Cowboys 'DOOMSDAY' Defense 'Special'? Coach Dan Quinn Reveals When He'll Know
Dallas Cowboys coordinator Dan Quinn has been a part of some of incredible teams during his time in the NFL. From 2014 to 2017, he coached in three Super Bowls and has stared greatness square in the face.
Now four weeks into this season, he could be looking at greatness one again.
Headed into a road matchup with the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, the Cowboys have a 3-1 record and have held all four opponents to under 20 points while allowing the third-fewest points per game (15.5) following their 25-10 win over the Washington Commanders.
But four games of elite play often means little in the NFL. It's going to take some more work until the Dallas defense has solidified itself as a truly dangerous unit, but Quinn revealed Tuesday when he starts to get a sense of this taking shape based on previous experiences.
"I would say there's usually a moment or two in those first 10 or 12 games that you answer a challenge you deliver on it," Quinn said. "There's something that says 'Woah!' ... I think this has the chance to do something pretty remarkable."
The Cowboys defense, which is second the league with 15 sacks, has certainly met the challenge of repeating similarly elite results from last season. But the true sign of a hell-raising defense? Consistency, per Quinn.
"You usually see it stay consistent ... and the best teams I've been a part of kind of got better as it went," Quinn said. "And so that's usually a really good mark of an excellent defense, ones that continually get better."
Quinn has seen this defensive consistency drive him all the way to a Super Bowl ring.
During his first season as the defensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks in 2013, he helped orchestrate a Super Bowl-winning defense that is still famously known toady as "The Legion of Boom." Seattle's defense led the league in takeaways and allowed the fewest total points and yards before pummeling the Denver Broncos 43-8 in the big game.
Seattle looked for back-to-back titles the following year, but fell in thrilling fashion to the New England Patriots. As a result of his proven coaching ability, he immediately left to become the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, leading them to the Super Bowl in his second year on the job.
But even he's seen that things can change in a blink. The season before in 2015, his Falcons started 5-0 before finishing 8-8 and missing the playoffs.
With a trip to SoFi Stadium on Sunday, the Cowboys defense could see its consistent play take a hit against a Rams team that is reeling on offense that will be highly motivated to get things going following a 24-9 loss on Monday night to the San Francisco 49ers. A slow start to the season isn't enough to rule out an offense led by coach Sean McVay and reigning Offensive Player of the Year, receiver Cooper Kupp.
Or, Dallas will use Sunday as a chance to prove that the best is yet to come. Considering that Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford leads the NFL with six interceptions and is tied for the second-most sacks taken (16), another step in the right direction seems well in the works.
"If you keep stacking all these good things, by the time you get later in the season, you are hard to deal with," Quinn said.
Dallas and LA kickoff at 3:25 p.m. CT.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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