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Fielding a dominant defense doesn’t necessarily guarantee yourself a Super Bowl — nor does an overwhelming offense. In recent years, however, having an above-average defense certainly helps. The New England Patriots had a strong secondary last year, as did the Seattle Seahawks when they won the Super Bowl two seasons ago.
Of course, the New York Giants did it without a strong defense in 2011, as did the Green Bay Packers in 2012. But more often than not, having a great defense helps immensely. That will be the case for the 2015 Dallas Cowboys.
This season, it’ll be the defense that determines how far the Cowboys go — not the offense. Tony Romo, Dez Bryant, Jason Witten and company will put up enough offense week in and week out that it’s the defense that will win this team football games.
In 2014, Dallas ranked in the middle of the pack in most defensive categories. It was good enough to help them win 12 games, but in order to make a deep playoff run, the defense needs to be better.
Without DeMarco Murray in the backfield, the Cowboys’ offense won’t be able to milk the clock and keep opposing quarterbacks on the sidelines the way it did last season. That alone took a lot of pressure off of the defense, playing the fifth-fewest defensive plays in the NFL. The Cowboys will still have a strong commitment to the run game, but it’ll be a bigger challenge without an All-Pro in the backfield.
With all that said, Dallas’ improved defense will be up to the challenge. Not only did the Cowboys add key players on defense such as Greg Hardy, Randy Gregory and Byron Jones, but Sean Lee is a new addition, as well. Having Lee as a leader on defense is a huge boost from a year ago. Imagine the Cowboys adding a top 10 linebacker at no cost, because that’s what Lee’s return means.
J.J. Wilcox has another year of safety under his belt, meaning he should improve upon a strong 2014 campaign. Adding a super-athletic defensive back in Jones will help the secondary as well, as will a better pass rush. Demarcus Lawrence will see time on the left side of the line, Tyrone Crawford is a disruptor in the middle and Gregory can rush the quarterback as a stand-up linebacker in nickel and dime formations.
As long as the Cowboys can hold on until Hardy returns from his suspension, the second half of the season should be strong for Dallas — especially against subpar offenses. Should Hardy serve his full 10-game suspension, he’d return to face these teams in the final six weeks: Carolina Panthers, Washington Redskins (twice), Packers, New York Jets and the Buffalo Bills. Only one of those teams, the Packers, has a truly dangerous offense.
My guess is that the Cowboys defense ranks in the top 10 this season. That doesn’t guarantee Dallas a Super Bowl berth or anything close to it, but any improvement from 2014 will be welcomed with open arms. It’s the defense that will determine how far this team goes, not the always-consistent offense.
