FRISCO, TEXAS — Another year, another playoff berth looming for the Dallas Cowboys. Fortunately for those in the building, this has become the norm under head coach Mike McCarthy, but postseason success has yet to materialize.
Heading into the playoffs, the Cowboys couldn't have been better positioned to make their deepest postseason run since 1995. They are guaranteed to play in at least two home playoff games in the wild card round and divisional round, allowing them to avoid the qualifying round. The San Francisco 49ers will fend off the hottest team in the NFC, the Los Angeles Rams, until a possible NFC Championship Game, and they will fend off the hottest team in the NFC until a possible Conference Championship.
Everything is in place for the Cowboys to do well and compete for not only the NFC title but also a Super Bowl berth. But some things still stand in their way.
Let's think about the positive. What worked for the Cowboys and what could help them heading into the game in Las Vegas in a month?
I think the obvious starts with the most reliable and consistent thing on this Cowboys team thus far: Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb.
This has the potential to be a staple in the 2023 postseason, with Lamb's multiple franchise records already cementing him as the best quarterback-receiver connection in franchise history.
“We scored four points and 88 points. That's enough hope for me,” safety Jaylon Kearse said Monday. “That's the best quarterback-receiver duo in the league.”
Second, in the loss to Buffalo, things looked rough defensively. Without Jonathan Hankins, the Cowboys' defense allowed more rushing yards in that game than in any game since 2013, depleting Orchard Park in a loss reminiscent of earlier in the season against Santa Clara. It was done.
Now, Hankins is healthy and the defense is coming off a tough stretch of limiting opponents to just 88 rushing yards per game and 17 points per game through three games. The run game issues appear to have been fixed in the middle with Hankins back in the lineup, and the secondary remains solid as well.
On that last point, which is particularly pertinent to the Green Bay game, the Cowboys have a great opportunity to use what they have to their advantage to win this game. And no, it's not actually the fact that they won this time. Play at AT&T Stadium.
Winning possession battles has been crucial in determining the outcome of games this season, and the Cowboys went 8-2 when winning in that statistical category. If they hold the ball for more than 35 minutes, that number is purely 6-0.
The Packers' defense has been great at not allowing explosive pass plays, ranking in the top 10 for pass plays of 20 yards or more allowed this season, but it's also been great at keeping everything down and giving opposing offenses a pass. This is the result of a zone shell defense that works. Short to intermediate game. As fast as Dak Prescott is, this offense likes to run the ball out, so it works perfectly. This will help you sustain long drives and save a lot of time as a result.
On top of that, the Packers' defense is one of the worst in the NFL at allowing explosive run plays, or rushing gains of 10 yards or more. Given that the running game behind Tony Pollard and Rico Doodle has been building confidence in recent weeks, the explosive rush at AT&T Stadium will need to step up the offense and increase the time of possession battles. It may be the perfect time to make a new bet to take away. .
Defensively, the Cowboys will be facing a first-year starter in Jordan Love, who exceeded expectations in every way by finishing the season seventh in passing yards and second in passing touchdowns. was. What is his weapon? What if the Packers' top six potential receivers are all rookies or second-year players?
What Green Bay head coach Matt LaFleur has accomplished this season with so little experience on offense is impressive, and it's why the Packers are still alive in the second week of January.
One of the key points for the Cowboys defense is getting to Jordan Love. In 2023, the Packers are averaging just 1.8 sacks per game, ranking in the top three in the NFL in keeping quarterbacks scoreless, and have allowed just two sacks in their last three games. His sacks continue to improve as the season progresses.
But this will be one of the rare times the Cowboys defense has more experience in this type of game and atmosphere than the opposing team.
On the downside, the team still has its problems and weaknesses still present, most notably penalties and offensive production in the middle of games.
The Cowboys enter the playoffs as the second-most penalized team in the entire NFL and the most penalized team of all playoff teams. These violations occurred in the form of indiscipline (offsides, false starts, roughing the passer/kicker, etc.) and physicality of gameplay (facemasks, holding, etc.). When it rains yellow, it seems like it will rain on the Cowboys as well. However, the end of the season may give some confidence in what's to come (4.3 penalties per game in the last three games).
The Cowboys finished the season as the second-most productive team in the second quarter (9.8 points per game), but in their final three games they had the fourth-worst point total in the league over that period, and that number had a great influence on In the third quarter after the halftime break, Dallas had trouble throughout the season, finishing the season 22nd in points scored in the third frame. Who came in first place in that category? None other than Jordan Love's gang.
If the Cowboys can build a possession lead in the first half and control the game for at least a total of 35 minutes coming out of intermission, there's no reason they can't go right back home a week after Sunday's game. for a divisional round victory.
But then again, there's no reason this team can't be in the NFC Championship Game in two weeks.
There's a lot of football in front of us, and I think of those words with all my heart. a lotThese are valid for the Dallas Cowboys' January schedule.
