The Cowboys defense are having a hard time of generating turnovers.
Over the previous three seasons under former defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, the Dallas Cowboys were one of the best at creating turnovers. They led the league in 2021 and 2022 and finished in the top 10 in 2023. Mike Zimmer is the mastermind of what the Cowboys do defensively these days. Well, needless to say, it’s been a disaster all season long as his unit ranks 31st against the run and 26th overall. Also, they’re one of the worst teams at causing turnovers.
As things stand, the Cowboys’ defense has only logged six turnovers in their first eight games. That’s tied for the second-fewest in the NFL along with the Miami Dolphins and Tennessee Titans. This is a major drop-off from the last few seasons, and it will hurt the team even more with what the Cowboys have ahead of them. With Cooper Rush set to play quarterback for the foreseeable future as Dak Prescott is dealing with a torn hamstring, the Cowboys’ offense will take a step back, and it was already tough sledding for them considering their lack of a running game makes them one-dimensional. With that being said, Dallas needs all the help they can get to assist their offense while Prescott is on the shelf.
Unfortunately, the Cowboys will have a tough time making that a reality with the opponents they have coming up. Dallas will play the Philadelphia Eagles, Houston Texans, and Washington Commanders over the next several weeks. The Eagles and Texans are only giving the ball away once per game on average, and the Commanders have the fewest giveaways in the NFL at three, meaning they only have one turnover every three games. Although Rush has been 5-1 as a starter over the last few years when Prescott has missed time, the defense was the main catalyst while the offense was pedestrian, to say the least. The Cowboys’ defense will need to lead this team in the upcoming weeks as well.
It’s an extremely tough spot to be in, seeing as the Cowboys’ defense has taken such a step back production wise, and they’re deprived of talent in some areas. However, with Dallas not likely to score a lot of points with Rush at the helm, they need all the assistance that they can get. This means it will be paramount to get Rush and the offense some short fields to work with and increase their chances of getting points, and that’s touchdowns not field goals, no disrespect to kicker Brandon Aubrey who has been a godsend.
If the Cowboys can’t find a way to give the ball back to their offense in favorable positions, they may not see another win until the end of November or possibly December. So, Zimmer has to figure something out and fast.