Tag: Demarcus Lawrence

What does Cowboys announcer think of Commanders’ Dan Quinn?

More praise for Quinn from Dallas as a coach and person.

With new Commanders head coach Dan Quinn leaving Dallas for Washington, what does Dallas think of Quinn?

Brad Sham has been calling Cowboys football games as their play-by-play announcer for 45 seasons. He was a guest on the “Al Galdi Podcast” on Friday.

Quinn the Dallas defensive coordinator for the previous three seasons, was named the Commanders head coach and promptly hired Joe Whitt Jr. as his defensive coordinator and Sharrif Floyd as assistant defensive line coach, both away from the Cowboys staff.

Then he signed four Cowboys on his Dallas teams when Tyler Biadasz (center), Dorance Armstrong (defensive end), Dante Fowler (defensive end) and Noah Igbinoghene (cornerback) each agreed to make the Commanders their new team.

Sham had high praise for Quinn not only as a coach but as a person.

“He’s a genuine people person,” Sham said. “He does have that kind of magnetic enthusiasm. And it is not just his players who love him. Most people around him enjoy being around him. He treats everyone with such respect that it is impossible not to return that.”

Seeing how Quinn had previous head coaching experience and improved the Cowboys defense, Sham was confident Quinn would soon be moving from Dallas.

“So, I think it was inevitable that he was going to get another opportunity as a head coach. I think it is a very positive move for the Commanders.”

Sham believes Quinn will be a better head coach the second time around.

“My guess is he is a better coach than the one who left Seattle several years ago,” Sham continued. “The experience in Atlanta made him a better coach. His last three years here (Dallas) made him a better coach. I think he is not just a defensive coach, though he is very much that. He is interested in the whole team, and it’s a very positive move for the Commanders.”

Though Whitt has not garnered much publicity, Sham believes in Whitt taking on this responsibility for the Commanders. “Joe Whitt is a guy who is kind of under the radar. He is quiet but a phenomenal football coach who has really great football intelligence.”

Sham told Galdi of how the Dallas defense was horrible in the 2020 season, and the hiring of Dan Quinn saw the Cowboys defense improve tremendously during Quinn’s three seasons as the Cowboys defensive coordinator.

“He will come in and look at the personnel following the free agency and the draft. He will then decide the best way for those players to play. He finds a way to maximize the players he has.”

Sham told of how Dallas defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence injured a foot during practice week of the second game of the 2021 season. Quinn went to Micah Parsons and asked him what he thought of moving around more on defense, being on the line in pass-rushing downs. And that is why we see how the Cowboys have used Parsons in multiple positions. It came about because Quinn saw an opportunity when one of his better linemen was injured.

Sham summed it up, saying about Quinn, “He’s pretty creative, inventive, and sees the big picture.”

 

Cowboys already spending 13% of cap on depleted edge rusher group

The defense end group makes up a big portion of the teams salary cap and will only get pricier. | From @ArmyChiefW3

The defensive side of the ball for the Dallas Cowboys doesn’t boast the type of contract numbers dedicated to the offense. The large cap hits defensive ends command rings true, but the available options behind them are slim. A sneaky need for this team is that a counterpart opposite of star pass rusher Micah Parsons must be found.

But Dallas has been known to be frugal and overspending on a single position group doesn’t fit their approach to team building.

Dallas was built to put pressure on the quarterback to allow their ballhawk-type secondary to cash in on the disruption. No matter the changes this defense will undergo with Mike Zimmer taking the baton from Dan Quinn, applying pressure on the opposing quarterback is something all teams want to accomplish. The remaining pass-rush production behind Parsons needs attention, but at what cost?

9 Cowboys who could follow Dan Quinn to Washington in next 2 years

It’s common practice for players to follow a coach to a new venue. Which defenders could trail Quinn to the east coast? | From @KDDrummondNFL

One would imagine that a ton of Cowboys defenders enjoyed their time under Dan Quinn’s leadership. His ability to motivate and lead is often cited as his best quality, and that’s for a defensive coordinator who has had three straight top-five defenses in Dallas on top of back-to-back No. 1 defenses in Seattle. In between was a stint as head coach of Atlanta that included a trip to the Super Bowl without having a top defense.

