DNA of our SB Teams

[BourbonBalz]

Quit living in the past. It isn't 1992. It's a passing league. Yes, I love a good ground game and it's still important. But, it's not as important as it was in the past. Good QB play and great defenses win titles today. That's just the way it is in the game today. We need a much better defense.

 

[BourbonBalz]

Denver won with a RBBC because they had a great defense. You would have to go back 20+ years to find a Cowboys defense comparable to what Denver won it all with last season. The Cowboys have never won a championship without having an elite runner. The only time they won a championship with a RBBC was in 1977 with Dorsett and Robert Newhouse.

And that team had a DOMINANT defense. That's what won the Super Bowl during the 1977 season. Yes, we also had a very good offense, but the defense was the difference maker.

 

[Idgit]

We've had great QB play with Romo for how many years, with how many championships? We had great QB play from Danny White with how many championships? I agree with OP about formula, don't know about E2 at four. It won't bother me, but we need QB if Goff or Wentz is there. Like Ramsey and Jack too.

You need to throw the ball better than the other guys. That means good QB play and good defense.

 

[BourbonBalz]

It has been proven over and over that you can get just as productive a RB in rounds 3-5 as you can in the first round. It's a proven fact. It's the easiest position to fill in the NFL. I have no problem drafting a RB this year, but not with the 4th overall pick. Absolutely not.

 

[Wolfpack]

Our championship teams also had outstanding defenses that made plays and harassed QBs something that's been missing from the Cowboys since the late 90s.

The 70's teams had an amazing defense and Jimmy's 90's teams were always a top 5 defense.

 

[BourbonBalz]

The teams that play in and/or win Super Bowls today have top notch defenses. It's just a fact. Seattle, Denver, Carolina, Baltimore, New England, and on and on. Yes, championship teams also have good offenses, but a great defense is almost always the winning component.

 

[AdamJT13]

The Cowboys have never won a championship without having an elite runner. The only time they won a championship with a RBBC was in 1977 with Dorsett and Robert Newhouse.

We won a championship in 1971 with Duane Thomas, Walt Garrison and Calvin Hill splitting carries. None of them even reached 180 carries or 800 yards.

 

[mattjames2010]

Always a strange argument to me. Same with the "We won championships with the 4-3, so we must stay with the 4-3"

Different coaches, different teams, different eras.

 

[AdamJT13]

The teams that play in and/or win Super Bowls today have top notch defenses. It's just a fact. Seattle, Denver, Carolina, Baltimore, New England, and on and on. Yes, championship teams also have good offenses, but a great defense is almost always the winning component.

That's not as true as it once was.

2006 Colts -- 23rd in points allowed, 21st in yards allowed, 15th in passer rating allowed, 30th in sacks, 32nd in YPC allowed

2007 Giants -- 17th in points allowed, 18th in passer rating allowed, 17th in turnover percentage

2009 Saints -- 20th in points allowed, 25th in yards allowed, 25th in YPC allowed

2011 Giants -- 25th in points allowed, 27th in yards allowed, 21st in passer rating allowed, 22nd in YPC allowed

 

[Fletch]

The problem with your theory is this team isn't competing for a SB next year anyway even with Elliott. He's not good enough to carry this team to the SB.

Not once did I mention we were heading to a Super Bowl if we drafted EE. But I will contend that we'd have a helluva better shot at competing with Elliott over anyone else. Fact!

 

[Fletch]

That's not as true as it once was.

2006 Colts -- 23rd in points allowed, 21st in yards allowed, 15th in passer rating allowed, 30th in sacks, 32nd in YPC allowed

2007 Giants -- 17th in points allowed, 18th in passer rating allowed, 17th in turnover percentage

2009 Saints -- 20th in points allowed, 25th in yards allowed, 25th in YPC allowed

2011 Giants -- 25th in points allowed, 27th in yards allowed, 21st in passer rating allowed, 22nd in YPC allowed

Ouch. Stats and facts.

 

[KJJ]

We won a championship in 1971 with Duane Thomas, Walt Garrison and Calvin Hill splitting carries. None of them even reached 180 carries or 800 yards.

Most if not all the teams that won SB's in the 70s had some sort of rotation but the point I'm trying to make is the Cowboys never won a SB without an elite back as part of their backfield. They always had a dynamic lead back they could lean on in critical games. Duane Thomas was an elite back during that period and despite splitting carries with Hill and Garrison in 71 he out rushed Hill who was second on the team in rushing by 325 yards. Thomas also led the team with 11 rushing TD's. In the playoffs that season he had just over 200 yards rushing and 3 TD's including 95 yards in the SB. Take Thomas out of the equation in 71 and the Cowboys likely end up bridesmaids once again.

The teams that winning SB's in the 70's not only had a top lead back but most had a future HOF backs. When the Dolphins were winning SB's in the early 70's they had a 3 headed monster attack led by a future HOF back in Larry Csonka. When the Steelers were dominating the 70's they rotated Franco and Rocky Bleier but Franco was a HOF back who came up big in their SB's. The Cowboys aren't going to win another championship with the defense they have and some JAG's in the backfield.

 

[BourbonBalz]

That's not as true as it once was.

2006 Colts -- 23rd in points allowed, 21st in yards allowed, 15th in passer rating allowed, 30th in sacks, 32nd in YPC allowed

2007 Giants -- 17th in points allowed, 18th in passer rating allowed, 17th in turnover percentage

2009 Saints -- 20th in points allowed, 25th in yards allowed, 25th in YPC allowed

2011 Giants -- 25th in points allowed, 27th in yards allowed, 21st in passer rating allowed, 22nd in YPC allowed

There are exceptions to everything, but the majority of Super Bowl winning teams have great to dominating defenses. It's just a fact. And while the Giant's defense wasn't statistically dominant, they had a dominant pass rush.

