The Dallas Cowboys are looking for a new defensive coordinator. The team has taken a more aggressive approach in their coaching search this offseason. They already completed some interviews and have more scheduled. The list of candidates is plentiful. So far, they have completed interviews for six coaches already.
- Jim Leonhard, defensive pass game coordinator, Broncos
- Daronte Jones, defensive pass game coordinator, Vikings
- Jonathan Gannon, head coach, Cardinals
- Zach Orr, defensive coordinator, Ravens
- Ephraim Banda, safeties coach, Browns
- Aaron Whitecotten, defensive line coach, Cowboys
And they have interviews scheduled for three more…
- Charlie Bullen, interim defensive coordinator, Giants
- Demarcus Covington, defensive line coach/run game coordinator, Packers
- Christian Parker, defensive backs coach/pass game coordinator, Eagles
Obviously, these candidates have piqued the interest of the Cowboys, with several of them having impressive résumés, and some continuing
on an upward trend of coaching success. One interesting aspect of this group is that two-thirds of these nine candidates faced off against the Cowboys this past season, and most of them caused problems for the Cowboys’ offense. Granted, many factors contribute to a team’s defensive success, including the talent on the roster and the influence of other defensive coaches, but we thought it would still be interesting to take a look at how each of these coaching candidates fared against the Cowboys this season. In particular, here are some interesting stats for Dak Prescott this season:
Prescott had four games this year where he didn’t throw a touchdown:
- Week 1 against the Eagles (Christian Parker)
- Week 8 against the Broncos (Jim Leonhard)
- Week 15 against the Vikings (Daronte Jones)
- Week 18 against the Giants (Charlie Bullen)
They lost all four of those games.
Four of Prescott’s five worst games in terms of completion percentage this year were:
- Week 15 against the Vikings (Daronte Jones), 60.5%
- Week 8 against the Broncos (Jim Leonhard), 61.3%
- Week 9 against the Cardinals (Jonathan Gannon), 61.5%
- Week 1 against the Eagles (Christian Parker), 61.8%
Prescott’s three worst passing yard games this season were:
- Week 18 against the Giants (Charlie Bullen), 70 yards
- Week 8 against the Broncos (Jim Leonhard), 188 yards
- Week 1 against the Eagles (Christian Parker), 188 yards
Granted, in the season finale against the Giants, Prescott only played in the first half, but it wasn’t a good half. He was still on pace for his lowest passing-yard total of the season in that game.
Prescott’s three worst games this season in terms of QB rating were:
- Week 8 against the Broncos (Jim Leonhard), 51.5
- Week 1 against the Eagles (Christian Parker), 76.6
- Week 9 against the Cardinals (Jonathan Gannon), 77.9
It is interesting to see that so many defensive coaches they brought in for interviews had key roles for the teams that gave them fits this season.
If you weren’t a fan of Jim Leonhard before, you might be now as the Broncos show up in every one of these stats. We all can remember how frustrating it was for the Cowboys’ offense in that game. Dallas fell into a 27-10 halftime hole that they never got out of. Even when the Broncos turned the ball over on the opening drive of the game, the Cowboys’ offense stalled out at the two-yard line. The offense just couldn’t keep up, and Prescott, in particular, didn’t play well. Leonhard and company had his number.
Right behind Leonhard in his success is the Eagles’ Christian Parker. While the teams did split the series, neither game featured an offensive juggernaut that we have come to expect. In fact, in the three seasons prior to Parker becoming the Eagles’ passing game coordinator, Prescott lit up the Philly defense for 16 touchdowns and just one interception. The offense scored at least 40 points three times. Parker has been a godsend for the Eagles’ defense as things have been much different since. Last year, the offense didn’t score more than seven points in each of their two games against the Eagles (albeit, both were without Prescott).
This year, the Cowboys were able to score some points, but they went through spurts when they couldn’t get anything going. Even in that great comeback at AT&T Stadium, the Cowboys were aided by Eagles turnovers and a Philly offense that was absolutely dreadful in the second half. The Cowboys also benefited from a special teams mishap when they recovered a fumble on a punt return deep in Eagles’ territory.
Even teams that struggled this year found a way to stop the Cowboys’ offense. The Minnesota Vikings lost four-straight in November, but came to life at the end to win five straight games. Brian Flores and Daronte Jones allowed the fewest passing yards in the NFC this year and stymied the Cowboys’ offense. Prescott didn’t throw a single touchdown, and they shut down George Pickens so well that fans started to question his ability. The loss was a crucial blow that essentially ended the Cowboys’ season.
The Arizona Cardinals lost 14 of their final 15 games, with their only win in that stretch coming against the Cowboys. Jonathan Gannon was the Cardinals’ head coach, but he was also the defensive playcaller. The Cowboys’ offense only scored 10 points against the Cardinals, their lowest offensive output of the season.
It will be interesting to see who the Cowboys hire as their next defensive coordinator, but they definitely seem to have a type. If a defensive coach has given Brian Schottenheimer fits this past season, he remembers. And those coaches appear to be at the top of the list in the Cowboys’ coaching search.
