Quarterback Dak Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott have been getting a lot of attention during the Cowboys’ five-game winning streak, but they’ve gotten help from a defense that’s been better than many people expected.
One member of that defense has been recognized as the NFC’s defensive player of the week for Week Six. Defensive end David Irving is the man of the hour.
Irving only played 19 snaps against the Packers, but he made the most of them. Irving forced three fumbles, all of which wound up with the Cowboys in the 30-16 victory. Irving recovered one himself after he stripped Aaron Rodgers on a sack and added four tackles on a day that will be hard to match when it comes to per snap impact.
The gloomy predictions for the Cowboys defense haven’t come to pass as they rank 7th in points against and 16th in yards allowed this season. Irving’s performance jumps out more than most, but the team’s gotten strong work from a variety of players as they’ve jumped to the top of the NFC East in the opening weeks of the year.