Cowboys: Dan Quinn provides encouraging insight following Week 3 disaster
The Dallas Cowboys' defense had a day we'd all like to leave behind in the rearview mirror as quickly as possible. In the first half alone, the Arizona Cardinals averaged over 10 yards per rush attempt on their way to 182 rushing yards. That led to the Cowboys playing from behind the entire game, thus […]
The Dallas Cowboys' defense had a day we'd all like to leave behind in the rearview mirror as quickly as possible. In the first half alone, the Arizona Cardinals averaged over 10 yards per rush attempt on their way to 182 rushing yards.
That led to the Cowboys playing from behind the entire game, thus allowing Joshua Dobbs and his offense to keep things on the ground and avoiding the fear-inducing pass rush that Micah Parsons leads.
It was the kind of performance that raises questions even for a defensive coordinator as successful as Dan Quinn has been throughout his career and, most recently since he arrived in Dallas in 2021. Some fans have been quick to forget all the good Quinn has done after the poor performance, which is absolutely bonkers, but it at least illustrates how poorly his unit played in Week 3.
The good news is Quinn believes it came down to missed assignments and not a lack of physicality. In other words, this was not the Cardinals punching the Cowboys in the mouth like the Denver Broncos did a couple of years ago where they won every snap at the line of scrimmage but rather the Cowboys' players missing on their responsibilities.
"I have (seen physicality)," Quinn told reporters about his players on Monday. "I thought over the last two weeks, I really felt that. The physicality. So, I don't want to say one game is who we are, I didn't say that in the first game either."
Yet, the Cardinals had five big-time runs in the first half alone. That includes a 44-yard run from QB Joshua Dobbs, a 45-yard rush from Rondale Moore, and a 26-yard rush from James Conner. The Cowboys simply were not up to the task.
So if it wasn't physicality, what was the issue?
"One on a quarterback read play, that didn't have anything to do with our physicality, it's just us not quite handling our job responsibility," Quinn added. "My answer is not on the physicality but at the end of the day, six missed tackles are too many for us."
While Cowboys fans are right to be unhappy with the team's performance versus the run, missed assignments are much more fixable than straight-up being "out-physicaled," as coaches say.
Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy must turn his words into action starting in Week 4
He’s seemingly learned his lesson.
Featured image via Dallas Cowboys' YouTube
