reidhanson
February 10, 2024 5:34 pm CT
As the Cowboys gear up to watch Super Bowl LVIII as spectators, they would be wise to take notice of what it took for these two teams to get there. Kansas City and San Francisco didn’t exactly come out of the blue and shock the world by winning their respective conferences. They were among the favorites before the ball was even kicked off in Week 1.
The 49ers are perhaps the most talented team in the NFL. Not only are they loaded with talent on both sides of the ball, but they also boast an elite coaching staff and front office. The Chiefs aren’t quite as talent laden as San Francisco, but they have the best QB on the planet, a strong defensive unit and similarly elite coaching staff.
The obvious takeaway is great personnel and great coaching produces great results. Not exactly breaking news right there but noteworthy, nonetheless.
The Cowboys are believed to have an elite roster of players. They may not always play like it, but by pure talent, the Dallas roster ranks comfortably in the NFL’s top-five.
The coaching staff isn’t quite so cut and dried. Mike McCarthy has been a point of contention in Cowboys Nation and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer is generally regarded as someone in a supportive role to McCarthy rather than an independent asset.
The Cowboys appeared to make a solid hire in the defensive ranks by bringing in Mike Zimmer to replace Dan Quinn. Zimmer is one of the most respected defensive minds in the NFL and will no doubt look to tighten the many bolts that came loose late in 2023.
While very few will put the Cowboys coaching staff in the same tier as Andy Reid and Kyle Shanahan’s, McCarthy’s offense was the highest scoring offense in the NFL and Zimmer’s defense is far more talented than their play in the postseason suggested. The coaching staff has the potential to be much more asset than liability in 2024.
Build up offense or defense
. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images)
Once upon a time the adage “defense wins championships” rang true in the game of football. Defensive powerhouses like the Purple People Eaters, Steel Curtain, and Doomsday were the big dogs on campus. They were the ones setting the tone, controlling the crowd and ultimately dictating the game. Teams still had to score points to find success, but it was often on the back of dominant defenses.
As time went on, the league began to change. Rule changes favoring the offense combined with the evolution of the forward pass led to more scoring. Offense began to dictate success and with the advent of the salary cap, dominant defenses became increasingly difficult to build and maintain.
Recent studies have shown what the great Bear Bryant once said is no longer valid. More often than not, being good in both phases of the game is what allows a team to progress into and through the postseason.
Further, if the advantage goes to any side of the ball, it’s the offense that leads the way these days.
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Fix both sides
Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Super Bowl LVIII features two teams who are good at almost everything. Teams don’t usually get this far having bona fide weaknesses. The Cowboys’ playoff loss to Green Bay showed they have major issues on their defense.
They allowed a first-year starter in Jordan Love to post the best postseason EPA per play in over 20 years. That’s inexcusable and to a Dallas offense that was struggling on their own, it was insurmountable.
where teams that have played in the super bowl since 2012 have ranked on offense and defense in the regular season pic.twitter.com/fF7WuVqhjh
— Tej Seth (@tejfbanalytics) February 10, 2024
It’s clear, the Cowboys need to fix both sides of the ball. While end of season numbers show the Cowboys are in elite territory on offense and defense, wild variances were commonplace leading to extreme highs and extreme lows. Wild variances can’t no longer be acceptable if the Cowboys want to land in a Super Bowl because one extreme low is all it takes to get bounced in the playoffs.
Highlights are great but less lowlights might be what this team needs.
