This Comment From Cowboys Coordinator Might Scare Patriots Fans

Dan Quinn is confident his defense will respond after a Week 3 loss

The argument could be made the New England Patriots are getting the Cowboys at the right time. After all, Dallas lost star cornerback Trevon Diggs to a season-ending injury just last week and three of the team’s five offensive linemen missed Week 3 against the Arizona Cardinals due to injury.

However, there’s also an argument to be made the Patriots are getting the Cowboys at the worst possible time. Such an idea is due to the fact Dallas was just upset by Arizona in the desert, which gave the on-top-of-the-world Cowboys a harsh reality check. That might not be good for Bill Belichick’s team.

Speaking with reporters one day after the Cowboys suffered a 28-16 defeat, Dallas defensive coordinator Dan Quinn made it rather clear where he stands on the argument.

“If you went around our locker room and asked, there are a lot of pissed off people, as we should be,” Quinn told reporters, per the team. “It was not up to the standard we set for ourselves.”

Dallas entered the Week 3 contest as a 12.5-point road favorite. The Cowboys now are a 7-point home favorite against the Patriots with oddsmakers expecting a bounce-back performance at AT&T Stadium.

No Matchup Found

Click here to enter a different Sportradar ID.

What do you think?  Leave a comment.

Quinn agrees.

“These guys will respond like crazy, and that part I’m very much looking forward to being a part of,” Quinn told reporters.

The Cowboys allowed the then-winless Cardinals to compile 400 yards of offense with 222 rushing yards on 7.4 (!) per attempt. It marked the most rushing yards Dallas allowed since Week 8 of last season.

“We didn’t play to the standards that we’ve seen and what our excellence looks like,” Quinn told reporters. “I think we’ve seen that over the last couple weeks. So when that doesn’t happen, you certainly feel about it. But I do know this about our guys, and I really know them well, this is a warrior crew in what they’re about and I certainly know we’ll grow from this.”

Quinn acknowledged how Arizona’s five explosive runs were among the biggest reasons for the loss. The opportunistic Cowboys defense also did not record one single takeaway. Dallas had seven combined turnovers in its first two games this season. The Cowboys enter Week 4 fourth in the NFL in turnovers caused.

The Cardinals’ blueprint for success might be something the Patriots and other teams around the league pay attention to. If New England can stay ahead of the chains and commit to the run, it will go a long way in limiting the effectiveness of the Cowboys pass rush led by Defensive Player of the Year favorite Micah Parsons.

Quinn and stars of the Dallas defense, however, believe their Week 3 miscues are correctable. It’s just up to the Patriots to try and further exploit them in pursuit of an upset win.