, his defense gave up 41 points in a home playoff game. Nobody fears his defense.

I mean, the Packers WON the toss and was like, we WILL drive down the field and score TDs.

And then proceeded to do so in 6 of their first 7 drives.

Maybe, and that's a big maybe, you can still win the game if the offense shows up. But of course, the Cowboys being the Cowboys, the offense played like dog poop too.

 

[doomsday9084]

The big thing that Quinn brought to the team was ball hawking. The defense tries to get the ball, either by interception or by pulling it free. The team went from being on the bottom for turnovers to leading the league two years in a row. The team was actually doing well with it early this year. If you look, the games where the defense took the ball away were games where Dallas dominated.

Unfortunately, turnovers can be fickle. I think part of the issue Dallas had was that teams started playing more cautious against them including ball control stuff. Quinn didn't have a counter for it and the defense faded.

Quinn's inability to adjust on the fly was really disappointing. In the games were things weren't going his way, he showed no flexibility nor insight to change things up. I can't believe he didn't have freaking 9 in the box against GB after a few possessions. That was a horrific coaching job.

 

[MojaveJT]

Our run defense has always been trash. Like I say every year, we need some big chonky boys in the middle but this FO always neglects it.

I think Al Harris deserves credit for our DBs becoming more ball hawks.

I don’t know what scheme DQ was running against the Packers but it was nothing close to what they ran all year.

 

[Captain-Crash]

so we are not running fat mike off and moving dan quinn medicine woman to HC?

 

[Majic]

For one, he only had be better than the worst Cowboys defense of all time for it to be considered an improvement in 2021.

Second, Micah Parsons being drafted and being great right away and Trevon Diggs emerging (he showed signs in 2020 but injuries derailed it) as an elite ball hawk after his injury his rookie season was going to happen regardless of Quinn. That's just who they are and I don't believe Quinn unlocked anything in them. Diggs showed the signs his rookie season and Parsons was a no brainer.

Daron Bland is basically the only guy, besides Parson(who was a no brainer), that has been drafted in the Quinn era and contributed greatly and he came out of nowhere and only got a chance because of injuries, it wasn't like Quinn saw this special talent from him and put him on the field. He was put on the field out of necessity.

The run defense has always sucked under Quinn and the defense has been this weird live or die by the turnover type of defense that, like the Cowboys as a whole, chokes in big games and against good opponents.

Mazi Smith, Sam Williams, Damone Clark, Kelvin Joseph, Osa, Cox, Golston, and Wright all basically have done nothing and most of these guys are 2nd and 3rd round picks.

As bad as Mike Nolan's Defense was statistically. Ask yourself what it would have been like with Parsons and a healthy Diggs in 2020.

Joseph and Williams-all on Quinn. Cox presumably the same.

Smith-I just don't understand what they are trying to do with him.

Quinn was given too much power and too much credit

 

[DuncanIso]

For one, he only had be better than the worst Cowboys defense of all time for it to be considered an improvement in 2021.

Second, Micah Parsons being drafted and being great right away and Trevon Diggs emerging (he showed signs in 2020 but injuries derailed it) as an elite ball hawk after his injury his rookie season was going to happen regardless of Quinn. That's just who they are and I don't believe Quinn unlocked anything in them. Diggs showed the signs his rookie season and Parsons was a no brainer.

Daron Bland is basically the only guy, besides Parson(who was a no brainer), that has been drafted in the Quinn era and contributed greatly and he came out of nowhere and only got a chance because of injuries, it wasn't like Quinn saw this special talent from him and put him on the field. He was put on the field out of necessity.

The run defense has always sucked under Quinn and the defense has been this weird live or die by the turnover type of defense that, like the Cowboys as a whole, chokes in big games and against good opponents.

Mazi Smith, Sam Williams, Damone Clark, Kelvin Joseph, Osa, Cox, Golston, and Wright all basically have done nothing and most of these guys are 2nd and 3rd round picks.

No,

DQ is the reason.

Remember Nolan?

 

[J_Allen]

All you have to do is look at Quinn's 2 minute defense to know that he's an absolute joke. I have never seen a defensive coordinator roll out the red carpet for teams to score like he does. I can't even believe he's being considered for a head coaching position.

 

[Aven8]

I just think the league finally caught up to us. To be fair he did have a 2nd year Clark coming in, LVE, and a promising rook in Overshown. The problem is the FO never gave him anything at the trade deadline once two of them were hurt. He had no other choice to play Bell.

The shine has also faded on all the safeties, Kearse, Hooker, etc.

Ramming Micah against a brick wall every week was tough to watch as well. Even though the dude is awesome, no one outside of Dlaw is that great.

If DQ does come back he needs to reinvent himself again. The league has caught up to him again.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

One minute y’all say Micah sucks and want him gone….now you want to say he’s the sole reason for the change even though Quinn in Seattle and Atlanta shown he can coach. Only Cowboy fans think he’s the issue though yeah go get Nolan back. Maybe he too can do something with Micah….