Playoffs point Cowboys to defense

If the Cowboys and owner Jerry Jones can learn anything as bystanders in the NFL playoffs, it's that defense is what matters. It goes beyond seeing two of the NFL's most prolific offenses, the Saints and Packers, bounced in the divisional round. It's about how teams are built and where foundations need to be laid. The Cowboys clearly don't have a foundation on defense with so many holes and aging veterans. But if Jones wants to dig his team out of 8-8 mediocrity, the focus on the draft and free agency needs to be almost entirely on defense. Why did Jim Harbaugh succeed in his first full season as a head coach and Jason Garrett didn't? It wasn't because Harbaugh, who had his pick of teams a year ago, went with the team that had the best quarterback. That probably would have been the Broncos with Kyle Orton. It certainly wouldn't have been the 49ers and Alex Smith, whom many had given up on. And the Dolphins, who were also interested in Harbaugh, had won a division title as recently as 2008. The Dolphins still had the framework of a team built by Bill Parcells, which surely would have fit Harbaugh's hard-nosed reputation honed at Stanford. But Harbaugh chose the 49ers, who had the makings of a great defense already in place. The 49ers finished fourth in total defense this year and second in scoring defense, an improvement from 16th a year ago. Watching 49ers defensive backs make play after play last weekend had to make any Cowboys fan envious. And watching the Giants' defensive line dominate the Packers had to evoke some emotions as well. The Giants still don't have much of a secondary, but they can come at teams in waves of talented defensive linemen. Compare that to the Cowboys who have DeMarcus Ware and Jay Ratliff. There's a huge dropoff after that. While the Giants have continued to stockpile pass rushers, the Cowboys seem to think that area is covered by Ware. Sure, Anthony Spencer is supposed to be Ware's complement on the other side, but Spencer's potential emerges with unsettling infrequency. Over on the AFC side, the Ravens have again succeeded with a team built on defense. The offense-weighted Patriots are just the opposite, but then they were playing the anemic Broncos offense. This season, the Cowboys finished 14th in total defense (343.2 yards per game) and 16th in scoring defense (21.7 points per game). That's right in the middle of the pack, which won't get you anywhere unless your offense is outstanding. In the first season under new coordinator Rob Ryan, the scoring defense improved from 31st in the league -- 27.2 ppg. It's an ample improvement, but nowhere near the league leaders like 49ers, who held teams to 14.3 ppg in the regular season. What the Cowboys have to guard against is falling for the Green Bay mirage. The Packers won a Super Bowl last year, and looked like challengers this year, seemingly with a team reliant completely on its offense. The 2010 Packers ranked 32nd, dead last, in total defense. They allowed a whopping 411.6 yards per game. They finished last again this year in total defense. But the 2010 Packers were second in scoring defense, allowing just 15 points per game. So teams were getting a lot of yards against the Packers after falling behind, but they weren't getting into the end zone. This year the Packers dropped to 19th in scoring defense, allowing 22.4 points per game. They also didn't make it to the NFC championship this year. Clearly, defense had a great deal to do with the Packers' success last year. The Patriots could be this year's Packers. They rank a woeful 31st in total defense, but in scoring defense -- the number that really matters -- they are a respectable 15th (21.4 points per game). The Pats are ranked a notch above the Cowboys in scoring defense, but New England also has one of the NFL's most prolific offenses and a future first-ballot, Hall of Fame quarterback. The Cowboys, despite a number of weapons on offense, would have an easier time making dramatic improvements on defense than coming anywhere close to New England's offense in the near future. And that future, if this year's playoffs are to be used as a guide, points toward defense. Follow Keith Whitmire on Twitter: @Keith_Whitmire