Cowboys Coach Dan Quinn: NFL's Best Defensive Play-Caller?

The Cowboys were historically poor on defense in 2020, and under new coordinator Quinn in 2021 led the NFL in takeaways as part of the foundation of finishing 12-5.

FRISCO - The "best playcallers in the NFL'' among defensive coaches? Talk about a grand debate-starter regarding "analytics'' vs. "The Eye Test''!

And how so? We will use Pro Football Focus' valiant attempt to rank the defensive playcallers as Exhibit A.

Why is Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn on the list at No. 2 in the league? PFF writes, "Our method for how we come up with the rankings ... essentially we use PFF grades, adjusted for opponents and situation, to come up with an expectation for how a team should do on a play — both in terms of expected points added and success rate. Then we take the difference between what actually happened and attribute that to coaching.''

We're not sure we understand a word of that.

What we do understand is that the Cowboys were historically poor on defense in 2020, and under new coordinator Quinn in 2021 led the NFL in takeaways as part of the foundation of finishing 12-5.

That's the easy way to get a good grade, analytics be damned.

PFF says Leslie Frazier of the Bills is the No. 1 guy, while noting the relative ease of "their schedule last year and the fact that their games are played with the highest wind speeds in football.'' (Again, we don't really spend much time around here on "wind speeds.'') But PFF notes that the Bills "allowed an average of 4.6 yards per play.''

That, we understand.

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Next for PFF comes Quinn. They write that Quinn "spurred a great turnaround with the Dallas Cowboys, who won their division for the first time since 2018 in 2021. Everyone will look at the breakout season of second-year cornerback Trevon Diggs and the Defensive Rookie of the Year campaign for linebacker Micah Parsons but Quinn was also able to get great seasons from previously unknown players such as Jayron Kearse, who contributed greatly to the team's success in 2021.''

All dead-on, and we must note: PFF doesn't bother too much with analytical gibberish regarding DQ because ... it's just so obvious.

Less obvious is coach No. 3, Dennis Allen of the Saints. Allen, PFF notes, "needs to prove he can call this defense while also being the head coach'' as he gets elevated in 2021 after being part of a 9-8 team a year ago.

And then, to close the top four, a fascinating one: Raheem Morris of the Rams. PFF claims Morris was masterful "in dialing all of the sharp nobs on defense.'' And again, we simply don't know what that means. What we do know: By some measures, the regular-season Rams were no better than the No. 15 defense in the NFL - this despite employing superstar defenders like Aaron Donald, Von Miller and Jalen Ramsey.

Are we sure PFF isn't jacking up the Rams' playcalling grade because they won the Super Bowl? And if that is actually the case, here's why we're cool with it: That's the ultimate "Eye Test.'' Los Angeles won it all ... so Los Angeles can get all the praise.

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