Jayron Kearse being back in the fold is bigger news for the Cowboys defense than people would think

 How we consume our football is largely based on what people find interesting. You know, what gets the clicks going. This sport is far too nuanced for that to always lead us in the right direction, but it is probably easier to just answer Micah Parsons for every question on why the defense was so much better than it was in 2020.

You know I won’t do that to you here. Although I will quickly concede that Parsons is a franchise-altering draft pick at this current pace of play. Also, keeping Dan Quinn around makes me very pleased with how well this defense has a chance to continue its build with some nice development down the same course. Continuity is a massive key in this league and the Cowboys have a chance to put some nice things on top of their sturdy foundation.

https://theathletic.com/3213741/2022/03/28/jayron-kearse-being-back-in-the-fold-is-bigger-news-for-the-cowboys-defense-than-people-would-think/

Dan Quinn and Micah Parsons redefined the possibilities for the Cowboys and deserve all of the credit

 We are right in the thick of our draft studies this week as the party has shifted to Indianapolis for the NFL Scouting Combine. Here at the “Sturm 60 HQ,” we are stressing out about how to make 68 prospects fit into 60 spots and figuring that whoever doesn’t make the cut will be more likely to be selected by Dallas. Today, I will get the 24th player fully evaluated.

https://theathletic.com/3154424/2022/03/01/dan-quinn-and-micah-parsons-redefined-the-possibilities-and-deserve-all-of-the-credit/

Dan Quinn is with the Cowboys (for now) and he definitely wants another Super Bowl run before he goes

 This is the end, my friend.

Sunday starts the end. That end could take either a month or a few hours. We certainly don’t know which, but we also know what we would all prefer.

And whether the season ends this Sunday or in one month in the Super Bowl, we are getting a pretty clear message that Dan Quinn’s era as the architect of this defense will come to an end. Who could have imagined that the year he spent here would have gone so well?

https://theathletic.com/3066555/2022/01/12/dan-quinn-is-with-the-cowboys-for-now-and-he-definitely-wants-another-super-bowl-run-before-he-goes/

Very few challenges are like the Kyler Murray challenge: Dan Quinn’s Cowboys defense needs work

There are many ways to evaluate Sunday and most of the pointed questions were asked of the failed offensive performance Tuesday. Unlike their mates who handle business across the line of scrimmage, the Cowboys defense put up a fight that we can probably point toward as “potentially capable of beating Arizona in a rematch.” The bar is not the highest ever, but it should be meaningful. 

https://theathletic.com/3051999/2022/01/05/very-few-challenges-are-like-the-kyler-murray-challenge-dan-quinns-cowboys-defense-needs-work/

The Cowboys dial up more pressure as the sacks and turnovers continue to stack up: Dan Quinn report

 The Cowboys defense is currently in uncharted waters. We don’t know how to process this.

As we head into Week 17 with a mighty challenge lurking — and obviously many bigger ones on the horizon — Dallas welcomes the new year with the unthinkable No. 1 ranking in the NFL in takeaways.

https://theathletic.com/3040577/2021/12/30/the-cowboys-dial-up-more-pressure-as-the-sacks-and-turnovers-continue-to-stack-up-dan-quinn-report/

DeMarcus Lawrence is back and as dangerous as ever. Dan Quinn’s defense has leveled up

 “Y’all know me, still the same O.G. but I been low-key” — Dr. Dre

To steal a lyric that plays in my head just about every time I see DeMarcus Lawrence doing what he does since his return, I suspect some of you have forgotten about Tank.

Lawrence is back and he is wrecking things. There was a play early in this game in New Jersey on Sunday that demonstrates what this all means. You see, Lawrence is one of the most productive defensive edges in the NFL in the past five years even though his own fan base often questions his quality. This, of course, is all the more remarkable when you consider that he has never really had much help with him.

https://theathletic.com/3030601/2021/12/22/demarcus-lawrence-is-back-and-as-dangerous-as-ever-dan-quinns-defense-has-leveled-up/

The Cowboys get the job done, while a few teams above them did not: The Morning After

 At the risk of being a broken record, allow me to take you down an important road that is required after Week 15 in the NFL’s Sunday slate came to a close.

