Cowboys are a few small tweaks away from Super Bowl
The Dallas Cowboys came up short in the 2016 Playoffs, but not because they are a flawed team. They lost because Aaron Rodgers had the ball last, making perhaps the greatest throw of his likely Hall-Of-Fame career in the final seconds of the NFC Divisional round.
Could Dallas have been more aggressive and tried to pressure Rodgers more on that final play? Sure, they could have. But Aaron Rodgers may have still found a way to make it happen. What’s being overlooked because of this painful, last-second loss to Green Bay, is the fact that Dallas stuck to their blueprint and it worked to the tune of a 13-3 season.
Losing Tony Romo in the Preseason seemed like a death sentence for Dallas at the time. Very few teams could recover from losing their starting, MVP-caliber quarterback, and still win an extremely tough division. Possibly the Patriots, but they aren’t exactly the norm.
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The Cowboys have been investing in their offensive line and running game for the past few years, and the result is a strong foundation which should make Dallas a contender for years to come. Ezekiel Elliott was great, Dak Prescott demolished expectations for a 4th-round pick, but it was all possible because of the boys up front.
Many fans wanted Dallas to focus more on defense, particularly with that 4th-overall pick in the first round. With Joey Bosa off the board, the Cowboys made the correct choice in Elliott. Sure, Jalen Ramsey has turned into a very good defensive back. As we’ve learned over the course of this season, however, the Cowboys’ secondary was much better than anticipated.
Defensively, they could still use a pass-rusher and should pursue one in the offseason. The team does get linebacker Jaylon Smith back next year, who would’ve surely gone top-15 in the 2016 NFL Draft, had he not gotten hurt in Notre Dame’s bowl game. Outside of needing a little defensive firepower, the Cowboys have put together one of the most talented, young rosters in the NFL.
They have a star quarterback, running back and wide receiver in place. They have the best offensive line in football. Their defensive weaknesses are masked by a clock-consuming, physical offense that keeps them off of the field.
New teams make it to the Playoffs almost every year, yet don’t always make it back the following season. In order for Dallas to get back, Dak Prescott will have to avoid a sophomore slump. That shouldn’t be too hard, given the run-first formula Dallas has built over the past few seasons.
If they continue to run the ball the way they did this season, however, you can expect that Dallas will be back in the Playoffs in 2017 and beyond.
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