Ed “Too Tall” Jones knows what a championship-caliber roster looks like. A key member of the 1977 Cowboys, Jones experienced pro football’s greatest triumph when Dallas defeated the Broncos in Super Bowl XII.
Jones, a former All-Pro defensive end who racked up 106 sacks during his 15-year career with the Cowboys, feels that several teams — Dallas included — that haven’t been able to duplicate their regular-season success in the postseason are missing one specific thing.
“If you look at these teams now that make the playoffs, like Buffalo, Baltimore, all those teams, they don’t have anybody on those teams that won a Super Bowl in that locker room,” Jones recently said during a one-on-one interview with CBS Sports. “The regular season is the regular season. It is what it is. To be a champion, you’ve got to be able to get to another level.
“What separates good players and good teams is teams who have players who can go to another level in big games. Every general manager in the league should be out trying to pick up a guy that gets cut or something that’s been to a Super Bowl and put him in that locker room. It makes a big difference.”
Is not having enough players with championship experience one of the main things holding the current Cowboys back?
“That is definitely one of the things,” Jones said. “The team plays too well every year. They win 12 games every year and they’re a different animal in the playoffs. And let me say this in [Mike McCarthy’s] defense. Coaches can’t do it all to put you over the top. You must have internal leadership. I’m not just talking about captains. I’m talking about a guy in that locker room that’s been there, done that, knows what he’s talking about, and players will follow.
“Who will they follow? Dallas don’t have it. Several teams don’t have it. That’s just one of the things. They’re missing a few horses in key positions, too, but oftentimes, when you have the right leadership and the right chemistry, you make up for it.”
Jones is right. While talented, the Cowboys’ roster is devoid of players who have reached pro football’s mountaintop. A big reason for that is the team’s own inability to reach the summit. As of this writing, the Cowboys’ last trip to the Super Bowl occurred in January of 1996, before most of the team’s current players were born.
Speaking of the ’90s Cowboys, a lot of credit for their dynasty has been…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at CBSSports.com Headlines…