For many years, I have also covered the National Hockey League. In fact, there is a pretty good chance that I covered the NHL for a longer amount of time than the NFL — even though I am old enough that both span a few decades now.

https://theathletic.com/3026524/2021/12/20/the-cowboys-get-the-job-done-while-a-few-teams-above-them-did-not-the-morning-after/

Dan Quinn was stubborn with his coverage calls for the Cowboys and that made the Raiders thankful

 This week, the NFL will surpass 17,000 games in the history of the most popular league in our society. The league seems to have popularity that knows no bounds and where the outcomes are always full of drama.

But on Thanksgiving, we nearly saw something that had never been seen in any of those 17,000 previous games played.

https://theathletic.com/2987442/2021/12/01/dan-quinn-was-stubborn-with-his-coverage-calls-for-the-cowboys-and-that-made-the-raiders-thankful/

Tyreek Hill and Kansas City get enough done, but the Cowboys defense stands tall: Dan Quinn Report

 I realize that this is a short week and I am probably violating my sacred vow to have you ready for the Raiders game, but let’s give this Chiefs performance a little love for this last piece before Friday’s Morning After the Thanksgiving game.

The Cowboys defense did very well in this game. Not perfect and not really close to perfect, but when you play an offense that good and grow into the game where you are winning more battles than losing once you make your adjustments and catch your breath, we probably have very little bad to say about the defense.

https://theathletic.com/2976332/2021/11/24/tyreek-hill-and-kansas-city-get-enough-done-but-the-cowboys-defense-stands-tall-dan-quinn-report/

The Cowboys’ performance against the Falcons might be best one yet: Dan Quinn Report

 The Cowboys defense needed a response from what was a poor performance versus Denver. In that game, the Cowboys missed tackles, must have forgotten the fundamentals of run defense and were unable to make any plays on the ball.

In a full-team failure in Week 9, it was going to be interesting to see how they responded in Week 10. It also helped that it was an opportunity for Dan Quinn, Keanu Neal and Damontae Kazee to look across the field at their previous employer that bid each of them farewell in 2020.

https://theathletic.com/2961602/2021/11/17/the-cowboys-performance-against-the-falcons-might-be-best-one-yet-dan-quinn-report/

The Cowboys run defense was bad vs. the Broncos — not quite 2020 bad — but still not good: Quinn Report

 It had been a while since this sort of defensive performance has been seen around here. The transformation of the 2021 Cowboys defense from what 2020 produced has been massive and impressive. That defense was poor in all of the important fundamentals and disorganized.

This defense has lined up well, battled hard and started by stopping the run.

Until Sunday.

https://theathletic.com/2946349/2021/11/10/the-cowboys-run-defense-was-bad-vs-the-broncos-not-quite-2020-bad-but-still-not-good-quinn-report/

The Cowboys needed to stop an offense that can move — and they did just that: Quinn Report

 The Minnesota Vikings have proven to be a very difficult team to figure out. They have played every game in a manner that indicates they probably could win every game and probably could have lost every game.

https://theathletic.com/2931986/2021/11/03/the-cowboys-needed-to-stop-an-offense-that-can-move-and-they-did-just-that-quinn-report/

Cowboys DC Dan Quinn does what Mike Nolan couldn’t — find an aggressive complementary approach

 Trying to track a football team’s growth is similar to measuring your child’s growth — it is certainly not going to yield many results if you do it too often. If you are waiting for your kid to come down to breakfast so you can make them stand up straight and see if they grew overnight, you will likely not see much. But if you do it every 90 days or so, the differences might be stark.

https://theathletic.com/2916386/2021/10/27/cowboys-dc-dan-quinn-does-what-mike-nolan-couldnt-find-an-aggressive-complementary-approach/

Dan Quinn turns the proper dials and then his Cowboys’ playmakers make the plays against the Patriots

 Defensively, you would like to think you could manage a trip to New England without giving up four touchdown drives to an offense that has very little that can hurt you behind a rookie quarterback and is as conservative as the NFL gets these days.

