Overall Grade: A

I know this seems high to some people, but you have to account that their first round pick went out for Amari Cooper last season. That man (just 25 at the start of this coming season) change the whole dynamic of the Cowboys season. He brought them to the playoffs and a playoff win. They don’t get there without him. That being said, the rest of the offseason has been the Cowboys getting quality out of their picks and signings.

The draft went through the 1st round without any WR that was equal to Amari Cooper. The 2nd and 3rd round had solid picks, as well. People might hate on the Trysten Hill pick, but he is the prototype under-tackle in Rod Marinelli’s defense. If he can come in and perform, he can optimize that D. Connor McGovern is a guy who may be starting this year. There have been rumors that Connor Williams could swing out to RT, which would make La’el Collins expendable. There is a lot of draft capital available for quality offensive lineman. Even without that, McGovern is a true road grader and a perfect fit for this offense. He will start soon for this team and not give that spot up for a while. Tony Pollard might seem like a gadget pick, but he is more than that. He will take snaps from Zeke Elliot to keep him fresh. He can run, catch, and make plays on the kick/punt return. From there, Dallas selected guys for their coaching staff to develop. Michael Jackson is a prototype Kris Richard CB. Joe Jackson has an NFL ready body with a resume of success in college. The rest of the guys might be practice squad guys, but that is a good haul to start.

Free agency started slow, and that probably skewed how a lot of people viewed the Cowboys offseason. They missed on Earl Thomas, but they just don’t invest big money in those spots. The players they got, though, will make a difference for this team. First of all, the biggest thing they did right was resign DeMarcus Lawrence. He is the leader of the defense on the field. He makes life difficult for opposing QB’s when they step back to pass. George Iloka is a definite upgrade at SS over Jeff Heath, a good special teams player more than an every down SS. The D-line also needed quality depth after getting bulldozed by the Rams in the Divisional round of the playoffs. Chris Covington and Kerry Hyder provide a tough interior presence with playoff experience (which they are going to need). Their marquee steal of the offseason is Robert Quinn. He can be an effective pass rusher, especially since he won’t be seeing double teams thanks to DLaw on the other end. Randall Cobb was another shrewd move to strengthen the slot position.

Here’s a huge thing that will help Dallas this year: Scott Linehan is gone. The committee (of one) could not be more optimistic because of this. Kellen Moore is focused getting back to his Boise basics. From his collegiate career, his focus is more on having plays rather than sticking with a particular offense. KM will do what Linehan has been preaching, but not living, for years. The ball will be moved all over the field, they will be unpredictable, and defenses will be challenged vertically.

These moves shored up all their needs this offseason. Even having Jason Witten back is a huge help giving a safety blanket to Dak. Whatever happens this season, it won’t be because the front office didn’t do their job since last season ended.

Alright folks,

I did it. I graduated college. I know I have been away for a while (since the Super Bowl), and a lot has happened in the meantime. I had to finish up this last semester strong, and now I have my degree, 13 years in the making. That being said, the committee (of one) will be back to looking at the Cowboys and the rest of the league from here.

With that in mind, go Cowboys!

Well, the committee (of one) predicted a 33-30 win by the Patriots. It wasn’t exactly a shootout, but the Patriots did win. Also, a Sony Michel MVP prediction wasn’t too far off (94 rushing yards and the only TD).

The game may be over, but there are so many questions about what went right and what went wrong.

