'No Weaknesses' in Playoff-Bound Dallas Cowboys, Says Icon Jason Witten

The Dallas Cowboys will disappoint their expansive fanbase if they fail to make any headway in the upcoming NFL playoffs. Count Jason Witten among those, however, who think positive "headway'' is on the horizon.

"I don't see really any weaknesses in that football team,'' Witten said of his old squad.

Speaking with PopCulture, Witten expressed high hopes for the Cowboys as they prepare to embark on a postseason run. Dallas (12-4) has an outside shot at the NFC's top playoff seed and the first-round bye that comes with it when they take on the Washington Commanders on Sunday (3:25 p.m. CT, Fox) but they are nonetheless guaranteed consecutive playoff berths for the first time since 2006-07.

No matter where Dallas ends up on the seven-team NFC bracket, Witten believes this group is well-built for a championship run that for Cowboys Nation has taken far too long to realize.

"I think they're positioned really in a good spot," Witten said of the modern Cowboys."I don't see really any weaknesses in that football team. There are a lot of other teams that are good out there too. ... The (Philadelphia) Eagles ... so it's not going to get easy. But I think they're positioned to make a strong push here at the end of the year, and then ultimately even make a bigger push when they get to the playoffs."

Witten mentioned how the team has adapted and improved since its Week 1 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who ironically stand as their most likely opponent come the opening days of the postseason on Jan. 14-16. Dallas' Week 1 effort against the Buccaneers was a listless 19-3 defeat, one that saw Dak Prescott endure a thumb injury in the latter stages.

Backup quarterback Cooper Rush went 4-1 while Prescott healed and the latter has kept up the offensive pace since then. Defensively, Dallas' pass rush (headlined by Micah Parsons, Dorance Armstrong, and DeMarcus Lawrence) has earned 51 sacks, third-best in football. The defense has allowed just over 203 passing yards per game, ninth-best in football.

"You think back (to) where they started, they lost the first game. Dak gets hurt, he's going to be out for Cooper Rush and any backup to come in and to play that well and to get those wins," Witten said. "Now Dak is back, I think it gave a lot of those supporting cast some confidence. They're playing at a high level right now, scoring a lot of points. Defensively, he's not giving up much. They can get to the quarterback, they can cover, play good on special teams."

For all the marks he's left on Cowboys history, Witten never tasted the kind of postseason success that the team previously became known for. His teams never advanced past the NFC Divisional round, continuing an active 26-year drought of semifinal showings.

Dallas will clinch the NFC East (which would earn their first consecutive pair of titles a five-year streak in 1992-96) with a win over Washington and an Eagles loss to the New York Giants. The added caveat of a San Francisco 49ers loss to the Arizona Cardinals will earn them the elusive bye.

And soon after? The Dallas Cowboys will set out to prove the future Hall of Famer "Gold-Jacket Witt'' right.

Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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