The Dallas Cowboys decided to clean house with their coaching staff after the conclusion of the 2019 season, and Jerry Jones is hoping that will help end the team’s Super Bowl drought. Defensive back Xavier Woods seems optimistic that the changes are going to pay off in a big way.
As Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram noted, the Cowboys generated very few big plays on defense last season. They ranked 30th in the NFL in takeaways and 19th in sacks. New defensive coordinator Mike Nolan has a tendency to blitz more and try to disguise plays pre-snap more often than his predecessor Rod Marinelli did, and Woods expressed excitement over the new scheme on a recent conference call with reporters.
“As far as defensively, it’s totally different,” Woods said. “A lot more defensive [schemes] than what we’ve played the past two years. More than just Cover 3 and man-to-man. More pre-snap disguises.”
The Cowboys made a number of big free-agent acquisitions this offseason, one of which was adding Ha-Ha Clinton Dix to play alongside Woods. They also signed Gerald McCoy and Aldon Smith in hopes of boosting a pass rush that ranked 19th in the NFL last year in sacks. Woods said he and Clinton Dix have already made a connection through virtual offseason meetings, and Woods is thinking about making a Super Bowl run.
“We feed off each other,” Woods said. “He has knowledge to give me, and what I know I give him. Hopefully, we keep that going all the way throughout the season.
“We’re gonna gel, become a family, become a brotherhood and hopefully be able to make a Super Bowl run.”
The Cowboys have not been to the Super Bowl since they won their third in four years back in 1995. They’ve won just four playoff games since. Jones believes that has to do with coaches who have underachieved with talented rosters, which is why he decided to bring in Mike McCarthy. Time will tell if that was the case, but Woods clearly feels things are trending in the right direction.
