The Dallas Cowboys may be lower in the standings but they have bragging rights over Dan Quinn following the Week 12 thriller between Dallas and the Washington Commanders.
Incredibly, 31 points were scored in the final five minutes. The barrage included a 99-yard kick return by Kavontae Turpin and a miracle 86-yard Terry McLaurin touchdown that should have tied the game, but kicker Austin Seibert missed the extra point.
The dreaded "fraud" labeled has followed Quinn's Commanders ever since, but they rebounded this past Sunday with a blowout victory over the Titans. While Washington endured a mid-season skid, they are still 8-5 and have a firm grip on the third Wild Card in the NFC.
A number of former Cowboys have factored into the Commanders' 2024 turnaround. Pass rusher Dante Fowler is in the midst of a career year while center Tyler Biadasz has a career-high 70.6 PFF grade and is on pace to allow the fewest pressures of his career.
In a surprise, though, the former Cowboy seemingly everyone expected to have a transformative impact has been a marked disappointment. And Quinn gave him a handsome contract.
Cowboys baited Dan Quinn into overpaying DE Dorance Armstrong
Armstrong was grossly underrated throughout his Cowboys tenure. He never quite cracked the starting lineup, but he was productive as they come in terms of a complimentary piece. In his final two seasons, he racked up 16 sacks, 29 QB hits, 17 tackles for loss, 45 defensive stops and 74 pressures.
A fourth-round pick in 2018, Armstrong parlayed that into a three-year, $33 million contract, including $16.125 million guaranteed, with Washington. It was a deserved pay day for Armstrong, but it was viewed as a slight overpay given the former Kansas star had never been the focal point of a team's pass rush.
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Granted, Armstrong can do more than rush the passer and has the versatility to line up inside, but he has struggled wearing the No. 1 edge crown.
Armstrong has managed just two sacks on the season. He hasn't registered a sack since Week 5. Teammate Dante Fowler has eight QB takedowns during that stretch. Quinn got Fowler for $3.25 million and just $1.43 million guaranteed.
While sacks aren't the be-all end-all in terms of evaluating EDGE play, Armstrong only has 35 pressures. That ranks 27th among 41 edge rushers who have played at least 250 pass-rush snaps, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). He's 13th with a 21.4% win rate in true pass sets, but his production is not consistent across the board.
Armstrong has had a difficult time being the focus of team's protection schemes. It's possible he is better suited as a second or third option. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, but Quinn paid him to be THE guy.
It seems Quinn miscalculated thinking Armstrong was ready to take that leap.