This year, the Dallas Cowboys will try to do something a team hasn’t done since 2004: win the NFC East title two years in a row. The last time that happened was when the Philadelphia Eagles did so in 2003 and 2004.
Although many may laugh at the NFC East, all four teams made some serious roster and staff changes this offseason to try and improve their franchise’s chances at a Super Bowl. It’s also worth noting that the Cowboys have dominated this division for years, capturing the NFC East crown 24 times.
So, how can they do it again? Dallas does have some serious advantages over some of their rivals. In this series, we will take a look at three advantages per NFC East team. Let’s start with the Washington Commandos… sorry, Commanders.
3 advantages the Dallas Cowboys have over the Washington Commanders in 2022
3. The Quarterback Position
Even though Cowboys Nation may not be entirely sold on Dak Prescott, the reality is that he is better than Carson Wentz. In a league where the quarterback position is arguably the most important, Prescott absolutely owns the NFC East with a record of 25-6 against divisional teams in his career.
Washington was seriously desperate for a quarterback after watching Taylor Heinicke and Kyle Allen try to stay above water on the football field last season. Is Wentz an improvement over those two? Sure. But is he a better quarterback than Prescott? No.
That doesn’t even take into account the fact that the Commanders are way overpaying a guy who heavily underperformed in 2021. Many sports outlets called the trade for Wentz one of the worst moves of the 2021 offseason (I guess thanks for outdoing the Amari Cooper trade, Washington).
The Colts were likely worried they’d get nothing for Wentz. Instead, the Commanders decided to take on his $28 million cap hit, which he is far from worth, and gave up two 2022 draft picks and one conditional 2023 third-round pick. All of this for a guy who isn’t a great quarterback and is clearly a problem off the field as well.
Wentz was ranked 26th in completion percentage (66.4) and 27th in yards per attempt (6.7), yet his salary ranks him ninth among all NFL starting quarterbacks. We’d take Prescott any day.
2. Superior Linebackers
Even with some question marks in the air about Leighton Vander Esch (who did play significantly better than he did in 2020) and Jabril Cox (returning from injury), Micah Parsons alone makes the Cowboys linebacker corps superior to that of the Commanders.
The Commanders’ best answer at this time is Cole Holcomb. The three-year veteran has only 4.5 sacks to his name and has yet to have a year where he starts every game of the season. His 2021 was his best campaign yet in terms of tackle numbers, but it’s tough to have him as the leader of a very young linebacker group.
Next up is Jamin Davis who is probably one of the biggest question marks for Washington. After getting drafted in the first round by Washington last year, Davis had an incredibly underwhelming season where he struggled to find a consistent role. He called his rookie season “a humbling experience.” Yikes.
Davis started in only eight games and amassed just one sack and 76 combined tackles.
David Mayo is the third starting linebacker listed on Washington’s depth chart. In his seventh year in the league, the 28-year-old had zero sacks and 28 tackles in four starts.
Even with concerns about the Cowboys’ linebacker depth, what they have right now is already better than what Washington offers.
1. Secondary Depth
The Cowboys used to be a team that never focused on safeties or cornerbacks. Now, the team is led by Trevon Diggs, Jayron Kearse, Anthony Brown, and Malik Hooker. All of these players had breakout years in 2021 and will greatly help the Cowboys keep wide receivers at bay in 2022.
Washington can’t necessarily say the same. The depth isn’t there. Kendall Fuller is a good weapon. He’s given the Commanders five interceptions and 127 tackles over the last two years. He will be a veteran leader. Kam Curl is also decent. He’s a young player with the potential to break out and earn more playing time.
But the buck stops there.
Heading into his eighth season, Bobby McCain could be good. He has the most experience. But he’s far from a top safety in this league. The other listed starting cornerback is William Jackson who Washington fans were very excited about when he joined the team as a free agent before last season. He was touted as one of the best “man” corners in the league, which didn’t gel well with a team that mainly uses zone coverage.
Jackson struggled to adjust to the new style of play and it was clear in several coverage breakdowns last year.
Communication was poor for the secondary overall. There were times when players missed assignments and let wide receivers get open for big plays.
Since the Cowboys’ first game against Washington isn’t until Week 4, the hope is that Michael Gallup will be back. But, even if he’s not, CeeDee Lamb, James Washington, and Jalen Tolbert should give Washington’s mediocre secondary enough issues.