 

[BourbonBalz]

Also, since you love stats, check out the Colt's defensive stats in the playoffs that year. Their defense stepped up big time in the playoffs, especially their rush defense. You can argue all you want, but by far and large teams will not compete for titles without a good defense.

 

[Sydla]

Not once did I mention we were heading to a Super Bowl if we drafted EE. But I will contend that we'd have a helluva better shot at competing with Elliott over anyone else. Fact!

How is something you can't prove a "fact'? LOL.

 

[Sydla]

That's not as true as it once was.

2006 Colts -- 23rd in points allowed, 21st in yards allowed, 15th in passer rating allowed, 30th in sacks, 32nd in YPC allowed

2007 Giants -- 17th in points allowed, 18th in passer rating allowed, 17th in turnover percentage

2009 Saints -- 20th in points allowed, 25th in yards allowed, 25th in YPC allowed

2011 Giants -- 25th in points allowed, 27th in yards allowed, 21st in passer rating allowed, 22nd in YPC allowed

So 4 of the last 10 Super Bowl winners didn't have great defenses.................... 6 did. Further, those Giants teams while not statistically great had a unique skill set in that they had 3-4 DE types that they could generate a ton of crazy pressures, etc. They would slide a guy like Tuck to DT in certain situations and he would create havoc on the interior of OLs. Those lineman singlehandedly made Brady look human at times in those two SBs.

So in other words, if people (not suggesting you) think this Cowboys defense, as present constructed with a tweak here or there, is good enough to win a SB, they are delusional.

 

[AdamJT13]

Most if not all the teams that won SB's in the 70s had some sort of rotation but the point I'm trying to make is the Cowboys never won a SB without an elite back as part of their backfield. They always had a dynamic lead back they could lean on in critical games. Duane Thomas was an elite back during that period and despite splitting carries with Hill and Garrison in 71 he out rushed Hill who was second on the team in rushing by 325 yards. Thomas also led the team with 11 rushing TD's. In the playoffs that season he had just over 200 yards rushing and 3 TD's including 95 yards in the SB. Take Thomas out of the equation in 71 and the Cowboys likely end up bridesmaids once again.

The teams that winning SB's in the 70's not only had a top lead back but most had a future HOF backs. When the Dolphins were winning SB's in the early 70's they had a 3 headed monster attack led by a future HOF back in Larry Csonka. When the Steelers were dominating the 70's they rotated Franco and Rocky Bleier but Franco was a HOF back who came up big in their SB's. The Cowboys aren't going to win another championship with the defense they have and some JAG's in the backfield.

Winning championships makes JAGs into "elite" backs. Rush for 1,200 yards on a Super Bowl team, and you're "elite." Rush for 1,200 yards on an 8-8 team, and you're "a JAG." The notion that a team has to have a certain quality of running back to win a Super Bowl is completely false and has been proved many times over, as is the notion that a team called the "Dallas Cowboys" must be built just like a previous team called the "Dallas Cowboys" in order to win a championship.

 

[AdamJT13]

There are exceptions to everything, but the majority of Super Bowl winning teams have great to dominating defenses. It's just a fact.

And like I said, it's not as true as it once was. That's just a fact, too.

Sub-par defenses can win championships, if the offense performs well enough to overcome it. It's more difficult, but it can be done and has been done.

 

[Typhus]

And like I said, it's not as true as it once was. That's just a fact, too.

Sub-par defenses can win championships, if the offense performs well enough to overcome it. It's more difficult, but it can be done and has been done.

Theres a lot of ways to skin a cat, but I will side with the facet that its "cheaper" to build an elite defense, because there is not a QB on an elite defense that costs 25 million against the cap.
Thats the only angle.

 

[KJJ]

Winning championships makes JAGs into "elite" backs. Rush for 1,200 yards on a Super Bowl team, and you're "elite." Rush for 1,200 yards on an 8-8 team, and you're "a JAG." The notion that a team has to have a certain quality of running back to win a Super Bowl is completely false and has been proved many times over, as is the notion that a team called the "Dallas Cowboys" must be built just like a previous team called the "Dallas Cowboys" in order to win a championship.

I certainly don't agree with any of that Timmy Smith will always be thought of as a JAG despite his great SB performance. You have to look at the type of team you have and your own history. The Cowboys have never won a championship with JAGs at RB. They always had an elite back who they could lean on that put fear in defenses. No one had any respect for the backs we had last season they were all average. An elite back would have put up 1500+ and double digit TDs behind what many regard as the best run blocking OL in the league and they would have done it despite our QB situation. If you want to win a SB without an elite runner you have to have a GREAT defense or it will all be on the shoulders of your QB. John Elway would have never won a SB without Terrell Davis.

Many believe not having an elite runner is what kept Dan Marino from winning a championship. The Cowboys aren't going to sniff a championship depending on Romo to win games. They need a SOLID defense and a back that opponents have to respect. The 90s teams may never have won a championship without Emmitt Smith. Our offense in the 90s revolved around Emmitt and the running game. The Cowboys need a certain quality of back to be a great team and that was proven in the 60s with Don Perkins, the 70s with Duane Thomas and Tony Dorsett and the 90s with Emmitt.

The best team the Cowboys have had under Romo was in 2014 due to Murray having an elite season running the ball. It made Romo better and even defense looked a little better not having to spend so much time on the field. I don't care what other teams need to be successful the Cowboys need an elite runner who can put up yards and TDs. It's not all about the yards it's about scoring which is what made Emmitt such a great back. Our backs last season only combined for half as many rushing TDs as we had in 2014.