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DQ Report, Week 3 - Running Right At Them
Dallas should prepare for teams to challenge their smallish defenders
BOB STURM
SEP 27, 2023
Word travels fast in the NFL.
It is a small league where secrets get passed quickly. Every organization employs men who have worked for others so when there is information to be exchanged, the spiderweb of connections quickly gets activated. Everybody finds out everything.
No sooner did the news of the day start filtering that the Cowboys might have a historically-dominant defense that 31 opponents went to work to find a weakness. This is the way the league works. Something new is born and without fail, the testing begins. How can they be beaten? What are the weaknesses and how may we attack them there? What did lowly Arizona do that we can do even better?
The facts are tough. Really tough for this defense. Dak Prescott is used to feeling heat after every loss – much of it extreme and over the top – but he knows that criticism for a Dallas QB in this era is always going to be absurd until someone wins big. But, the defense? The Dan Quinn defense seldom gets their pants pulled down for all of America to see.
But, let the record show that September 24, 2023 might be the worst game Dan Quinn’s defense has looked in his time in Dallas.
ProFootballReference shows only three times Quinn’s defense has given up 400 yards, 28 points, and zero takeaways.
Above, the Game Finder shows us the only three games that this defense has given up 28 points and 400 yards, while not having a takeaway in a game. To nobody’s surprise, they lost all three games. What might surprise you is to know they were at least 7.5 point favorites in all three games and double-digit favorites against Denver and Arizona.
To make matters worse, the amount of big plays allowed was very uncharacteristic. Dallas usually does not give up big plays. But, on this occasion, there were six 20-plus yarders – which aside from the Eagles game last Christmas was the most since that Raiders game above in 2021. And an absurd three 40-plus yarders which is easily the most conceded by this defense since the Quinn/Parsons era began. Last year they allowed nine 40-yarders in 19 games. Three in one day, especially against an offense that didn’t seem to have game-breakers, is off the charts disappointing.
That is probably the theme and takeaway as we close the books on the Arizona game and turn our attention to New England. The offense has problems that they will need to sort through and solve. They are real and we should expect the offense to be experimenting in real time right in front of us.
But, the defense? The defense looked different to me. Yes, they were still trying to deal with losing Trevon Diggs and the wound that opened. But, this game felt like a performance that lacked the attention to detail and assignment football they are known for. Perhaps overconfidence and hearing their own accolades all week led to this? Who can say. All we can do is look at the tape and see that they did not appear “ready to play,” and the number of busted assignments was very uncharacteristic.
Back to the information network that tries to figure out the opponents, I figure it goes a little something like this on their guide to beating the Cowboys’ defense – especially after seeing Arizona do it with a QB who at age 28 had zero career wins before Sunday:
By NOT starting the game with a half of football where you force zero punts and zero turnovers. It would seem impossible to allow Arizona to take the ball five times in the first half inside their own 30 yard line and go get points all five times in the first half. How much money would you have felt confident that Joshua Dobbs and that Cardinals offense could not pull off that feat?
If you don’t force a single stop on defense until the midway point of the third quarter against that opponent, then we should probably stop using grand terms to describe this defense. That is unacceptable by any measure. I want to get into the “why” that happened in our film study below but like so much in this sport, it felt like there was not a ton of “do your job” on Sunday.
SPLASH PLAYS
I don’t want to act like there were no plays made by the defense on Sunday, but we quickly find out that this is generally a “weak link” study, where you can play perfect all day, bust two times, and still lose. Splashes need an opposite counter, but I have never been able to put one together.
JOSHUA DOBBS NEXT GEN PASSING CHART
As you can see, it was not an aerial show from Arizona. But, it was all on their terms. Very few times did they have to throw the ball because Dallas never really pushed them into the deep waters. It was all the Cardinals offensive meeting room could have dreamed. They got to play Dallas on their terms.
Ok, let’s circle back to the “ways to attack Dallas” from above. My final point is one that I think is a real thing that we will only discuss when they are attacked like we will see below. Dallas wants to play with 11 fast defenders. They want everyone to have speed and they are willing to bend the rules of size to get more speed.
I think what is interesting is this: how far will they go? I remember in camp as people were marveling at the size of DeMarvion Overshown and that he is a LB when he looks like just another safety. He is said to be about 230. Well, when they replaced him, it was with Markquese Bell, who is said to be 215, but he sure looks a biscuit below 210 to the naked eye. Damone Clark is a convincing large LB at 245 and of course LVE is over 250. But, if you want Micah Parsons at edge at 240 and Bell behind him at LB, you are getting pretty small in the trenches.