1. WHAT HAPPENED WITH TODD GURLEY THE PAST TWO GAMES? Seriously, in what world does a game plan look like a “healthy” RB who had 21 TD’s all season only get 10 rushed for 35 yards in the most important game of the year? The man is either not healthy, ran on dead legs, or Sean McVay seriously underutilized him. The thing is, on his 16 yard run, he looked fine. But that was it. The rest of the game he had 10 touches for 18 yards. Sad ending to an otherwise great year for Gurley.
2. Did you really think Bill Belichick would be out-coached in the Super Bowl 2 years in a row? Last year, Doug Peterson made all the right calls to beat Matt Patricia’s defense big play after big play. This year, BB was not going to let that happen. They muzzled the explosive Rams offense, and kept them from getting any truly explosive plays. (In all fairness, Brandin Cooks dropped a TD pass because he heard footsteps. He didn’t even get hit and the ball went through his hands on one play, but that’s part of the game.) Belichick put together a blue print to stop the Rams: don’t bite on the play action and keep everything in front of you. It was a sight to see last night.
3. Is Brandin Cooks immune to making good plays in the Super Bowl? Last year (with the Patriots) he caught a pass, ran up field, then (for some reason unknown to man) started to run with absolutely no field awareness. He was BLASTED by Malcolm Jenkins and knocked out of the game. Not his fault, you say? Maybe. But this year he had 2 big drops that would have turned the game. The first one was a night play by Devin McCourty to break the play up. It counts as a drop for Cooks, but it could have changed the game big time. The next one, though? Cooks beat Gilmore and the ball went straight through his hands. Some people call it pass interference, but receivers have made more difficult catches that that in the playoffs. Cooks just isn’t one of them.
4. Does Tom Brady take a hit for winning another close Super Bowl? The answer to this has to be no. Now, in the history of the Super Bowl, only 3 games have been decided by 3 points or less that Tom Brady didn’t play in. 1) The Ravens beat the 49ers after the power went out and changed the moment of the game (and Ravens fans blame Goodell for that). 2) The Bills lose to the Giants with the “wide-right” miss by Scott Norwood. 3) The Colts beat Dallas in Super Bowl V. That’s the history of the game. It’s not exactly kicking contest until Tom Brady laces them up. All that being said, you don’t win the game any more or less for winning by 1 point or 100 points. You can’t rip Brady for playing for Belichick or having a solid defense all these years. You can only work with what you’ve got. God bless him. Brady is no worse than the #2 player of all time (with Jerry Rice).

Now, there’s the parade in Boston, then we start the offseason. If you thought we were getting a rest from football, baby, we’re just getting started. On to the combine, free agency, and the draft!

Patriots 33

Rams 30

MVP – Sony Michel

Game Changing Play – Dont’a Hightower drops in zone coverage and picks off Goff on the last drive to keep the Rams from the comeback.

There you have it. A full break down of the players and schemes for tonight. Now let’s have some fun!

Let’s set aside the debate from the Rams last game. They have a talented secondary, even when they don’t commit pass interference. The Patriots have talent too, and they’ll be put to the test

The McCourty Brothers are very talented on the back end, and it’s their continuity that helps keep everyone in place. Patrick Chung is very much an “in-the-box” style safety who can make a sure tackle. Stephon Gilmore is a top flight CB who should be assigned to Brandin Cooks all night. When he was on Alshon Jeffrey in last years Super Bowl, it was a whole different game. If the Patriots can shut down Cooks 1-on-1 and roll their coverage at Woods, they’ll make things tough for Jared Goff.

The Rams secondary is nothing to laugh at (because they’ll hit you like a defenseless receiver helmet-to-helmet and not get a penalty?). Aqib Talib is a stud CB who can shut down one side of the field. Marcus Peters might be the weaker link, but he’s still tough. Nickell Robey-Coleman is tough guarding slots and 3rd receivers when he isn’t blasting them into next week (okay, okay, I’ll stop the jokes). Lamarcus Joyner is in line for a big payday this offseason because of his play in Wade Phillips defense. The Rams might not be able to afford him, but he’ll be making plays tonight. If the refs let them stay physical with the Patriots receivers, they can stand a chance. If not, they will be seeing a lot more yellow than just their (amazing) jerseys.

Advantage – Patriots

These guys have played in Super Bowls before, and they have a chip on their shoulder from last year. They do a great job keeping everything in front of them, which is the Rams kryptonite. The Rams have talent, but it is predicated on physical defense. If the refs get flag-happy, it could spell doom against an advantageous Patriots team.

These are the two least appreciated units on each team. If they can step up and make a big play in the Super Bowl, they could change the game.

Dante Fowler Jr. was a nice addition this year to a Rams team that needed help getting pressure off the edge. As he’s become more accustomed to the Rams defensive scheme, he’s become more explosive as seen by his 1.5 (BIG) sacks in the playoffs. Mark Barron is a collegiate safety (from Alabama) who transitioned to linebacker who still floats like a linebackers. Cory Littleton and Mark Ebukam are underrated. How underrated is Cory Littleton? Pro Football Focus had him as a 2nd team All-Pro this year. That’s high praise considering he doesn’t get the credit get anywhere near the credit of other interior linebackers. This unit can make plays, make no mistake.

