Dallas can score with any opponent, but last season’s results were driven by a defense that undermined the team. The offense was forced to win twice, once against the opponent and again against its own defensive shortcomings. A weak defense changes the feel of games by making leads feel unsafe and turning punts and field goals into signs of trouble. That pressure builds on players and fans because the problem is visible before each snap. Since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger, only eight teams have had top-three scoring offenses and bottom-three scoring defenses, and those teams combined for a strong winning record the following season. This suggests the Cowboys are not hopeless, but the situation is urgent. The 2000 St. Louis Rams provide a model: an explosive offense became unstable due to defense, then improved enough to stabilize the operation.
"When a team can score, it has a path. It might be narrow with some potholes, but it's still a path. The issue is that Dallas' defense kept making the path harder than it had to be. So when I look at Dallas through this historical lens, I do not see hopeless. I see urgent."
Read at Inside The Star
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