Sturm: The Parker Report-Can We Play You Every Week?

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The Parker Report-Can We Play You Every Week?​

The Colts are a very bad football offense so what can we learn about where the defense is?​

Bob Sturm
Nov 11, 2026

• Overall Defensive Evaluation
• What can we learn from playing the stinky Colts?
• Quinnen Williams Is (still) a Superstar
• Caleb Downs Played His Best NFL Game So Far
• Film Study
• Splash Plays

OK, let’s begin.

OVERALL DEFENSIVE EVALUATION​

I am not sure how much we can take from the defensive performance. I’m not here to be a killjoy or anything, because there are some very good signs beginning to emerge, but the fact of the matter cannot be missed.

The Colts stink and are purposely getting worse by selling off components for draft picks. In other words, as they currently stand (and they have even gotten worse after Dallas was done with them by trading away Keenan Allen and Josh Downs), there may not be an offense you would rather handpick to play right now.

Well, you might pick the Arizona Cardinals or the Philadelphia Eagles, if we are being honest.

And that is why this stretch of games is both frustrating and confounding. Frustrating in that this team still has not put together consecutive winning Sundays for coming up on a full year of football. We are about to play Week 10 in 2026 and the last consecutive wins were Weeks 11-13 in 2025. Before that you would need Weeks 15-16 in 2024, so it clearly is a rare feat.

Confounding in that we aren’t even sure if there is progress on this defense or if they have just played a patch of the worst teams in the league and come this Sunday when they play an elite offense, we will quickly understand that the quality of your opponent has a lot to do with how well you perform. It is fair to say that you should judge yourself against the best in the business – and it is a fact that Dallas has not played a single offense that is currently ranked in the Top 10 all season long. In terms of scoring offenses, they have only played one offense in the Top 10 and that is Houston at 9th with 26.1 points per game.

So, you would like to think the Cowboys have taken advantage of bad QBs with bad weapons on bad teams much better than 4-5, but you also know that they haven’t – by virtue of the fact that you are even reading this Cowboys newsletter that goes this deep about just the Cowboys defense.

What can we learn from playing the stinky Colts?​

The Colts were hilariously bad. As you can see, 271 yards is by far the fewest yards. The 4.6 yards per play was close. The 166 yards passing was ridiculous and 4.6 yards per pass attempt was even worse.



The Cowboys had multiple sacks and multiple takeaways and only allowed two explosives all day, both on PJ Locke missed tackles (bless his heart).



The Cowboys defense gets almost nothing but positive plaudits for their work and I would like to pay special attention to stopping the pass incredibly well and therefore making very quick work on third down. Again, the Colts don’t have many options on third down and it shows.

Dallas now has three straight weeks of getting off the field on third down after their incredibly-poor first half against Green Bay. They are still the worst third-down defense in the NFL, but 23% for this game is a ray of sunshine during a stormy day. Let’s see much more of that in the weeks to come. Please.

But, the biggest takeaway from Sunday would probably be all of those green squares which were repeated 3-and-outs from the Colts. Five of them in their first seven real drives! Before the Cowboys started their self-inflicted nonsense late in the 3rd Quarter, the Cowboys defense had barely taken a wrong step all day long. They allowed a Touchdown after the Dak strip-sack turnover, but had brilliantly handled the feeble Colts, until the red line.



Below the red line, the Colts did get some things done, but even then, Dallas forced field goals and takeaways.

So, we can only analyze the game we are watching and in this single game, the Cowboys defense looked like a formidable crew. Again, if they show us anything that resembles this vs San Francisco, we shall all be more than willing to celebrate their progress in full.

If only we could play the Colts every week!

Quinnen Williams Is (still) a Superstar​

I don’t know who needs to see this, but Quinnen Williams has been phenomenal this season and continues to lead the way. I realize the Cowboys paid him all the money, but like CeeDee Lamb on the other side of the ball, it is money very well spent and I am not sure how much better he can play. Here is a reel of him destroying plays continuously on Sunday. He does it at a rate that puts him with the very best defensive tackles in the sport.


With all of talk about Jeffery Simmons, Dexter Lawrence, and Leonard Williams these days, I will just say that as someone who loves watching all of them destroy offenses vs both the run and the pass, I don’t think Quinnen takes a back seat to any of them. They are absolute forces and the prices are incredible now for contracts, but I think Big Q is about as good a DT as Dallas has had in generations. He is a Top 5 disruptor in the NFL and will be a main key to turning this whole thing around.

Caleb Downs Played His Best NFL Game So Far​

A few weeks ago, we spent a fair amount of our Philadelphia game preview on the progress of Caleb Downs. In it, we talked about the state of affairs with this player. Here is a big part of the passage:

I will say this about Caleb Downs and I know that some seem to disagree with this take already. I want him up by the ball and not deep in the secondary. I think he is much better as a big nickel and box safety. I think the Cowboys have had to jerk him around because Jalen Thompson was hurt in Brazil, PJ Locke has been out, and they have been so thin at deep safety. You can see in Weeks 4-5 (Houston and Tampa Bay) they moved him away from the action way too much and in Green Bay kept him closer to the line and that got him in the action much more.

