3 things the Cowboys must do to prepare for the 2022 NFL playoffs

With a successful regular season thus far, the Dallas Cowboys must look ahead to the playoffs.

The value of the regular season is an endless debate. Some view it as a pathway into the playoffs, while others value the higher volume of games as a more accurate test to evaluate a team’s performance. Regardless of your side, you want your team to win the Super Bowl.

The Dallas Cowboys have an impressive record of 9-3 despite injury issues throughout the season. For the first time in a while, having a winning record does not ensure a playoff appearance. The NFC East is the most competitive division in the NFL.

With the regular season approaching its end, America’s Team must begin looking to reach heights they haven’t in a long time. How can they prepare to succeed in the playoffs in pursuit of a Super Bowl win?

3 things Cowboys must do to get ready for 2022 NFL Playoffs matchups

3. Don’t Play Down to Your Opponent

The NFL is not the most predictable league. After all, only twice in the past 20 years has a team not gone from last in their division to division champs the following season. Those type of upsets and role reversals are what the Cowboys must prevent to ensure they play beyond Week 18.

After a massive win over the Indianapolis Colts, Dallas awaits the in-state rival Houston Texans, followed by a trip to play the Jacksonville Jaguars. Both are among the worst teams in the league, combining for a record of 5-18-1.

While that does not sound intimidating, don’t be fooled. The Jaguars beat two teams currently in a playoff spot, the Baltimore Ravens and Los Angeles Chargers. Houston boasts one of the league’s best running backs in Dameon Pierce, who always manages to play well even if his team doesn’t.

The Cowboys opened the game vs. Green Bay as 3.5-point favorites but lost 31-28 in overtime.

These are games that could very quickly slip under the radar. Failure to close out these games would put more pressure on Dallas to win against tougher competition. That comes in the form of the Philadelphia Eagles, Tennessee Titans, and, finally, the Washington Commanders.

The Titans and Eagles are in a playoff spot, with the Commanders only one win out from a Wild Card spot. With the Philly game set to be neck-and-neck, the goal is to win at least one of the other two games. Finishing by winning three of the following five games means a comfortable 12-5 record.

Adam Weinrib was thinking the same thing way back six months ago. Win three of the last five games — the difference being I marked the Eagles game as a loss, with a win coming against either Washington or Tennessee.

The Cowboys opened the game vs. Indianapolis as 10.5 -point favorites and won 54-19.

The need for America’s Team to play to their full potential is not limited to the playoffs, though. The most likely outcome is a Wild Card matchup against whichever underwhelming team wins the NFC South. That’s if the Eagles win the NFC East, leaving the Cowboys earning the number five seed.

Bad decisions and penalties can turn a dominant team into an average one. The Cowboys have the second-most penalties with 86, joining the Seattle Seahawks as the only two teams within the top six most penalized clubs to have a winning record.

Winning games “you’re supposed to win” is more complex than it may seem. The NFL is a competitive league, with one or two mistakes possibly costing a win each week. I’ve been disappointed by Dallas before. All the team needs to do is play as they have for most of the season.

2. Start Off Hot

The Cowboys boast a lethal offense, which includes a rejuvenated run game. It is the first time since the 2018 season that the run game ranks higher than the passing game. That’s partly due to Dak Prescott missing five games, but it feels different this season.

Dallas might own the best one-two punch in the NFL with Tony Pollard and Ezekiel Elliott. The combo of Pollard’s big-play potential with Zeke’s pass protection and ability to wear down defenses means the opposition must constantly worry about a rested back looking to run the ball down their throat.

Utilizing both backs is a valuable formula for success. The offense’s floor is visibly high, but both backs getting their touches will raise its ceiling.

Big D needs to be in the lead early to maximize the usage of their running backs. Starting on the right foot enables the offense to run the clock out … literally. It opens up the playbook, allowing them to finish off their opponent with a thousand papercuts.

