After a crushing 34-26 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday Night Football, the Dallas Cowboys find themselves spiraling - and according to former NFL head coach Rex Ryan, the blame falls squarely on one side of the ball: the defense.
On ESPN’s Get Up, Ryan didn’t mince words. “This is 100% a Super Bowl-caliber offense,” he said.
“We’ve seen it all year. But this defense?
It stinks.” His frustration was aimed at a unit that made Vikings rookie quarterback J.J.
McCarthy - who’s had his share of struggles this season - look like a seasoned All-Pro under the primetime lights.
McCarthy threw for a career-high 250 yards and three touchdowns, carving up a Dallas defense that couldn’t find answers all night. The Cowboys didn’t register a single sack and managed just one takeaway - a first-quarter interception - before McCarthy settled in and took control. For a defense that once prided itself on pressure and turnovers, the drop-off has been jarring.
Ryan, never one to hold back, took it a step further. “They absolutely stink,” he said.
“I’ve called them the ‘dumb state defense’ all season long. And guess what?
That dumb state defense is going to keep your team parked when it comes to the playoffs - because no way in hell you’re getting in.”
Harsh? Maybe.
But he’s not alone in sounding the alarm. The numbers back him up.
Heading into Week 15, Dallas ranked 29th in EPA per play allowed and 31st in points allowed per game, giving up nearly 30 a night. That’s not just bad - that’s bottom-of-the-league bad.
And the timing couldn’t be worse. With only three games left and a 6-7 record, the Cowboys’ playoff chances are hanging by a thread - less than 1%, according to projections. For a team that boasts one of the league’s most explosive offenses, that’s a brutal pill to swallow.
The offense, for its part, has done enough to win games. But when the defense can’t get off the field, can’t create pressure, and can’t stop a rookie quarterback from lighting them up in their own building, it’s hard to argue with Ryan’s assessment.
Dallas now faces an uphill climb, and the margin for error is gone. If the defense doesn’t turn it around - and fast - the Cowboys will be watching the postseason from home. And for a team with this much offensive firepower, that would be a massive missed opportunity.