Oh where oh where have the turnovers gone

[HungryLion]

The cowboys led the league in forced turnovers over the last 3 seasons. A big part of the reason the team was 12-5.

This offseason Zimmer literally said they would force less turnovers. But that they would make it up by stopping the run and keeping scoring down.


Well….. we now force basically no turnovers. Bottom 10 in the league in turnovers forced. As a result (plus Dak turning the ball over like it’s his job) the cowboys are 26th in turnover differential.

I was very worried about Zimmer’s
Comments in the off season but figured I would wait and see how it goes.

Well the early returns are NOT good.

At least when Quinn’s defenses were getting ran on. They still make some big plays to get the ball back.


This is a BIG BIG problem. You can’t win a lot of NFL games when you are near the bottom of the league in turnover differential.

 

[SlammedZero]

People were ready to run Quinn out of town with pitchforks and torches. I haven't seen a single aspect of this defense that Zimmer has improved, injuries or not.

 

[HungryLion]

People were ready to run Quinn out of town with pitchforks and torches. I haven't seen a single aspect of this defense that Zimmer has improved, injuries or not.

Quinn crapped the bed against GB in the playoffs. So I understand people’s frustrations.

That being said, people were lying to themselves to say Quinn wasn’t good.

The defense led the league in turnovers for 3 years in a row. That doesn’t happen by accident. And forcing turnovers is one of the most
Important things a defense can do.

 

[John813]

You need to have the lead/expect the team to pass it to get INTs. The defense can't be in pass rush mode/ballhawk mode when the offense can easily run it all three downs.

Dallas offense has gone awol, and the defense can't stop any team with a competent QB/RB. Hell, even Carr looked legit. The same issues with stopping the run were not resolved this offseason. The DL got worse. They were relying on now journeyman Kendricks and some green LBs to improve the middle unit.

Quinn's defense feasted when the other team was down big and had to take chances. Or they were facing the Giants or Skins with crap QB's.

 

[zrinkill]

To Washington

 

[DoctorChicken]

People were ready to run Quinn out of town with pitchforks and torches. I haven't seen a single aspect of this defense that Zimmer has improved, injuries or not.

LB play might be better, but that’s it.

 

[Creeper]

Every time we harken back to Quinn, I re-run the Packers game through my mind and it resets my reality. No pass rush, receivers running wide open in the secondary, poor tackling, no run defense. It was all just like this year.

Perhaps it is not the coaches, but the players.

Look at the players we lost. Armstrong, Fowler, Hankins, Gilmore, Gallimore. Then look at the injuries. Sam Williams, Lawrence Parsons, Bland. Compare those players to who took the field yesterday. It is a huge step down. Even without the injuries we lost something. On top of that Diggs does not look like the same player either.

I am not saying Zimmer is not a problem, but we lost a lot of talent. Gilmore, for example, is way better than Carson or any of the 3rd string CBs we are putting out there.

I think Zimmer needs to be more aggressive for sure, like Quinn. But I also think he is dealing with only half a deck.

 

[Mac_MaloneV1]

You're never going to get turnovers when you are trailing or, really, when you play against good offenses.

Turnover numbers are more a product of who you play than they are a product of how good you are.

 

[Cowboys5217]

The cowboys led the league in forced turnovers over the last 3 seasons. A big part of the reason the team was 12-5.

This offseason Zimmer literally said they would force less turnovers. But that they would make it up by stopping the run and keeping scoring down.


Well….. we now force basically no turnovers. Bottom 10 in the league in turnovers forced. As a result (plus Dak turning the ball over like it’s his job) the cowboys are 26th in turnover differential.

I was very worried about Zimmer’s
Comments in the off season but figured I would wait and see how it goes.

Well the early returns are NOT good.

At least when Quinn’s defenses were getting ran on. They still make some big plays to get the ball back.


This is a BIG BIG problem. You can’t win a lot of NFL games when you are near the bottom of the league in turnover differential.

I wish I could find it, but I guaranteed that all of this was going to happen by hiring Zimmer. No, I am not psychic. I just pay attention to results.

 

[Mac_MaloneV1]

Quinn crapped the bed against GB in the playoffs. So I understand people’s frustrations.

That being said, people were lying to themselves to say Quinn wasn’t good.

The defense led the league in turnovers for 3 years in a row. That doesn’t happen by accident. And forcing turnovers is one of the most
Important things a defense can do.

