Unbelievable stats prove the Cowboys D was being carried by Dan Quinn

Since Dan Quinn left to coach the Commanders, the Dallas Cowboys defense has turned into one of the worst in the entire NFL.

Sep 26, 2022; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn at MetLife Stadium. / Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

Dan Quinn joined the Dallas Cowboys in 2021, looking for a fresh start following his dismissal as the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. Dallas needed to rebuild a dreadful defense and felt the man who held Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos to eight points in Super Bowl XLVIII was the man for the job.

The pairing wound up being a perfect fit for both sides. Quinn had Dallas in the top 10 in points surrendered three years in a row and turned a defense that couldn't buy a turnover into a magnet for the football. He also successfully rebuilt his reputation as he was one of the hottest names in offseason coaching searches.

To keep him around, Jerry Jones had to back up the Brinks truck and make sure he was well compensated.

MORE: Could former Pro Bowl safety bolster Dallas Cowboys' defense?

As good as Quinn was, he did have one area of concern — run defense. The Cowboys were often bullied on the ground which is why there was some excitement when he took the head coaching job with the Washington Commanders and Mike Zimmer was brought in as a replacement.

Jul 30, 2024; Oxnard, CA, USA; Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer during training camp at the River Ridge Playing Fields in Oxnard, California. / Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images

Zimmer, who was the defensive coordinator in 1995 when the Cowboys won their last Super Bowl, was supposed to shore up the run game. Sadly, that hasn't happened, as they're dead last in the NFL in run defense.

Unlike Quinn, Zimmer isn't making up for his deficiencies in the ground game by excelling in other areas. Instead, they've just become one of the worst defenses in the league, as highlighted by reporter Brittany Bowen.

Since DC Dan Quinn left the Cowboys

- 3-3 on the season.
- Worst run defense in the NFL.
- Most PPG allowed in the NFL.
- Allows the 24th most yards per game.
- Worst 4th down defense.
- given up 168 points in 6 games.
- 3 STRAIGHT BLOWOUT LOSSES AT HOME.

— Brittany Bowen (@__brittbrat_) October 17, 2024

Throw all that together and it's not surprising to see Dallas is 30th in the NFL in points surrendered and 24th in yardage.

To be fair to Zimmer, however, the issues go well beyond him. Dallas is struggling on offense as well, especially on the ground. Heading into Week 7, they're last in the league with 463 yards on the ground and have just two rushing touchdowns.

Not to be outdone, they're the worst team in the NFL in receiver separation, something Troy Aikman had no problem criticizing recently. Throw in their porous pass protection and it's hard to see how they've managed to head into the bye at 3-3.

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