The Dallas Cowboys did not have the season that anyone expected, and they missed the playoffs despite having a relatively healthy roster.
It is the first season since QB Dak Prescott was drafted that ended in a losing record without the quarterback suffering an injury that caused him to miss games.
No, Prescott was fully healthy, and except for a four-week span where WR CeeDee Lamb was out with a high ankle sprain, the offense remained intact throughout the season.
WR George Pickens picked up the slack, and a revamped rushing attack also helped keep the Cowboys afloat.
The offense wasn’t the problem, and it is fairly evident just by looking at stats.
In the first (and only) season under DC Matt Eberflus, the Cowboys gave up more points (511) than any other regular season in franchise history.
A response was needed, and it came in the form of a firing for Eberflus, and a thorough and extensive search for his replacement.
The way the Cowboys handled the hiring process is far from their usual tactics, but it is in line with the practices of other recent successful NFC teams.
Getting Their Guy
The Cowboys have not had a defensive coordinator who wasn’t a previous head coach since 2013.
Jerry Jones usually sifts through the used pile of coordinators to see if any of them still have some of the magic they once had.
That hasn’t worked out very well in the past decade, save for three good years with now Washington Commanders HC Dan Quinn.
Quinn made an unceremonious exit. His defense allowed 48 points at home to the Green Bay Packers in the 2023 NFC Wildcard round, and it was time for a change.
One year of Mike Zimmer proved to be a disaster, and Eberflus was supposed to come in and change that.
Instead, he coordinated the worst defense the franchise has ever fielded.
Enter Christian Parker. He is a surprise hire simply based on previous behavior by the Jones’, but he is a welcome sight.
At just 34 years old, Parker is considered a student and teacher of the game with high potential for future head coaching opportunities.
Instead of the old and tired coordinators who have already been around the block a few times, the Cowboys finally snagged one of these young, bright minds ahead of their ascension into the coordinator ranks.
It is a refreshing sight because it emulates the same behavior other successful franchises have already employed.
A Winning Formula
Brian Schottenheimer is one of a handful of head coaches who also call the offense during the game.
This season, Schottenheimer did an incredible job calling of the most efficient, balanced, and productive offenses in the NFL.
QB Dak Prescott ranks in top three of most statistical categories, and he threw the football to two 1,000-yard wide receivers.
There is no reason the team should not have been in the playoffs except for a horrendous defense.
Other teams around the NFL have given the blueprint for success, and that blueprint is to have a defensive genius with new and innovative schemes and formations to complement a steady offense.
Chicago Bears
HC Ben Johnson, DC Dennis Allen
They are doing good things in Chicago under Ben Johnson.
Chicago was a play away from appearing in the NFC Championship game before Matthew Stafford had something to say about it.
Former Lions’ OC Ben Johnson still calls plays in Chicago, and he has defensive ace Dennis Allen to help support his offense by taking the ball away at an alarming rate.
Denver Broncos
HC Sean Payton, DC Vance Joseph
The same situation has unfolded in Denver.
Sean Payton and the Broncos are in the AFC Championship Game because their offense, led by Bo Nix, is complemented by a suffocating defense called by Vance Joseph.
The secret to success isn’t really that much of a secret, and it seems the Cowboys may have found the winning formula.
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