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The 3 easiest ways the Dallas Cowboys can improve in 2022

By Terence Watson

Jan 16, 2022; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) runs for a touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers during the second half of the NFC Wild Card playoff football game at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 16, 2022; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) runs for a touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers during the second half of the NFC Wild Card playoff football game at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /
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Neville Gallimore, Dallas Cowboys
Neville Gallimore, Dallas Cowboys (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

2. Change the Defensive Tackle Philosophy

The Cowboys front office has been trying to solidify the middle of their defensive line for some time now through free agency and the NFL Draft. For some reason, they just can’t figure out how to stop the run.

This could have something to do with their reluctance to sign or draft defensive tackles that are seen as true nose tackles. Instead, this front office likes to find defensive linemen that have the ability to be effective in rushing the passer and see that as more of a factor in their decisions to either sign or draft a player.

Currently, the Cowboys only have one player over 310 pounds on their defensive front and that’s second-year defensive tackle Quinton Bohanna who comes in at 360 pounds. You would have expected to see a man of that size playing more often, but he was only used on 24% of the team’s snaps through the 14 games he played in.

It’s no wonder these defensive tackles are being mauled at the line on running plays by offensive linemen weighing over 320 pounds. They don’t have the size to take on double teams and instead are hoping their players get a good jump on the snap to affect the play.

Let me put it this way, one of the best defensive run-stopping teams in the NFL last season was the Buffalo Bills. They currently have four defensive tackles on their roster weighting over 310 pounds, which shows a focus on stopping offenses in the running game and forcing their opponents to air it out in order to beat them. That then allows their talented defensive ends to hunt the quarterback and their secondary to make plays on the football.

Cowboys 2021 Rush Defense Stats: 1,918 yards given up, 4.5 yards per carry, 112.8 yards per game

We’ve seen games in this league come down to inches and as of late Dallas has been on the losing end of those games due to their inability to stop the run at critical points in games. To fix the issue, they need to change the philosophy and start adding players that are bigger and harder to move. To do that, the mindset in the front office and the scouting department needs to change.

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