I think the chaos of this defense has been unfortunate, but I am not about to be fearful of what that means for Caleb Downs. In a perfect world, this is like Tyler Smith playing left tackle. Sometimes we have to consider what is best for the player vs what is best for the team. Tyler is better at guard and he wants to play guard. But, what if we need him at left tackle to save our season?

Also, we have a newbie at DC trying to figure it all out, too.

I get that people expected a weekly highlight from Caleb Downs, but the fact that he has not been picked on and the fact that we can look at a lot of plays of him making things happen already to me suggest he is just fine. I am not worried at all and I hope nobody else is, either. Is he an instant savior? Evidently not. That doesn’t mean he isn’t helping get them closer.

Well, for those that want a highlight reel to prove he is who we said he was, here is his fine work against the Colts where he played his best game as a pro.

On our Football Friends podcast for tomorrow, we spent some time debating his positional fits and the Cowboys moving him around to fit their situational needs, but overall, I will just continue to say – he has been very good and will only get better.

And now, he is starting to speak up in the locker-room, too? Folks, this is going to be a fun career and he is going to be a big part of this thing.

We can only hope that the other young investments – Donovan Ezeiruaku, Malachi Lawrence, Shavon Revel, Jaishawn Barham, etc – begin to turn the corner as well. Quinnen and Caleb are a big part of this, but they are going to need way more than two guys who are outstanding talents to turn this defense all the way around.

FILM STUDY​

OK, a dozen snaps. Here we go.

1Q - 10:22 - 3-3-IND 27 - D.Jones pass short right to J.Taylor to IND 28 for 1 yard (P.Locke).​

The Colts had a great plan here for the LB blitz from 53-Winters here. It is hit the flat with Jonathan Taylor for 3 yards, but instead, the Cowboys were quite ready as PJ Locke comes downhill and makes a tackle. When we see the defense well schemed and prepared, we need to show the film and this one was very encouraging that they are prepared for this chess game.

2Q - 10:08 - 3-8-IND 36 - D.Jones sacked at IND 26 for -10 yards (C.Downs).​

This play is great for a number of reasons. It is 3rd and 8 and the Cowboys are definitely spending a fair amount of time worrying about big pass plays after the Arizona debacle. On Sunday, they played the most zone of any game this year and this is a good example. Show a 7-man front with a blitz surely coming, but then drop into a 7-man zone with only four rushers. But, one of those rushers is Caleb Downs off the edge and nobody expects that for a second. Blindside sack and nobody for Jones to go to before he gets drilled.

3Q - 14:16 - 2-4-IND 37 - D.Jones pass incomplete deep left to A.Dulin (C.Downs).​

The Colts came out of halftime determined to get far more vertical, because Daniel Jones was not throwing the ball downfield at all. I really enjoyed this Cover 6 snap – not just because Caleb Downs plays deep safety so well and breaks it up, but also because Malik Hooker closes down the dig. For a moment, Josh Downs pops open at the logo, but you can see Hooker get to him once he passes off the “go route” for Dulin. In other words, once again, everyone is in the proper spot to stop this play and I am excited because this defense seems much more sound. This is actually how it is supposed to look, even though I might nitpick about the lack of pass-rush.

3Q - 7:38 - 2-8-DAL 21 - S.McGowan left tackle to DAL 26 for -5 yards (Q.Williams).​

This is a potential 4-point splash play for Quinnen Williams who absolutely obliterates the LG 62-Farmer who is definitely not Quinton Nelson who they traded away to Seattle a few weeks ago. This is definitely what Quinnen does and I can’t say enough about what he does every week.

3Q - 7:00 - 3-13-DAL 26 - D.Jones pass short left to S.McGowan to DAL 29 for -3 yards (R.Gary, Q.Williams).​

On the very next play, again, this is great team defense. Here comes Shemar James across the field to turn Seth McGowan back inside and right to Quinnen Williams and Rashan Gary. People have been right to complain about Gary, but to his credit, he chases the play like his hair is on fire. Sometimes that makes him vulnerable to fakes and misdirection, but most the time, it shows the speed and desire that you want to see from your defenders. Colts are demoralized on back to back plays to force a field goal.

As of this moment, the defense can be very proud of quite a bit of their performance.

3Q - 1:27 - 2-5-IND 45 - D.Jones pass short left to A.Dulin for 55 yards, TOUCHDOWN.​

2nd and 5 and we have a bubble screen to the edge. The Colts have this blocked up pretty well, but the situation here is PJ Locke again. For me, when you have had trouble making the final tackle like he has – Arizona was atrocious – you simply cannot let this happen again. I would say that the first thing is you have to err on the outside and force him back into your help. If you dive at his outside, you give Marist Liufau a chance, but you also don’t take him out. The angle is bad and the technique is bad. This is a 5-yard play and you made it into a 55-yard play and brought the Colts back into the game when they had no hope. I want to be fair to the guy, but this is becoming Kenneth Murray level poor play in his only two games in which he played big snaps. The Jalen Thompson injury is killing them right now.

