Cowboys defense must clean up this vital concern to find success

The Dallas Cowboys defense has to return to the fundamentals if they hope to find success this season.

Sep 26, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (1) on a short gain against Dallas Cowboys linebacker DeMarvion Overshown (13) / Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

The Dallas Cowboys have a date with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday Night Football in Week 5.

It will be the first prime-time regular-season game between the two franchises since 1982. It also feels like a game Dallas needs to win.

Sitting at 2-2, the Cowboys need a signature victory to get this season rolling. Hitting the road and taking out a 3-1 Pittsburgh team could be exactly that. But to pull off a win, their defense needs to clean up this vital concern — missed tackles.

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Brandon Loree of Blogging the Boys shared a stat from NFL Pro saying the Cowboys have missed more than 15 percent of their attempted tackles, leading to 195 additional yards for the opposing team.

The #Cowboys have converted on 84.6% of their tackle opportunities this season, the 5th-lowest rate in the NFL.

As a result, Dallas has allowed the 6th-most yards after missed tackles in 2024 (195).

(stat via NFL Pro)

— Brandon Loree (@Brandoniswrite) October 5, 2024

On the year, Dallas has surrendered 1,421 yards, which is 25th in the NFL. Nearly 14 percent of those yards have come after the tackle. This entire defense could be seen in a different light if they just made the plays in front of them.

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It's frustrating for any team to have issues with fundamentals but even more infuriating for Dallas considering how they've looked when they were at their best.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) fails to convert under pressure from Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland (94) and Dallas Cowboys linebacker DeMarvion Overshown (13) / Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK

In a Week 1 win over the Cleveland Browns, they allowed just 230 yards total — most of which was in garbage time. In Week 4, they gave up 303 yards to the New York Giants but held them to 26 yards on the ground.

Their losses were far more concerning as they were gouged for 432 yards (190 rushing) in a Week 2 loss to New Orleans and 456 yards (274 on the ground) in Week 3 against Baltimore.

This defense needs to be better to end the roller coaster ride and that all starts with tackling the ball carrier.

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