Dallas Cowboys’ costly Dan Quinn mistake
Matt Eberflus has been fired as defensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys, who have not found the right formula since Dan Quinn left for Washington.
Beyond that final chapter - when Dallas’ defense was steamrolled 48-32 by Green Bay in the 2023 NFL Wild Card Round - the departure of Dan Quinn continues to haunt the Cowboys. In February 2024, the former defensive coordinator left for Washington to take over as head coach of the Commanders.
What was Quinn’s Cowboys record?
Quinn’s numbers as Cowboys DC weren’t eye‑popping, but they were effective. In his first season with Dallas, the defense ranked 18th in total yards allowed, 20th against the pass, 20th against the run - but No. 1 in takeaways and eighth in points allowed.
A year later, the Cowboys again led the league in takeaways, finished sixth in points allowed, 13th in total yards allowed, 22nd against the run, and eighth against the pass. In his final season, Dallas ranked seventh in total yards allowed, ninth in points allowed, 18th against the run, and fifth against the pass.
During Quinn’s three years running the defense, the Cowboys reached the playoffs every season and won the division twice, in 2021 and 2023.
Dallas’s defensive nosedive
Beyond the playoff beatdown by Green Bay, the two years that have followed Quinn’s exit have been nothing short of disastrous for Jerry Jones’ defense. Any fan dreams of Quinn eventually becoming Dallas’ head coach evaporated - he instead took the top job in Washington, a division rival.
In 2024, under Mike Zimmer, Dallas fielded the second‑worst defense in the NFL - only Carolina allowed more points. The Cowboys finished 18th in passing yards allowed, 29th against the run, and 28th in total yards allowed.
It looked like things couldn’t get worse. Zimmer was fired, and Matt Eberflus took over as defensive coordinator - only for the defense to bottom out completely. Dallas finished dead last in points allowed (30.1 per game), 23rd against the run, last against the pass, and 30th in total defense.
Who could replace Eberflus?
Now the Cowboys are back on the market for yet another defensive coordinator. The leading candidates include Minnesota DC Brian Flores; Chicago defensive backs coach Al Harris; Denver assistant coach Jim Leonhard; and Cleveland DC Jim Schwartz.
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