The Cowboys’ defense has been great this season, but they aren’t without their flaws. For as great as they are generating pressure and turnovers, they tend to be a streaky group. Good and bad plays come in bunches and shifting momentum is easier said than done.
But for a team that ranks third in defensive EPA/play and fourth in points against, complaining about momentum may be a little too nitpicky when more worrisome chinks in their armor can be found. Like the way they take the field after halftime.
After watching the hapless Giants drive down the field 91-yards to pay dirt on their second possession after the half, a trend started to emerge. The Dallas defense had a recent history of coming out flat after the break and it had grown so bad even an undrafted rookie QB3 making the first start of his career found a way to succeed against them.
How bad have they been after half? Despite the Cowboys’ overall stellar play over the past four games, pretty poorly.