The Dallas Cowboys haven’t won a Super Bowl since the 90’s, but this team has a chance to break that streak. Dallas has one of the most complete and balanced rosters in the league, meaning they should be in the thick of the Super Bowl hunt throughout the season. However, winning a Super Bowl requires a lot more than just a talented roster. If the Cowboys are to bring home their sixth championship, they’ll need to do the following five things.
Five Things the Dallas Cowboys Need to Do to Win the Super Bowl
Get Creative on Offense
Anyone who has watched the Cowboys over the past few seasons is all too familiar with Scott Linehan and his bland, stagnant offense. While the rest of the league moved towards creative route concepts and pre-snap motions to assist the quarterback, Linehan continually ran the same outdated routes and kept his receivers lined up in the same positions play after play. Because of this, Dallas had one of the most uninspired passing attacks over the past few seasons and Linehan’s coaching drew criticism from a couple of big-name players.
Kellen Moore is calling the shots now, which should mean good things for the offense. According to early reports out of camp, Moore has made an active effort to become less predictable on offense. The Cowboys are incorporating pre-snap motions and moving receivers all over the formation. He’s not going to be Sean McVay, but adding an element of creativity to the offense should do wonders for the overall efficiency of the unit.
Trust Dak Prescott
The Cowboys face a big decision in the coming year. Dak Prescott is entering the final year of his contract and is about to receive a significant pay raise. Ever since Prescott arrived, the Cowboys have relied upon a run-centric offensive approach. Because of this, there are some among the fanbase and media alike questioning if Prescott is worth over $30 million a year.
Nobody will confuse Prescott with Tom Brady, but he’s worth top quarterback money. Passing is significantly more efficient than running, so the Cowboys should put the ball in Prescott’s hands if they want a better chance of winning. With Amari Cooper in town and Michael Gallup gaining another year of experience, Prescott should have the necessary pieces to thrive without an elite rushing attack. If he can’t survive without that running attack, then he’s not worth $30 million and the Cowboys need to start over. Either way, increasing Prescott’s workload is the best way to win in the long- and short-term.
Get Travis Frederick Back to Full Strength
The Cowboys had a good offensive line in 2018, but it can return to the elite ranks if Travis Frederick can round back into form. Frederick missed the 2018 season while battling Guillian-Barre syndrome, a disorder in which “your body’s immune system attacks your nerves”. If untreated, this disorder could lead to paralysis. Fortunately, Frederick appears to be in the clear and ready to return to the starting lineup.
Frederick is capable of playing, but can he return to his previous form? Throughout NFL history, only Mark Schlereth suffered the syndrome during their career and returned to the playing field. There shouldn’t be any long-term effects for Frederick, but he still hasn’t played football in over a year. He’ll need some time to build up strength and get used to taking NFL hits on a regular basis again. If he can do that, then the Cowboys’ run and pass game should see a dramatic increase in production. Joe Looney did the best he could in 2018, but there’s simply no replacing a player of Frederick’s caliber.
Improve Red Zone Efficiency
The Dallas Cowboys were objectively terrible in the red zone last year. According to teamrankings.com, Dallas scored a touchdown on 51.79% of their red zone trips, seventh-worst in the league. The Cowboys were able to control the time of possession with their running attack and short passing game but kept opposing teams in the game with their inability to finish off drives.
Put simply, the Cowboys need to be better if they’re to win their sixth Super Bowl championship. Kellen Moore has a chance to fix this with creative playcalling, and a full season of Amari Cooper should help the red zone woes. Additionally, Dallas should make a conscious effort to try to get Prescott in space and capitalize on his mobility. He’s had six rushing touchdowns in each of his first three seasons but has double-digit potential if utilized properly.
Find Another Reliable Edge Rusher
The Cowboys have a legitimate pass-rushing stud in Demarcus Lawrence but could use a reliable presence on the other side of the line. Robert Quinn was supposed to be that guy, but he’s suspended for the first two games of the season. He also fractured his hand and history of wearing down as the season goes on, so he was never the most reliable option.
Perhaps this is the year that 2017 first-round pick Taco Charlton plays up to his athletic ceiling. Charlton hasn’t done much in the first two years of his career, but some of that could be due to injury. Charlton was considered a raw prospect coming out of the draft and battled a shoulder injury throughout 2018. Now that he’s healthy, he has a chance to emerge as a solid starter opposite Lawrence. Remember, it took a few years before Lawrence truly reached his ceiling in Dallas. It’s now or never for Charlton, as the Cowboys don’t have a clear answer if he’s not ready by now.
The Cowboys have the ability to do all of these things, and should have good odds to win the Super Bowl. You can check out all the best online bookmakers on this website.
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