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By Jon Machota 2h ago
A person can only watch so many episodes of “The Last Dance” over and over again before turning to something else for their sports entertainment.
Last week, I decided to look back at the Cowboys’ five Super Bowl victories. Thanks to YouTube, you can watch each game broadcast without commercials. It’s a commitment that took roughly two and half hours for each game, which is not difficult when spread out over five days.
My initial thought was to just find funny moments (like Jerry Jones signing a $100 bill while giving an interview with two minutes remaining in Super Bowl XXX), some unique highlights and see how different the games were from the first Super Bowl win in January of 1972 to their last in January of 1996.
By the end, I was jotting down notes about what the current Cowboys team needs to do to return to that level of play.
Here’s what I came up with.
1.) Have their best players available. If the current Cowboys are going to make the playoffs and then embark on a postseason run, they’ll likely need to have Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, Amari Cooper, Zack Martin, Tyron Smith, La’el Collins, DeMarcus Lawrence, Leighton Vander Esch and CeeDee Lamb still playing in January and February. Yes, the Eagles won the Super Bowl three seasons ago without their starting quarterback. And I’m sure some will suggest the Cowboys could do the same now that they’ve made a significant investment in a backup QB. But their best chance is with Prescott healthy and playing his best late in the year. The Cowboys didn’t win any of those five Super Bowls because of one standout player carrying the team. There were great contributions from so many key players. To make a Super Bowl run, the current team needs to have their key players available when it matters most. Roger Staubach was the MVP of Super Bowl VI, but the offense really just had to take care of the ball. The Dallas defense, led by Chuck Howley, Bob Lilly, Cliff Harris, Lee Roy Jordan and Mel Renfro, was the reason the Cowboys beat the Dolphins 24-3.
It’s clear that the current roster doesn’t have anywhere near the defensive talent that Tom Landry coached in the 1970s or Jimmy Johnson coached in the 1990s. For this group to compete with the best in the NFC — 49ers, Saints, Buccaneers, Packers, Seahawks, Eagles, Vikings and Rams — some newcomers have to exceed expectations. That’s not only the veterans like Gerald McCoy, Dontari Poe and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, but some of the draft class, like Trevon Diggs, Neville Gallimore and Reggie Robinson II. And it would be a significant boost to get anything out of Aldon Smith or Randy Gregory, if either is reinstated from their suspensions. The 2020 Cowboys will probably go as far as their offense carries them, but the defense has to be less predictable and more effective than it’s been the last five years.
2.) Build on the 2019 offense. The Dallas offense has some weapons that remind you of the Super Bowl teams. Ezekiel Elliott and the running game have the ability to produce like Duane Thomas, Walt Garrison and Calvin Hill in 1971, Tony Dorsett in 1977, and Emmitt Smith in the 1990s. This is the part of the team Jason Garrett tried to build most like those Jimmy Johnson teams. Obviously, the game has changed. Fullback Daryl “Moose” Johnston was a big part of the running game and overall offensive success in the 1990s. He caught 50 passes in 1993. This year’s team will be operating out of 11-personnel much more than Landy or Johnson ever did. Cooper, Lamb, Michael Gallup, Blake Jarwin and Elliott give Prescott a nice set of weapons. If all are healthy, that’s the group you will see most together. Dallas’ offense was very good overall last season. Keeping Kellen Moore on as offensive coordinator should allow them to build on some of the good. A new offensive-minded head coach like Mike McCarthy should be able to add some of the things that worked best for him in Green Bay. But it will also be important to incorporate some of the things that worked for Lamb at Oklahoma. First-round wide receivers don’t always hit the ground running. Lamb didn’t have much trouble getting quickly involved in Lincoln Riley’s offensive system as a true freshman. The Cowboys have to find ways to make him an immediate impact player.
3.) Force more turnovers. This is the biggest takeaway from watching those previous Super Bowls. Here’s how much the Cowboys won the turnover margin in each of those games.
Super Bowl VI vs. Dolphins: 3-1
Super Bowl XII vs. Broncos: 8-2
Super Bowl XXVII vs. Bills: 9-1
Super Bowl XXVIII vs. Bills: 3-1
Super Bowl XXX vs. Steelers: 3-0
It’s difficult to lose games when you’re winning the turnover battle 5-1. This particularly stands out because the Cowboys have been one of the NFL’s worst teams in this area for the last five years. Dallas hasn’t finished in the top 10 in takeaways since 2014. There weren’t a lot of chances taken on the back end under Jason Garrett. McCarthy and his staff have said they plan to be more aggressive in that department, and they drafted defensive backs who fit that style of play. That could end up being the biggest difference on defense in 2020. The offense is going to score points. The defense is unlikely to shut teams down. There will probably be a lot of high-scoring games. The best thing the Cowboys defense can do is steal extra possessions for their offense.
