The Philadelphia Eagles have officially won Super Bowl LIX with a dominant 40-22 win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was named the Super Bowl MVP after he finished with 293 total yards and three total touchdowns before leaving the game in the middle of the fourth quarter due to a blowout.
Philadelphia has now won its second Super Bowl in the past eight seasons, with the first coming in a win over the New England Patriots in 2018, and looks poised to compete at the highest level again next year.
Now that Philadelphia has won another Super Bowl, there is likely one question that sits atop the mind of every Dallas fan: How can the Cowboys win the Super Bowl?
Improve The Defensive Line
Philadelphia has consistently had one of the most impactful defensive lines in the NFL, shutting down opposing teams’ rushing attacks while also getting to the quarterback to force negative plays.
Although the Cowboys finished the regular season with the third-most sacks in the league, they had one of the highest blitz percentages at 29.9% and allowed the fourth-most rushing yards in the NFL at 2,331 yards.
In comparison, the Eagles had 41 sacks in the regular season but also had the fifth-lowest blitz percentage, allowing only 1,771 rushing yards.
However, the biggest impact from the Eagles’ defensive line came during the Super Bowl, as Philadelphia did not send a single blitz on 42 dropbacks and still finished the game with six sacks and pressure on roughly 45% of snaps with the starters on the field, according to ESPN.
Dallas must imitate the Eagles’ success and focus on improving the defensive line to make life difficult for opposing quarterbacks and running backs.
The biggest position of need for the Cowboys to help mitigate these issues comes at defensive tackle, as the organization desperately needs a player who can create havoc on the inside of the defensive line.
Dallas’s defensive tackle room currently relies heavily on Osa Odighizuwa and Mazi Smith, though upgrades during the offseason will be incredibly important for the franchise moving forward.
Odighizuwa is expected to be a major contributor to the Cowboys’ defense in the future, leaving Smith as the biggest question mark on the defensive line.
The good news for Dallas is that the upcoming NFL Draft is loaded with talent along the defensive line.
Dallas should utilize an early draft selection within the first two rounds to bolster the defensive line and provide more support for the secondary through pressures and hurries.
Improve Rushing Attack
Improving the rushing attack is the second most important piece for the Cowboys to compete at the highest level, as Dallas featured one of the most lackluster run games in the entire league during the 2024 season.
Multiple aspects of the Cowboys’ issues with running the ball stand out in comparison to the Eagles’ success, specifically, the number of explosive runs each team put together during the season.
Dallas finished the regular season with only three rushing attempts that picked up 20 or more yards, tied with the Los Angeles Rams for the fewest in the NFL.
The Cowboys also finished with the sixth-fewest rushing yards in the league at just 1,705 yards and ranked last with only 6 rushing touchdowns all season.
Meanwhile, the Eagles collected 25 rushing attempts of 20 or more yards, finished the season with 3,048 rushing yards, and had 29 rushing touchdowns to finish with the second-most in the NFL.
Rico Dowdle picked up some momentum to finish the season, ending the year with 70 or more rushing yards in six of his last seven games, but Dallas will still need an upgrade at the running back position in the offseason.
Dowdle could still become a valuable piece for the Cowboys’ offense in the 2024 season, but he should not be relied upon to be the team’s main running back in the future.
Luckily, Dallas will also be able to add to its running back room in the NFL Draft, as this is another position expected to be loaded with talent through the first few rounds.
One of the Cowboys’ most intriguing selections will come in the first round, as many believe Dallas is poised to select Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty with the 12th pick.
Whether Dallas opts to select Jeanty or another player with the 12th pick in the draft, there will be options available in the second and third rounds who could step in and make an immediate impact for the Cowboys next year.