In the midst of building up to the Cowboys’ game this Sunday night against the Colts, there are a lot of unknowns when it comes to the defensive group. Especially if they will be able to maintain the level they have achieved in weeks 11 and 12, after stopping their rivals’ running game. Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn was talking about it, as well as the fact that his group will face opposing quarterback Matt Ryan. Who Dan has known for a long time, but the cowboy focus will be more on his running back Jonathan Taylor.
And it is no secret to anyone that at the time Quinn was the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, Matt was his franchise quarterback for five and a half seasons. Where it should be noted that he led his team to the LI edition of the Super Bowl. Only they couldn’t win against the New England Patriots thanks to a great comeback by the latter and taking the game to overtime. Where Atlanta finally lost by a result of 34 to 28.
Dan Quinn on his former QB in Atl, Matt Ryan now with Colt: “Yeah I love him a lot. …A relentless competitor. A wolf in sheep’s clothing. Tough ass competition.”
— Calvin Watkins (@calvinwatkins) November 28, 2022
“I really love him, he’s a rare and relentless competitor,” Quinn said of his former quarterback. “That’s probably one of the first things you’ll find out about him, he’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing.”
While it’s true that Ryan has had some exceptional NFL seasons, the same can’t be said for this year. He has 269 completions of 391 attempts, for a total of 2,642 yards and eleven touchdowns. However, he already handles a total of 10 interceptions and direly leads the league with 13 fumbles in ten games, a number he shares with another quarterback, Justin Fields. Looking at his other data, he has a passing efficiency of 86.3, his lowest number since his second year as a pro in 2009. At that time, Matt would have a rating of 80.9.
Not a bad way for James Pierre to get his first INT of the season #HereWeGo
????: #PITvsIND on ESPN
????: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/PvpVdrwXpl pic.twitter.com/u1Sv6t2RZF— NFL (@NFL) November 29, 2022
This brought as a consequence that Ryan lost his position by decision of the previous head coach Frank Reich. But after he was fired for poor results, interim head coach Jeff Saturday replaced Matt as the starting QB.
Of course, you also don’t have to leave out the fact that he has an offensive line that doesn’t really answer for him. Being captured 32 times in what it takes to participate in the championship. Sounds pretty bad for Dallas’ rivals considering the Cowboys lead the NFL in this stat with 45 sacks. So it’s foreshadowing the fact that Ryan could end up sacked a fair number of times again.
Of course, it’s not all negatives for the Colts, as the cowboy defense will have to keep an eye out for opposing running back Jonathan Taylor. “Absolutely,” Quinn said of the threat Taylor poses to the Cowboys. “And the reason has to do with speed. Taylor is a bigger running back, so you’d think he wouldn’t have that kind of ability. But he is a large runner and he has what it takes to move great distances. So in the inside race, if we get the position or the angle wrong we can leave ourselves very vulnerable. This will be our third top running back in a row who can make explosive plays.”
???? JONATHAN TAYLOR BACK? @JayT23 escapes for a Touchdown of 66 YARDS on this magnificent run! #ForTheShoe
???? @beinsports_FR 4 #NFLextra
???? NFL GamePass pic.twitter.com/DJ3N0aej4z— NFL France (@NFLFrance) November 13, 2022
It should not be forgotten that Taylor is the great offensive tool that Indianapolis has despite its negative results. Right now he has 779 yards on 171 carries and four touchdowns. And while he hasn’t been as prolific in scoring, it’s worth noting that he’s averaging 86.6 yards per game, fifth-best among all running backs in the NFL this year.
Indianapolis with its record of four wins, seven losses and one tie, does not have much to play for now. However, they can surprise at AT&T Stadium if Dallas can come to trust. And this is precisely what the cowboy coaching staff wants to avoid, for the team to give up and deliver a game that on paper looks like a sure victory for the Cowboys. Plus, Dallas knows they have a chance to even win the NFC East, so they’re going to give it their all in their own stadium. A highly concentrated match is expected for the Cowboys because of everything that is at stake for the next stage of the championship.
