{"id":393039,"date":"2026-07-31T04:47:12","date_gmt":"2026-07-31T04:47:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/393039\/"},"modified":"2026-07-31T04:47:12","modified_gmt":"2026-07-31T04:47:12","slug":"dallas-cowboys-pass-rush-couldnt-save-their-pass-defense-last-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/393039\/","title":{"rendered":"Dallas Cowboys\u2019 pass rush couldn\u2019t save their pass defense last year"},"content":{"rendered":"

In a recent post on the Cowboys\u2019 pass rush, we saw that the 2025 Cowboys ranked sixth in pressure rate despite ranking just 22nd in sacks<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Of course, pressuring the passer only works if your secondary is any good. And the 2025 Cowboys secondary was the exact opposite of whatever \u201cgood\u201d is, ranking just 31st in the league with a 109.6 defensive passer rating. If you\u2019re in the \u201cif only they\u2019d had more sacks\u201d school of thought, consider that in 2024, when the Cowboys were third in total sacks and still had Micah Parsons, they also ranked at the bottom of the league (28th) in defensive passer rating.<\/p>\n

The lesson is hard to ignore: generating pressure is only half the equation. What happens after the ball leaves the quarterback\u2019s hand matters just as much – and for the Cowboys in 2025, it mattered a lot more. And that\u2019s what we\u2019re going to focus on today.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll first look at the overall pass defense performance and then deep-dive into the different position groups. We\u2019ll be using two key metrics along the way:<\/p>\n

Burn rate: number of catches a defensive player allows versus the number of balls thrown at the receiver he is covering. For example, a burn rate of 80% would mean that opponents have completed eight of ten passes thrown at the receiver the defensive player was covering.<\/p>\n

Defensive Passer Rating: uses the same data and formula as the better known passer rating for the quarterback ( i.e. completion percentage, yard per attempt, touchdowns and interceptions), but applies them to a defender, where they become completion percentage allowed (aka \u2018burn rate\u2019), yards per attempt allowed, touchdowns allowed and interceptions made.<\/p>\n

Have you ever wondered where opposing quarterbacks are throwing the ball against the Cowboys, and how successful they are? No? Well I did, so I reverse engineered the game-by-game stats at ProFootballFocus.com<\/a> to come up with the nifty little graphic below which breaks down the 2025 passer rating and burn rate of the Cowboys\u2019 2025 opponents by pass direction and -distance.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

A couple of things stand out immediately. The Cowboys generated pressure, but opposing quarterbacks rarely had to hold the football long enough for it to matter. There was almost always somebody open underneath.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll notice that the burn rate in the six quadrants below the yellow line (i.e. less than 10 yards down the field) is quite high – 86% on 282 for 327 passing – which might be an indicator for why the pressure the Cowboys are generating is not leading to a better pass defense: if the QB can just dump off the ball to a receiver with a seven to 10-yard cushion, or simply target anybody covered by a linebacker, the opposing QB doesn\u2019t even need a hot read anymore, because there\u2019s always going to be people running free underneath.<\/p>\n

Also, 46% of passing yards allowed by the Cowboys defense are generated by passes completed between the numbers – and that\u2019s despite playing Jalen Hurts and his fear of the middle, not once but twice. Perhaps the middle of the field is where the communication issues hurt the Cowboys the most as blown coverages by linebackers, corners, and safeties allowed opponents to roam freely across the middle.<\/p>\n

And finally, the Cowboys secondary allowed a defensive passer rating (DPR) of 110 or more in five of the six quadrants beyond the yellow line (i.e. ten yards or more downfield), making this defense the perfect complement for a Rex Grossman-like play style.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Some analytical housekeeping: in official NFL team box scores, every official pass attempt by the opposing offense must be accounted for as a target. PFF, which we\u2019ll be using for the individual stats later on, excludes specific types of throws from their defensive player tallies.<\/p>\n

Unassigned Targets (Throwaways and Spikes): When an opposing quarterback throws the ball away or spikes it, the NFL counts it as an official pass attempt. PFF does not assign a target to any individual defensive player on a throwaway or spike because no defender was actually covering a receiver.Clear Overthrows: If a quarterback overthrows a receiver by 15 yards or throws into a completely vacant zone due to a broken route, the NFL log still charts a target to the intended receiver. PFF often omits these if no defender was in a position to realistically make a play on the ball.<\/p>\n