So, is that where teams want to attack? Now, keep in mind, the labels of players and positions gets murky and we have to go through each guy to see his official positional designation, but when Dallas plays dime – which they play more than any team besides New England, you can bet teams want to attack a defense that is plenty fast, but too small. You should also know that Dallas plays base personnel: 4 DL, 3 LB, 4 DB at the second-lowest rate to Buffalo. So the second-highest dime usage and the second-lowest base usage. I think you see why teams want to run on Dallas. Well, that and to avoid pass protecting.
Ok, let’s look at these huge plays and what happened. Remember, these are my best guesses from my observational experience, but I may sometimes get it wrong and we do have many coaches who are subscribers who sometimes see it correctly. I learn about this great game every day.
FILM STUDY:
1Q - 14:36 - 2nd and 8 - ARZ 27 - J.Dobbs left end to DAL 29 for 44 yards
This one is going to be about Micah Parsons and Donovan Wilson both being over-aggressive to start the game and eating the cheese on a zone read where they purposely are not blocking Micah. He will determine where the ball goes. When that happens, Donovan Wilson has outside contain and we can see that better below.
END ZONE
As you can see, Wilson is actually covering Parsons gap because if he doesn’t, Dobbs probably picks that giant corridor down Main Street, when he gets sucked way inside. The Cardinals are obviously over-joyed that all they have to do is pin Wilson and Kearse inside and Dobbs (very good wheels) is off to the races. But, it all starts with Dallas all taking themselves left and not staying home on the second play from scrimmage. You know Arizona put this in their script to take advantage of how Dallas loves to come out flying.
1Q - 9:02 - 1st and 10 - DAL 43 - J.Conner left tackle to DAL 23 for 20 yards
Second drive. Let’s attack left, again. Pin Parsons inside and run right at left tackle. If you pause it at 0:05, you can see before James Conner touches the ball, the lane is open between the tight ends to the right. No. 85 has No. 6 Wilson sealed and No. 87 is going to get No. 33 Damone Clark. Clark has to get downhill and defeat this better, because if you don’t, that leaves No. 55 Vander Esch coming across the defense to try to save a big play with No. 26 Bland from distance. Bland will have to deal with the lead blocker (WR Michael Wilson) and he is in trouble as Wilson turns him beautifully.
I need much more from Clark here as he is getting blocked too easily. LVE has the center on him and that looks like a hold. Regardless, this is what running right at Micah Parsons looks like. When you hear teams talk about the best way to deal with him is to run right at him, this is what that looks like.
Ok, let’s see if we can see a trend developing.
2Q - 12:38 - 2nd and 2 - Dal 45 - R.Moore left tackle for 45 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
This is dime with Marquese Bell playing LB now. Again, that is a safety. Sam Williams takes himself up the field and that B-Gap is wide open before Rondale Moore touches the ball. Wide open. The moment No. 95 Hankins fires to the A-Gap, we see what is about to happen. Bell has to beat the LG to his outside shoulder and hope for help. Unfortunately, Bell is not getting off that block and there is no help at all. Pause at 0:06 and you see Moore wondering which giant path to the end zone he should take. This play is over before it starts. Dallas is out-numbered and doomed. You will seldom see a run play hit this easily in the NFL. If Jayron Kearse doesn’t get downhill faster, it is a touchdown and you can see he was trying to find an angle that would work. There wasn’t one. Unbelievable.
Guys, we still aren’t to halftime and they have four significant runs, all to the left.
2Q - 4:49 - 2nd and 10 - ARZ 25 - J.Conner left tackle pushed ob at DAL 49 for 26 yards
This is incredible.
Again, before Conner touches the ball you can pause the video and see what is about to happen. These runs all look identical. Double team Osa and pull out to get the edge. Then the center is leading the way. Parsons and Vander Esch are essentially playing up front with Bell as the LB to scrape around and make the play? Meanwhile, the center in space against DaRon Bland again? Holy heck, this is getting ridiculous. Again, Conner has a lane you can drive an F-150 through.
Four times they ran left and four times they gashed Dallas for 135 yards! 34 yards a run? Words cannot express this first half.
In the second half, Dobbs would have to make a few throws, so let’s look at those and then burn the tape.