So it stands to reason, with a new franchise QB incoming and a ton of cap space, Washington is going to be an intriguing destination for Quinn’s disciples. Some will be able to join him this year, others will have to wait a year until their contracts expire. Here’s a look at two years worth of Cowboys free agents who could end up following Quinn to the nation’s capital.

 

Studs and duds in Cowboys’ NFC East clinching 38-10 Week 18 win

The studs on offense led the way for the Dallas Cowboys in their 38-10 NFC East clinching win over the Washington Commanders in Week 18. | From @BenGrimaldi

The Dallas Cowboys had one mission in Week 18, to leave Washington D.C. with a win and the NFC East title. Mission accomplished as the Cowboys routed the Washington Commanders in a 38-10 win that secured the team’s second division title in the last three years.

They took a little bit of time to get going, but a barrage that started late in the second quarter saw the Cowboys assert their dominance and blow out the Commanders behind a complete team effort. In a rivalry matchup, Mike McCarthy had to know his team would get everything the Commanders had in what was likely Ron Rivera’s last game with the team, and Dallas withstood the aggressive approach to pull away for the victory.

It was another great performance for the offense, while the defense got three more turnovers to guide the Cowboys. Here are the studs and duds from an NFC East clinching win for the Cowboys in Week 18.

The five biggest snubs for the 2024 NFL Pro Bowl rosters

Now that the 2024 Pro Bowl rosters have been announced, here are the biggest snubs — the players who should have made it, and didn’t.

The NFL announced the 2024 Pro Bowl rosters on Wednesday night. The rosters were determined by the consensus votes of fans, players, and coaches, making the NFL the only sports league that combines voting by fans, coaches and players to select it’s All-Star rosters.

That said, as there is every year, there were multiple notable snubs that were left off the Pro Bowl roster, and these are the five biggest names to no be 2024 Pro Bowlers.

Gifts and Coal: Lamb, Luepke opposite sides of Cowboys’ studs, duds

CeeDee Lamb’s record and Hunter Luepke’s fumble are among the impact events in the Cowboys’ Week 16 loss. | From @BenGrimaldi

Santa Claus wasn’t kind to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 16 as they fell to the Miami Dolphins, 22-20, on a last-second field goal. The Cowboys spent most of the afternoon trying to crawl their way back into it after being down for much of the contest, but couldn’t hold the lead once they earned it.

This wasn’t the same old story for Mike McCarthy’s team on the road. They had plenty of fight in the Christmas Eve matchup of 10-4 teams. However, they couldn’t get the one thing they wanted for the holiday, a W in the win column.

In defeat, the Cowboys have their first losing streak since 2021 and now they’ve fallen behind in the NFC East race with two weeks remaining. Here’s the Christmas edition of the studs (gifts) and duds (coal) in Dallas’ Week 16 loss.

Cowboys nominate DeMarcus Lawrence for Walter Payton Man of the Year Award

From @ToddBrock24f7: The DE follows in the footsteps of QB Dak Prescott, who won the 2022 award and surprised Lawrence with news of his nomination this week.

DeMarcus Lawrence has long been an agent of chaos on the field, making a career out of altering the game plans of opposing quarterbacks. But the Cowboys defensive end is also a relentless instrument of change off the field, too, and he’s being recognized for that work with his latest accolade.

Lawrence is the Cowboys’ nominee for the 2023 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.

Quarterback Dak Prescott, who won the award last year, surprised Lawrence with the announcement on Monday.

Over his Cowboys tenure, Lawrence has been active in numerous charity and outreach efforts including the North Texas Food Bank, local Boys & Girls Clubs, and the education nonprofit Big Thought. He’s spent many hours visiting children’s hospitals and schools as well as lending a helping hand to small businesses, the homeless, afterschool programs, and essential workers in the DFW area.