The difference is notable: the traditional box score shows the Cowboys defense with 556 targets and a 109.6 defensive passer rating, while PFF shows only 504 assigned targets, which in turn drives DPR to 121.5, with all else remaining equal.<\/p>\n

Most of us are quite used to the traditional passer rating, and may feel the PFF-based DPR (without unassigned targets and overthrows) are quite high. The following table shows how to evaluate the individual DPR numbers.<\/p>\n

Positional Ranking
\nDescription
\nLinebacker DPR
\nCorner DPR
\nSafety DPR<\/p>\n

100-80
\nBlue-Chip Players
\n<90
\n<77
\n<80<\/p>\n

79-60
\nNFL starter quality at position
\n91-100
\n78-88
\n81-97<\/p>\n

59-40
\nAverage to slightly below average player
\n101-108
\n89-96
\n98-109<\/p>\n

39-20
\nUnderperformer
\n109-115
\n97-110
\n110-118<\/p>\n

19-0
\nRed Flag
\n>115
\n>110
\n>118<\/p>\n

Source: PFF, min. 20 targets<\/p>\n

Most targeted Linebackers<\/p>\n

The Cowboys knew they were thin at linebacker going into the 2025 season, so they brought in Kenneth Murray and Jack Sanborn in free agency, and later even traded for Logan Wilson in early November. Here\u2019s how the entire linebacker room fared in pass defense.<\/p>\n

Player\u00a0
\nTargets
\nCMP
\nYards
\nBurn rate
\nDPR<\/p>\n

Kenneth Murray
\n48
\n35
\n345
\n73%
\n99.7<\/p>\n

Logan Wilson
\n44
\n33
\n327
\n75%
\n118.3<\/p>\n

Shemar James
\n37
\n35
\n332
\n95%
\n131.1<\/p>\n

DeMarvion Overshown
\n18
\n17
\n156
\n94%
\n121.3<\/p>\n

Marist Liufau
\n15
\n14
\n167
\n93%
\n135.3<\/p>\n

Jack Sanborn
\n12
\n11
\n117
\n92%
\n107.3<\/p>\n

Linebacker Average
\n174
\n145
\n1,444
\n83%
\n118.5<\/p>\n

If you rank 31st overall in DPR, none of your position groups will impress anybody.<\/p>\n

The Cowboys linebackers rank 29th overall. The league average DPR for linebackers is 107.3, and the two best linebacker rooms in Seattle (78.3) and Philly (84.6) run circles around the Cowboys linebackers.<\/p>\n

And the table above does not inspire a lot of confidence for 2026. Murray, Wilson, and Sanborn are gone, for good reason, but they might better than anything the Cowboys had and have. A burn rate in the 90s is a playcalling invitation for opposing quarterbacks, \u201cjust target whoever is covered by a linebacker and you should be fine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dee Winters was added to the room and brings a \u201cyellow\u201d 104.2 DPR to Dallas, and what third-round pick Jaishawn Barham brings to the room remains to be seen. There is some hope that DeMarvion Overshown, now fully healthy, could also be an upgrade. He was slightly better in 2024 with a 101.6 DPR, but his burn rate was also quite high at 91%.<\/p>\n

Many fans have been clamoring for an additional signing at linebacker, and they are right, but it has to be a guy who can cover. Otherwise OC Christian Parker\u2019s scheme will have to fix the linebacker performance by itself, and that\u2019s a big ask.<\/p>\n

But perhaps it is the right ask. If the Cowboys are going to play with Caleb Downs as a nickelback patrolling the middle of the field, that might take pressure off the linebackers and fix some of the issues up the middle.<\/p>\n

Most targeted Cornerbacks<\/p>\n

Instead of dominating 2025 with their pair of All Pro corners, a first-round free agent in Kaiir Elam, and a bunch of rookies to bring along slowly, the Cowboys found themselves with a cornerback room full of fantasy Walmart greeters who were only really there to so say hello as receivers passed them by.<\/p>\n

