The Dallas Cowboys might be closer to Super Bowl contention than we think

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The Dallas Cowboys surprised everyone on Sunday afternoon, when they dismantled the Washington Commanders 44-22 at AT&T Stadium.
Not only did the Cowboys offense once again have a dominant performance in just about every facet, but for seemingly the first time this season, the defense also came to play, holding the Commanders' running backs to 67 yards on 18 carries combined, and holding the quarterbacks to a combined 205 yards through the air.
The 341 total yards surrendered was also the lowest total they have given up since the season opener vs. the Eagles.
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Now, some believe that the Cowboys are just a piece or two away on defense from becoming true Super Bowl contenders.
Super Bowl Contending Dallas Cowboys?

"I might be drinking the Kool-Aid right now, but after watching the Cowboys-Commanders game, I’m starting to believe the Cowboys are just one or two key defensive pieces away from being true contenders—and they have the draft capital to make it happen this year," Taylor Lewan of Bussin With The Boys said. "Just my Wednesday thoughts. I reserve the right to change my mind at any time."
Of course, acquiring those pieces could be easier said than done, and it would require Dallas to be aggressive at the trade deadline, which hasn't always been the case historically.
That said, rumors about players like Maxx Crosby have once again begun to make their rounds, leading some to believe that move - despite its drawbacks and unlikely nature of their usual preference for acquiring talent via trade - could be back on the table.
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Then there is also the idea of trading for a less heralded but productive player like Logan Wilson from Cincinnati as well.
Not to mention, getting DeMarvion Overshown and Shavon Revel back from injury could also potentially play a major role in improving the defense falling into that category as well.
In other words, the Cowboys could be closer than we thought, and being a Super Bowl threat could be as simple as making a singular trade, and getting a couple of key players healthy.
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Matt Galatzan is the Managing Editor and Publisher of Texas Longhorns On SI and Texas A&M Aggies On SI and a long-time member of the Football Writers’ Association of America. He graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he studied integrated marketing communications, with minors in journalism and business administration. Galatzan started in the sports journalism industry in 2014, covering the Dallas Mavericks and SMU Mustangs with 247Sports. He then moved to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, eventually taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of the Longhorns and Aggies sites a year later. You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels, including Twitter on @MattGalatzan.
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