Mike Nolan is desperate to prove himself against the Giants
Dallas has the worst defense in the NFL through four weeks. They’re inconsistent bordering on incompetent. Yet, blaming all of the Cowboys issues on one man is missing the point. As incoherent as Mike Nolan has been at times, he is not the primary issue with the Cowboys defense right now.
The Cowboys offseason revolved around adding to their prolific offense. They re-signed Amari Cooper and added CeeDee Lamb to the receiving corps via the draft. They even flirted with a much-needed extension for QB Dak Prescott. But in the process, they lost some key defensive players such as CB Byron Jones, who signed a monster deal with the Miami Dolphins, and Robert Quinn, who had 11.5 sacks last season in Dallas and signed with the Bears.
The Cowboys are lacking in contributors, not scheme
Nolan is making an adjustment for the Cowboys Week 5 game against the New York Giants. Rather than coaching from the booth, he’ll make his way to the field level in hopes of making a more personal connection with his players in-game.
Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Nolan moves from booth to sideline on Sunday; if they lose to the Giants and Jason Garrett, his next move could be out the door https://t.co/ihmxSEVKRB
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) October 11, 2020
The Cowboys defense isn’t struggling because of Nolan’s scheme. There were always bound to be some bumps in the road, but Dallas isn’t getting any pressure on the quarterback despite some very high priced players and their secondary is lacking big-time. Those two defining characteristics don’t combine for a solid defensive unit in the modern NFL. Where’s DeMarcus Lawrence and Everson Griffen when you need them?
Placing the blame solely on Nolan as a scapegoat after less than half a season won’t solve anything, period. Leave it to Jerry Jones to overreact.