"We try to put ourselves in situations every day in practice where we're facing adversity, where we're being pushed to our edge, and that's where you're forced to grow and feel forced to make decisions."
The team announced Wednesday that it has hired Todd Monken, bringing one of the league's most accomplished offensive minds back to Cleveland to lead a franchise searching for stability - and answers - on that side of the ball. Monken spent the last three seasons as the Baltimore Ravens' offensive coordinator, overseeing one of the most productive stretches in franchise history.
SANTA CLARA Even with dominating defenses such as Denver, Houston and Seattle, the path to Super Bowl LX will be mostly navigated by the offense. It's offense that is most valued by NFL rulemakers and puts defenses at a disadvantage, and a game's tempo and pace are dictated by the quarterback and the coach who designs and calls the plays. With that in mind, here's a subjective ranking of those unions among the eight teams remaining in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs:
The Cowboys are the 19th best team by DVOA, which feels about right. With 14 teams making the playoffs, that means they're just on the outside of that threshold. It's worth noting that three of their four remaining opponents all rank below them in DVOA, as do two of the teams ahead of them in the conference standings. Let's highlight special teams real quick, because it's been bad.
At this point, Arthur Blank will have to force Raheem Morris to make an in-season change for it to happen. Morris did not let go of Jimmy Lake last year during the season despite having to take a more hands-on role in the defense, which had ruined the fortunes of previously productive players like Nate Landman and Dee Alford, and it's doubtful he'll do so with Zac Robinson either. This is a man who hand-picked these coaches and has a reputation for loyalty; I'm sure firing Ike Hilliard earlier this year and Lake after last season was painful enough for him.
