It’s not exactly controversial to say the Cowboys defense is celebrated for their pass rush. Micah Parsons and company have arguably been the most dominant pass rushing group in the NFL in 2023, and the results have trickled down to all corners of the defense.
But sometimes their eagerness to create the big play can come at a cost. Sometimes that aggressiveness is to the detriment of the team, not to the benefit of team. Sometimes discipline flies out the window when Dan Quinn’s pass rushers sense blood in the water. Against the Eagles on Sunday, patience and discipline will be every bit as important as pressure.
Run Dobbs Run 🏃♂️@josh_dobbs1 x #BirdGang pic.twitter.com/GeDsDcACGy
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) September 24, 2023
Philadelphia is a well-run offense that can beat teams a variety of different ways. They can air it out to their multitude of pass-catching weapons downfield or they can run the ball a number of different of ways. One way has proven particularly difficult for the Cowboys to stop and that’s a QB run option.
Run-option plays to the edge have proven the Achillies heel for Dallas for quite some time. From zone-reads, to RPOs, to read-options, to good old-fashioned scrambles, the Cowboys have struggled to properly defend.
Maintaining gaps and responsibilities are always important but against a team like Philadelphia, it’s paramount. They have speed at every level and are well-versed in putting defenders into conflict. It cannot be “pursuit at all costs” on Sunday against Hurts, or he could make them pay for it.
There has been growing concern Hurts isn’t quite as healthy as the Eagles are making him out to be. As such, he wouldn’t be the same weapon he normally is as runner and as a scrambler. A situation such as this calls for a different kind of discipline from the Dallas edge players.
If Hurts isn’t the runner he’s been in previous weeks, it’s imperative Quinn generates the bulk of his pressure from up the middle. Much like the approach to Matthew Stafford in Week 8, using Parsons inside and frequently sending extra rushers either via twist or blitz inside, will be a way to disrupt Hurts as a passer.
It will also flush him outside.
This is why it’s important for the Cowboys edge players to be ready on the outside to receive him. Rounding the edge with reckless abandon looks great on the pass rush win rate scores (a fatal flaw with that method of tracking) but opens up scramble opportunities as well.
If the inside pressure flushes him out, someone has to be there to make a play or even a hobbled Hurts will win the down.
It’s also important to point out Philadelphia has two of the best OTs in the league with Lane Johnson (ranked No. 9) and Jordan Mailata (ranked No. 1). They aren’t going to be giving up opportunities by the truckload anyways, so it makes sense to play them honestly and scheme extra pressure into the interior.
It’s been a tale of two Quinns in recent weeks. Against the 49ers, Quinn matched Parsons up over All-Pro tackle Trent Williams most of the day. The results were paltry. Against the Rams, he avoided putting Parsons against their best OT, Rashawn Slater, and saw fantastic results.
While it would be fun to see the best edge player face off against Johnson all afternoon, it may not be wise when better opportunities exist elsewhere.
Much of the defense’s potential success or failure falls on Quinn to build the right gameplan, but the best gameplans in the world won’t matter if the players don’t play disciplined.
It’s a total team effort and it starts with Quinn and ends with smart and controlled play by the Cowboys’ edge players.
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