Of the three losses, only one came when entering the second half with the lead. That was their overtime loss to the Green Bay Packers. In seven of their nine wins, the Cowboys were winning at halftime.

In those seven wins leading at the half, the pass rush sacked opposing quarterbacks 17 times in the final two quarters for an average of 2.4 each game. Being ahead opens up the defensive playbook too.

Dallas has a deadly pass rush headlined by Micah Parsons, but under-the-radar contributors deserve their credit as critical reasons for the overall dominance of the defense. Those are Dorance Armstrong, who has 8.0 sacks, and Dante Fowler, who has 5.0 sacks.

When you’re down, passing the ball is the quickest way to try and crawl back. America’s pass rush is more than able to put a stop to that by either forcing bad decisions or sacking the quarterback. That’s why the only team that could overcome it was Aaron Rodgers, who made his career doing just that.

It’s one thing to gain a lead, but another to hold it. Both are complex tasks, but the Cowboys need to hop on it early if they’re going to get past the divisional round.

1. Tighten Up the Trenches

One of the most critical battles in football comes in the trenches. The defensive and offensive line’s performance directly impacts every other position on the team. Both lines need to play at the top of their game for the Cowboys to succeed in the playoffs.

So far this season, they have both played well, though I’m sure you’ve heard a lot more praise for the defense. Both have their struggles and should look to limit them as much as possible.

On the offensive side, they’re doing the basics great. Dallas quarterbacks have been sacked only 15 times, which is the least in the NFL. That’s despite having a “raw prospect” start at left tackle in place of the injured Tyron Smith and questions at left guard.

That’s not to say the quarterbacks have not been pressured. They have an average time of 2.3 seconds in the pocket and get pressured on 21.1 percent of dropbacks. Both rank in the middle of the league.

The Cowboys have a Run Block Win Rate of 74% and a league-low Pass Block Win Rate of 46%

When looking at the run game, you’ll see the pattern continue. While Pollard and Zeke have been playing great, the offensive line has been below-average in making room for them. Rushers only average 2.6 yards before contact for Dallas.

With teams like the San Francisco 49ers and Minnesota Vikings being possible opponents on the path to the Super Bowl, getting an extra push up front would help a ton. The return of Tyron Smith at left tackle would be instrumental in improving the offensive line.

Shifting to the defensive line, they could shore up their run defense. They already dominate when pass-rushing. Now let’s close up the running lanes.

Dallas is giving up 4.6 yards per run, the ninth-most in the NFL. That is partly due to the line doing a lot of stunts. They give up some stability defending the run to get to the quarterback. That, in addition to leaning on only four rushers.

Considering how impressive the defense has played, I want the scheme to stay the same and cover the pass. The one thing I would change is to have the linebackers attack as a line. I’ve seen either only one linebacker attack or both sit back, which means momentum is against them.

Sitting back means momentum is moving against you, and the runner controls the space. If only one linebacker attacks, that makes a gap for the runner. If both attack together as a line, they will meet the runner’s momentum, close the space for them to run, and prevent gaps for the runner to break free.

There has been an improvement lately, as they held Jonathan Taylor and Saquon Barkley to under four yards per run in back-to-back weeks. They shouldn’t get too comfortable, though, as Dalvin Cook averaged 6.55 yards per run only three weeks ago (though much of it came during extended garbage time).

There are only five games left in the regular season. It may not be a large number of games, but just over a month should be enough time to ensure they head into the Wild Card round in their best form.

I’ve seen teams worse than the Dallas Cowboys make deep runs in the playoffs. This season, they have the coaching staff and personnel to at least make it to the NFC Conference Title Game. If not, it will be yet another disappointing ending for what appears to be a cursed team.

Micah Parsons rubs Cowboys’ ridiculous fourth quarter in Colts’ faces

The Cowboys outscored the Colts 33-0 in the fourth quarter en route to a 54-19 victory, and Micah Parsons made sure to let Indy know about it on Twitter.