Not much went right for the Dallas Cowboys against the Green Bay Packers in this year's Wild Card game. If you boil Dallas' offseason needs down to that one performance, the Cowboys need a new quarterback who never throws picks, a new running back, new pass rushers that can actually complete a rush, and a complete overhaul both at linebacker and in the secondary.
If you want to get real about what the Cowboys need, you'll find it isn't about which position group they should target this offseason. The Cowboys' most crucial need in 2024 is a complete reevaluation of their offensive and defensive systems with one objective: finding a way to control the line of scrimmage.
It's a simple concept. The team that dominates up front usually puts themselves in a winning position. That's how teams like the Green Bay Packers can waltz into hostile playoff environments and score 48 on a team that is unquestionably more talented than themselves.
It's also why Green Bay couldn't do the same thing against the San Francisco 49ers. When a club with elite talent like the 49ers commits to owning the line of scrimmage, they become nearly unstoppable.
So how can the Cowboys get to a place where they are the aggressors on the field week in and week out? It's not about any position group or free agent acquisition. It's about transforming Dallas' failing identity into one that has proven success.
Dallas Defense
It starts with stopping the run. The Cowboys committed a first-round pick to Mazi Smith in last year's draft, but there's more to slowing down NFL rushers than just the big men on the line. For too long Dallas has relied on undersized linebackers, and even safeties stepping up to play in the box. Prioritizing linebackers that won't just get sealed off or flattened by a fullback should help the Cowboys be more imposing over the middle of the field.
Building a secondary that can operate in zone coverage is vital too. Dallas' secondary wasn't healthy enough to cover Green Bay's young, fast wide receivers man to man. They obviously weren't prepared to play zone either, given Romeo Doubs and Luke Musgrave managed to get about half a field's worth of separation at times. Not being able to drop back in zone coverage to boost your run defense is a massive deficiency for an NFL defense, one that killed the Cowboys in the playoffs this year.
Offensive improvements
Offensively, the Cowboys need to look more at their scheme than at their personnel. The Cowboys haven't been a dominant ground team since they gave Ezekiel Elliott his record-breaking contract. Ask yourself one question: How many offenses remaining in this year's playoffs don't have elite running games or Patrick Mahomes under center?
Dak Prescott is capable of everything Brock Purdy is and more. The Niners are just as potent as the Cowboys through the air because Purdy's wide receivers see far more open space in front of them than Prescott's. Defenses can get away with overcommitting assets to CeeDee Lamb because Mike McCarthy won't punish them for it on the ground. Taking ownership of the line of scrimmage while Prescott and Lamb are on the field helps the entire offense.
Injuries played a role in what the Cowboys accomplished this year, especially on defense. If you add Trevon Diggs, Leighton Vander Esch, and DeMarvion Overshown to the mix, things might have gone differently against Green Bay. The problem is that the shortcomings that buried the Cowboys this year have persisted for years.
DeMeco Ryans made the Cowboys play his game by dominating the line of scrimmage on defense two years ago, and Kellen Moore's offense never stood a chance. Matt LaFleur made the Cowboys play his game this year by dominating the line of scrimmage on offense, and Dan Quinn's defense never stood a chance.
Until the Cowboys put a product on the field that can win where it counts on both sides of the ball, even against physically imposing opponents, not much is likely to change for America's team.
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