The Dallas Cowboys' offseason was a very productive one in terms of re-signing their own players along with trading and drafting players in order to field a better all-around roster. While the offense is still in more of a wait-and-see pattern, the defense is seen by many as the strength of this team, and by all accounts they are right.
Under the direction of defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, this defense has become one of the best in the NFL. Last season, it was the fifth-best defense in the league giving up an average of 20.1 points per game.
If there is one weakness on the Cowboys' defense, it's they haven't figured out how to stup the running game. Last season, they gave up an average of 124.4 yards per game and 4.4 yards per carry, which ranked in the bottom half of the league. This wasn't lost on Dallas this offseason as they used a first-round pick on defensive tackle Mazi Smith out of Michigan to come in and help fix this issue.
The Cowboys will face several elite rushing attacks this season. Stopping them will be the ultimate test to see if this is truly an elite defense. With that, here are the top five teams that pose the biggest danger to Dallas based on their rushing attack.
5. Seattle Seahawks
You may not believe the Seahawks should be on this list but if there's one thing you need to remember about that under head coach Pete Carroll, his teams are built to run the football. They've had to deal with a bad offensive line the last few years but after investing in their offensive line this team that last year backed into the playoffs is poised to be a thorn in a lot of teams' side this season.
That investment along with the production of then-rookie Kenneth Walker III who rushed for over 1,000 yards and an average of 4.6 yards per carry will see this team get better. They also added another top rookie running back in Zach Charbonnet, who now gives Seattle a nice one-two punch out of the backfield.
You also have to factor in the fact that this team has not one, but two 1,000-yard receivers that will open things up for Walker III. Something teams have had quite a bit of success doing against the Cowboys is get them to focus on the threat on the outside, spread them out and then attack up the middle. That's the post Dallas is most vulnerable at this point.
4. Miami Dolphins
Didn't the Dolphins rank 25th in rushing yards last season? Yes they did, but this one isn't so much about what they did last year as much as it is what they have the ability to do this season.
We know that head coach Mike McDaniel likes to have fun on the field and heading into the 2023 season he has to be licking his chops thanks to the running back room he now has at his disposal. McDaniel's will be able to field four different running backs who sport different rushing styles, we know about Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson Jr., and Myles Gaskin but the addition of the speedy Devon Achane adds another dimension to this offense.
They had speed on the outside with Tyreek Hill and now they have it in the backfield with Achane who comes in as the ultimate change of pace back. So not only will the Cowboys have to deal with the physical run styles from Mostert and Wilson Jr. they then have to deal with the blazing speed from Achane who isn't afraid to run between the tackles, and for a running back that only needs a little daylight to make a big play, the Cowboys defensive line, and linebackers are going to need to play sound defense in order to stop this four-headed monster of a backfield.
3. Buffalo Bills
The Bills are another team that has a fairly deep roster at running back at the moment, and much like the Dolphins they have running backs with different running styles, they were also able to add former Patriots running back Damien Harris. But the biggest thing that separates the two teams just happens to be the best player on their team, quarterback Josh Allen who rushed for 762 yards last season and 6.1 yards per attempt. He also added seven rushing touchdowns making him the Bills ultimate weapon on the field.
The Cowboys did a good job of hindering most of the mobile quarterbacks they faced but they didn't face Allen who at 6'5 and 237lbs is a load to bring down for any defensive lineman or linebacker. The Cowboys are going to have a tough time trying to decide how to attack Allen because if they aren't about to get home with their pass rush he can definitely hurt them with his legs.
2. Philadelphia Eagles
There's no way the Eagles weren't going to be on this list for the Cowboys since they face them twice every season and they have arguably the best offensive line in the league and while they lost Miles Sanders this offseason, they were able to add Rashaad Penny and then traded for D'Andre Swift to bolster their running back rotation.
Behind this offensive line, Penny should be able to show off the potential he has and the same goes for Swift, but another reason they are so high on this list is thanks to quarterback Jalen Hurts. Unlike Allen, Hurts who is smaller in stature has a very strong lower body, so much so that the Cowboys Micah Parsons made note of it after the team drafted Mazi Smith saying "No more QB sneaks AJ!"
A quarterback sneak that was quite possibly the most effective play last season for the Eagles who used it in both short yardage situations and along the goal line. The team was able to convert 36 of 39 QB sneaks with Hurts last year, that's a 92.3% conversion rate. So, when you put it all together the offensive line, the potential in the backfield, and the short yardage and scrambling ability of Hurts you have a very dangerous rushing attack poised to continue their dominance.
1. San Fransisco 49ers
I did have a hard time not flipping the Eagles and 49ers here, but I ultimately landed on the 49ers taking the top spot as the most dangerous rushing attack the Cowboys will face this season. Both teams are good but the Eagles are dealing with play-caller changes while the 49ers are not. With Kyle Shanahan calling the plays and having seen how well the Cowboys and Eagles can match up against this offense, you know the creative head coach is going to come up with new wrinkles in order to stop that from happening again.
He has the personnel to do as well with a big and mean offensive line blocking for Christian McCaffrey, Elijah Mitchell, Kyle Juszczyk, and the Swiss army knife receiver Deebo Samuel who can do it all. Shanahan has always been able to continue tweaking his offense to give teams formations and plays they haven't seen before and seeing just how close they got to the Super Bowl last season, you know he's going to come up with new ways to deploy his already effective rushing attack.