Dallas Cowboys Offseason Awards: Who is the 2014 Defensive MVP?
By Reid Hanson
Nov 2, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer (3) is hit as he throws by Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Tyrone Crawford (98) at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Tyrone Crawford 2014 Dallas Cowboys Season Grades
Tyrone Crawford was a man with multiple positions in 2014. He played extensive snaps at both LDE and 3 Technique DT logging 643 snaps (2nd on the defensive line behind only RDE, Jeremy Mincey). Craw was actually at his best when moving from position to position across the line, catching the opposition off-guard.
As a Defensive Linemen, I graded Crawford with a score of 2 (the highest defensive line grade I gave this season). Crawford stood out as a very strong pass rusher from both spots (LDE and DT), an adequate run-stopper from the LDE, and a slightly below average run-stopper from the DT position.
Pro Football Focus loved his pass-rush skills even more than I did, giving him a score of 11.9 for his work rushing the passer. Crawford, who logged a clear majority of snaps from inside, was ranked according to fellow interior linemen and finished ranked #13 out of 81 DTs. In pass-rushing specifically, he was #8 in the NFL behind players like Gerald McCoy (#1), Aaron Donald (#5), and Henry Melton (#6).
Note: Keep in mind, Melton played very limited snaps but graded-out very well when he did play.
In a statistics obsessed world, it’s easy to overlook the performance of Tyrone Crawford in 2014. After all, he collected only 3 sacks and 12 QB hits on over 600 snaps. Without gaudy stats, Crawford was able to make a substantial difference on the Cowboys. He collected 29 QB hurries (including the playoffs) and was able to play multiple spots across the line (especially important when Henry Melton was lost for the season).
Without a true dominant force on the Cowboys defensive line, opposing offenses focused on Crawford and Crawford was still able to hold up well play-to-play. Again, it’s important to grade every snap rather than just the stat sheet, and I can honestly say Tyrone Crawford graded out very well in 2014.
For the full breakdown check out: Dallas Cowboys’ Offseason Review: Tyrone Crawford, MVP
Next: Next we look at Orlando Scandrick…