Dallas Cowboys task Dan Quinn with turning around defense
Dan Quinn will be a defensive coordinator again as the Dallas Cowboys have hired him.
Former Falcons head coach Dan Quinn was at the helm of the team when the defense let a massive lead evaporate against the Dallas Cowboys. Ultimately, he was fired in Atlanta. However, Dallas isn’t done with him as they head into the 2021 NFL season. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Quinn will replace recently fired Mike Nolan as the Cowboys defensive coordinator.
It’s a move that comes with good and bad news. In terms of the positive side, Quinn has experience and has performed quite well as a defensive coordinator, most notably guiding the Legion of Boom to success in Seattle.
Additionally, he helped them win a Super Bowl against the highest-scoring offense in NFL history in the Denver Broncos. He also led the Falcons to the Super Bowl for the second time in their franchise’s history as the head coach in Atlanta.
But on the flip side, as a head coach, he and Atlanta became infamous for blowing big leads. None more disheartening than Super Bowl LI, in which Atlanta held a 28-3 lead before falling to Tom Brady and the Patriots. And of course, the Cowboys gave the Falcons a similar feeling this season.
The Dallas Cowboys have a lot of work for Dan Quinn to do on defense.
Dan Quinn has his faults and no one can deny that. But, if he’s only focusing on a single unit, it’s worth giving a shot. At this point, Cowboys fans are okay with anyone but Mike Nolan, given how the defense performed this past year. For Quinn, he does have some pieces he can work with but a number of holes to fill.
The Dallas defense has a pass rusher in DeMarcus Lawrence, two good linebackers in Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander Esch and an up-and-coming cornerback in Trevon Diggs. Those are pieces that can attract a coordinator with expertise. Furthermore, Quinn knows that he’s being given this opportunity with the expectation that he must fix it to salvage the team.
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Quinn deserved a second chance and he got it with Dallas. He had success and failures but now he has the opportunity to right the wrong. What he ultimately will do to revamp the Dallas defense remains to be seen. For now, he must get acquainted with his players and prepare for next season.