If you want to see a prototype Patriots linebacking unit, you’ve got it right here. Donte Hightower has been with the team for years, so he knows the ins and outs of BB’s system. Kyle Van Now always seems to make big plays when needed in the pass or run. There’s a reason teams can get yards but don’t score on this team. This is the heart of the “bend don’t break” mentality the Pats employ. When teams only score 7 rushing TD’s all year, it’s these guys who deserve credit. BB’s defense is a zone blitzing scheme, so you need smart linebackers. These guys are smart and will need to make Jared Goff not believe his eyes to make a difference.

Advantage – Rams

The Patriots may have experience, but the Rams linebackers are explosive and can rush the quarterback. Wade Phillips can call a great game, but these players will be the ones tasked to keep Patriots receivers out of the end zone. New England defenders are no slouches, but the Rams players (like Littleton) have been chronically under appreciated all year.

PS – The committee (of one) predicts that the game will turn on a major defensive play by a linebacker from one of these teams. Don’t be surprised if Kyle Van Not gets an INT or Dante Fowler Jr. gets a strip sack to seal the game.

When it comes to the D-line, it’s almost not fair between the two. Let’s discuss the obvious…

Trey Flowers has developed into a nice DE. He had 7.5 sacks this season, and he fits the Patriots scheme well. Besides him, though, the Patriots didn’t have another player with over 5 sacks all season. They won’t get to the quarterback, as they only registered 30 sacks as a team all year, good enough for 30th in the league. What they do well, though, is stop the run. Bill Belichick is great at taking away the best option on the other team, and today, that is going to have to be the running attack of Todd Gurley and CJ Anderson. The Patriots were 11th in run defense this season, and only let up 7 rushing touchdowns all year. That was good enough for 2nd in the league behind only the Chicago Bears, maybe you’ve heard of them? To win today, they’ll have to keep that running offense in check while forcing Goff into errors.

What more could be said about Aaron Donald that hasn’t already been said? He’s a future HOF’er in his prime right now. He’s the best d-lineman in the game, on par with JJ Watt from a few years ago. He can singlehandedly dominate a game from the middle, and he deserves all the accolades and praise he gets. Ndamukong Suh has made himself quite a bit of money this postseason, too. He has been a force up front after a so-so regular season. Michael Brockers is no slouch on the other end, giving the Rams talent all over their defensive front. Even though they may not have been totally dominant in the regular season, Wade Phillips has unleashed them in the playoffs to create pressure on Drew Brees and Dak Prescott. They’ll be the determining factor in the game Sunday night.

Advantage – Rams

It’s really not even close. The front of the Rams is littered with top picks and difference makers. The Patriots have talented players, but they’re not elite, and their numbers show that. A lot of those guys are systems guys. While it’s possible Bill Belichick puts them in a position to make plays tonight, they’re no Aaron Donald or Suh.

All the talent in the world needs an offensive line to move the ball (ask Eli Manning). These two teams seem to have quite a bit of talent.

The committee (of one) has already mentioned their previous time playing against John Sullivan in high school, so it’s no surprise that he’s playing at an elite level. When the Rams brought Andrew Whitworth into the last season, they ended up with a bargain. He’s still playing at a high level, and he’s the leader of this unit. They helped get Todd Gurley get 21 TD’s this year, as Rodger Saffold and Austin Blythe hold up in the middle and Rob Havenstein is a stud on the right side. This is one of the best o-lines in football.

This is a tremendously underrated group. After rookie Isaiah Wynn went down before the season began, it looked like the Patriots might have a weak spot on their line. The Patriots traded for Trent Brown, who has made New Englanders all but forget about Nate Solder. Shaq Mason is a top flight guard protecting Brady who is susceptible to interior pass rushers. Dante Scarnecchia gets the most out of this unit. All 5 starters graded out in the top 75 offensive lineman in football, according to PFF rankings.

