Rob Ryan, much like his twin brother in New Jersey, has a strong affinity for statistics when it comes to defending his defense.
Did the Cowboys struggle in the second half and overtime in last week's loss to the Arizona Cardinals? Sure, but Ryan -- Dallas' first-year defensive coordinator -- believes his unit deserves the benefit of the doubt given its overall level of production this season.
"Guys, honestly now, I mean, they had a couple of drives there, but with 10 points in a half, that's not anything to jump off a building for," Ryan said Friday, according to The Dallas Morning News. "I mean, although people around here are. But don't worry, they won't be this week or any other week."
The Cardinals scored on back-to-back drives to start the second half, then clinched a victory on a screen pass that went for a 52-yard touchdown by LaRod Stephens-Howling.
Despite the slip-ups, the defense has been solid on balance. The Cowboys rank 10th in total defense. They've allowed an opponent to top 20 points just once in the past five weeks.
"We're ready to go. We're excited about this challenge," Ryan said. "If you want numbers out there, hell, we're in the top 10 in scoring defense, run defense, takeaways and sacks. That's usually pretty good."
"Pretty good" is probably the best way to sum up the Cowboys' defense. Whether it's good enough to win the NFC East remains to be seen. Ryan will undoubtedly tell us all about it, however, if it is.
