It’s an era of abundant optimism at Valley Ranch. After suffering a depressing 6-10 season in 2020, the Dallas Cowboys are entering the summer with the best expectations, largely due to the return of star quarterback Dak Prescott.
There is no doubt that Prescott’s return (along with the multitude of weapons at his disposal) will give the Cowboys one of the NFL’s toughest offenses, but if Dallas is going to overthrow the Washington football team, win the NFC East and qualify for the playoffs, it may not be for Prescott and the offense.
That’s the new Dallas defense that has come in markedly since last year’s unit that allowed the fifth-most game-consistent issues in the league.
When the Cowboys started the OTA this week, Prescott in the area and sending passes to the catchers. As Jori Epstein reported for USA Today, head coach Mike McCarthy said he was very pleased with the progress of Prescott’s rehabilitation after the end of last year’s season. ankle fracture
“He’s been playing with a lot of confidence for a while,” McCarthy said. “I’d say it’s ahead of schedule. “
When Prescott lost last year to the New York Giants, he finished a surely torrid start to the season: he averaged 371. 2 yards consistent with passes consistent with the game in the first five weeks, a speed that would equal more than 5900 yards for a game. The entire season he threw at least 450 yards in three consecutive games from Week 2 to Week 4.
Dallas averaged more than 32 game-consistent issues in the first few weeks, a figure that would have led the NFL to a full season.
Prescott has one of the league’s open receivers, Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup; a couple of good quality tips at Blake Jarwin and Dalton Schultz; one of the young carriers of Ezekiel Elliott’s league; and an offensive line that includes two players who have participated in several Pro Bowls against Zack Martin and Tyron Smith.
There’s no explanation for why thinking the Cowboys would possibly not line up an offensive in the top 10 in 2021. The first five are at their fingertips.
But there is a potentially obvious problem. One that can derail the entire Dallas season.
Look, for all the yards Prescott has accumulated in the air and all the trouble Dallas scored in the first five games, at the end of that fight against the Giants, the Cowboys were 2-3.
Because the defense is horrible.
Dallas, a respectable 11th pass defense, but no NFC team allowed more yard yards on the court consistent with the game than the 158. 8 the Cowboys gave. For Football Outsiders, the Cowboys finished 23rd in defensive DVOA, the lowest score in the NFC East.
These defensive fights earned coordinator Mike Nolan his roles in walking after the season. The team chose former Falcons head coach Dan Quinn to upgrade him. Quinn told reporters (via ESPN’s Todd Archer) that he was looking for a chance to introduce himself after a fight. complicated end of his term in Atlanta.
“What I would say is what you can tell about me, is someone who expresses himself in how we’re going to do it and get there,” he said. “And I can’t wait for him to come out. The most productive thing. “The competitive moments of my life came from moments of demonstration. “
Quinn, long known for leading a 4-3, Cover-3 program in Atlanta and Seattle, raised some eyebrows when he said Dallas would use more three-way fronts in the base sets. According to FanDuel’s Isaiah De Los Santos, Quinn said yes. you don’t just need to do the same things as him.
“This included defensive cuts from 2013 to 2020, and led me to some of the formula adjustments I was looking to put into effect in the next round. I didn’t need to just do another rinse and repeat a big bite of what I was looking to do. “
Frankly, the adjustments might not be as drastic as some people think. Quinn’s “Under” fronts included a defensive end that would line up away from the status tackle. The difference between that and a 3-4 terrestrial supporter is also semantic. as schematic.
Quinn not only brought his delight with him from Atlanta: former Falcons safety keanu Neal (who will play weak supporter in Dallas) has been recruited to a flexible agency, as has Damontae Kazee, who can play flexibly. safety and in the slot machine.
The crown jewel of the defensive additions in Big D this season lowers the variety of Penn State supporter Micah Parsons with the tenth overall selection. 6’3″, 246 pounds, who made comparisons with Myles Jack of Jacksonville, an animal for the Nittany Lions two. Years ago, accumulating 109 tackles in total and 14 tackles for defeat. Parsons told reporters (via Archer) that he is in a position to be an intermediate force for the team.
“They wouldn’t move me there if they didn’t want Mike. Mike, supporter, you have a chance to force. You’re fitting a Rambo player. Play on the surface. That’s what I do best. Take a look at what I did, in college, I could lose it. I can pass either way, be close to the ball. They know what I do best. I’m pleased to start there. “
In Parsons, Neal, the fourth-round rookie selects Jabril Cox and retained players Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander Esch, the Cowboys seem to have the mix of speed, athletics and supporter toughness for a dramatic defense opposed to last year’s rotten run without being devoured. alive. Kazee is a full high school professional who completed seven passes in 2018.
On paper, Dallas’ defense looks much brighter than last year’s unit.
However, the games are played on paper and the Cowboys are asking a lot of questions defensively in 2021.
With the Cowboys’ 31 catches in 2020 ranked in the back of the NFL, and aside from Demarcus Lawrence (which has 11. 5 catches in the last two years), Dallas lacks shown pins. The team rejected Vander Esch’s fifth-year option after a 2020 injury size, which will make him a loose agent in the 2022 off-season.
Smith’s playing point dropped dramatically last year from his Pro Bowl crusade the following season. Neal has played more than 3 games once in the last 3 years. Parsons decided not to participate in the 2020 season at Penn State. sophomore Trevon Diggs doesn’t scare anyone.
Quinn has a lot of paintings to make for him. And even if things get in place regularly, the Cowboys will move to Washington as the division’s most productive defense.
The point is, they don’t have to. Dallas doesn’t want a more sensible five defensive to win the NFC East. Or even a defense in the most sensible 10. The Cowboys just want a competent defense that can get out of the area and make a big casual move. A defense that can complement his explosive attack instead of dragging him and putting immense strain on Prescott and his company to score in every possession.
If Quinn can take the new pieces to Dallas and turn them into a defensive that ranks in the most sensitive part of the league, the Cowboys have a smart chance of making their first playoff appearance since 2018.
If he can’t, then 2021 probably looks a lot like 2020: Prescott posting ridiculous numbers, gambling shootings in Dallas every week and the Cowboys having trouble with Thee-American Array500.
At least we probably wouldn’t have to wait long to see where things are going. Dallas begins the season in Tampa as opposed to the protective super bowl champions.
The defense would be ready.
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