Dallas Cowboys’ Safeties: More than enough talent to contend with 49ers playmakers

The Dallas Cowboys rebounded as good as one would expect to position themselves for a showdown with the San Francisco 49ers.

Dallas crushed the New England Patriots, proving their superiority and leaving fans with little to complain about.

Bland led the defense with two interceptions, one returned for a touchdown. He even tried to sneak a third in there.

It’s nearly impossible to find something to criticize about this unit.

However, in the next few weeks, the opponents, in no particular order, are the 49ers, Rams, Chargers, and the Eagles.

It’s worth noting that George Kittle and Christian McCaffery are healthy leading up to Sunday night and have a track record of performing well against America’s Team.

With those playmakers on the docket, it’s perfect timing for this position group to take it to the next level.

JayRon Kearse will get the lion share of the coverage versus Kittle

There will probably not be a more critical position group this Sunday than the safeties.

This squadron, led by Jayron Kearse, has yet to shy away from the high standards they set for themselves.

They know they have not played a perfect game in the first four matchups, and there’s room for improvement.

From a coverage standpoint, Kearse is typically the primary defender versus the athletic tight ends.

Should we talk about Malik Hooker as well?

Probably. However, he typically plays the free safety position, 174 of 201 snaps, to be exact.

Entering W5-

Top #Cowboys DBs in HawkRate:
Trevon Diggs – 37.5%
Malik Hooker – 33.3%
Jayron Kearse – 27.3%
DaRon Bland – 25%

Best Coverage Success Rate:
Trevon Diggs – 75%
Jourdan Lewis – 75%
DaRon Bland – 62.5%
Stephon Gilmore – 60%
Malik Hooker – 50%

*per NGS
*min. 5 targets

— Patrik [No C] Walker (@VoiceOfTheStar) October 3, 2023

Here’s what causes heartburn with Kearse: from an efficiency standpoint, he probably shouldn’t be the person who gets the first crack at Kittle.

According to Pro Football Focus, he is near the bottom of many categories used to measure players, notably, coverage with a 55.3.

Here’s the relief: efficiency has never been Kearse’s calling card. It’s been his ability to play multiple roles across the lineup.

The snap distribution is uncanny.

He has 80 box snaps, 32 as a free safety, 58 in the slot, 36 near the line, and 10 at the corner.

There will be few places Kyle Shanahan can line Kittle up without Kearse being familiar with playing.

It’ll be a team effort, but we need Donovan of old this Sunday night

Cowboys’ fans may not like it, but we must respect that McCaffery is a baller.

He’s on fire in the first quarter or so of the year, and Dallas’ defense will have their hands full.

Enter Donovon Wilson, who is still recovering from the onslaught of memes courtesy of Demario Douglas’ cheat code early in the Cowboys’ win versus New England.

Demario Douglas put Donovan Wilson in the spin cycle with an ankle breaker 👀 #DallasCowboys 

(🎥: @Patriots)pic.twitter.com/fFfPvKLCra

— Kevin Gray Jr. (@KevinGraySports) October 1, 2023

Nevertheless, the challenge won’t end there.

Wilson’s run support has been his calling card, and a big reason Dallas rewarded him this offseason with a lucrative extension.

Unfortunately, since his return, his ability to tackle efficiently has yet to return. Pro Football Focus happily passed out a 29.3 tackling grade.

However, against the Patriots, it was much better, which is precisely what we need to hear. Hopefully, an 80.3 tackle grade is a sign that he is returning to form.

San Francisco will run McCaffery, Elijah Mitchell, and even Deebo Samuels, trying to exploit the second level of the defense.

Dallas is going to need Wilson’s downhill tackling to establish a culture within this game.

If he is healthy and can do that, let’s roll with him. If not, the Cowboys may need to consider Juanyeh Thomas in some packages to add some energy and physicality.

The young guns (Juanyeh Thomas and Israel Mukuamu) will provide some valuable snaps

I’m not 100% sold that the young safety depth on this team is being used to its maximum potential.

But what I am sure of is that Defensive Coordinator Dan Quinn has a plan to deploy these players based on the matchups.

Mukuamu and Thomas offer a completely different set of skills.

One can cover players across the field, and the other prefers to cause havoc whenever he is on the gridiron.

Those attributes sound like players who could make game-changing plays if given the snaps. Thomas has 71 total defensive snaps, while Izzy has a measly 27, with none in the last two games.

Cowboys RG Zack Martin (ankle) and C Tyler Biadasz (hamstring) are officially active today vs. Patriots. Inactive: LT Tyron Smith (knee), TE Peyton Hendershot (ankle), WR Jalen Brooks, S Israel Mukuamu, DL Viliami Fehoko Jr., CB Eric Scott Jr. and Trey Lance (emergency third QB). pic.twitter.com/KPz2x1MWGQ

— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) October 1, 2023

I’m not proclaiming that either player will travel with Deebo or Kittle for an entire game.

However, it wouldn’t be outside the realm of possibility to use them in matchup situations that are favorable to Dallas.

At this point, there’s no more hiding your hand. We need to win this game and have the talent to do so, even if it’s at the expense of stealing snaps from other veterans.