Next Gen Stats is putting numbers behind something Dallas Cowboys fans have been whispering since the win over the Las Vegas Raiders. The defense is finally playing like it got tired of being the punchline to a running joke.
For most of the 2025 season the hope was simple. If the Cowboys could just climb from “statistically last” to “functionally decent,” the offense could handle the rest. Post-bye, that prayer is looking a lot less spiritual and a lot more measurable.
The Cowboys are getting a different level of Quinnen Williams
Quinnen Williams arrived in Dallas and immediately acted like someone who knew exactly what this front could do for him. In Weeks 11 and 12 he generated a combined 13 pressures and 1.5 sacks for a 22.4% pressure rate, which ranks third in the league among players with 20 or more rushes. That is a noticeable jump from the 16 pressures, one sack and 8% rate he posted across eight games with the Jets. Two straight outings with five or more pressures set the tone for what this version of Williams looks like in a Cowboys uniform.
Part of the story is what Brian Schottenheimer has called the “five down front,” a look with three interior bodies and two edge threats that Dallas has quietly been installing for several weeks. The structure naturally creates one-on-ones for the tackles, and Quinnen, lined up as the nose, has been cashing in. It has also given the defense a reason to get more aggressive.
After spending the early part of the season getting criticized for being too plain and not blitzing nearly enough, the Cowboys are using the five down front to run simulated pressures, T-E stunts, and ther pressure packages.
The five down front was not created for Williams, but his arrival, combined with DeMarvion Overshown’s return, has expanded what the Cowboys can call from it. When the personnel gets better, the playbook tends to open itself.
Osa Odighizuwa returned from the bye with a new level unlocked
Osa Odighizuwa looks like he took the bye week personally. He had 17 pressures in his first nine games at an 8% rate, then responded with 9 pressures at 14.8% in two weeks. His four pressures against double teams tie for the league lead in that span and his four quick wins under two and a half seconds match his entire pre-bye total.
Is it the new front? The new neighbor in Williams at defensive tackle? A post-bye reset? The honest answer is that all three seem to be working in harmony.
The obvious theory is that Williams’ presence shifts attention and gives Odighizuwa more breathable matchups, but the most interesting NGS detail is how the latter is performing when he does get doubled. Whether he is facing fewer doubles overall or benefiting from disjointed blocking schemes caused by Williams’ disruption, his efficiency has climbed.
The team is spending just $21 million on the defensive tackle group for 2025, a number set to explode in 2026. But for this year, they are now getting more bang for the buck than anyone could’ve predicted.
The linebackers are catching the wave too
Logan Wilson brought his coverage efficiency with him when he crossed state lines. In two games he has been targeted four times, allowing two receptions for 11 yards.
Kenneth Murray has followed suit. With Wilson next to him he has seen two targets on 47 coverage snaps and allowed a single six-yard completion. Before the bye Murray sat at eight yards per target with an 83% completion rate allowed, and Wilson gave up 6.4 yards per target with Cincinnati. The second level looks calmer and more decisive.
Some of this is rotation. With Overshown back and Wilson in the mix, Dallas has improved its situational usage of Murray and Wilson, which keeps both fresher and aligns their responsibilities with their strengths.
Two games is a small sample but the early signs fit what good linebacker play usually requires. The combination of higher football IQ, clearer assignments and a defensive line playing with real force has given both players cleaner reads and more confidence in space.
The real story isn’t just that the defense looks better. It is that the pieces finally fit. The upgraded front is dictating protections. The linebackers are playing faster. And the Cowboys are discovering pressure and coverage answers they did not have in September. It is only a two-game sample, but it is the most complete version of this defense we have seen all year and it arrived right on time.
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys defense much improved since bye week thanks to $21 million group
Reporting by Jazz Monet, Cowboys Wire / Cowboys Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
