Micah Parsons' Cowboys Defense: 'Stingy' Enough?

If we're basing it off of pure definition, there's few defenses stingier than Dallas'. But ...

The proof was in the numbers for the Dallas Cowboys defense last season, as a league-high 34 forced turnovers showed the elite production the team is hopefully capable of replicating in the near future despite an early playoff exit in January. 

Yet, Yardbarker recently released its list of the "stingiest" defenses headed into the 2022-23 season and has the Dallas D ranked at No. 20 despite the impressive turnover mark. 

Here's what Yardbarker had to say about the ranking: 

What a difference a coordinator can make. Dan Quinn helped orchestrate a complete turnaround on defense last season, with the unit going from 28th in points allowed in 2020 to seventh. Of course, the huge breakout seasons from Trevon Diggs and Micah Parsons were major contributing factors, and neither player will take teams by surprise this time around. Some turnover on the defensive line and secondary could leave fans concerned about improving, but Parsons is looking like a generational player.

But what exactly does "stingy" mean in this circumstance? 

A quick internet search will show that stingy is defined as being "unwilling to give or spend; ungenerous." 

If that's the case, the Cowboys leading the league in defensive turnovers and allowing the seventh-fewest points per game (21.1) last season sounds like a team that was ungenerous at allowing teams to move the ball for a majority of the year. 

And Cowboys fans have seen what a generous defense looks like in recent years, as there was a stark contrast this season compared to the 2020 Dallas defense that allowed the second-most total rushing yards (2,541) and rushing yards per game (158.8) while allowing the fifth-most points per game (29.6). 

Recording the seventh-most defensive turnovers (23) in the league showed some signs of life for the defense in 2020, but it was generally an easy unit to move the ball against.

An all-world confidence is burning bright in second-year linebacker Micah Parsons and the star-studded ball-hawking prowess of cornerback Trevon Diggs will have opposing receivers on notice this upcoming season. 

Will this be "stingy" enough? That remains to be seen, as the rest of league will likely attack the Dallas defense differently after seeing what's its best players were capable of doing in 2021.

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You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7

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