The Dallas Cowboys have been expecting big improvement from their run defense in 2026. Massive investments across the line and in the linebacker ranks were made, and attempted respectfully, so Christian Parker and his Fangio-like defense can operate at peak efficiency. Because for the secondary to work, the gentlemen up front have to be able to handle business.
One week into the season and it’s safe to say big improvement has yet to be seen and concerns from a season ago are now carrying over to today. The Giants ran at will on the Cowboys in the first week of the season and did so in a variety of ways. How Dallas responds in Week 2 will go a long way in instilling faith that this year will be different.
Based on the numbers from last week, the Cowboys
have some clear weakness in their run fits that need to be addressed. Areas the Cowboys were most susceptible to gains were found to be in both of the A gaps. It’s a curious development since defensive tackle happens to be considered one of the Cowboys’ strongest units.
In the A gap to the right of the defense, the Giants averaged +0.25 EPA/rush. To the A gap of the left of defense, they averaged +0.23 EP/rush. This ranked the Cowboys 23rd and 28th in the NFL respectively. Playing out of a base 3-4 defense with heavy five-man fronts, it’s a surprising development given Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark’s presence inside.
Where did the Cowboys suffer the most on run defense? Surprisingly right up the middle… (graphic credit @csv_enjoyer) pic.twitter.com/difoW7x8kg
— Reid D Hanson (@ReidDHanson) September 18, 2026
It was the edge play of Dallas’ that came into the season under the most scrutiny. This unit has been scrambling to rebuild since the exodus of DeMarcus Lawrence and Micah Parsons a year before. Yet, it was the outside play that impressed, rating right around league average in rush EPA in the B and C gaps.
What may be surprising at first glance might not be surprising at all when fully considered. The Fangio defense is known to be Shannahan busters. Kyle Shannahan, who runs heavy outside zone, hasn’t had much success against Fangio defenses over the years.
It stands to reason that a line which frequently spreads five on the line handles the outside stuff better than the inside when the three big guys up front are spread tackle to tackle. There is a lot of room in those A gaps and unless the linebackers can hit everything perfectly, there’s often extra room to run. Given the state of disorder at linebacker for Dallas, Parker may want to tweak some things that keeps the big guys a little tighter moving forward. Then again, with mobile quarterbacks like Jayden Daniels and Lamar Jackson next on the schedule, maybe Parker has just the right defense needed to minimize the opponent’s strengths.
It’s tough to glean anything definitive from one week’s worth of data, but it’s something to monitor moving forward. Are the A gaps really the biggest weakness on Dallas’ run defense or was that just an anomaly from a small sample size? We shall see.
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Gaps where Cowboys run defense actually works, doesn't, is surprising