Quinn played the same game against GB as he did against Seattle and if I remember correctly Seattle would have scored on every first-half possession except they missed a field goal and then TDs on two of their first three in the second half.

DQ was correct in his overall approach that prioritized passing defense and killing teams when they were forced to be one dimensional - but he could not at all adjust and he never disguised anything. That is a death sentence for an NFL defense. Zimmer is wrong (the organization as a whole is) because they are prioritizing the run defense and have, in turn, turned themselves into the worst pass defense in the NFL.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

The cowboys led the league in forced turnovers over the last 3 seasons. A big part of the reason the team was 12-5.

This offseason Zimmer literally said they would force less turnovers. But that they would make it up by stopping the run and keeping scoring down.


Well….. we now force basically no turnovers. Bottom 10 in the league in turnovers forced. As a result (plus Dak turning the ball over like it’s his job) the cowboys are 26th in turnover differential.

I was very worried about Zimmer’s
Comments in the off season but figured I would wait and see how it goes.

Well the early returns are NOT good.

At least when Quinn’s defenses were getting ran on. They still make some big plays to get the ball back.


This is a BIG BIG problem. You can’t win a lot of NFL games when you are near the bottom of the league in turnover differential.

pressure on QB creates turnovers and sacks....we can't generate pressure, so QBs sit back there, smoke a cigar, read the paper, order coffee with door dash, then they make a throw...

this front 7 is awful!!!

 

[HungryLion]

You're never going to get turnovers when you are trailing or, really, when you play against good offenses.

Turnover numbers are more a product of who you play than they are a product of how good you are.

Maybe. It is a small sample size. And game script does make an impact.

But the cowboys leading the league in turnovers for 3 years straight wasn’t a small sample size and our defensive coordinator himself said we would force less turnovers. So that throws up red flags for me.

 

[HungryLion]

Quinn played the same game against GB as he did against Seattle and if I remember correctly Seattle would have scored on every first-half possession except they missed a field goal and then TDs on two of their first three in the second half.

DQ was correct in his overall approach that prioritized passing defense and killing teams when they were forced to be one dimensional - but he could not at all adjust and he never disguised anything. That is a death sentence for an NFL defense. Zimmer is wrong (the organization as a whole is) because they are prioritizing the run defense and have, in turn, turned themselves into the worst pass defense in the NFL.

Good points. Zimmers mindset and approach is very dated.

 

[Mac_MaloneV1]

Maybe. It is a small sample size. And game script does make an impact.

But the cowboys leading the league in turnovers for 3 years straight wasn’t a small sample size and our defensive coordinator himself said we would force less turnovers. So that throws up red flags for me.

Game script - and opponent quality - is all that matters. Interceptions is really the only way you measure a defensive performance because fumbles are random.

49ers - 0
Philly (1st game) - 0
Seattle - 1
Buffalo - 0
Miami - 0
Green Bay - 0

Teams just do not generate any turnovers when they do not have a lead.

 

[Mac_MaloneV1]

Good points. Zimmers mindset and approach is very dated.

I don't know how much of this is Zimmer and how much of this is just the organization as a whole.

They obviously decided that the few moves they did make had to be about run defense. We heard the refrain "earn the right to rush the passer" dating back to last season - but it is a backwards way of playing in 2024.

 

[big dog cowboy]

The cowboys led the league in forced turnovers over the last 3 seasons. A big part of the reason the team was 12-5.

Lost all their DE's and took hits at CB.

 

[big dog cowboy]

People were ready to run Quinn out of town with pitchforks and torches. I haven't seen a single aspect of this defense that Zimmer has improved, injuries or not.

 

[J_Allen]

Diggs was getting a lot of turnovers, but he's usually nowhere near his man to come close to getting one this year.

It's not just his play that's different - he looks and acts like a different person. He's really changed since he signed his extension, but that's what people do here.

 

[cowboys5xsbs]

Paper Tiger defense is what I liked to call Dan Quinns defense. It looks great on paper. The numbers looked great. Any good team shreds it like it's not even there. I don't care about turning the ball over against bad teams when you can't do it against anyone good. Zimmer is just as bad but can't even turn the ball over against bad teams.

 

[JayFord]

As much as I like Quinn the defense would’ve gotten the same treatment it did yesterday…you need your talented stars

Now Zimmers defense is based on solid 3 and outs and holding to fg’s and stopping the run

We aren’t there yet….not nasty enough for a Zimmer defense