Mike McCarthy's tenure with the Dallas Cowboys has seen significant defensive struggles, particularly under former defensive coordinator Mike Nolan, whose 2020 defense ranked poorly across multiple metrics. After Nolan's departure, Dan Quinn improved the defense, especially against the pass, but the run defense remained a concern.

In 2024, with Mike Zimmer taking over as DC, the Cowboys have continued to falter defensively, ranking low in both yards and points allowed. Personnel losses and injuries have compounded the issues, leading to a defense that struggles to stop the run and lacks depth. The team's historical tendency to revert to past figures for solutions has not yielded positive results.