And this just isn’t about the defensive backs. Larry Brown didn’t get two key interceptions in Super Bowl XXX because of his tight coverage. There was excellent pressure up-front from players like Charles Haley and Leon Lett. Losing Robert Quinn doesn’t help the pass rush, but maybe some more blitzes and variety in the game plan will.
4.) Much better special teams. There won’t be any playoff appearances if the special teams are the same as 2019. The field-goal kicking has to be better. The kickoff and punt coverage has to be better. The return game has to be better. The punting has to be better. A lot of pressure is on new special teams coordinator John Fassel to fix it all. No one should expect a worst-to-first type turnaround, but the unit has to at least be respectable. The mistakes on special teams almost singlehandedly were responsible for the loss at New England last November. An angry Jerry Jones after that game: “To me, special teams is 100 percent coaching. It’s strategy. It’s having players ready. … Special teams is nothing but coaching. Special teams is effort. Special teams is savvy. Special teams is thinking.”
5.) Minimize distractions. This seems to always be in the mix with the Cowboys. It’s a category that includes everything from off-the-field issues to contract disputes. The biggest at the moment is Prescott’s contract situation. Will the two sides get something long-term finalized before the July 15 franchise tag deadline or will the quarterback play under the one-year tag? Many thought this would’ve been taken care of before the start of last season. Prescott didn’t seem to have much of a problem playing under the final year of his rookie deal. But will that remain the case if he is faced with a similar situation this season? Does it lead to problems behind the scenes? If there is a training camp in July/August, will Prescott be in attendance or will he choose to stay away like Elliott did a year ago? The result was a new deal that made Elliott the game’s highest-paid running back. Why wouldn’t Prescott follow that same strategy? The biggest difference in those two scenarios is that Elliott was a running back jumping back into his role with the same coaching staff. Prescott is the starting quarterback trying to learn the offensive adjustments of a new head coach. There’s also the problem that the longer Jones and Co. wait, the higher Prescott’s value could increase. The last thing the Cowboys need is distractions, especially involving the quarterback position. Jones probably needs to find a solution to that problem if he wants to get back to introducing Cowboys players to movie stars on the sidelines of Super Bowls.
A person can only watch so many episodes of “The Last Dance” over and over again before turning to something else for their sports entertainment.
Last week, I decided to look back at the Cowboys’ five Super Bowl victories. Thanks to YouTube, you can watch each game broadcast without commercials. It’s a commitment that took roughly two and half hours for each game, which is not difficult when spread out over five days.
My initial thought was to just find funny moments (like Jerry Jones signing a $100 bill while giving an interview with two minutes remaining in Super Bowl XXX), some unique highlights and see how different the games were from the first Super Bowl win in January of 1972 to their last in January of 1996.
By the end, I was jotting down notes about what the current Cowboys team needs to do to return to that level of play.
Here’s what I came up with.
1.) Have their best players available. If the current Cowboys are going to make the playoffs and then embark on a postseason run, they’ll likely need to have Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, Amari Cooper, Zack Martin, Tyron Smith, La’el Collins, DeMarcus Lawrence, Leighton Vander Esch and CeeDee Lamb still playing in January and February. Yes, the Eagles won the Super Bowl three seasons ago without their starting quarterback. And I’m sure some will suggest the Cowboys could do the same now that they’ve made a significant investment in a backup QB. But their best chance is with Prescott healthy and playing his best late in the year. The Cowboys didn’t win any of those five Super Bowls because of one standout player carrying the team. There were great contributions from so many key players. To make a Super Bowl run, the current team needs to have their key players available when it matters most. Roger Staubach was the MVP of Super Bowl VI, but the offense really just had to take care of the ball. The Dallas defense, led by Chuck Howley, Bob Lilly, Cliff Harris, Lee Roy Jordan and Mel Renfro, was the reason the Cowboys beat the Dolphins 24-3.
It’s clear that the current roster doesn’t have anywhere near the defensive talent that Tom Landry coached in the 1970s or Jimmy Johnson coached in the 1990s. For this group to compete with the best in the NFC — 49ers, Saints, Buccaneers, Packers, Seahawks, Eagles, Vikings and Rams — some newcomers have to exceed expectations. That’s not only the veterans like Gerald McCoy, Dontari Poe and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, but some of the draft class, like Trevon Diggs, Neville Gallimore and Reggie Robinson II. And it would be a significant boost to get anything out of Aldon Smith or Randy Gregory, if either is reinstated from their suspensions. The 2020 Cowboys will probably go as far as their offense carries them, but the defense has to be less predictable and more effective than it’s been the last five years.
