'Special' Coach? Cowboys Rave About Latest Staff Move

Jerry Jones says Dan Quinn "has some great skins on the wall. He was absolutely perfect for us in this situation''

FRISCO - The Dak Prescott signing, and the excitement of the mid-week press conference here at The Star, has caused many in Cowboys Nation to think that, "Now, Dallas is better.'' 

In fact, the Dak signing simply keeps Dallas where it already was. He was the QB before. And he'll now be the QB again.

But something else was mentioned at the presser that the Jones family believes will be an immediate difference-maker.

“We’ve already taken a major step with Dan Quinn,” COO Stephen Jones said on Wednesday. “I think he’s going to be very special.''

"Special,'' of course, is in the eye of the beholder. A few years ago, when Dan Quinn was the head coach of the Falcons, and they went to the Super Bowl, most people in Atlanta thought just that.

When he was fired last year, nobody in Atlanta much thought it.

Same thing, in fairness, to Mike Nolan, the deposed Cowboys coordinator who last year oversaw one of the worst defenses in team history. The Cowboys allowed a franchise-record 473 points, and the 6,183 total yards allowed and 2,541 rushing yards allowed were each the second-poorest such marks in team history.

But when then-new coach Mike McCarthy hired his pal Nolan to be the defensive coordinator, the idea was that Nolan would be "special,'' too.

One smart change this time: Quinn is not a McCarthy crony. The Cowboys actually interviewed him (and other candidates) this time.

"When we did our diligence, figuring it out with coach McCarthy and Jerry (Jones) and myself, what he would be like as a defensive coordinator, it was nothing but rave reviews,'' Stephen said. "His players want to lay it on the line for him. They want to play hard for him.“

Added Jerry Jones: “Quinn, in my view, has some great skins on the wall. He was absolutely perfect for us in this situation to come in here. He’ll be extraordinarily influential in how we put together our personnel on defense. I think he’s got that kind of credibility.”

Stephen Jones also rattled off the names of players he clearly views as making up a group that shouldn't be one of the NFL's worst.

"I think we’ve got a lot of great players on defense, whether it’s DeMarcus Lawrence, whether it’s Leighton Vander Esch or Jaylon Smith, whether it's Randy Gregory, who is up-and-coming. And young guys like (Neville) Gallimore and Trysten Hill. There’s a lot to work with there, and I think he’s going to get it out of them.''

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The biggest part of this might be the system change - a back to the future, if you will. McCarthy and Nolan foolishly went away from Dallas' 4-3 to a "hybrid'' scheme that they tried to install without the benefit of a real offseason or a training camp (due to COVID). Now, they'll revert back, using the scheme that helped Quinn's old Seattle defenses in Seattle ranked first in the NFL in points and yards allowed in 2013 and 2014.

"I think he’s going to put a system in where they can play hard and fast and confident in what they’re doing,'' Stephen said. "And then if we go do our work in the offseason in terms of improving it, I think we’re going to check that box.”

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