In his second season as the defensive coordinator of the Cowboys, Rod Marinelli has kept his emphasis on turnovers. In games where the Cowboys force a turnover, they are 14-4 under Marinelli.
This record excludes games that the Cowboys failed to force a turnover in – regardless of the outcome.
The Cowboys’ defense was the lone bright spot in the loss to the Patriots, but the team still sits in last place when it comes to turnovers forced. They have just three takeaways on the year.
Sean Lee has emphasized this need for takeaways, stating on Thursday that, “We are based off effort and turnovers. If we don’t have great effort and if we’re not getting turnovers, we’re not playing the right way”. Lee has one of the Cowboys interceptions this season, which came against the Eagles in week 2.
With the defensive line set to play at full strength later today against the Giants, it should help in pressuring Eli Manning into some poor throws. It will be up to the Cowboys secondary to convert these miscues into turnovers – something they have not been able to do – dropping some clear chances.
Last season, Manning was the worst QB in the NFL when facing pressure. Ben McAdoo has made a clear effort to get the ball out of Eli’s hands much quicker this season – favoring short completions to playmakers such as Odell Beckham Jr.
This will be something to focus on in today’s game, as the Giants’ offense tries to adapt against a physical and fast Cowboys defense. If we’re in store for anything like the game we saw in week 1, I recommend Cowboys Nation buckles their seatbelts.
