Dallas, TX
The Cowboys defense is in a strong position entering 2024
It seemed inevitable. There was no way that the Dallas Cowboys could keep it up. The conversation surrounding the team after the 2021 season was that their historic turnover tally would regress to the mean in 2022. Plenty of NFL history to that point supported that claim. This is true for a variety of reasons, but generally because turnovers are a difficult thing for a defense to completely control.
In a literal sense that was proven to be true. The Cowboys defense generated 34 turnovers in 2021 (shout out Trevon Diggs) and did not reach that mark a season later in 2022. The 2022 Dallas Cowboys generated a measly 33 turnovers, if you can believe it.
Amazing was it was, that was clearly an exception to the norm that is football history. Kudos to the now-departed Dan Quinn and the players on the team for upholding that level of consistency in a way that most people have not been able to.
It should come as no surprise to learn that Dallas dipped again in total turnovers in 2023 and generated only 26, although DaRon Bland set the NFL record for the most interceptions returned for a touchdown in the process. While that is technically regression, 26 is still an incredible number. Not quite an exception but it puts the Cowboys of the last three years in some rarified air.
What about year four?
History is not totally against the Cowboys defense continuing to generate turnovers
Personally speaking I have felt like the bottom just had to come out of the Cowboys this year. How could you not?
They have pulled off the impossible (relatively speaking) by continuing to generate so many turnovers, but with Dan Quinn now gone, an incredibly important piece of the puzzle is now different with Mike Zimmer in place. It has felt somewhat inevitable.
Recently I had the chance to sit down with the great Aaron Schatz from FTN Fantasy to discuss a number of things concerning the Cowboys but I wanted to specifically hit on this point. You can watch our entire conversation below.
Thankfully I’d prepped Schatz for this question and he was able to have some information handy that made me feel better about the 2024 Cowboys potentially not falling off of a cliff in this overall department.
If you head to about the eight-minute mark this is where the conversation starts. According to Schatz, there are four teams since 2000 that have ranked in the top five in terms of takeaways per drive for three straight years.
Of the 12 total seasons involved here, 11 featured a playoff appearance from the team involved. The only one here to miss out on the postseason were the 2020 Patriots, although there were obviously a lot of circumstances involved there to say the least. Tom Brady’s defection to Tampa was just one of them.
But on the subject of the Buccaneers, they cashed in on their run with a Super Bowl title in the final season of their three-year stretch. The first Patriots run included a Super Bowl appearance. Neither the second Patriots run or Dallas’ (obviously) included even a conference championship appearance.
What about the years following, though?
The 2003 Buccaneers missed out on the playoffs so the season was a failure in that sense, but defensively they didn’t exactly collapse in the turnover department. They finished sixth in takeaways per drive which is right outside of the top five.
Additionally the 2022 Patriots followed up their run with a sixth-place finish in the metric we are looking at. The sample size is small, but two of the three teams hung right around the same realm in year number four.
Something significant does separate the Cowboys, though. While there has been no turnover at head coach in Mike McCarthy, he was obviously not the architect of what took place defensively for Dallas over the last thousand days. Dan Quinn is out and that will play a role here in a way that the other teams didn’t have affecting them.
Tampa Bay’s defensive coordinator at the time was and remained Monte Kiffin (this whole exercise is just so much fun, isn’t it) and Bill Belichick was at the helm for all of the Patriots seasons involved. It goes without saying that there is immense pressure on Mike Zimmer to uphold the standard, but history is technically on his side which is encouraging.
1. Dorance Armstrong Jr., EDGE, Commanders
This one makes too much sense to me to not talk about.
Dorance Armstrong is a player the Commanders could cut ties with to save some cap space. For Dallas, this would not be some mystery evaluation because the Cowboys know exactly who Armstrong is.
They drafted him, and watched him grow into a dependable pass rusher.
I’m not saying Dorance Armstrong is some game-wrecking superstar, but he’s an edge defender who can give good snaps, set the edge, chase quarterbacks, and fit into a rotation without needing the whole defense built around him.
The NFC East part gives it extra spice, too. Bringing back a former Cowboy from Washington would get some attention, but the football part is what sells it. Dallas needs waves of pressure and Armstrong brings another wave.
2. Uchenna Nwosu, EDGE/LB, Seahawks
Uchenna Nwosu is the kind of name that doesn’t scream headline, but fits the job description.
Seattle’s roster lists Nwosu as a linebacker, and shows him at 6’2, 265 pounds with nine years of experience. He is credited with seven sacks during the Seahawks’ 2025 season.
That’s the kind of veteran pass rusher I would love to see Dallas pick up if the money doesn’t get weird.
Nwosu isn’t a luxury piece, but he is insurance. He’s the type of player I feel would keep the Cowboys from putting too much stress on the same pass rushers every week.
You can never have enough guys who can heat up the pocket, especially in a conference where every playoff road seems to run through quarterbacks who can make you pay if they get comfortable.
More than 100 people gathered Friday night at a high school near the sealed‑off blast zone to honor the victims of the deadly explosion at The Clyde apartments in Oak Cliff.
The vigil – filled with hymns, prayers, and candles – brought together neighbors, local leaders, and pastors, many of whom were personally connected to those who died.
Just down the street, the debris field marks where three people were killed and five others injured when an explosion and fire tore through the complex earlier in the day.
Remembering Sylvia Collins
Among those honored was Sylvia Collins, a Democratic Party precinct chair known for her energy, advocacy, and signature raised‑fist rally pose.
State Rep. Cassandra Garcia‑Hernandez reflected on the loss, saying she couldn’t imagine taking another “fist‑up photo” with Collins.
State Sen. Royce West urged the community to remember Collins by continuing the work she championed.
Authorities have not yet released the names of the other two victims, believed to be a young woman and her toddler.
Search and Recovery Complete, Cause Still Unknown
Dallas Fire‑Rescue Chief Justin Ball confirmed that the search and recovery phase is complete, though he declined to comment on whether construction crews digging near the property may have struck a natural gas line before the blast.
Ball also defended the actions of firefighters who were on scene for up to 10 minutes before the explosion without ordering evacuations. He said crews first had to locate the source of the gas odor, secure a water supply, and gear up before they could begin clearing the building.
Lawsuit Filed Against Atmos Energy
One survivor has already filed a lawsuit against Atmos Energy, accusing the utility of failing to properly monitor for gas leaks. Attorney Sadi Antonmattei‑Goitia said incidents like this “don’t happen without bad decisions being made.”
Atmos did not respond to questions about the lawsuit but issued a statement saying the company’s “hearts go out to the people who were tragically lost, their families, and everyone who has been impacted.”
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