Coach Dan Quinn on Dallas Cowboys 'Fastest' Defense; Enough to Stop Tom Brady, Bucs?
It takes speed - both mentally and physically - to lead the league with 34 takeaways, six defensive touchdowns, and 26 interceptions.
And in his first year with the Dallas Cowboys last season, that's what coordinator Dan Quinn was able to orchestrate. It was the first time in team history that the Cowboys led the league in takeaway/giveaway ratio, a top-five marked they had hit most recently in 1998.
Now, Quinn isn't hesitating when pinning the elite speed and size of this defense against any unit he's seen or been around.
"It's probably one of the fastest and the longest in terms of safeties, linebackers with this kind of size and this kind of length," he said. " ... This group I'd put up with anybody in terms of the speed to go play."
But what makes this so?
"The play speed is where the fast comes from," Quinn said. "The more you know it, the faster you can play. We got a lot of speed, we got a lot of length."
The Cowboys will need every bit of this speed to take down quarterback Tom Brady and the elite passing offense of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday.
But even at 45-years-old, Brady might be a step quicker.
No, he won't be outrunning the pass-rush of second-year linebacker Micah Parsons or the bulldozing presence of veteran defensive lineman Demarcus Lawrence anytime soon. But it's the mental quickness of Brady that makes a revenge win for Dallas all the more challenging, something Quinn is prepared for.
"The guy is a fantastic competitor and always seems to put his team in the position to win at the end," Quinn said. "Going against a competitor like that, you better be at your best in the moments of the game where it's gonna come right down to it cause that's usually the separator."
The Cowboys' takeaway-filled season began with forcing four Tampa Bay turnovers in last year's season-opener. Two interceptions and two fumble recoveries still wasn't enough though, as Dallas allowed 431 yards of offense.
And as far as quickness, Brady's prowess in the pocket had the upper hand over Quinn's speedy pass-rush. The Cowboys failed to record a sack and had just two quarterback hits, giving Brady the comfortability he needed to complete a game-winning drive in the 31-29 finish.
But this time around, Quinn senses something different in the works.
"They won't be facing the same defense that they faced last year, although there'll be some similar faces," he said. "Our style has evolved quite a bit."
The defensive talent of the Cowboys is undeniable, with names like Parsons, Trevon Diggs, and Lawerence highlighting the unit. But Brady has Pro Bowl receivers like Mike Evans and Chris Godwin to continue building chemistry with, along with the newly-acquired Julio Jones, who is 17th all-time in receiving yardage (13,330).
The Cowboys' defense will somehow have to be better than it was last season in order to avoid Brady's wrath once again. The world-class quickness Quinn boasts about will be tested when Sunday's matchup kicks off at 7:20 p.m. C.T. at AT&T Stadium.,
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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