3Q - 2:09 - 3rd and 8 - ARZ 7 - J.Dobbs pass deep right to M.Brown pushed ob at ARZ 30 for 23 yards
Cowboys blitz five on this very vital third and long that might have swung the game. Dallas can get the punt at midfield here late in the third quarter with a stop. Blitz with Cover-1 behind it and Dobbs hits Hollywood Brown on a back shoulder fade. Stephon Gilmore is there, but this is a very nice throw and catch and with these back shoulder throws, I am not sure there is a way to stop a well-executed rep like this. Gilmore is right on him. Well done to Dobbs.
4Q - 9:28 - 1st and 10 - ARZ 24 - J.Dobbs pass deep right to Mi.Wilson pushed ob at DAL 7 for 69 yards
The Cardinals are feeling it now because this is the very first play after Dallas cuts it to five points, 21-16. This takes some guts to pick out your best Cover 3 beater because you expect Quinn to run stop you hard to start the next drive. Play-action with eight in the box and then run the most popular of the Cover 3 beaters. The clear-out with the slot from the opposite side on an over-route. This one usually has a LB carry the receiver if he heads vertical and based on everyone’s body language, 33- Damone Clark looks like he lost the assignment and 28-Malik Hooker is left to gesture and chase. You can actually see the moment where Clark realizes it is on him. Just huge on every level to bust for 69 yards.
4Q - 7:27 - 3rd and Goal - DAL 2 - J.Dobbs pass short right to M.Brown for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN
And then the kill shot. Third-and-Goal and a field goal keeps you alive. Dallas tries to blitz and Arizona runs a mesh with old friend No. 87 Geoff Swaim and No. 2 Brown giving him a chance to get past Gilmore for a touchdown. Dobbs has to make a great back-foot throw to where only his guy can get to it. And Dobbs seizes the day.
Rough day and credit to the Cardinals. It sure looks like they scored a coaching victory on both sides of the ball.
We end this 3-day study the same we started it; declaring the Cowboys endured a great humbling. Plenty of work to do and a response will be eagerly anticipated.
Dallas should prepare for teams to challenge their smallish defenders
BOB STURM
SEP 27, 2023
Word travels fast in the NFL.
It is a small league where secrets get passed quickly. Every organization employs men who have worked for others so when there is information to be exchanged, the spiderweb of connections quickly gets activated. Everybody finds out everything.
No sooner did the news of the day start filtering that the Cowboys might have a historically-dominant defense that 31 opponents went to work to find a weakness. This is the way the league works. Something new is born and without fail, the testing begins. How can they be beaten? What are the weaknesses and how may we attack them there? What did lowly Arizona do that we can do even better?
The facts are tough. Really tough for this defense. Dak Prescott is used to feeling heat after every loss – much of it extreme and over the top – but he knows that criticism for a Dallas QB in this era is always going to be absurd until someone wins big. But, the defense? The Dan Quinn defense seldom gets their pants pulled down for all of America to see.
But, let the record show that September 24, 2023 might be the worst game Dan Quinn’s defense has looked in his time in Dallas.
ProFootballReference shows only three times Quinn’s defense has given up 400 yards, 28 points, and zero takeaways.
Above, the Game Finder shows us the only three games that this defense has given up 28 points and 400 yards, while not having a takeaway in a game. To nobody’s surprise, they lost all three games. What might surprise you is to know they were at least 7.5 point favorites in all three games and double-digit favorites against Denver and Arizona.
To make matters worse, the amount of big plays allowed was very uncharacteristic. Dallas usually does not give up big plays. But, on this occasion, there were six 20-plus yarders – which aside from the Eagles game last Christmas was the most since that Raiders game above in 2021. And an absurd three 40-plus yarders which is easily the most conceded by this defense since the Quinn/Parsons era began. Last year they allowed nine 40-yarders in 19 games. Three in one day, especially against an offense that didn’t seem to have game-breakers, is off the charts disappointing.
That is probably the theme and takeaway as we close the books on the Arizona game and turn our attention to New England. The offense has problems that they will need to sort through and solve. They are real and we should expect the offense to be experimenting in real time right in front of us.
But, the defense? The defense looked different to me. Yes, they were still trying to deal with losing Trevon Diggs and the wound that opened. But, this game felt like a performance that lacked the attention to detail and assignment football they are known for. Perhaps overconfidence and hearing their own accolades all week led to this? Who can say. All we can do is look at the tape and see that they did not appear “ready to play,” and the number of busted assignments was very uncharacteristic.
