DALLAS — The Super Bowl is set and it’s a fairly familiar one. The Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers will meet in the NFL’s crown jewel finale for the second time in five years. Also familiar, the Dallas Cowboys will be watching the game from home.
Time continues to drag on since Dallas’ last appearance on January 28, 1996, when the franchise took home their fifth Super Bowl by defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-17. If it feels like forever ago, that’s because it has been. In the football world, the Cowboys not playing for the title for nearly 30 years is something that is inexcusable.
Yet with every failure, there are lessons to be learned. The Cowboys won’t be going to The Big Game, but if they’re paying attention, they can find things to take away from the Super Bowl combatants.
Quarterback play needs to be elevated
If you asked any avid NFL observer, they’d tell you that Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes didn’t have his best season. Yet the perennial MVP-candidate has saved his best football for the playoffs and he had a sensational outing in the AFC championship game after earlier wins against Miami and Buffalo, two teams that each won 11 games.
Mahomes got out to a sizzling start in Baltimore and helped give the Chiefs a lead that they would never relinquish.
It took until his 12th throw, which came in the second quarter, before a pass fell incomplete from Mahomes. On the offense’s first two possessions, Mahomes led two touchdown drives and he finished the game completing almost 77% of his passes for 241 yards and a score against arguably the NFL’s best defense.
Mahomes might have saved his best for last. With the Chiefs facing a third-and-long and looking at giving the ball back to potential MVP Lamar Jackson and the Ravens with a chance to tie the game, Mahomes threw a perfect pass that was completed for a 32-yard gain to seal the win.
In the NFC, 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy rose to the occasion as well. His team was down 24-7 at half, but Purdy made big plays in key moments to help San Francisco turn the tide. Purdy had two huge third down scrambles and threw a key touchdown pass on third-and-goal to help complete the comeback win.
In big games, you need your QB to make the plays to put the team over the top. It’s the game's most important position and the quarterback must play well with so much on the line. Cowboys QB Dak Prescott needs to elevate his game in the playoffs when needed. Too often, Prescott has underperformed expectations when the season was on the line.
Mental toughness is vital
Things rarely go to plan in these matchups against the league’s best, but the teams that can handle the key moments with the game on the line are the ones that come out on top. Both the Chiefs and 49ers faced adversity and found a way to win their conference championship.
Baltimore was down 10 points late in the game, but they continued to put drives together to threaten the Chiefs. However, two big defensive plays from the Kansas City defense helped stop the comeback.
A heads up play to punch the ball out when wide receiver Zay Flowers was reaching for the goal line resulted in a touchback on the first play of the fourth quarter, and on the next drive, the Ravens were in scoring position again when the Chiefs got an interception in the end zone to thwart off more points.
The KC defense stayed calm when the Ravens were building momentum, and they helped preserve the win by not panicking.
San Francisco, meanwhile, had to fight their way back to earn a trip to the Super Bowl. The NFC West champs were down 17 points at halftime to the Detroit Lions. They were not playing well, but they didn’t give in. Instead, the 49ers turned things around in the second half, outscoring the Lions 27-7. After getting torched in the first half, the 49ers defense dug in and shut a potent offense down until a late score.
That toughness helped them overcome a disastrous start and finish off a feisty Lions team.
The Cowboys were down big at home in the playoffs too, but they didn’t have the fortitude to fight back. Mike McCarthy’s team played like the weight of the world was on their shoulders instead of having the ability to block out the past and focus on the game at hand.
There wasn’t enough mental toughness in the Cowboys this season, let alone in the playoff loss.
Coaching matters
The Chiefs had to play on the road and in rainy conditions, but it didn’t stop them from earning their win. Andy Reid made the right calls and pulled the right strings to ensure that his team left with the AFC trophy for the fourth time in five years.
It was a game plan that called for putting the ball in his best players’ hands. Tight end Travis Kelce is the best offensive option for the Chiefs, and he caught all 11 of his targets for 116 yards and a touchdown.
Reid also made the gutsy call to throw it deep when the Ravens were expecting a run play on third-and-nine with 2:19 left in the game.
The 49ers were outclassed in the first 30 minutes, but Kyle Shanahan made sure his team put their best foot forward in the second half. Shanahan inspired his team to commit to fighting for their season.
The result was an offense that scored 27 points in the second half, while holding the Lions to just seven points.
The Cowboys were put in a similar position in their wild card loss, down big at the half with adjustments needed to be made. When the offense for Dallas made a push to make it a game, the defense was still getting shredded. On three straight possessions after the offense scored to build a little momentum for the Cowboys, Dan Quinn’s defense allowed three straight touchdowns to make the comeback impossible.
Dallas was a flat, out-coached team that couldn’t overcome, while the 49ers fought back after making the necessary changes.
Coaching matters in big games and the Cowboys need their coaching staff to be better when the opportunities arise.
Do you think the Cowboys are close to ending their streak of years without a Super Bowl appearance? Share your thoughts with Ben on Twitter @BenGrimaldi.