You would like to think that you can go up there and show the world that your defense is new and improved.

But, things aren’t always neat and clean in the road in the NFL.

https://theathletic.com/2901099/2021/10/20/dan-quinn-turns-the-proper-dials-and-then-his-cowboys-playmakers-make-the-plays-against-the-patriots/

The glorious Cowboys’ defensive turnover train continues at full-steam ahead: Quinn Report

 The Cowboys defense is rolling and takeaways are the fuel.

There is no football deodorant quite like getting the ball. It can make a bad defense look good and a good defense look great.

https://theathletic.com/2886271/2021/10/13/the-glorious-cowboys-defensive-turnover-train-continues-at-full-steam-ahead-quinn-report/

What is Dan Quinn thinking? We sort through the evidence to figure out his plan for the Cowboys’ defense

 The game is already in the rearview mirror and it is definitely, "On to Los Angeles", but Wednesdays are when we look at the defense under a thorough microscope. Tom Brady demonstrated a level of excellence that a 44-year-old has never shown before in the Bucs ' Week 1 win, and he continues to incinerate the envelope of what is possible. He played what could have certainly been a perfect game if it wasn't for a few drops and a tipped pass.

https://theathletic.com/2827557/2021/09/15/what-is-dan-quinn-thinking-we-sort-through-the-evidence-to-figure-out-his-plan-for-the-cowboys-defense/

The Cowboys' defense wants to be much better. How close can they come to that in 2021?

 Well, it is "go" time. In one week, we will be sitting here with a Morning After column from the first game of the season. That game is probably well-considered the toughest game on the NFL schedule in 2021. You can probably argue, but playing the defending champions at their place on "banner night" in front of the world, when they are fully healthy and fully rested and returning all 22 starters? I mean, if any game should be considered a difficult start to the season, this is it.

https://theathletic.com/2806310/2021/09/03/the-cowboys-defense-wants-to-be-much-better-how-close-can-they-come-to-that-in-2021/

Heavy on defense and special teams Sturm’s final Cowboys 53-man roster projection

 Thankfully, we have a fun exercise to replace any sort of game recap with here as trying to dignify that preseason game from Sunday with Jacksonville with words is probably a bridge too far. So let's skip it. Late last week, I did a post on how special teams determine rosters. I believe what I wrote for sure, but I also have to admit that the math of this particular roster selection may put my initial thoughts to the test.

https://theathletic.com/2797291/2021/08/30/sturms-final-cowboys-53-man-roster-projection-heavy-on-defense-and-special-teams/

The issues of 2019 and 2020 are still there for Cowboys LB Jaylon Smith

 There is no question that if you found something better to do Friday night, you need to not sit in regret. If you burned your sports pass for late last week on a baseball game played in a cornfield, you chose well. There were moments of significance Friday night in Arizona, for sure. Dak Prescott appearing to throw passes in warmups would have to qualify, although another week of not throwing should probably not bother too many people with the Cowboys still having three weeks to prepare.

https://theathletic.com/2770245/2021/08/15/one-snap-from-friday-night-the-issues-of-2019-and-2020-are-still-there-for-cowboys-lb-jaylon-smith/

Sturm’s Morning After: The Cowboys’ defensive lineup provides clues on the plans at linebacker

 The Hall of Fame Game on Thursday night in Canton was, in fact, played. It did happen and if you watched it, you saw some classic uniforms and a few isolated things here and there worth noting. But, let's be honest: If you decided to skip it, you can still call yourself an NFL enthusiast and keep your Cowboys fan card. Jon Machota offered his insights from last night and I encourage you to check those out here.

https://theathletic.com/2755643/2021/08/06/sturms-morning-after-the-cowboys-defensive-lineup-provides-clues-on-the-plans-at-linebacker/