drawandstrike
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It's the fact that of the teams remaining in the NFC playoffs, Dallas has the strongest ground game as well as the best rushing defense in the league.
In the playoffs, you face better defenses, and that means better red zone defenses. Being able to run in the red zone and scoring on the ground, as well as being able to STOP the other team's red zone ground game, is a big key.
Very few teams were better at scoring on the ground in the red zone than Dallas this year. Dallas scored 24 TD's on the ground this season, 6 of them coming from QB Dak Prescott alone. Only a team that didn't make the playoffs, the Buffalo Bills, scored more rushing TD's than Dallas, with 29.
Conversely, Dallas was outstanding defensively in the red zone with it's rush defense this year, allowing only 9 TD's on the ground in 16 games. Only the New England Patriots and the Detroit Lions allowed fewer rushing TD's, with 6 and 8, respectively.
[Fun fact: Assuming Dallas faces the Lions again, Dallas scored 6 TD's on that Lions defense in the Monday Night game 2 weeks ago, including 2 rushing TD's from Ezekiel Elliott. The Lions defense did not give up a rushing TD vs. the Packers in their regular season finale, so the Lions defense was actually TIED with the Patriots for a league low 6 rushing TD's allowed....UNTIL they played Dallas. ]
It is amazing to me that many predicting Super Bowl matchups are leaving Dallas out. They seem to be fixated on that 'statistic' that no rookie QB has ever led his team to a Super Bowl.
Not only is Dallas bringing the best OFFENSIVE GROUND GAME into the playoffs, they are bringing the BEST RUSHING DEFENSE as part of a unit that is peaking at just the right time. Excluding the season finale vs. the Eagles, in which 2/3rds of starters were pulled after the 1st quarter, the Dallas defense forced TEN turnovers in it's last 4 games that meant something.
Against the Vikings, Giants, Buccaneers and Lions, this Cowboys defense forced 10 turnovers while missing around 6 or so interceptions with drops. It also garnered 13 sacks in those 4 games.
Dallas has to be considered the favorite. People picking Seattle or Green Bay or Atlanta or NY ignore the fact Dallas has the definite edge on both sides of the ball on the ground against any team they face.
In the playoffs, you face better defenses, and that means better red zone defenses. Being able to run in the red zone and scoring on the ground, as well as being able to STOP the other team's red zone ground game, is a big key.
Very few teams were better at scoring on the ground in the red zone than Dallas this year. Dallas scored 24 TD's on the ground this season, 6 of them coming from QB Dak Prescott alone. Only a team that didn't make the playoffs, the Buffalo Bills, scored more rushing TD's than Dallas, with 29.
Conversely, Dallas was outstanding defensively in the red zone with it's rush defense this year, allowing only 9 TD's on the ground in 16 games. Only the New England Patriots and the Detroit Lions allowed fewer rushing TD's, with 6 and 8, respectively.
[Fun fact: Assuming Dallas faces the Lions again, Dallas scored 6 TD's on that Lions defense in the Monday Night game 2 weeks ago, including 2 rushing TD's from Ezekiel Elliott. The Lions defense did not give up a rushing TD vs. the Packers in their regular season finale, so the Lions defense was actually TIED with the Patriots for a league low 6 rushing TD's allowed....UNTIL they played Dallas. ]
It is amazing to me that many predicting Super Bowl matchups are leaving Dallas out. They seem to be fixated on that 'statistic' that no rookie QB has ever led his team to a Super Bowl.
Not only is Dallas bringing the best OFFENSIVE GROUND GAME into the playoffs, they are bringing the BEST RUSHING DEFENSE as part of a unit that is peaking at just the right time. Excluding the season finale vs. the Eagles, in which 2/3rds of starters were pulled after the 1st quarter, the Dallas defense forced TEN turnovers in it's last 4 games that meant something.
Against the Vikings, Giants, Buccaneers and Lions, this Cowboys defense forced 10 turnovers while missing around 6 or so interceptions with drops. It also garnered 13 sacks in those 4 games.
Dallas has to be considered the favorite. People picking Seattle or Green Bay or Atlanta or NY ignore the fact Dallas has the definite edge on both sides of the ball on the ground against any team they face.
