A year ago, for whatever reasons, defense was indeed a premium around the National Football League. For the most part, offenses had their way and there were some big-time numbers posted.

In 2020, the Detroit Lions allowed 519 points – the second-highest single-season total in NFL annals. That was followed by the Jacksonville Jaguars (492) and Las Vegas Raiders (478). And next in line, to many people's surprise, were the Minnesota Vikings (475) and Dallas Cowboys (473).

A year later, both of these groups are on the rebound – although there's still a long way to go. The Cowboys have a new defensive coordinator in Dan Quinn. He spent the previous five-plus seasons as the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. The Vikings still have head coach Mike Zimmer and co-defensive coordinators Andre Patterson and Adam Zimmer.

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Impressive Turnarounds

Ironically, Dallas finished 23rd in the league in total defense a year ago and has that identical ranking this season. The big difference is that in 2020, only the Houston Texans allowed more yards per game on the ground. This year, the Cowboys have been sturdy against the run but have allowed their share of passing yards. However, second-year cornerback Trevon Diggs leads the NFL with seven interceptions and Mike McCarthy's club is amongst the NFL leaders with 14 takeaways…in only six games.

Meanwhile, Zimmer's club has benefitted greatly from the return of edge performer Danielle Hunter. A year ago, Minnesota was ranked 27th overall in total defense and also gave up the sixth-most rushing yards in the league. Without their standout pass rusher, the club was limited to just 23 sacks. Six games into this season and the Purple Gang has already racked up 21 quarterback traps.

Of course, both of these teams have explosive offenses. As of this writing, quarterback Dak Prescott was a game-time decision for McCarthy's club. Kirk Cousins will make his 10th NFL start vs. the Cowboys. Both squads are loaded at the skill positions.

But keep an eye on both the Dallas and Minnesota defenses. From rookie linebacker Micah Parsons and the ball-hawking Diggs to Hunter and veteran safety Harrison Smith. They're all worth the price of admission as well.