You’ve probably heard it countless times: turnover margin is one of the most critical metrics in football.
It often determines the outcome of games, and few things matter more to coaches—especially Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy, whose team holds a 3-4 record after two months of regular-season play.
A major reason for the Cowboys’ struggles is their turnover margin, where they rank 30th in the league.
The numbers paint a stark picture: the Cowboys are tied for the fifth-fewest takeaways and have the fourth-most turnovers.
In other words, the offense is giving the ball away, and the defense is doing little to balance it out.
“Personally, I’m very frustrated,” McCarthy told reporters on Tuesday. “If you want to be known for something as a football team, it’s taking care of the football and taking it away.
I’ve been in this league long enough to know that. As Brian Schottenheimer (Cowboys offensive coordinator) would say, Marty Schottenheimer is probably turning over in his grave right now watching us play, being minus 8.”
McCarthy’s frustrations echo those of Dak Prescott, who, after a recent game, acknowledged that while he doesn’t have to play perfectly for the Cowboys to win, he does need to stop turning the ball over.
Prescott has thrown eight interceptions in seven games, compared to nine over the entire 2023 season.
“It’s something we’re focusing on, but we can’t change the past; we can only work on today and move forward,” McCarthy added. “We know how to do it; we’ve done it before.”
For the Cowboys, it’s a dual problem. When asked if it was more important to protect the ball or create takeaways, McCarthy’s stance was clear.
“I think taking care of it is more important because if you do that each week, you’re not going to lose the turnover ratio,” McCarthy explained.
“At worst, it’ll be zero, so protecting the football is key.”
That doesn’t mean McCarthy is giving Mike Zimmer’s struggling defense a pass.
He highlighted why the team should be producing more takeaways, emphasizing not just the takeaways themselves but also the missed opportunities.
“We track not only takeaways but also takeaway opportunities,” McCarthy said. “You’ve got to be in position to make those plays, which requires energy, footwork, and taking proper angles.
It’s about the pursuit and finishing on defense and in coverage units—that’s how we train. The opportunities need to go up.
We can improve here, because as the opportunities increase, the takeaways do as well.
We’ve executed takeaways at a higher level over the last three years, and while our opportunities aren’t far off from past seasons, we’re just not converting them.”