Back to the information network that tries to figure out the opponents, I figure it goes a little something like this on their guide to beating the Cowboys’ defense – especially after seeing Arizona do it with a QB who at age 28 had zero career wins before Sunday:
- Get the lead and play from ahead will be the biggest objective. Take the ball in the toss, take chances early to get in front of Cowboys. With the lead, you can only pass when it is advantageous, not from necessity.
- Run the ball, but in ways that will require Dallas to play disciplined. Motions and movement to foul up their gap assignments and over-pursuit, in particular, might cause them the most issues.
- Use their speed against them with deception concepts. We must slow down the pursuit of the Cowboys edges.
- Limit situations where they merely rush the passer with no other concerns and be wise when that cannot be avoided.
- Eliminate turnovers. Every drive ends with a kick or punt.
- Punish Dallas for playing “too small” personnel.
By NOT starting the game with a half of football where you force zero punts and zero turnovers. It would seem impossible to allow Arizona to take the ball five times in the first half inside their own 30 yard line and go get points all five times in the first half. How much money would you have felt confident that Joshua Dobbs and that Cardinals offense could not pull off that feat?
If you don’t force a single stop on defense until the midway point of the third quarter against that opponent, then we should probably stop using grand terms to describe this defense. That is unacceptable by any measure. I want to get into the “why” that happened in our film study below but like so much in this sport, it felt like there was not a ton of “do your job” on Sunday.
SPLASH PLAYS
I don’t want to act like there were no plays made by the defense on Sunday, but we quickly find out that this is generally a “weak link” study, where you can play perfect all day, bust two times, and still lose. Splashes need an opposite counter, but I have never been able to put one together.
JOSHUA DOBBS NEXT GEN PASSING CHART
As you can see, it was not an aerial show from Arizona. But, it was all on their terms. Very few times did they have to throw the ball because Dallas never really pushed them into the deep waters. It was all the Cardinals offensive meeting room could have dreamed. They got to play Dallas on their terms.
Ok, let’s circle back to the “ways to attack Dallas” from above. My final point is one that I think is a real thing that we will only discuss when they are attacked like we will see below. Dallas wants to play with 11 fast defenders. They want everyone to have speed and they are willing to bend the rules of size to get more speed.
I think what is interesting is this: how far will they go? I remember in camp as people were marveling at the size of DeMarvion Overshown and that he is a LB when he looks like just another safety. He is said to be about 230. Well, when they replaced him, it was with Markquese Bell, who is said to be 215, but he sure looks a biscuit below 210 to the naked eye. Damone Clark is a convincing large LB at 245 and of course LVE is over 250. But, if you want Micah Parsons at edge at 240 and Bell behind him at LB, you are getting pretty small in the trenches.
So, is that where teams want to attack? Now, keep in mind, the labels of players and positions gets murky and we have to go through each guy to see his official positional designation, but when Dallas plays dime – which they play more than any team besides New England, you can bet teams want to attack a defense that is plenty fast, but too small. You should also know that Dallas plays base personnel: 4 DL, 3 LB, 4 DB at the second-lowest rate to Buffalo. So the second-highest dime usage and the second-lowest base usage. I think you see why teams want to run on Dallas. Well, that and to avoid pass protecting.
Ok, let’s look at these huge plays and what happened. Remember, these are my best guesses from my observational experience, but I may sometimes get it wrong and we do have many coaches who are subscribers who sometimes see it correctly. I learn about this great game every day.
FILM STUDY:
1Q - 14:36 - 2nd and 8 - ARZ 27 - J.Dobbs left end to DAL 29 for 44 yards
This one is going to be about Micah Parsons and Donovan Wilson both being over-aggressive to start the game and eating the cheese on a zone read where they purposely are not blocking Micah. He will determine where the ball goes. When that happens, Donovan Wilson has outside contain and we can see that better below.
END ZONE
As you can see, Wilson is actually covering Parsons gap because if he doesn’t, Dobbs probably picks that giant corridor down Main Street, when he gets sucked way inside. The Cardinals are obviously over-joyed that all they have to do is pin Wilson and Kearse inside and Dobbs (very good wheels) is off to the races. But, it all starts with Dallas all taking themselves left and not staying home on the second play from scrimmage. You know Arizona put this in their script to take advantage of how Dallas loves to come out flying.
