DALLAS (105.3 The Fan) - The Dallas Cowboys defense wanted to show their support for defensive coordinator Dan Quinn by performing at a high level against his former team on Sunday. Consider it mission accomplished.
The Cowboys defense allowed the Atlanta Falcons to put up just 214 yards of total offense, the lowest output they've allowed in a game this season. They intercepted starting quarterback Matt Ryan twice, and backup quarterback Josh Rosen once. Throw in a couple sacks and a rookie defensive back falling on a blocked punt for a touchdown, and you get the defense's best performance of the season and a 43-3 victory.
"It’s good to have that game done and over with," Quinn said after the win, via Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News. "It’s the fun part of the NFL. There’s always good rivalries between coaches and players. There’s a lot of guys on that roster and in the building I certainly care about a lot."
After the game, the Cowboys rewarded Quinn, the former Falcons head coach of more than five seasons, with one of the game balls.
"It was personal. We knew that Monday. We just went out there and executed the game for him," said defensive end Dorance Armstrong, who had one of the two Cowboys' sacks on Sunday.
The Cowboys defense will continue to be tested going forward, as they were playing without their top two pass rushers on Sunday in Randy Gregory and DeMarcus Lawrence. With Gregory down at least two more games with a calf injury, and Lawrence (foot) unlikely to play until Thanksgiving at the earliest, Dallas must trust in the 'next man up' strategy to keep getting the job done in the interim.
They did just that today...
Next up: A road date with Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
