Dan Quinn absolutely deserves a ton of credit for the quick turnaround of this Dallas defense. So, too, do the position coaches he hired/retained. Defensive line coach Aden Durde, in particular, has done a great job with a young group missing its best player. Joe Whitt Jr., the defensive passing game coordinator, has also done a great job of mixing up coverages for the Cowboys so that they’re not as predictable as they once were.
And through five games, Quinn’s defense is not only improved, but downright good. They rank sixth in total defensive DVOA, seventh in pass defense DVOA, and eighth in run defense DVOA.