1Q - 9:02 - 1st and 10 - DAL 43 - J.Conner left tackle to DAL 23 for 20 yards
Second drive. Let’s attack left, again. Pin Parsons inside and run right at left tackle. If you pause it at 0:05, you can see before James Conner touches the ball, the lane is open between the tight ends to the right. No. 85 has No. 6 Wilson sealed and No. 87 is going to get No. 33 Damone Clark. Clark has to get downhill and defeat this better, because if you don’t, that leaves No. 55 Vander Esch coming across the defense to try to save a big play with No. 26 Bland from distance. Bland will have to deal with the lead blocker (WR Michael Wilson) and he is in trouble as Wilson turns him beautifully.
I need much more from Clark here as he is getting blocked too easily. LVE has the center on him and that looks like a hold. Regardless, this is what running right at Micah Parsons looks like. When you hear teams talk about the best way to deal with him is to run right at him, this is what that looks like.
Ok, let’s see if we can see a trend developing.
2Q - 12:38 - 2nd and 2 - Dal 45 - R.Moore left tackle for 45 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
This is dime with Marquese Bell playing LB now. Again, that is a safety. Sam Williams takes himself up the field and that B-Gap is wide open before Rondale Moore touches the ball. Wide open. The moment No. 95 Hankins fires to the A-Gap, we see what is about to happen. Bell has to beat the LG to his outside shoulder and hope for help. Unfortunately, Bell is not getting off that block and there is no help at all. Pause at 0:06 and you see Moore wondering which giant path to the end zone he should take. This play is over before it starts. Dallas is out-numbered and doomed. You will seldom see a run play hit this easily in the NFL. If Jayron Kearse doesn’t get downhill faster, it is a touchdown and you can see he was trying to find an angle that would work. There wasn’t one. Unbelievable.
Guys, we still aren’t to halftime and they have four significant runs, all to the left.
2Q - 4:49 - 2nd and 10 - ARZ 25 - J.Conner left tackle pushed ob at DAL 49 for 26 yards
This is incredible.
Again, before Conner touches the ball you can pause the video and see what is about to happen. These runs all look identical. Double team Osa and pull out to get the edge. Then the center is leading the way. Parsons and Vander Esch are essentially playing up front with Bell as the LB to scrape around and make the play? Meanwhile, the center in space against DaRon Bland again? Holy heck, this is getting ridiculous. Again, Conner has a lane you can drive an F-150 through.
Four times they ran left and four times they gashed Dallas for 135 yards! 34 yards a run? Words cannot express this first half.
In the second half, Dobbs would have to make a few throws, so let’s look at those and then burn the tape.
3Q - 2:09 - 3rd and 8 - ARZ 7 - J.Dobbs pass deep right to M.Brown pushed ob at ARZ 30 for 23 yards
Cowboys blitz five on this very vital third and long that might have swung the game. Dallas can get the punt at midfield here late in the third quarter with a stop. Blitz with Cover-1 behind it and Dobbs hits Hollywood Brown on a back shoulder fade. Stephon Gilmore is there, but this is a very nice throw and catch and with these back shoulder throws, I am not sure there is a way to stop a well-executed rep like this. Gilmore is right on him. Well done to Dobbs.
4Q - 9:28 - 1st and 10 - ARZ 24 - J.Dobbs pass deep right to Mi.Wilson pushed ob at DAL 7 for 69 yards
The Cardinals are feeling it now because this is the very first play after Dallas cuts it to five points, 21-16. This takes some guts to pick out your best Cover 3 beater because you expect Quinn to run stop you hard to start the next drive. Play-action with eight in the box and then run the most popular of the Cover 3 beaters. The clear-out with the slot from the opposite side on an over-route. This one usually has a LB carry the receiver if he heads vertical and based on everyone’s body language, 33- Damone Clark looks like he lost the assignment and 28-Malik Hooker is left to gesture and chase. You can actually see the moment where Clark realizes it is on him. Just huge on every level to bust for 69 yards.
4Q - 7:27 - 3rd and Goal - DAL 2 - J.Dobbs pass short right to M.Brown for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN
And then the kill shot. Third-and-Goal and a field goal keeps you alive. Dallas tries to blitz and Arizona runs a mesh with old friend No. 87 Geoff Swaim and No. 2 Brown giving him a chance to get past Gilmore for a touchdown. Dobbs has to make a great back-foot throw to where only his guy can get to it. And Dobbs seizes the day.
Rough day and credit to the Cardinals. It sure looks like they scored a coaching victory on both sides of the ball.
We end this 3-day study the same we started it; declaring the Cowboys endured a great humbling. Plenty of work to do and a response will be eagerly anticipated.
