Downs: Cowboys' New Safety Savior

0:00On April 24 last season, the Dallas Cowboys defense took a beating, especially against the run, with constant confusion in the secondary leading. To blow in assignments in massive plays, they gave up the second most passing touchdowns in the league, and tackling looked flat out Slavvy. Enter Downs, the news safety they're banking on, to turn it all around with his smarts and skills. Earlier this week, talk heated up about how Downs steps in as the onfield quarterback for that back end. His high football IQ means everyone lines up, right no more frantic scrambling or hesitation on pursuit angles. He's already got that coach vibe, getting defenders where they need to be fast. Fans and analysts were ripping the unit for one-dimensional safeties who couldn't cover or stuff the run, turning games into shootouts. Impact was huge, constantly playing catch-up, wore them down, but Downs changes the game with his versatility, sliding from deep coverage to the box or even nickel corner. New details on his tape show he's attacking beast with explosive reactions, shutting down

1:04yards after the catch, no matter the spot. Over his last two college seasons, he didn't allow a single passing touchdown lockdown stuff that coaches love for flexibility. Meanwhile, his route recognition keeps offenses guessing, minimizing those ugly big gains from zone drops. With Downs anchoring things, the Cowboys D finally has the tools to compete at the top