It’s been a while since Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy had an opportunity to speak to the media. Thursday, with his second season guiding the ship in Dallas on the horizon, McCarthy discussed a lot of topics during his press conference and defense was one of the first items on the list.
The Cowboys gave up a franchise-record 473 points in 2020 which led to the firing of Mike Nolan and the addition of Dan Quinn as the team’s new defensive coordinator. When asked about what went wrong defensively and how the team is looking to improve in that aspect, McCarthy has this to say.
“Well, when you look at our team from 2020 to 2021, the largest change is clearly on defense,” McCarthy said. “That’s something that we felt was needed across the board, but it’s clearly not my vision of the football team and how I see a football team competing to be consistent because consistency puts you in place to win championships. I clearly understand the excitement and the optimism each and every year of every NFL team but the efficiency and consistency of how you operate and how you practice, how you build a 90-man roster, all those things that all plays into being consistent because the only way to get there is to be knocking on the door each and every week, each and every day.”
The Cowboys allowed eight different teams to score 30 or more points in 2020. This led to them finishing 28th in points allowed. Also, they were 31st against the run, with only the Houston Texans being worse in that respect.
McCarthy also mentioned he feels Quinn is the man to turn the Cowboys defense into a respectable one.
“The focus of change will definitely be on the defense,” McCarthy said.
“Obviously, with the change in the coordinator and the coaches, we feel the direction where I see the team needs to go is going to come under the leadership of Dan Quinn. I’ve known Dan for quite some time and having the chance to be in position to hire him is definitely a huge asset to our football operations. Schematically, to the naked eye, or laymen’s terms, I don’t think we’ll see a whole lot because I think it’s important to build off of what we did accomplish the second eight weeks in our ability to take the ball away. There was probably some conceptional things that felt like our players really understood and played fast with which wasn’t evident in the first eight weeks. This isn’t a start-over situation, we are able to build off of some of the things we accomplished last year. That definitely was apart of my thinking. Having the opportunity to hire Dan and I really like the way the staff has come together. The energy, the enthusiasm, the diversity of some of the systems, so it’s an opportunity for improvement and I think we are definitely on the right path there.”
Mike McCarthy said the decision on Dan Quinn "had to be fast because he had a lot of opportunities". #Cowboys
— Patrik [No C] Walker (@VoiceOfTheStar) March 25, 2021
Quinn made his name in the NFL as the defensive coordinator for the infamous “Legion of Boom” with the Seattle Seahawks which produced the league’s top unit in 2013 and 2014 and won a Super Bowl. He implemented some of those same principles with the Atlanta Falcons, but McCarthy sees it being a little different in Dallas.
“Well, if you look at the way they played in Seattle and Atlanta, from my view it is different. So much gets made about the 3-4 and the 4-3, it’s really not about that. It’s more about the techniques that fit the players and their ability to play. We are player over scheme, I’ve always been that way. I think it’s part of my experience of coaching a very young team year in and year out.
“The ability to have the 3-4 components to it and the 4-3 components based on how you view what that is. It’s more about the techniques, the alignments, the assignments in a front that we’ll ask our guys to play. You’ll see both those components where it’s not a whole lot different than what Mike was trying to get to last year. It will be a tighter blend of that.”
Mike McCarthy says the Cowboys’ defense under Dan Quinn will be multiple. Like most football coaches, he’s shying away from labeling things as plainly as 4-3 v. 3-4.
Sounds like the plan is to do a little bit of everything.
— David Helman (@HelmanDC) March 25, 2021
The Cowboys have added a few players during free agency that can play in either a 3-4 or a 4-3. Carlos Watkins played defensive end in a 3-4 scheme with the Texans but slid inside on passing downs in a four-man front. Also, Tarell Basham was an outside linebacker in the New York Jets 3-4 scheme but will show his versatility as an edge rusher in a 4-3 adding value to what the Cowboys have in DeMarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory.
It’s no secret the Cowboys are loaded offensively, but if the Cowboys want to bring a sixth Lombardi trophy home the defense will have to be a lot better going forward.
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