Advantage – Patriots

The Patriots offensive line is tailor made for Brady’s offense. Dante Scarnecchia has turned this group into a top 5 cohesive unit. If they can keep Aaron Donald and Ndamukong Suh away from Brady up front, the Rams won’t be able to stop them. The Rams o-line is a little older, and struggled a bit down the stretch of the season. New England may not be as flashy as their Los Angeles counterparts (typical), but they’re tough as nails.

When it comes to those catching the balls and making blocks downfield, both teams have talent on the edge.

One thing the Patriots have on their side is experience. It also doesn’t hurt to have one of the most clutch receivers ever on your side. Maybe Julian Edelman isn’t a top receiver, but when it comes playoff time, this dude turns into something else. If you want a tough catch over the middle or someone to consistently run crisp routes, Edelman is going to be there. Rob Gronkowski may not be who he used to be, but he’s still a threat to do damage if under you leave him alone. Brady used Gronk effectively in the AFC Championship to get big plays when he needed it. The rest of the receiving core does just the right stuff to get open and be where Brady needs them.

Jared Goff and Sean McVay have a lot of options outside, and that makes the Rams dangerous. Brandin Cooks is an elite receiver facing his old team in the Super Bowl. Last year, Cooks turned himself around and got knocked out of the game in a move you’re taught in Pop Warner not to do. Still, he can take the top off a defense. Robert Woods is a tremendous all-around WR. He can block, catch, and be physical on the edge. The TE’s, Gerald Everett and Tyler Higbee, give LA a tactical advantage. McVay uses these two in big sets to run and set up the play action pass. This is where the Rams tear apart defenses. If the Patriots don’t get Goff out of his comfort zone, they’ll be on the wrong end of these weapons.

Advantage – Rams

Even with an all-time playoff receiver in Edelman and one of the best TE’s to ever play in Gronk, the Rams have too many weapons. There is an abundance of talent on the offensive side of the ball in LA, there’s no getting around that. The Patriots rely on excellent coaching and precise route running to get open and kill teams by 1000 cuts. No doubt they’ll rely on the same tactics this weekend. The Rams win by putting their elite players in position to get the ball and make plays. McVay has better options than Pats offensive coordinator, Josh McDaniels. The committee (of one) will take the Rams options any day.

As we wind our way through the upcoming Big Game, the next position group to break down is the backfield for each team.

The Rams have one of the premier running backs in the league in Todd Gurley (he’s top 4 with Zeke, Alvin Kamara, and Saquon Barkley, and you can take your pick any given day). They also have a fresh-legged, human bowling ball in CJ Anderson who has been playing like a man on a mission. This very much reminds the committee (of one) of the thunder and lighting days of Tiki Barber and Ron Dayne or LenDale White and Chris Johnson. Against the Cowboys top 10 rushing defense, these two teamed up for 238 yards and 3 TD’s. The issue is that Gurley was almost non-existent in the last game against the Saints. Gurley had a TD, but he only went for 10 yards on 4 runs. Everyone has been questioning if he’s injured, but he is adamant he’s 100% for this coming week. If he truly is healthy, he’s a force to be reckoned with, and he’ll give the Patriots defense fits.

The Patriots have relied on the pairing of Sony Michel (another Georgia running back) and James White. Sony Michel is a 1st round back who is worth the talent. He gashed the Chargers for 129 yards and 3 TD’s then followed that up with 113 yards and 2 TD’s against the Chiefs. He’s developing into a a premier back, and may be a top 10 back next season. James White comes in as a receiving threat and can keep the chains moving on the ground. He also has Super Bowl experience, particularly when he completed the great comeback against the Falcons a few years ago. If they can keep Tom Brady on the field and pick up YAC, the Rams secondary and linebacking core will be gassed by the 4th quarter.

Advantage – Patriots

I know Rams fans won’t like this, but the Patriots have Michel playing consistently at an elite level, and James White can be counted on to catch and get yards in this offense. This doesn’t even mention Rex Burkhead and his multifaceted ability. When it comes to Gurley and Anderson, there are still question marks. Why was Gurley so underutilized in the NFC Championship? It wasn’t as if CJ Anderson was lighting it up. Is he truly healthy? Will we see the CJ Anderson that ran all over the Cowboys or the one that ran for 2.8 YPC against the Saints? There’s too many questions compared to the Patriots answers. Regular season Gurley? I’ll take the Rams. NFC Championship Gurley? I’ll take the other UGA product.