OXNARD (105.3 The Fan) - Welcome back to the Cowboys Six Pack where after one preseason game, I am ready to go on the ledge and proclaim the Dallas Cowboys as Super Bowl Champions if these six things happen.
As our good friend Mike Fisher always says, there is more than one way to skin a cat and more than one way to win a Super Bowl, and that doesn’t mean that Dallas has to try to win one the way the Eagles did or the way the Patriots have, it means they have to find their groove, stay in it and never let up on their opponent.
If they can do that and these six things happen, then I think Dallas wins the Super Bowl.
I think these three things go without saying but I know some people will tweet me and be furious I didn’t mention, so: Stay healthy, make the playoffs first, win a playoff game. Yes, you are correct, cookie granted.
Demarcus Lawrence was amazing last year, 14.5 sacks was pretty good, it gets him to about tied for 95th all-time for a single season. Let’s try to get in the “tied for top 20” category.
I know the pressures and impacts he made aside from just taking down the quarterback made this a significantly different defense. He is on a single season contract vying for the big money again and seeing him make it through another year would be great.
Man, I’d be sure to lay out that long-term deal though if not only he added 3-4 more sacks, stretched offenses a little thinner and made the rest of his fellow defensive linemen better. He needs to be a transcendent player this year.
The Eagles Zach Ertz was their leading receiver with 824 yards. Nelson Agholor and Alshon Jeffrey combined for 1500 yards and 17 TD’s, neither had more than 800 yards.
New England in 2016 had Edleman who had 1106 yards and three TD’s, those are No. 1 like numbers except he was a slot receiver a lot and the TD numbers are minuscule to the idea of what a real No. 1 is.
The Denver Broncos had Demaryius Thomas in 2015 with 1304 yards and 6 TD’s, really good, but Emmanuel Sanders had 1135 yards on 41 less targets and 6 TD’s. Sounds like they had two options at No. 1 and they dismantled opponents with a QB who while on his last leg was probably the smartest to ever play the game.
Golden Tate had 898 yards and 5 TD’s and while Doug Baldwin had 778 5 TD’s.
The list goes on, but the point is for everybody thinking the Cowboys are sunk because they have no Dez Bryant at receiver, you are wrong. They have more options and more speed than they have ever had before. They simply have to be effective at spreading it around and finishing drives. Of course, it makes you feel great to have one guy who can beat any CB, but A) Dez wasn’t that guy anymore and B) defenses have proven that if you only feed one player, they can shut your offense down. I think the Cowboys have plenty of options to find mismatches on the field and that’s what the advantage always is with sports, mismatches.
I know what to expect out of Sean Lee. Every year, when healthy, 100-145 tackles and a couple of INT’s. I don’t know what to expect out of rookie Leighton Vander Esch, though from what I’ve seen so far I have a feeling the game won’t be too fast for him in his first year.
Jaylon Smith is a wild card.
I know what I want him to be, I know what everybody wants him to be. They want him to be a Top 5 pick that the Cowboys got for a steal in the second round.
He has the personality of a king and the work ethic of a bricklayer (just look at those biceps).
All of that being said, he’s a guy I am selfishly pulling for because he’s one of the good guys and if he can make it, then he is a guy the entire Cowboys nation can root for and point to.
He’s also got an inspirational story of overcoming something that many thought he never would. That being said, if he can play like college Jaylon Smith, then he can cover, attack the quarterback and challenge any running back inside or outside of the tackles. That threat does this.
When a QB steps to the line everybody on the offensive side of the ball has to make sure they know where Demarcus Lawrence is, and Sean Lee. Now you’ve added another player you have to figure out, and if you have a defense full of those types of guys, that gives quarterbacks panic attacks.
I don’t need him to force 5,000 yards into this season, I have Zeke in the backfield.
I need him to have 7 less INT’s thrown, whether bouncing off the hands of receivers or on his own accuracy shortcomings, and 7 less sacks. That being said, take away Adrian Clayborn’s day in Atlanta and you can get those sack numbers down easy.
Last year, Dak was well on his way to having a better passing yards and TD’s season last year than he did in his first season. If he can get those two things down, he will have a better season this year.
I don’t need him to be Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady, throwing on every play. I need him to be efficient, protect the ball, threaten with his legs and when everybody thinks hand off to Zeke he strikes for pay dirt down field.
If Dak can do that, this team can be in contention.
I don’t care if it’s Earl Thomas, which would be another one of those “how many playmakers does this team have” players for a quarterback to panic about, or Xavier Woods, I just need a guy that knows how to help his CB’s and can make impact plays on the ball.
I feel like the line of scrimmage is taken care of with my LB’s and DL, and if my safety is leading my team in tackles then that means too many players are getting to the second and third level. The safety position is the most athletic dude on the field and must be able to stretch all over.
If one of these players turns into a playmaker or they add Earl Thomas, it’s icing on the Super Bowl cake. Otherwise, it’s a bit of a struggle.
I know the media has moments where they defend the heck out of him, and then moments where they bash him until they’ve already found his replacement.
There is a Jason Garrett though that when he has confidence in what his team is capable of, and when they’ve obviously proven to him they can accomplish what he’s asking then he makes decisions that are out of the ordinary. Going for it on fourth down is always a questionable decision, but some of the best coaches in the history of the league have no fear of that when they know the pulse of their team.
Garrett is a stickler for consistency and routine, but every once in a while in this sport, you punch somebody in the mouth to let them know who owns the field. Garrett has been punched enough times.
Players start to froth at the mouth at the stats they are about to put up, and while Garrett’s reserved uniformity is good for setting the foundation, it’s time to put a roof on this thing, and then blow that son of a gun off.
Do these things, Cowboys, and you’ve guaranteed yourself a championship.