ARLINGTON, Texas — Defense wins championships.
Quarterbacks win Super Bowls.
From Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy’s mouth to God’s ears.
So while the Dallas Cowboys clearly suffered a setback with the loss of left tackle Tyron Smith, who is out until possibly December after undergoing surgery to repair an avulsion fracture in his left knee, they are far from hopeless heading into the 2022 season.
And there will be no excuses.
With the preseason concluded and the Sept. 11 season opener against the Tampa Buccaneers less than a fortnight away, the two strengths of the team remain intact and continue to be the foundation of all aspirations of success, namely repeating as NFC East champions and reaching the Super Bowl for the first time in 27 years.
Quarterback Dak Prescott has been the focal point of optimism on offense since the team jettisoned No.1 receiver Amari Cooper to the Cleveland Browns in the offseason.
Coming off a 2021 season in which he passed for 4,449 yards and a team-record 37 touchdowns, Prescott is primed to be even better in 2022.
It may not result in better statistics but he will be the best version of himself.
Not only is he a year removed from a fractured ankle that cost him the final 11 games of the 2020 season but he had a full offseason for the first time since 2019.
A rigorous training program has Prescott in the best shape of his life and vice president Stephen Jones said he is coming off the best training camp of his career.
Prescott will need all of that to uplift an offense that was already decidedly less talented than the one that led the NFL in yards and points in 2021 before losing an 8-time Pro Bowl left tackle.
But this is why the Cowboys made him the richest player in franchise history with a four-year, $160 million deal before last season and are already doing mental gymnastics trying to figure out ways to re-sign to an even more lucrative deal, given the rising tide of the quarterback market, after next season.
The Cowboys believe Prescott can uplift the team and make up for deficiencies with his play and leadership.
He is the team’s Pied Piper and the heart and soul of the team who owner Jerry Jones says compares favorably to Hall of Fame receiver Michael Irvin and the impact he had on the Super Bowl title teams of the 1990s.
Consider linebacker Micah Parsons and the Cowboys defense the hammer.
And that’s what excites the elder Jones the most about the Cowboys, who are heading into the season led by a defense that is unquestionably the strength of the team for the first time since he bought the franchise in 1989.
Directed by coordinator Dan Quinn, who arguably has no equal as a defensive strategist and motivator, the unit is deep and talented on every level with no perceived weakness.
Quinn transitioned a unit that gave up second most yards and rush yards in franchise history in 2020 to one of the most opportunistic and stingiest in the NFL in 2021. The Cowboys led the league with 34 turnovers, including a league-high 5 pick 6s. They finished 2nd in third down percentage and 7th in points allowed.
The defense is now poised to take the next step as a top 10 unit in the league.
After taking the NFL by storm with 13 sacks and playing all over the field in 2021, while winning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Honors and finishing second in NFL Defensive Player of the Year voting, Parsons is already one of the games most dominating and feared defenders.
He has been unblockable in training camp and the Cowboys can’t wait to watch him unleash havoc in his second year like no has ever seen before.
But Parsons is not alone.
Add in All-Pro cornerback Trevon Diggs, defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence and safety Jayron Kearse. The Cowboys have players who are among the best in the NFL at their positions on every level.
So while the loss of Tyron Smith is a setback, the foundation of hope remains fortified by a franchise quarterback and a championship level defense.
No excuses.