4Q - 10:48 - 1-10-IND 25 - D.Jones pass incomplete deep middle to D.Burks (D.Bland).​

Another deep pass against Daron Bland. I feel like Bland continues to come up over and over again as teams go after him on deep balls and find profits with both yardage and penalties. I assume the next time Dallas has a good defense, they will have better corners than they do right now, besides Joey Porter Jr. We are a long way from training camp when we were pretty certain that they had a decent crop of kids – Shavon Revel and Devin Moore – as well as some feisty veterans. I just don’t see Bland as a fit moving forward, but the dead money on is deal almost assures us he has a spot in 2027.

4Q - 9:55 - 1-10-DAL 18 - J.Taylor up the middle to DAL 20 for -2 yards (Q.Williams). FUMBLES (Q.Williams), RECOVERED by DAL-S.James at DAL 19. S.James to DAL 30 for 11 yards (D.Jones).​

And then this masterpiece from Quinnen Williams again. He destroys the poor LG one more time and this time he is right on Taylor in the backfield and gets the ball out. Shemar James recovers and might have a chance, but Daniel Jones tackles him. Utter dominance up front from Big Q and this is where DeMarvion Overshown took his stocking cap penalty.

4Q - 7:43 - 1-10-IND 17 - S.McGowan left tackle pushed ob at DAL 47 for 36 yards (M.Hooker).​

This one is not solely on PJ Locke, admittedly. Both of my LBs have to be better here was does my edge, Ezeiruaku is tossed by his TE blocker. 53-Winters plays the puller pretty well and gets outside him, but 50-James has to get over the LG to the traffic. But, holy heck, Locke does it again. Bad angle has him on the inside leg and also he takes out his help, while missing the ball carrier. I can’t do this anymore. Get him off the field, please. I realize there is not much behind him, but get me someone who can tackle or at least obstruct until help arrives.

4Q - 1:45 - 3-8-DAL 32 - D.Jones pass incomplete short middle to J.Downs.​

Huge play because if the Colts get this one, the game might end with the FG attempt and Dallas will lose. This is 3rd and 8 and the Colts (and every Cowboys opponent) saves a bunch release to try to cross up Dallas with at-snap motion from the left. Watch Caleb signal to James (at 0:03) what is happening and they sort this out, nicely. Everyone is covered. No busts! Then, Jones tries to hit Josh Downs on the run, but Caleb is there to stop his brother even if he completes the catch. Maybe not a splash play, but he had that locked down nicely. Force a field goal and live for another drive.

4Q - 1:03 - 1-10-IND 26 - D.Jones pass incomplete deep right. - PENALTY on IND-D.Jones, Intentional Grounding, 12 yards, enforced at IND 26.​

We don’t mention Kenny Clark much because Quinnen is way more noteworthy. But, especially on pass rushes, Clark will emerge from time to time and I am sure everyone appreciates this moment where on the 1st play of the Colts final hope, he destroys his man and is able to chase Jones into an intentional grounding play. A fine splash play that is not recorded below, but it will be added.

4Q - 0:41 - 3-22-IND 14 - D.Jones pass deep middle intended for K.Allen INTERCEPTED by C.Downs [K.Clark] at IND 37. C.Downs to IND 37 for no gain (K.Allen).​

And then, here is the kill-shot. Kenny Clark again in the lap of Jones as he throws a hopeful jump ball in the general direction of Keenan Allen that becomes Caleb Downs first career interception. 3rd and 22 is a pretty hopeless spot and interior pressure is the key to causing bad throws. Downs seals the day and the Cowboys get a badly needed win.

SPLASH PLAYS VS INDIANAPOLIS​

SEASON LEADERBOARD​

Quinnen Williams is running away with this splash play title. Nobody is close and he has a chance to do something that has never been done in the 14 seasons I have kept this stat – win the season title as a DT. He is special. Also, seeing Caleb Downs on the podium is great news, too. They just need more guys to join them.

CONCLUSIONS:​

Can we consume this one with a bit of contextual reasoning? Yes, this was a bad opponent that had a very docile game-plan and no real threatening players to attack with and a QB who is not scaring anyone. All true.

But, the tape shows a defense that did a great job of being where they need to be, making the plays it should make, and even stepping up with impressive splash moments.

I do see schematic progress. But, I think a truer test is Sunday vs our old nemesis from San Francisco. We have seen this matchup enough to feel a sense of dread incoming. We will preview that on Friday, but it might not be packed full with optimism. They need to shock us all on Sunday to get this season back on.

 

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Colts don’t have many options on third down and it shows.

What happened to Warren? I thought he was supposed to be the next sure thing.