“I’m a huge believer [that] you’re a product of your environment,” Lawrence says in a video profile on NFL.com. “So I just want to make sure I’m giving back to the kids, make sure I’m giving back to the community, because our community looks up to us as athletes and Dallas Cowboys. I just want to make sure they have that figure out in the streets with them, to be able to say, ‘You know what? He actually is a good guy. He stood by me when I was going through this or this and he had my back.’ Just like I have my guys’ back on the field, I want to have my people’s back off the field.”

Considered by the league its most prestigious honor, the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award recognizes commitment to philanthropy and community service as well as excellence on gameday. Each NFL team nominates one player annually, and a panel of judges that includes Commissioner Roger Goodell, the previous year’s winner, and former NFL players will select this year’s recipient.

The nominees from all 32 teams will wear a special helmet decal for the remainder of this season.

The Walter Payton Man of the Year Award winner is traditionally recognized during a Super Bowl pregame ceremony; he receives a $250,000 donation in his name to the charity of his choosing. He is also given a special uniform patch to wear on his jersey for the rest of his playing career.

The other 31 nominees receive up to $55,000 to be donated to their favorite charity as well, with monies coming from the NFL Foundation and award title sponsor Nationwide.

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The NFL Man of the Year Award was first handed out in 1970. It was renamed for Chicago Bears running back and noted humanitarian Walter Payton- the 1977 recipient- shortly after his 1999 passing.

The Cowboys have had four players win the award: Prescott in 2022, tight end Jason Witten in 2012, quarterback Troy Aikman in 1997, and quarterback Roger Staubach in 1978.

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5 Cowboys to watch vs. Commanders in Week 12

Here are five Cowboys the Commanders should be most concerned about on Thanksgiving Day.

The Washington Commanders must quickly put a disappointing loss to the New York Giants behind them. The Commanders travel to Dallas to face the Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day in a game where they are big underdogs.

Washington turned the ball over six times on Sunday and still had a chance to win late. However, much like the rest of the day, the Commanders turned the ball over, suffering an embarrassing loss to the Giants, starting an undrafted rookie at quarterback who they sacked nine times.

Now, the Commanders face the most challenging part of their schedule. Four of their remaining six games are against teams currently slated to be in the playoffs, including Dallas twice.

The Cowboys have an excellent team. Here are five players fans should focus on in Thursday’s matchup.

This Cowboys’ 4-man combo is tops among 86 NFL pass-rush groups

The Cowboys have a handful of winning combinations rushing the passer in 2023, but one foursome stands out from the rest in the NFL, finds @ReidDHanson.

When it comes to pass rushers, the Cowboys have an embarrassment of riches on their hands. Not only does Dallas field one of the best rushers in the game in Micah Parsons, but they also have Pro Bowler DeMarcus Lawrence, Dante Fowler, Dorance Armstrong and Sam Williams.

And that’s just outside players.

Inside, the Cowboys have Osa Odighizuwa, Neville Gallimore and Chauncey Golston applying pressure. The last two may not be well-regarded pass rushers, but Odighizuwa is currently second in the NFL in DT pass rush win rate, despite being double-teamed 66 percent of the time this season.

With so many talented pass rushers across the defensive line, it’s difficult to tell which is the best combination in Dallas. When the passing situation is obvious and the Cowboys are pinning their ears back and hunting for quarterbacks, who makes up the best NASCAR package?

Arjun Menon, formerly of PFF, ran the numbers across the league and found out. Not only did he determine who the Cowboys’ top four-man passing rushing combination is, but also how that group stacks up across the NFL.

Filtering for plays in which there were only four pass-rushers with a minimum of 10 snaps together, it was determined Fowler, Lawrence, Armstrong and Parsons are the best foursome in Dallas.

In a field of 86 qualified groups, the Cowboys’ top grouping finished tops in the league. Their 90.91% pressure rate isn’t just astonishingly high, but it’s over 20 percent higher than the second most efficient foursome.

It’s immediately apparent to anyone looking at these four players, the Cowboys top foursome is comprised solely of EDGE players.

