(Editor's Note: Who doesn't love lists? Throughout the year, 'High 5' will provide a top five list for many of the critical topics surrounding the ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵÏÂÔØÈë¿Ú 2024 season.)
It is no secret that the top storyline surrounding the Cowboys this weekend is their reunion with former defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. After three years in Dallas, Quinn accepted the head coaching job in Washington and has done a wonderful job in year one building a new culture around the Commanders organization.
The downside to this, is now Dallas will face him twice a season within the NFC East and it presents another challenger within the division to compete against. Sunday's meeting will mark the 12th time Dallas has faced a former coordinator or head coach for the first time, following their tenure with the franchise. Dallas is 8-2-1 in such games previously.
Quinn's three seasons in Dallas proved to be some of the best that Cowboys fans have seen in a long time, and there were plenty of memories along the way. Let's rank the top five moments from the Cowboys time with Dan Quinn as defensive coordinator.
5) 2023 – Week 1 (at Giants) - The expectations for the Cowboys defense entered the 2023 season at a whole new level. It was the beginning of year three under Dan Quinn as defensive coordinator and playmakers like Micah Parsons and Trevon Diggs were primed to take the next step. How did they respond in Week 1? With the largest shutout in franchise history, 40-0 over the Giants on the road. Dallas held New York to 171 total yards and forced five fumbles that resulted in three turnovers. Included in those turnovers was a 22-yard DaRon Bland interception return before the offense had even scored a touchdown of their own.
4) 2022 – Week 11 (at Vikings) - Entering Week 11 of the 2022 season, the Minnesota Vikings were rolling at 8-1 behind one of the elite offenses in the NFL. They had tallied at least 20-points in all their wins to that point, thanks to the lethal combination of Kirk Cousins, Justin Jefferson, Dalvin Cook, and Adam Thielen. However, they were shut down by the Cowboys at home in a 40-3 blowout that included seven sacks and only 183 total yards of offense for Minnesota. It was the most impressive win by any organization in the NFL in 2022, and the only game that season where the 13-4 Vikings were held out of the endzone.
3) 2023 – Week 17 (vs Lions) - As the season was winding down, there were only a handful of teams still in the hunt for the 2-seed in the NFC playoff picture. Dallas and Detroit faced off in Week 17 for the ultimate shot at that home-field advantage and the game came down to the final few plays. Up 20-14, the Dallas defense allowed an 11-yard score to cut the deficit to one with only 23 seconds remaining. Instead of kicking the PAT to tie, Dan Campbell elected to go for two and the win. After back-to-back penalties, one on both teams, Jared Goff's pass to James Mitchell fell incomplete to lock up a big win for Dallas, allowing just 19 points to one of the league's top offenses.
2) 2023 – Week 12 (vs Commanders) - Any time that a team or individual can do something that's never been done before, it's incredible to watch. When that individual just happens to be an underdog story as well, that moment becomes legendary. DaRon Bland broke the single-season NFL record for interceptions returned for a touchdown with his 63-yard pick-six against the Commanders on Thanksgiving. From the beginning, Bland was one of Dan Quinn's star defenders after his selection in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. The 2023 season helped solidify his status among one of the league's best cornerbacks, as he tallied All-Pro honors as well.
1) 2021 – Week 13 (at Saints) - During Dan Quinn's first season as defensive coordinator in Dallas, he not only had to rebuild a struggling defense, but do it under the microscope of league-wide COVID-19 protocol. On the Monday prior to their Thursday night meeting with the New Orleans Saints, the Cowboys learned that Mike McCarthy would be held out of team activities for a portion of time due to those restrictions. In his absence, he appointed Quinn to serve as the interim head coach. The team responded under the lights of the Superdome with four interceptions, including a memorable 29-yard interception return by defensive lineman Carlos Watkins. Dallas won the game 27-17, beginning a stretch of five wins in the final six games of the regular season.