2.) Build on the 2019 offense. The Dallas offense has some weapons that remind you of the Super Bowl teams. Ezekiel Elliott and the running game have the ability to produce like Duane Thomas, Walt Garrison and Calvin Hill in 1971, Tony Dorsett in 1977, and Emmitt Smith in the 1990s. This is the part of the team Jason Garrett tried to build most like those Jimmy Johnson teams. Obviously, the game has changed. Fullback Daryl “Moose” Johnston was a big part of the running game and overall offensive success in the 1990s. He caught 50 passes in 1993. This year’s team will be operating out of 11-personnel much more than Landy or Johnson ever did. Cooper, Lamb, Michael Gallup, Blake Jarwin and Elliott give Prescott a nice set of weapons. If all are healthy, that’s the group you will see most together. Dallas’ offense was very good overall last season. Keeping Kellen Moore on as offensive coordinator should allow them to build on some of the good. A new offensive-minded head coach like Mike McCarthy should be able to add some of the things that worked best for him in Green Bay. But it will also be important to incorporate some of the things that worked for Lamb at Oklahoma. First-round wide receivers don’t always hit the ground running. Lamb didn’t have much trouble getting quickly involved in Lincoln Riley’s offensive system as a true freshman. The Cowboys have to find ways to make him an immediate impact player.
3.) Force more turnovers. This is the biggest takeaway from watching those previous Super Bowls. Here’s how much the Cowboys won the turnover margin in each of those games.
Super Bowl VI vs. Dolphins: 3-1
Super Bowl XII vs. Broncos: 8-2
Super Bowl XXVII vs. Bills: 9-1
Super Bowl XXVIII vs. Bills: 3-1
Super Bowl XXX vs. Steelers: 3-0
It’s difficult to lose games when you’re winning the turnover battle 5-1. This particularly stands out because the Cowboys have been one of the NFL’s worst teams in this area for the last five years. Dallas hasn’t finished in the top 10 in takeaways since 2014. There weren’t a lot of chances taken on the back end under Jason Garrett. McCarthy and his staff have said they plan to be more aggressive in that department, and they drafted defensive backs who fit that style of play. That could end up being the biggest difference on defense in 2020. The offense is going to score points. The defense is unlikely to shut teams down. There will probably be a lot of high-scoring games. The best thing the Cowboys defense can do is steal extra possessions for their offense.
And this just isn’t about the defensive backs. Larry Brown didn’t get two key interceptions in Super Bowl XXX because of his tight coverage. There was excellent pressure up-front from players like Charles Haley and Leon Lett. Losing Robert Quinn doesn’t help the pass rush, but maybe some more blitzes and variety in the game plan will.
4.) Much better special teams. There won’t be any playoff appearances if the special teams are the same as 2019. The field-goal kicking has to be better. The kickoff and punt coverage has to be better. The return game has to be better. The punting has to be better. A lot of pressure is on new special teams coordinator John Fassel to fix it all. No one should expect a worst-to-first type turnaround, but the unit has to at least be respectable. The mistakes on special teams almost singlehandedly were responsible for the loss at New England last November. An angry Jerry Jones after that game: “To me, special teams is 100 percent coaching. It’s strategy. It’s having players ready. … Special teams is nothing but coaching. Special teams is effort. Special teams is savvy. Special teams is thinking.”
5.) Minimize distractions. This seems to always be in the mix with the Cowboys. It’s a category that includes everything from off-the-field issues to contract disputes. The biggest at the moment is Prescott’s contract situation. Will the two sides get something long-term finalized before the July 15 franchise tag deadline or will the quarterback play under the one-year tag? Many thought this would’ve been taken care of before the start of last season. Prescott didn’t seem to have much of a problem playing under the final year of his rookie deal. But will that remain the case if he is faced with a similar situation this season? Does it lead to problems behind the scenes? If there is a training camp in July/August, will Prescott be in attendance or will he choose to stay away like Elliott did a year ago? The result was a new deal that made Elliott the game’s highest-paid running back. Why wouldn’t Prescott follow that same strategy? The biggest difference in those two scenarios is that Elliott was a running back jumping back into his role with the same coaching staff. Prescott is the starting quarterback trying to learn the offensive adjustments of a new head coach. There’s also the problem that the longer Jones and Co. wait, the higher Prescott’s value could increase. The last thing the Cowboys need is distractions, especially involving the quarterback position. Jones probably needs to find a solution to that problem if he wants to get back to introducing Cowboys players to movie stars on the sidelines of Super Bowls.
