Troy Aikman reveals biggest reason for Cowboys' playoff failures - "No one has the answer to that"
The Dallas Cowboys had a great dynasty in the 1990's, when they won three Super Bowl titles in four seasons between 1992 and 1995. One of the faces of said dynasty quarterback Troy Aikman, and he has a reason why the team has failed to go that deep in the playoffs since then.
Speaking to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, he called horribly timed mental lapses the Cowboys' biggest problem when it came to their playoff losses, despite their talents:
“They are really good, and they’ve got really good players. The organization has done a fantastic job. I think the coaches have done a great job. The players. All of it. They have won a lot of games. The problem for them, and they don’t need me to tell them this, they just have not played their best football when the games have mattered the most.”
He implored the team itself to overcome those lapses, nothing that he would not just give them the solution:
“You say, ‘How do you change that?’ No one has the answer to that. I don’t have the answer to that. For our teams (in the ‘90s), the reason we succeeded and did what we were able to do, the reason teams all win Super Bowls, is they play their best football in the biggest games. That’s the challenge for each and every one of those players.”
Could the Dallas Cowboys win this season's Super Bowl? A look at their roster
Troy Aikman believes the Cowboys have the right players to end their Super Bowl drought, but how good are they really?
Superstar quarterback Dak Prescott is beginning the second half of the four-year extension he signed in 2021. Last season, he led the league in interception thrown, with 15. He also threw more than one postseason interception for the first time of his career.
Prescott will also be missing a key offensive weapon in Ezekiel Elliott, who was released in March amidst declining performance relative to that of Tony Pollard. However, his receiving corps (like CeeDee Lamb) and protection (like Zack Martin) are still mostly intact, with the exception of tight end Dalton Schultz, who has joined the Houston Texans.
On the other side of the ball, the Cowboys still have a formidable defense anchored by Pro Bowlers DeMarcus Lawrence (defensive line), Micah Parsons and Leighton Vander Esch (middle ground), and Trevon Diggs (backfield). Notable additions include rookie defensive tackle Mazi Smith and free agent cornerback signing Stephon Gilmore.