The Conference Championship Game drought is well known for the Dallas Cowboys.
The North Texas franchise hasn’t made the play-in for the Super Bowl since Joe Burrow was a month old back in January 1996. In the meantime, after a stunning couple of weeks of playoff football sans the Cowboys, Dallas watched Burrow and the downtrodden Cincinnati Bengals make the Big Game for the first time in 33 years.
Perhaps that gives Cowboys fans hope. While it’s been a long time coming for the Bengals, the Los Angeles Rams have been in contention for the last handful of years. Super Bowl LVI will be their second title game appearance in the last four years, and they’re hoping for a better outcome this time around.
Both teams that will play in the Super Bowl arrived by using different strategies and if the Cowboys want to finally make it back to the pinnacle of the sport, they could learn from each participant.
Here are some of the lessons that Jerry Jones and the Cowboys can take from the Bengals and the Rams:
Give your best players a chance to make plays
The Cowboys had the top offense in the league, but they didn’t look the part in the second half of the season. Offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and the rest of the team on the offensive side of the ball had trouble getting the ball to their playmakers.
Running backs Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard both saw their numbers decline, and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb also saw a significant dip in production after Dallas’ bye week.
There were no such issues with the Bengals and Rams. In the AFC championship game, star Bengals receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins were targeted nine and ten times respectively. Those opportunities turned into 157 yards and score, much of which came in the second half alone. Cincinnati’s Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon accounted for another 115 yards on 24 touches.
The Rams fed superstar wide receiver Cooper Kupp with 14 targets against the San Francisco 49ers, which he cashed in for 11 catches, 142 yards and two touchdowns. Lamb and fellow wideout Amari Cooper had just 15 targets combined in the wild card loss to those same 49ers.
Good things happen when you give your playmakers a chance. The Cowboys didn’t do that enough late in the season and that’s an issue Moore and company will need to fix.
Protect the quarterback
The Bengals and Rams don’t have elite offensive lines, but they managed to limit the pressure allowed on both quarterbacks on championship Sunday against some stout competition.
Rams QB Matthew Stafford was sacked just twice against one of the best defensive fronts in the league. Meanwhile, the Cowboys had trouble protecting quarterback Dak Prescott in the loss to the 49ers as he was sacked five times and was under siege all game.
Likewise, Bengals signal caller Joe Burrow was sacked just one time in the AFC title game after he survived a nine-sack day in the divisional round at Tennessee.
The Bengals made protecting Burrow a priority as they progressed in the playoffs and he got the time he needed to make plays with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line. The Cowboys need to make sure that they can get Prescott the same kind of comfort.
Kickers are important
No one likes to rely on field goal kickers, but they are an integral part of a team. The Bengals were mocked by many for selecting rookie kicker Evan McPherson in the fifth round of the 2021 draft but the decision has already paid huge dividends.
In the postseason, McPherson has made every kick he’s attempted, going 12-12 on field goals and 4-4 on extra points. McPherson also connected on two game-winning kicks in the last two playoff wins for the Bengals, one of which was a 52-yard boot.
The Cowboys had issues with their kicker this season. Greg Zuerlein missed a league-high six extra points and the missed kicks played a role in three of Dallas’ close losses in 2021.
Zuerlein has one year remaining on his contract, but it’s difficult to place too much trust in the veteran’s ability to be consistent heading into next season.
Be aggressive in talent acquisition
Since Stephen Jones has taken over most of the money decisions in free agency, the Cowboys have become bargain basement shoppers. The team prefers to pay their own rather than bring in high-priced veterans or make trades for big-name talent that comes available.
The Cowboys want to build through the draft and pile up picks to replenish any holes that open when good players move on. It’s a solid, sustainable plan if it pays off but the Cowboys always seem to be lacking in one area or another that they refuse to augment with available talent.
Ultimately these flaws prove glaring at critical moments.
The Bengals bolstered their young, up-and-coming roster with free agent signings such as RT Riley Reiff, CB Chidobe Awuzie, and DE Trey Hendrickson. They, along with others, made a huge impact as Burrow and an elite stable of position players began to ascend.
Meanwhile, the Rams made their second Super Bowl in four years by using their resources to stack their roster via trades.
This year alone, the Rams traded for Stafford, wide receiver Odell Bechkam Jr., and pass rusher Von Miller in separate moves. The team also made a splash in 2019 by trading for elite cornerback Jalen Ramsey. All of these players played a big role in helping the Rams get back to the Super Bowl.
Stafford had one of his best seasons, tying his career high in touchdown passes with 41 while throwing for 327 yards and two scores in the NFC championship win. Miller has produced seven sacks since Week 14 for Los Angeles. Ramsey has been an All-Pro in both of his seasons with the Rams, while Beckham had nine catches for 113 yards against the 49ers.
The cupboard might be barren of draft picks for the Rams, and they will lack salary cap space over the next few years, but they’ve been successful at building a roster that can win and are heading to the Super Bowl. The Cowboys have protected their draft picks and been reluctant to add high-end talent from all avenues that could jeopardize their future.
The corresponding results have shown that Dallas hasn’t been aggressive enough in talent acquisition.
What do you think the Cowboys should take away from the Rams and Bengals? Share your thoughts with Ben on Twitter @BenGrimaldi.