SAN FRANCISCO — By this point you’ve probably heard the viral quote from former Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence. The one he said after signing with the Seattle Seahawks this past offseason. The one where he expressed his excitement about joining a new team because he knew, after 11 seasons in Dallas, that he wouldn’t win a Super Bowl there.
Fair, considering the Cowboys haven’t won a Super Bowl since the 1995 season. Even more fair when you consider that the Cowboys had just finished 7-10 in 2024 and were starting a new regime with a first-time head coach. Lawrence didn’t have the luxury of waiting.
“I don’t have long to play this game,” Lawrence said this week before he plays in his first Super Bowl. ”I have to win now, and I understood what Seattle was building up here, and I just wanted to be a part of it.”
In doing so, Lawrence might’ve also signaled the best way for the Cowboys to get back to the Super Bowl, too.
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Themes in the NFL come and go. Positional value, as the running backs of yesteryear would tell you, can change drastically over time. Fads, as the tush push or wildcat have shown, can be fleeting. It’s long been said that defense wins championships, and yet, offenses in this new era have been the dominant forces.
Until recently. The Seahawks and New England Patriots, set to square off for the Lombardi Trophy on Super Bowl Sunday, have some similarities that go against the offensive-first grain. They’re both defensive-led teams guided by defensive-minded coaches. Adding in the playoffs, the Seahawks (17.1) and the Patriots (17.3) are first and second, respectively, in points allowed this season.
Defense will, once again, win a championship. Which is something that might scare Cowboys fans after this past season. The Cowboys had their worst defense in franchise history, nearly allowing double the amount of points Seattle’s defense has allowed per game this year (30.1). They fired Matt Eberflus and welcomed in 34-year-old, first-time defensive coordinator Christian Parker, who will be tasked with turning around a defense that should have a lot of new faces next season.
But there is a semblance of hope for the Cowboys — even as distant as it may seem.
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The Cowboys had a fundamental shift on defense prior to the start of last season, moving edge rusher Micah Parsons in a bold and polarizing move for draft picks and Kenny Clark. They then flipped some of those picks for Quinnen Williams, who was the Cowboys’ only defender at the Pro Bowl this past week. Add in the extension they gave Osa Odighizuwa and the Cowboys have made it clear that their foundation is the defensive line.
It’s a good starting point. Just ask Patriots defensive tackle Milton Williams.
“We’re closest to the quarterback. I don’t care what kind of quarterback you are or how talented you are: If we have pressure right in your face, it’s really not too much you can do. We’ve seen it with the greatest: Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes last year.”
New England Patriots defensive end Milton Williams talks to the media during a news conference Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif., ahead of the Super Bowl 60 NFL football game between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Charlie Riedel / AP
Williams not only saw it; he experienced it. He had two sacks and a forced fumble and recovery to help spark the Eagles to a dominant 40-22 win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
“It really doesn’t matter the challenge of the quarterback. We’ve seen some special players. If you get interior pressure up the middle, you can throw a wrench in everything they’re trying to do,” said Williams, a Crowley alum now trying to win his second-straight Super Bowl.
“The team is going to go as far as we go. I feel like the defensive line has that type of an impact on every game. If we can dominate up front, the sky is the limit for us as a team and what we can accomplish. We put it on us every week.”
Seattle’s defense has a similar advantage. Leonard Williams, Jarran Reed, Byron Murphy II and Lawrence might not have the individual pressure numbers, but collectively they’ve done well in both the pass rush and against the run. The Seahawks and Patriots have a combined 21 games this season where they didn’t allow over 100 rushing yards.
Of course, Seattle and New England aren’t limited to only having impact players on the interior defensive line. The Colony’s Christian Gonzalez was a Pro Bowl corner for New England this season. Seattle’s linebacker room and secondary is filled with impact players.
The Cowboys have a lot of work to do before they can get back to this juncture. More time than Lawrence could afford, probably. But if they’re looking for optimism that they’re at a good starting point, then the way the interior defensive lines play for both Super Bowl teams should provide it.
Twitter/X: @JoeJHoyt
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