You would think that a unit that performed great for three consecutive seasons would keep up its pace, or at least gradually drop off. The Dallas Cowboys replacing defensive coordinator Dan Quinn with Mike Zimmer turned out to be a more significant impact than we all expected.
Entering Week 5, the Cowboys are bottom-10 in the league in yards and points allowed, percentage of drives scored against, yards per play allowed and sacks. It seems like nothing is going their way.
The defensive personnel did not change much, with Trevon Diggs taking Stephon Gilmore's place in the staring lineup, DeMarvion Overshown replacing Leighton Vander Esch, Mazi Smith stepping in for Jonathan Hankins and Marshawn Kneeland taking the reins from Dorance Armstrong. The voids left behind were thought to have been filled adequately.
What crushed the Cowboys early in the season was the injuries to DaRon Bland and Sam Williams. Coming off an All-Pro year, Bland was projected to continue his rise to stardom, while Williams was set to have an increased role as a situational pass rusher. Williams is out for the season with a torn ACL, and Bland's return won't solve all of the problems.
Cowboys' outlook on defense for 2024 and beyond is worrisome
Despite winning in Week 4, Dallas added more big defensive names to the injured list. Star edge rushers Micah Parsons (ankle) and DeMarcus Lawrence (foot), are set to miss time, with Lawrence going on IR.
Rookie and now CB2 in Bland's absence, Caelen Carson, missed the game against New York, and has not had a full practice yet. That leaves the potential to have Andrew Booth start opposite Diggs again his nightmarish performance against the Giants.
With all the injuries piled up, the Cowboys could play with five starters, or would-be starters due to injury, out of the lineup on Sunday night. For a defense that's already played as one of the worst in the NFL, the only way to be worse is through injuries. Well, here we are.
Things should at least get better next year, right? With just over $26 million in cap space, according to Spotrac, that's debatable. Expiring contracts on defense include Lawrence, Osa Odighizuwa, Chauncey Gholston, Eric Kendricks, Markquese Bell, Jourdan Lewis, Israel Mukuamu, and Juanyeh Thomas.
The required signings represent two starting defensive linemen, one young rotational defensive lineman, the brain of the defense and starting linebacker, one young linebacker-safety hybrid, one starting defensive back, and two young rotational safeties.
The positive is only Odighizuwa could demand a top contract. Lawrence's age and injury history could possibly garner a discount. Still, contracts on special teams and the offense must be sorted out, which only add to the team's burden.
Fortunately, it is still early in the season. For all we know, the return of Parsons, Bland and Lawrene could result in a defensive turnaround. Maybe after the Week 7 bye, Zimmer's complicated scheme finally clicks.
As it stands right now, though, the Cowboys' defense looks like Swiss cheese, and it's been a repeat of the traumatic Mike Nolan experience from 2020. For the remainder of the 2024 season and in the foreseeable future, Cowboys fans should buckle up for a likely bumpy ride.
