'Pissed-Off!' Cowboys D 'Pushing Standards' - Dan Quinn Locker-Room Reveal
Make no mistake about it, the Dallas Cowboys defense hates giving up points. While only conceding 10 points in two games in the NFL is usually cause for celebration, that isn't the case for coordinator Dan Quinn's unit.
So despite torturing New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson in the first half at AT&T Stadium in Week 2, the fact that the defense had given up 10 points meant the high standards had slipped.
And, Quinn revealed, in the locker room at halftime, his defensive guys were fuming.
“If you had been in there with us at halftime, there were some unhappy campers,” Quinn said. “We were not pleased allowing a field goal right before the half and a touchdown earlier. So I was certain that we’d come out with some good determination in the second half and it was very good to see that.”
With the Jets employing Breece Hall and Dalvin Cook, many thought that Dallas' Achilles heel (sorry, Aaron Rodgers) would show up here - that is, struggles in run-stopping. In all six of their losses last season, the Cowboys on average, gave up 158.5 rushing yards per game.
Cowboys defense
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But the Dallas defensive guys have vowed to improve. Well, improve they have.
In Week 1, the defense only gave up 108 yards as they stifled the Giants' vaunted rushing attack with Saquon Barkley (51 yards) and Daniel Jones (43 yards) barely getting going.
Then, against Hall (nine yards on four carries), and Cook (seven yards on four carries), the defense again got it done, only allowing 64 total rushing yards, 36 of which were from Wilson.
“That was a fact that we weren’t playing the run as well as we can,” Quinn said of the struggles last year. “So, that was really important to us, to make sure that if we’re going to be as good as we can be, it couldn’t just be in one phase or another phase, it had to be all across the board if we really want to be that type of group.
"One of the fun things about coaching this group is the standards they have for one another and to really push it. Part of why they were pissed off at halftime, like (shoot), we let up a field goal at the half, we felt disappointment, we wanted to show that we were better than that.”
After giving up the 12-play, 59-yard drive to end the half, the Cowboys defense came out breathing fire.
“This offseason,'' Micah Parsons said, "we committed. We said, ‘We’re going to make these guys pass the ball. We’re going to force them to let us rush.’ When we come out and come down and set the tone and say, ‘You won’t run on us,’ and then we go get our sacks, now that’s what changes everything.
“So, to all the teams with them game plans, run at me. Run at whoever. We comin’.”
The standards have been set. The Cowboys' defense hates giving up points and when they do, they seek instant retribution.
