FRISCO, Texas – This should be no mystery whatsoever.
The Cowboys defensive turnaround over the past three games – no coincidence the team's first three-game winning streak, not only of the season but since a five-game winning streak back in 2023 that spurred the Cowboys on to a 12-5 record to win the NFC East for the second time in three years – is no Rubik's Cube.
Why, for the first nine games of the season, the Cowboys were giving up an average of 30.8 points per game, five teams scoring at least 30 points and two, Green Bay and Denver, at least 40 points They ranked 31st in the NFL. They were giving up 397.4 yards per game. They ranked 31st in the NFL. And exhibiting a long-standing weakness, the Cowboys were giving up 143 rushing yards a game. That ranked 28th. And when it came to opponent third-down conversion percentage, the Dallas defense was dead last at 52.5 percent.
But during this three-game winning streak, the Raiders, Eagles and Chiefs combined to average 21.6 points a game. The combined average rushing yards dropped to 69.6 yards. Total yards average dropped way down to 312. And when it comes to the third-down conversion percentage, how about 35.1 percent?
What the what?
Well, keep hearing this word "consistency." Keep hearing about the "continuity." Defensive coordinator Matt Everflus even went as far as to point out the guys were "executing well."
But let's not kid ourselves. Can you say "personnel"?
Please meet Mr. Quinnen Williams, three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle. He had suffered through a 1-7 start to the 2025 season with the New York Jets, who lost their first seven straight, to now go undefeated with the Cowboys during his three games here following the trade-deadline move.
Meet Mr. Jadeveon Clowney, a three-time Pro Bowl defensive end and former No. 1 pick in the draft. He came off his couch on Sept. 15, meaning no offseason with a team, no training camp, no preseason, to now having started three of the past four games, his presence obvious.
Meet Mr. Kenny Clark, a three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle with the Packers. He joined the team in the Micah Parsons trade just before the start of the season and after dealing with double-team after double-team is now flourishing with a partner next to him.
Meet Mr. DeMarvion Overshown, last playing in a game on Dec. 9 of last year. He suffered the triple crown of knee injuries, tearing the ACL, MCL and PCL, nearly all the CLs there are, before returning to play in these past three games, coincidence or not, all three wins.
Meet veteran starting safeties Malik Hooker and Donovan Wilson. Hooker spent five games on IR and Wilson missed two overlapping Hooker's absence, but both returning, guess what, for these past three games.
Meet Mr. Shavon Revel, the Cowboys' third-round draft choice this year. He was a potential first-round cornerback who dropped because of an ACL tear after three games last season at East Carolina. He, too, has played in the past three games, starting the third on Thanksgiving Day, making an obvious impact.
Meet Mr. Logan Wilson, a six-year veteran inside linebacker who started 65 of 76 games played with the Bengals. He was another trade deadline acquisition, having played, you guessed it, the past three games.
Meet Mr. Donovan Ezeiruaku, the team's 2025 second-round draft choice no longer a rookie defensive end. Now with 12 games under his chinstrap, he's growing before our very eyes. His 35 QB pressures are second on the team, 13 of those over the past four games, along with his first four NFL starts.
All this a coincidence? Me thinks not.
"That combination in there," said Cowboys owners Jerry Jones, referring to what is taking place on the defensive front, "when you look at the ĂŰĚŇTV today, it wasn't here when we started the season."
Almost within a month's time, the Cowboys have renovated a struggling defense. Better against the run. Improved pressure on opposing quarterbacks, recording 13 of their 28 sacks over the past four games, and 113 quarterback pressures. And consider this, three players no longer here, Kaiir Elam, Mazi Smith and Damone Clark, had combined for 548 snaps and nine starts, and not to blame them, but it's just an example of who they were playing with compared to now.
Because now, man, we be cookin'.
- Lions Cage: But now this defense possibly faces its biggest test of this renovation, the Detroit Lions up next, 7:15 p.m. Thursday at Ford Field in Detroit. These Lions are a serious offense. Get this: Tied for third with 29.2 points per game, oh, by the way, just a tenth behind the No. 2 Cowboys (29.3). Third total offense (376.3) but trailing the No. 1 Cowboys offense. Fourth rushing offense (138.1), the Cowboys but 13th. Seventh passing offense (238.2), 33 yards behind the No. 1 Cowboys (271.3). And tied for second with just eight giveaways, the Cowboys tied for 18th with 15. Yep, this Cowboys defense is facing akin to your second semester mid-term with five games to go. But know what, the Lions defense is in the same boat facing this Cowboys offense.
