Cowboys Change in Philosophy: ‘Defense is The Star of The Show'?
The Dallas Cowboys have undergone some changes this offseason, not just in personnel but potentially in philosophy.
Departed coordinator Kellen Moore led the Cowboys' offense as one of the better units in the league in back-to-back 12-5-win seasons, as he had Dallas as the No. 1- (in 2021) and No. 4- (in 2022) ranked offense for points per game.
But is that about to change with head coach Mike McCarthy now the offensive play caller?
Despite the addition of Brandin Cooks, it is being argued that the Cowboys' defense is the driving force for McCarthy's team, as, under coordinator Dan Quinn, the unit has become one of the best in the league.
Former New England Patriot Tedy Bruschi knows the tug-of-war that McCarthy will be feeling next season as the team maybe now goes as the defense goes, not vice-versa.
“Mike McCarthy knows what the strength of the team is, its defense, Bruschi said on NFL Live. “You bring in Stephon Gilmore and then you got a head coach talking about running the football more.
"The discipline and self-control that he’s [McCarthy] going to have to have because everybody’s right, [Brandin] Cooks is good, CeeDee Lamb he can get it done, they’ve got some offensive weapons that get you excited. But can the play caller, the head coach have that self-control to say this is what I want to do.
“It’s different from the past, the defense is the star of the show now.”
Is Bruschi right? Potentially, the Cowboys' defense is a fearsome unit, led by the 'Lionbacker" in Micah Parsons and a secondary that takes the ball away at a record pace.
Under Quinn, Dallas has led the NFL in takeaways in back-to-back seasons (34 in 2021 and 33 in 2022) and has had the seventh- and fifth-ranked defense for points allowed per game (21.1 in 2021 & 20.1 in 2022).
Last season, such was the defense's dominance that there were echoes of the famous Doomsday defense of the Cowboys past as in the first five games, Dallas held its opponents to under 20 points.
With playmakers along the defensive line that include Parsons, Sam Williams, DeMarcus Lawrence, Dante Fowler, Osa Odighizuwa and Dorance Armstrong (and maybe rookie Mazi Smith), coupled with the addition of Gilmore to partner with Trevon Diggs, the Cowboys' defense is again poised to be one of the better units in the NFL.
For years, it has been the offense that has been the focus for the Cowboys, but are we slowly seeing a transition into Dallas becoming a defensive football team?
Due to the number of weapons Quinn can utilize and the consistent numbers being put up, it feels like it. After all, defense wins championships ... right?
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