Pass rush must improve if Cowboys want to be ‘Super’ team

Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Terrell McClain isn’t overly concerned about the lackluster sack numbers the team has put up to this point in the season.

The Cowboys have only 20 sacks, which puts them on pace for 32. That’s more than the 28 they had in 2014 and the 31 they had a season ago. But it’s not the type of improvement most expected.

But McClain believes it’s only a matter of time before the D-line starts piling them up.

“Oh, yeah. We’ve just got to keep giving our ball back to the offense and getting these leads,” McClain said. “Then it’s going to force the opposing offense to be one-dimensional. Once that happens, we’ll start getting more opportunities to rush the passer. In the second half, they’re going to be more focused on throwing the ball and the sacks will definitely start getting up there.”

The Cowboys certainly better hope so if they want to achieve the ultimate goal of winning a Super Bowl. There is a strong correlation between NFL champs and rushing the passer.

Seven of the last 10 Super Bowl winning teams all had at least 40 sacks in the regular season, including the past three – Denver (52), New England (40) and Seattle (43).

The 2006 Indianapolis Colts had the fewest sacks of any champion in history with 24.

But the Cowboys feel they have the talent to get to the quarterback. Tyrone Crawford leads the team with 3 1/2 sacks followed by Jack Crawford with 2 1/2. And Maliek Collins, Benson Mayowa and Orlando Scandrick all have two a piece.

This story was originally published November 23, 2016 at 2:27 PM with the headline "Pass rush must improve if Cowboys want to be ‘Super’ team."