It has been 25 years since the Dallas Cowboys have made a Super Bowl appearance, a silly amount of time for fans to wait, especially in this era of social media where rival fans are quick to point it out. The teams has had its chances since the turn of the century, but have yet to find their path to the big game.
Meanwhile, the best the NFL had to offer was on display this past weekend as the AFC and NFC crowned their champions. The Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers went about building their teams in different manners and with different agendas, but proved to have found successful formulas. Here’s what was gleaned from their makeups which the Cowboys should be able to learn from moving forward.
Having a stud defensive tackle helps…
The Chiefs have a well-rounded team, and while the offense gets most of the credit, their defense came on during the season. A big part of their success against the Tennessee Titans was because of DT Chris Jones’ work in the middle of the defense.
Jones pressured QB Ryan Tannehill and helped slow down running Derrick Henry. Jones only had two tackles, but he collapsed the pocket allowing teammates to get sacks and dominated the middle of the field.
The Cowboys haven’t had a defensive tackle with Jones’ ability in quite some time. There have been flashes from David Irving and Maleik Collins, but they’ve been getting pushed around at DT the last few years in Rod Marinelli’s scheme. That needs to change, the defense needs a real player in the trenches that can rush the passer and be stout in the run game.
Spoiler alert: Jones will be a free agent this offseason, though he is likely a franchise tag recipient.
… and so does having a great safety
Tyrann Mathieu had an outstanding game, leading the Chiefs with nine tackles, a pass defensed and a tackle for a loss. The veteran safety was all over the field; he lined up in the slot, played the deep middle and was strong in run support.
Safety is another spot the Cowboys have neglected recently. The defense desperately needs to address the position with a high draft pick or by adding a good player in free agency to end the spiral of inconsistency at safety.
Being aggressive on offense
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy run one of the best offenses in the NFL. The duo remained aggressive, no matter the score, against the Titans. The Chiefs passed heavily on first and second down, and when protecting the lead late, they still threw, trying to put the game away.
The Cowboys would be wise to be aggressive and throw more on early downs to be more efficient. Running the ball with RB Ezekiel Elliott can still be a featured part of the offense, but getting ahead of the down and distance by throwing on first down has shown to be effective.
Building the defensive line
No team has invested more along their defensive line than the San Francisco 49ers.
The unit boats four first-round picks from the past five drafts and it paid off against the Green Bay Packers. The defense line harassed Aaron Rodgers all game, sacking him twice and forcing a turnover on a fumble.
The Cowboys did the opposite, buying stock in the offensive line. It’s been a success to build the next great wall in Dallas, but it’s time to invest in the defensive line more heavily. The Cowboys need more than mid-to-late round picks or signing average Joes in free agency to make their defense better.
DeMarcus Lawrence was a heavy investment, but other first or second-round picks (Taco Charlton, Trysten Hill) haven’t paid off. Maliek Collins is a free agent, as is 2019 trade acquisition Robert Quinn. Outside of that, the unit is a collection of Day 3 picks and castoffs from other organizations. It showed last season.
Signing the right free agent veterans
Richard Sherman had a great season in 2019 and that has continued into the playoffs. The veteran CB had an interception in the divisional round against the Minnesota Vikings and backed that performance up with another one in the conference championship game. Matthieu’s impact on the Chiefs has been well documented.
Aside from trading for Quinn, the Cowboys rarely go after top-shelf veteran players in free agency. Sherman hit the open market in 2018 and the Cowboys didn’t seem to have much interest. Kansas City outbid Dallas for the services of WR Sammy Watkins in 2018.
Dallas would be wise to be open to add veteran players who have good resumes in the league. The Cowboys don’t need to have interest in all these types of players, but knowing they can be helpful to the team’s success would be a good start. Finding the right ones, would be even better.
You can chat with or follow Ben on twitter @BenGrimaldi.
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