The Dallas Cowboys’ defense is in desperation mode after giving up 44 points to the Denver Broncos in Week 8. Cowboys fans thought the adjustments that defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus made in Week 7 against the Washington Commanders, would be something to build on, but that was not the case.
Dallas’ defense didn’t register one sack on Broncos quarterback Bo Nix, who threw for 247 yards, four touchdowns, and an interception. Dallas’ defensive outing also drew the ire of head coach Brian Schottenheimer, who told reporters that there would be changes coming on defense.
One of those changes will involve veteran pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney. On Tuesday’s edition of the DLLS Cowboys Podcast, Cowboys writer Clarence Hill Jr. said that he asked Schottenheimer, “Can we see more snaps for Clowney?” The Cowboys head coach responded with “Yeah. Clowney's back. The dust is off. Clowney's back.”
Cowboys Will Reportedly Give Jadeveon Clowney More Snaps Following Week 8 Loss
If you’re a Cowboys fan, giving Clowney more snaps won’t fix all of the defense’s problems. The linebacker play, for the most part, has been subpar. Meanwhile, the secondary’s performance has been inconsistent.
When it comes to the Cowboys’ defense as a whole, Dallas is ranked 24th in sacks (15), but third in QB pressures (90). While the pressure numbers are great, the Cowboys aren’t bringing down the QB, as Sam Williams, Marshawn Kneeland, and Dante Fowler Jr. leave much to be desired.
Therefore, the hope is that Clowney can help change the trajectory of this pedestrian unit. The 32-year-old veteran pass rusher has racked up 13 combined tackles, seven QB pressures, two pass deflections, a tackle for loss, and a quarterback hit in five games.
But since making his Cowboys’ debut in Week 4, Clowney has not started in a single game. In fact, over the last two games against the Commanders and Broncos, the veteran defender saw 26 and 25 defensive snaps, respectively.
In Week 7 against Washington, Clowney had his best game in a Cowboys uniform as he stuffed the stat sheet with five combined tackles, two pass deflections, a tackle for loss, a QB hit, and a fumble recovery.
Clowney was also the Cowboys’ highest graded player on defense with an overall grade of 89.6, according to Pro Football Focus. Clowney was just as solid against the run (67.1 grade), but outstanding rushing the passer with an 88.6 grade.
Now, Clowney’s pass rush grade took a step back in last week’s loss to the Broncos (52.1), but he was still solid against the run (81.8 grade). If you are head coach Brian Schottenheimer, you have nothing to lose at this point with the defense.
Everything you’ve done up to this point has not worked. Therefore, why not see what Clowney can do with more snaps, as he’s likely one of your best pass rushers outside of James Houston and rookie Donovan Ezeiruaku.