Cowboys defense is last in the NFL in turnovers, only defense yet to record an interception

Kris Richard has been a huge point of discussion, and praise, for the Dallas Cowboys defense.

Bringing in part of the braintrust behind Seattle’s famous Legion of Boom ignited confidence that he could build a similarly strong secondary in Big D. With a mind like Kris Richard guiding the likes of Chidobe Awuzie, Byron Jones, and friends, surely things were going to get better, right?

Four games in the Cowboys defense has definitely played to a higher level, that even includes the secondary. Last week Byron Jones was graded as the best cornerback in the NFL through three full weeks of the season which was a testament to exactly what Richard has done.

To be clear, the Cowboys defense is playing very well. DeMarcus Lawrence just ripped off three sacks against the Detroit Lions and has 20 sacks over his last 20 games. That puts him in elite company.

What about turnovers, though?

Turnovers are game-changing plays in football. They turn the direction a game is going and serve as a huge boost of momentum for a particular team’s cause. We all know this.

The Dallas Cowboys have two total turnovers this season through four games. This doesn’t change that their defense is playing well, but it’s absolutely worth noting. What should also be noted is that both turnovers forced by the Cowboys have been fumbles.

Through Week 4 the Dallas Cowboys are last in the NFL in forced turnovers and the only defense in the league without an interception on the season. That’s not ideal, especially with a secondary many have a lot of faith in and the Hot Boyz wreaking havoc up front.

Dallas entered Monday night tied with the Kansas City Chiefs for last in the NFL when it comes to turnovers. Thanks to an insane Eric Murray interception off of Case Keenum, KC surged past the Cowboys and Dallas sits in last all by themselves. It was a pretty sweet interception, by the way.

The Cowboys finished second in turnovers after the 2014 season, but ever since then they’ve been in the bottom half season after season. It’s not a good situation to be in.

There’s no need to panic about the lack of turnovers or a single interception at this point on the season, but this trend cannot continue. The Cowboys don’t have an offense that’s capable of winning games week after week, they’re going to need turnovers for opportunities to score points if they want to do some serious damage in the season’s final three quarters. This is largely how they were so successful four years ago.

Hopefully we’ve got an interception to celebrate a week from now. Or any kind of turnover. We’ll take whatever we can get at this point.