By reducing Lawrence and Armstrong inside, the Cowboys can load up on speed and explosiveness. Since this package is reserved for obvious passing situations, there is a greatly reduced fear of the run so stoutness can safely be sacrificed for speed.

Since Dan Quinn is a defensive coordinator who’s naturally adverse to blitzing, the Cowboys also stunt at a high rate. By twisting his ends and tackles he can create confusion with blocking assignments. It changes angles and can expose inexperienced offensive linemen.

Obviously in base or even standard nickel personnel, the Cowboys would have one or two DTs inside who can hold up against the run. But even that has elite pass rush potential. As alluded to earlier, Odighizuwa is amongst the best in the league in creating pressure. Double-teams don’t even stop him.

But even Golston has some potential bubbling beneath the surface. His one sack this season isn’t going to get his picture on a Wheaties box, but according to PFF, Golston’s 21.2 win percentage ranks him fifth amongst DTs, slotting him right between Aaron Donald and Chris Jones this season.

At the end of the day, the Cowboys have a handful of good players capable of rushing the passer with high-end efficiency. But on obvious passing downs, the top combination is clear because they’re not just the best on the team, they’re the best in the NFL.

Key things to know about Chargers’ Week 6 opponent: Cowboys

Here are some important things to know about the Cowboys ahead of the Week 6 matchup with the Chargers.

The Chargers will host the Cowboys on Monday, Oct. 16, at 5:15 p.m. PT.

To get you prepped for the Week 6 bout, here are five key things to know about Los Angeles’ opponent ahead of the matchup.

From one offense to another

Kellen Moore faces his former team that let him go following the 2022 season. With Moore gone, head coach Mike McCarthy has been in charge of the play-calling duties with his West Coast style of offense. Dallas’ offense has been uneven through five games, to say the least. They boast the third-best third-down offense, eighth-best scoring offense, averaging 26.8 points per game and the tenth-best rushing offense with an average of 124.4 yards per game. But their passing offense ranks in the bottom half of the league and they have one of the worst red zone offenses.

Dak coming off a dud of a performance

With McCarthy calling the shots, one of his priorities was to help quarterback Dak Prescott cut down on his interceptions after leading the league last season with 15. Prescott did a decent job of taking care of the football in the first four weeks, but he tossed three picks this past weekend in their 42-10 loss to the 49ers. Prescott’s now up to 29 INTs in his last 33 starts. On the season, he has 1,064 passing yards, five touchdowns and a completion percentage of 69.4.

Not getting him the ball

A major reason why the Cowboys’ passing offense has faltered is because of wide receiver CeeDee Lamb’s lack of usage. Lamb has been held under 55 yards in the last three games. He has just not been thrown the ball. Through five games, he’s tallied 27 receptions on 35 targets for 358 yards and one touchdown. Nonetheless, Lamb is still an explosive playmaker. He is tied for eighth in the NFL in receiving plays (eight) of 20 yards or more.

Strength of the team

While the Cowboys’ offense has struggled to get in a groove, their defense has picked up the slack. Dallas ranks top-10 in various categories: Fifth-best total defense, allowing an average of 292.0 yards per game. Second-best passing defense, allowing an average of 168.6 YPG. Seventh-best scoring defense, allowing 16.6 points per game. The heartbeat of the defense is the pass rush duo of Micah Parson and Demarcus Lawrence. Parsons has four sacks and 29 quarterback pressures through five games. Lawrence, the veteran pass rusher, has totaled 17 pressures and a pair of sacks.

Gimme wins

The Cowboys are 3-2, and of those three wins that came against the Giants, Patriots and Jets, those teams have combined for just four wins this season. Their two losses were to the Cardinals in Week 3 and the 49ers this past Sunday.

Look out for…

Daron Bland. Bland, the second-year player, has filled in for the injured Trevon Diggs as the top boundary corner and has excelled in the role. He is tied for the most interceptions (3), two of which came against the Patriots in Week 4. Bland is also currently allowing the lowest passer rating in the NFL (30.7).