Player
\nTargets
\nCMP
\nYards
\nBurn rate
\nDPR<\/p>\n

DaRon Bland
\n76
\n51
\n630
\n67%
\n109.0<\/p>\n

Reddy Steward
\n52
\n45
\n410
\n87%
\n99.5<\/p>\n

Kaiir Elam
\n41
\n26
\n330
\n63%
\n112.9<\/p>\n

Shavon Revel
\n31
\n21
\n295
\n68%
\n119.7<\/p>\n

Trikweze Bridges
\n28
\n16
\n250
\n57%
\n107.7<\/p>\n

Trevon Diggs
\n20
\n16
\n286
\n80%
\n158.3<\/p>\n

Caelen Carson
\n17
\n11
\n188
\n65%
\n102.1<\/p>\n

Cornerback Average
\n268
\n188
\n2,412
\n70%
\n114.8<\/p>\n

The DPR here is orange and red throughout, and again, if you rank 31st overall in DPR, your corners are not going to look good.<\/p>\n

The Cowboys corners come in 29th overall, compared with a league-average DPR of 94.4. Top three teams: Houston (78.1), Kansas City (78.6), and Philly (79.6).<\/p>\n

The Cowboys have already jettisoned Trevon Diggs and Kaiir Elam, and have added Cobie Durant (\u201cgreen\u201d 85.6 DPR and 59% burn rate) along with Derion Kendrick, who is now two years removed from an ACL. Outside of that, they\u2019ll have to look at their own talent, their own scheme, and their own coaching to make a difference this year.<\/p>\n

The one encouraging thing most of last year\u2019s players bring with them is their burn rate. The NFL average is 63% and almost all returning guys have a burn rate in the 60s or lower.<\/p>\n

While the overall DPR numbers are ugly, burn rate suggests the returning corners weren\u2019t consistently getting beaten at the catch point. Many of the explosive plays came after the catch or from a handful of catastrophic breakdowns, problems that coaching and communication may be better positioned to fix than pure coverage ability.<\/p>\n

When your last line of defense fails, there is no one left to save you, and a minor mistake or miscommunication instantly turns into a catastrophic touchdown.<\/p>\n

Player
\nTargets
\nCMP
\nYards
\nBurn rate
\nDPR<\/p>\n

Donovan Wilson
\n37
\n29
\n315
\n78%
\n119.2<\/p>\n

Malik Hooker
\n18
\n15
\n295
\n83%
\n155.8<\/p>\n

Markquese Bell
\n17
\n14
\n174
\n82%
\n104.4<\/p>\n

Juanyeh Thomas
\n3
\n3
\n27
\n100%
\n143.8<\/p>\n

Safety Average
\n75
\n61
\n811
\n81%
\n134.6<\/p>\n

…
\n\u00a0
\n\u00a0
\n\u00a0
\n\u00a0
\n\u00a0<\/p>\n

Jalen Thompson
\n46
\n30
\n303
\n65%
\n98.4<\/p>\n

P.J. Locke
\n12
\n7
\n44
\n58%
\n93.8<\/p>\n

Last year\u2019s safety room ranked dead last in the NFL, with a DPR almost 35 points above the NFL average of 100.4, and way off the top teams: Chargers (56.4), Saints (76.8), and Houston (77.2). At least Philly is not that far away (116.7, #25), and help is on the way for the Cowboys in the form of Jalen Thompson and P.J. Locke.<\/p>\n

With Thompson and Locke on board, Caleb Downs can play closer to the box, allowing DC Christian Parker to better disguise his coverages, which in turn should result in fewer blown coverages and fewer explosive plays allowed.<\/p>\n

The numbers tell a remarkably consistent story. We saw in the previous post that the Cowboys\u2019 pass rush did its job often enough to win<\/a>. The coverage behind it didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

Quarterbacks repeatedly found easy completions underneath, attacked linebackers in coverage, and exploited communication breakdowns over the middle before the pass rush could arrive. Pressure loses much of its value when offenses always have an easy answer.<\/p>\n

The front office clearly recognized the problem. Dallas replaced two starting safeties, turned over much of the cornerback room, drafted Caleb Downs, and added more speed at linebacker. Whether those moves are enough remains to be seen, but they point toward the same conclusion the numbers do: improving this defense isn\u2019t about finding another pass rusher.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s about making every pressure count.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In a recent post on the Cowboys\u2019 pass rush, we saw that the 2025 Cowboys ranked sixth in…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":393040,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[102,23679,104,103],"class_list":["post-393039","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-dallas","tag-dallas","tag-dallas-cowboys-analysis","tag-dallas-headlines","tag-dallas-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/393039","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=393039"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/393039\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/393040"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=393039"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=393039"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=393039"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}