What's Cowboys' One Biggest Weakness?

For the Cowboys, it's all about going back to the Super Bowl again, and winning it. What stands in their way?

FRISCO - For the Dallas Cowboys, a return trip to the Super Bowl has been the goal since the 1996 season. Since 1996? Four playoff wins and a ton of disappointment and heartbreak are all Cowboys fans have to talk about.

READ MORE: Which Cowboys Stars Are In Or Out vs. Texans? NFL Tracker

That includes the historically poor 2020 season, Mike McCarthy's first as head coach of the Cowboys, a year in which the team was 6-10.

6-10 doesn't tell the whole story, as the Cowboys weren't actually that good. How can they bounce back in 2021? What's the biggest hurdle this team needs to overcome in their desire for another Super Bowl run?

Sports Illustrated's Conor Orr cites the Cowboys' defensive interior line as the biggest problem:

Dallas Cowboys

DEFENSIVE INTERIOR: The 2021 draft class’s lack of interior defenders produced an interesting thought experiment for teams looking to bolster themselves against the run. Can you survive on hyper-athletic off-ball linebackers? Dallas has Micah Parsons, Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander Esch on the field to counter a smattering of injuries and inexperience up front. Can the likes of Osa Odighizuwa and Quinton Bohanna create large enough traffic jams to produce some fluidity for that unit? Or, do offensive lines find success climbing to the second level, partially negating what should be one of Dallas’s biggest strengths?

The Cowboys gave up more points than any defense in franchise history in 2020 and the second-most rushing yards ever.

READ MORE: No Dak In NFL Preseason: Wrong Cowboys Call

The team added three defensive linemen in free agency, Carlos Watkins, Brent Urban and Tarell Basham, and three more in the draft, Odighizuwa, Chauncey Golston and Bohanna. 

The Cowboys were well-aware of the deficiencies last season, drafting eight of 11 players on defense in this year's NFL Draft. 

The only sure things in this group now are defensive ends DeMarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory and maybe second-year tackle Neville Gallimore. 

But two preseason games in, and just over two weeks away from the start of 2021, the injury bug has infiltrated the Cowboys' defensive line, leaving Gallimore out until possibly Week 2 or 3 of the regular season. 

New defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and defensive line coach Aden Durde will have their hands full and will need to be creative and pray for a healthy 2021 on their side of the ball.

The last Cowboys' Super Bowl victory was 25 years ago, and unless the defensive line improves in 2021, Cowboys fans and players are going to be waiting a bit longer.

CONTINUE READING: How To Watch: Cowboys Preseason Game vs Texans