Cowboys Defense: Historically Bad & Officially Dirty

After a 38-31 loss at Seattle, the numbers (and the Seahawks) do not lie: the Dallas Cowboys defense is historically bad and officially dirty

Three members of the Dallas Cowboys defense - and only three - accomplished anything at all notable in Sunday's 38-31 loss at Seattle.

1) In the flood of Russell Wilson's five TD passes is the fact there should've been six. Rookie cornerback Trevon Diggs hustled behind a loafing D.K. Metcalf to "peanut-punch'' the ball out of his hands and through the end zone, turning a 62-yard touchdown into Dallas getting the ball back on a touchback.

But otherwise?

“People are not supposed to run wide open,” Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said of his overall secondary play.

2) Aldon Smith finished with three sacks, four tackles, two tackles for loss, a pass deflection and four quarterback hits. Smith - out of football for almost a half-decade due to NFL suspension, is the NFL leader with four sacks in three games.

“I feel like I try to bring my A-game every time I go out and play,” Smith said.

But while Smith is bringing A's ... the rest of this defense is now winning backhanded honors for ineptitude. Dallas, 1-2, has now given up Through three games, the Cowboys have given up 97 points. That's third-worst in the NFL. More notably, that's a franchise record to open a season. And allowing 77 points in two games?

That's a franchise record as well.

3) Trysten Hill is a dirty player.

That, at least, is the reputation that will be born of the second-year defensive tackle's work in Seattle, where not one but twice he put a Seahawks player in jeopardy with plays that do not meet with much approval from critics.

Here's the "gator roll'' that could've ended the season of running back Chris Carson ...

Trysten Hill with the alligator death roll on Chris Carson's leg pic.twitter.com/WUEJPv3hgz

— Slightly Biased (@BiasedSlightly) September 27, 2020

And here's the helmet-to-helmet on Russell Wilson ... 

Trysten Hill roughing the QB leads to a successful 2 pt conversion pic.twitter.com/vJ2N2QILmk

— Slightly Biased (@BiasedSlightly) September 27, 2020

Last week, Aldon Smith took charge of the public debate (involving Cowboys players and coaches) regarding whether new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan's scheme was too complex (as opposed to many of the same individuals pondering whether the previous scheme under Rod Marinelli was too "vanilla.''

"Chill out,'' Aldon told the world.

READ MORE: Cowboys Give Away Game In Seattle, Fall to Seahawks 38-31

READ MORE: Seahawks 38, Cowboys 31: 10 Whitty Observations

Now comes a similar message from defensive leader DeMarcus Lawrence, who has yet to make much of an impact on the field but is trying to use his words to keep this thing from veering off into the ditch.

“Hats off to Russ and them, they won the game,'' Tank said. "But we’ll see them again.”

For this historically bad (and officially dirty) Cowboys defense? Be careful what you wish for.