Is it Quinn's defense or lack of talented players?

[Beaker42]

What's the pick, I wish I knew how to do the poll stuff! Please give your thoughts

It’s 60% his bad D and 40% bad players at key positions. Bad DT’s, worse LB’s and sus S play.

 

[KMY_Amber]

It’s 60% his bad D and 40% bad players at key positions. Bad DT’s, worse LB’s and sus S play.

This is a fair ratio to me. Yes, the defense is missing some key pieces.

But Quinn has just been bad at preparing successful defensive game plans, and designing plays.

I do think the Cowboys' defense is overrated, and I think the defensive line is REALLY overrated.

But I think Quinn is overrated too. LOL And yes, the defense has improved comparing him to the defense that he inherited. But that was a lowwww bar, because this defense was really bad the year before he got here. Any improvement from that basement was going to be a resume-builder...so I hope he parlays this into a HC job. It's time for a different philosophy on defense. Clearly, in Big Games, what Quinn designed simply wasn't effective enough. He has to own that.

And I bet that's why he hasn't been hired yet. He has to answer for all of the unquestionably bad defensive performances in the Big Games this season, with ineffective adjustments and poor schemes...especially that final game in the playoffs, at home, as the #2 seed. That was genuinely a bad outing by his side of the ball.

Plus, wasn't he the head coach AND the DC when the Falcons blew a 28-3 lead against the Patriots in Super Bowl 51??????????

Yikes!

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

There are upgrades in FA. Guys who are good but not pro bowl good. Also it depends where they target the DT/LB in the draft, also how deep it is.

Hard to say without knowing our salary cap.

 

[Manster_Mash]

This D is terrible up the middle. DT, LB, S. All garbage.

 

[Chasing6]

What's the pick, I wish I knew how to do the poll stuff! Please give your thoughts

At this point every Cowboys fan in the world show know what our problem is. Our ability or lack thereof to run the ball and stop the run.

Kind of an important part of the game. Especially in the playoffs.

 

[kskboys]

But it's not as simple as size = talent. Robert Spillane was one of the best LBs in all of football this year and he's only 6'1" 225lbs. You can win with smaller players, but DQ took that to the next level and that's the way he wanted to build up his team. Honestly I think we are in large part arguing the same thing just giving it different labels. We both agree we need several new players in here, you're saying we need them because they are not talented, I'm saying we need them because the scheme needs changed for 2024 as the Cowboys defense is set up to prioritize defending the pass and got exposed for that this year.

As far as only having two quality starters on this defense that is where we would disagree. I think Bland and Gillmore were both starter level and not just fringe starters either. I'd also throw OSA into that starter group, but know Ill get a lot of push back by a lot of people there lol. I also struggle with the idea that all three of our Safeties did a straight nose dive in terms of ability from 2022-2023. When an entire position group starts to regress like that it starts to tell me that the scheme has gotten old and the league has adjusted.

So much of this year, especially as we got deeper into the season we can point out play after play where the defense had terrible personnel groups in the game vs 21 formations that caused them to get gashed against the run. The Green Bay game was a great example of a schematic breakdown with DBs 5+ yards off the ball on 3rd & 3. Constant heavy prevent defenses at end of half/end of game situations....Detroit immediately comes to mind.

I'm actually a big DQ supporter, but I wouldn't be honest if I said anything other than he let us down this year. Maybe the roster construction piece going into the season was more of a Jerry move and limited what DQ's hands? It's possible but I have to believe that DQ has a ton of influence on the final roster and draft decisions, and that all stems from his philosophy and scheme.

Yeah, no one said that!!!!!!!!!!!! 25 lbs is a mountain of difference. Many LB's are in the 230lb range. Only like 2(aside from our team) are in the 200 lb range. Why? Because it's too easy to push them aside.

Bland had a ton of INT's, but hasn't played all that well lately. Not sure what to make of him at this point.

Osa lacks the "sand in his pants" to be a full time starter at DT. He's one of our big issues in the run game. Don't get me wrong, I love the guy as a player, he's just not a starter.
Gilmore was good until he got hurt, and then was never the same.

Still, pointing out a few good players does not a D make.

 

[kskboys]

Maybe a good coach can clean him up.

Can't teach lateral agility.

 

[Birch_Wood]

He seems to be good at basic defense. But Quinn collapsed in the Superbowl to. What is it with this owner and team that attracts collapse artists?