- Once Again: Remember, last week at this time pointed out the Cowboys needed to get off to a faster start, sort of like don't be late for Thanksgiving dinner. Well, they did it again, falling behind 7-0 and then 14-7. That means over the past five games, including this current three-game winning streak, the Cowboys have now found themselves trailing opponents a combined 62-10 at the outset of games. Come on, get 'er going.
- No Clowney Around: After a slow start, Clowney is hitting his stride. Just consider the veteran defensive end's performance against the Chiefs, tying for the team lead with six tackles, along with two sacks, two TFLs and two QB hits. And all this playing just 29 snaps, his third most of the season.
- Streaking Down The Stretch: After starting the season 3-5-1 over the first nine games of the season, now the Cowboys have won three consecutive games to get to 6-5-1. Great, but we realize they need to keep streaking to the finish over the next five games. Now, not suggesting the Cowboys are going to win out, meaning winning eight consecutive games, but it's going to take a mighty streak to either overtake the Eagles (8-4) to win the NFC East or claim one of the three wild-card playoff spots. But the Cowboys have a history of streaking into the playoffs. If we go back 55 years, the 5-4 Cowboys in 1970 won the final five games of the season to win the NFC East at 10-4 and streak all the way to Super Bowl V, losing 16-13 to the Baltimore Colts. The very next year the Cowboys got off to a 4-3 start, then won the final seven games, streaking all the way to a Super Bowl VI victory over Miami. Come with me to 1991, the 6-5 Cowboys winning the final five games of the season to finish 11-5 and win their first playoff game since 1982. And in 1993, when the Cowboys finished 12-4 to win the NFC East, they again finished the regular season on a five-game winning streak. Just sayin'.
- Short Yardage: In 10 of the past 12 seasons, the Cowboys have produced a 1,000-yard rusher, including Demarco Murray, Ezekiel Elliot, Tony Pollard and Rico Dowdle, and currently Javonte Williams needs just 45 yards to hit that 1,000-yard mark … With still five games to play, wide receiver George Pickens already has produced a career high 1,142 receiving yards, eclipsing his previous high by 2 yards … By the way, going back to the top when identifying how much this defense has changed, here are five guys having started this past Sunday who did not start against the Eagles in the season opener: Ezeiruaku, Quinnen Williams, Overshown, Reddy Steward and Revel … And here are guys who did start in the opener against the Eagles but are no longer starting: Elam, Clark, Jack Sanborn (IR) and Sam Williams, who is turning into a fine rotational defensive end … And let's finish here, that the Cowboys have only given up 209 yards rushing in the three games Q has played (gave up 216 in the loss to Carolina), and according to Next Gen Stats, Q leads all defensive tackles over these past three games with a 47.2 percent win rate against the run, 68 out of 144 plays.
Some things you just don't forget, and especially this one since occurring Oct. 13 of last year when the Detroit Lions pummeled the Cowboys, 47-9, at AT&T Stadium. That included late in the third quarter, when leading 37-9, Lions quarterback Jared Goff throwing a backward pass to receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown who pulled off one of those hook-and-lateral plays, pitching the ball to offensive tackle Penei Sewell for 8 yards, though wiped out by an ineligible receiver down field.
Probably uncalled for there, Dan Campbell, so for today's last word, we turn back to Jones, who can't seem to get that play out of his mind as well as maybe those three consecutive plays Campbell sent in two offensive linemen reporting eligible. That was a shot to a previous game against the Cowboys when the Lions, in Game 16 of the 2023 season, apparently executed a successful two-point conversion to take the lead with 23 seconds left to play, only to have it wiped out because the offensive lineman who caught the conversion pass failed to properly report eligible, much to Campbell's outraged chagrin.
So, Jerry, what you recall?
"I can't get that 40 points they hung on us last year out of my mind right out here at home," Jerry said during his Tuesday radio segment on 105.3 The Fan. "And that hook-and-lateral they did on that pass play, that was just embarrassing, really. And so, I can't get that out of my mind.
"But listen, I give them all the respect they've earned over the past two or three years, and they got a great running back (Jahmyr Gibbs, 1,019 rushing yards), and their quarterback (Goff) we need to pressure. And that's cliché almost. But I think they are at home, and plus they are playing with a real urgency because they are looking at needing to get these last games to be ready for the playoffs. That was their aspirations, not a given but certainly they thought they were going to have that maybe better than they've had that.
"So I look for them to be every bit the challenge that these last two games have been for us."
Get your popcorn ready. Game on.
