Losing in the playoffs is a bitter pill to swallow. In the aftermath of the Dallas Cowboys’ loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Jerry Jones conveyed the raw emotions following the game to the media. He stated, “I’m so disappointed for our fans, we’ve got a locker room full of sick players.” In fact, Jones used the word sick five times in expressing the feelings of fans, players, and ownership. The knockout-style tournament of the NFL playoffs is unforgiving. After the exertions of training camp, preseason, and a grueling regular season, it is deflating to know your team came up short. The question on the losing team’s mind is, can we make it back and get to the Superbowl? What will it take to make it happen? These are difficult questions to answer, but it will depend on how each franchise handles the offseason. In this article, we will discuss the biggest questions facing the Bills, Cowboys, Giants, and Jaguars.
1. The Bills- the glaring question the organization must answer is, How will the Bills get help for Josh Allen? Allen is an elite quarterback, but the Bills are too reliant on him to produce throwing and running the ball. The team has running backs on the roster, but Allen is asked to run the ball and barrel through defenders. In the snowy weather at Orchard Park, the offense would have benefited from an effective running game. Allen was the team’s highest rusher with 26 yards on eight carries, while the Bengals dominated through Joe Mixon, who tallied 105 yards on 20 carries and one touchdown. The Bills need to get better running backs and operate a much better run scheme to take the load off, Allen. Another question they must answer is who will be their elite pass rusher alongside Von Miller? Miller suffered a season-ending in December, and the defense was never the same. The unit failed to get pressure on Burrow despite playing three backup offensive line players. They need to get a second defender who can provide similar results to Miller and hopefully be cheaper so that their season does not hinge on losing one player. The clock is running on whether this team can win it all after three consecutive seasons ending in misery at the hands of the Chiefs and Bengals.
2. The Cowboys-the wait continues for the Dallas Cowboys because it has now been 28 years since the last time Jerry Jones hoisted the Lombardi trophy. The sad part for America’s team is that they haven’t made it to even the championship since 1996. Yes, an entire generation has never seen hats and shirts celebration for the Cowboys. The biggest question facing the team is whether Mike McCarthy will keep his job as Head Coach. McCarthy has coached 50 games in Dallas and has a 30-20 record. The results mean that he produces a playoff team, but Jerry Jones must decide if that is his ceiling. Rather than being decisive and exercising good leadership, this team has been undisciplined and poor in time management which reared its head in this game. The name Sean Peyton will ring loudly in the ears of every Cowboys fan based on his availability. Another glaring question is should they move on from Dak Prescott? Dak is now in his 7th season, and fans think he is running out of excuses to explain why he shrinks in the playoffs. It is hard to predict what version of Prescott the team will get from week to week, and a league-leading 15 interceptions despite missing five games is inexcusable. However, I think they still have to keep him due to the money invested, but he will be on the hot seat. The injury to Tony Pollard changed the game and showed glaringly that Jerry needs to open his wallet to get him another weapon. It will be a tough off-season to navigate in Big D.
3. The Jaguars-unlike the Bills and Cowboys, Jacksonville will be happy for the season they have enjoyed. The Jaguars were 3-14 last year and in last place in the AFC South. First-year coach Doug Pederson engineered a remarkable turnaround to go from last to first in the division, win a miraculous home playoff game, and then be eliminated in a tough 7-point loss on the road. The Jaguars were upbeat after their elimination, and Trevor Lawrence has declared this team is “just getting started.” However, they will not want to rest on their laurels because things can change quickly in the NFL. So the big question the team needs to answer is on the defensive side. Can they attract or draft an elite pass rusher and cornerback? The defense struggled to contain the passing game because of the lack of pressure on the quarterback. Also, on the perimeter, they need a cornerback to slow down the other team’s best wideout. Hope springs eternal in Jacksonville.
4. The Giants-like the Jaguars, New York’s blue team were cellar dwellers in 2021 with a 4-13 record. Despite a lopsided 38-7 loss to the Eagles on Saturday Night, there was optimism around the team that things are heading in the right direction. Daniel Jones stated, “the future of the team is bright. We have a lot of young, core guys who made a lot of plays, stepped up, and have been huge all year. I think there is certainly a bright future here. First-year coach, Brian Daboll, instilled a tremendous culture into the Giants locker room. The big question is how ate they going to protecting Daniel Jones. The Eagles grabbed the win because their defensive line beat the Giants’ offensive line in allowing five sacks. Therefore, getting personnel at the interior offensive line is a big need. The Eagles wideout shredded the secondary, and the offsesason plans should surround addressing this particular need. Finally, the teams could make further strides by getting a dynamic playmaker on the outside.