What did you think of this weekend's NFC Divisional Round games? How close do you think Dallas is to those teams? What do the Cowboys have that San Francisco and Detroit (and maybe Green Bay and Tampa Bay) don't? – Anthony Richards/Fort Worth, Texas
Patrick Walker: It was certainly an interesting competitive round. More than anything, I was glued to the 49ers vs. Packers battle because I wanted to know if the Packers were really good enough to compete. And I learned that they were. They pushed San Francisco to the brink, and it ultimately took a critical mistake late in the game to guarantee the 49ers a berth in the NFC Championship. Shanahan's group once again looked vulnerable at home (remember the Ravens) in that matchup and probably should have lost. But a true competitor will find enough ways to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. And the same was true for the Lions, who looked threatened by the Bucks at halftime but eventually pulled away late in the fourth quarter. So for me, that's the most important point here. It's not that the Cowboys don't have the talent to pull it off. It's not that they lacked the advantages (e.g., home) to accomplish that. It's just that they found a way to cause their own demise several times this past season. You can point out areas that need improvement, like the run game, linebacker archetype, etc., and those will be valid, but it's the self-inflicted injuries that make those things really important. It is also true that only when disappears. That…and/or…when this team can consistently do what the 49ers and Lions did, which is be able to overcome them when it matters most.
Nick Eatman: Well, I wouldn't exactly put Tampa Bay in that group right now. They made it through a weak division and defeated an Eagles team that looked crowded a few weeks ago. But the other three are legitimate candidates, and all can not only run the ball, but also seem to not be afraid to hit or be physical. Given the Cowboys' needs heading into the 2024 season, they will need to figure out how to become more of a running team. Sure, Dak and CeeDee set all sorts of records and spread them around, but what happens after that shuts down? I'm not saying the Cowboys need to be a running team. No, but you need to be able to run your team when needed. Would you like to watch the Chiefs game the other day? We all know the offense is led by Mahomes and doesn't always have an established running game, but when they took over after missing a field goal in the final two minutes; They simply ran the ball, got a first down, and the game was over. Everyone knew they were running, but they still managed to get 10 yards and end the game. That's not something I've seen much of from the Cowboys. In fact, we've seen many times this year where they actually threw the ball for a first down, but ended up giving the ball back to their opponent giving them a chance to win the game. This team has to be more physical up front and figure out how to operate, especially when the game is on the line.
