Jaylon Smith, Dallas Cowboys - Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
The Dallas Cowboys entered this offseason knowing they needed to address their defensive woes. While the entire team underperformed in their first year under new head coach Mike McCarthy, the offensive struggles figure to be due to starting quarterback Dak Prescott missing 11 games and the offensive line being severely hindered due to injuries.
That was not the case for the Dallas defense, which was relatively healthy all season. This unit’s issues were more about poor performance and scheme issues. Attempting to install a new defensive scheme in the midst of all the restrictions forced by a worldwide pandemic proved to be too much to overcome for the Cowboys in 2020.