Dallas Cowboys

Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots Mirror One Another

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 6:52 p.m. ET

Fansided, Cody Williams/FanSided via NFL Spin Zone

Though different in many ways, the Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots ultimately stand as mirror images of one another.

Without having played yet in Week 16 of the 2016 NFL season, the Dallas Cowboys clinched the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs on Thursday night. Their division rivals—and the only team to defeat the 12-2 conference-leaders this season—the New York Giants were the only team that could catch them in the standings. With a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, though, that was no longer true.

In the AFC, the New England Patriots also sit atop their conference, though they’ve yet to clinch the No. 1 seed. However, they can do so with a win and a loss or tie by the Oakland Raiders in Week 16. More simply, if the Patriots win their last two, they’re the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs no matter what anyone else does.

Entering the penultimate week of the regular season, the Cowboys and Patriots are the two favorites to win the Super Bowl. Their odds sit at +400 and +220, respectively, according to Bovada. Considering their positioning as the No. 1 seeds, that would make sense. But what’s intriguing about that is the fact that these two teams are in this position as mirror images of one another.

Before anyone freaks out, the personnel in terms of how they operate is, admittedly, not that similar. Tom Brady and Dak Prescott share only the similarity of being late-round picks who have succeeded as starters. After that, Brady is arguably the greatest ever while Prescott is still in his first season. Meanwhile, you have Ezekiel Elliott and LeGarrett Blount, two vastly different types of runners, though each effective. You get the picture here.

However, what is strikingly similar is how they’ve achieved their success in the 2016 season and the hardships they’ll face heading into the playoffs.

More from NFL Spin Zone

Over the course of their 14 games played this season, both the Cowboys and Patriots offenses have established themselves among the best units in the NFL. According to Football Outsiders, the Cowboys have the NFL’s second best offense in terms of DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average) on the year. The Patriots are just behind at third in offensive DVOA. Both offenses also feature a 1,000-yard rusher, but also a diverse passing attack. it’s telling that both Prescott and the combination of Brady, Jimmy Garoppolo, and Jacoby Brissett have thrown for over 3,400 yards on the season, yet neither team has a 1,000-yard receiver.

Meanwhile, Dallas and New England also share a shakiness on the other side of the ball at this point in the season. These defenses aren’t ostensibly bad as they both feature talented players capable of making an impact on a given down. With that said, these defenses overall don’t rank in the top half of the league. Once again, in fact, the Boys and Pats are side-by-side in defensive DVOA, Dallas ranking 20th and the Patriots 19th.

On the surface, you might see those numbers and think that leaves both of these teams vulnerable heading into the postseason. While the lack of an elite or top-half defense is concerning, though, these offenses shouldn’t be expected to lose any luster as they head into the cold weather of the playoffs and face high-quality defenses.

For the Patriots, you’re obviously not worried about Brady at quarterback. He’s gotten the job done at a high level in the elements time and again. Even still, New England has a contingency plan if the veteran signal-caller were to struggle in the form of Blount. With 1,060 yards and 15 touchdowns rushing, Blount is a bruising back that wears teams down as the game goes on. In a postseason environment, that’s an exceptionally valuable offensive weapon.

At the same time, the Cowboys have a balanced offense between their dynamic rookies, Prescott and Elliott. Brady and Prescott are not the same players, as mentioned previously. However, the 2016 fourth-round pick has consistently impressed with his efficiency and ball-security, completing 67.7 percent of his passes on the year while accruing 20 touchdown throws to only four interceptions. His six rushing touchdowns don’t hurt his case, either.

All the while, Elliott remains the lifeblood of the offense behind the NFL’s best offensive line. The dynamic Ohio State product has 1,551 rushing yards and 1,902 all-purpose yards on the season. With the way he can consistently gash defenses throughout a game along with the way the line can wear down a front-seven, this Cowboys offense is too built for the postseason.

So what does this all mean? Does the fact that these two teams mirror one another in terms of their approach mean that they’re going to meet in Houston for Super Bowl LI? Absolutely not. Despite their respective records and being the No. 1 seed, both teams are flawed and beatable. However, it does show the blueprint for what’s been successful this season throughout the league. We shall see if that recipe continues to work in the postseason. If it does, these two teams could very well clash in February’s big game.