Mailbag: Lessons to learn from Super Bowl teams

What do you believe is the biggest lesson Dallas should learn after watching the Seahawks and Patriots in the Super Bowl?

Published on Feb. 9, 2026

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The Dallas Cowboys Mailbag staff writers discuss the key lessons the Dallas Cowboys can learn from watching the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots in the Super Bowl, emphasizing that defense wins championships in the NFL.

Why it matters

The Cowboys are looking to return to the Super Bowl for the first time since the 1990s, and analyzing what made the Seahawks and Patriots successful can provide valuable insights to help the Cowboys improve their own team and make a deep playoff run.

The details

The staff writers argue that the biggest lesson the Cowboys can learn is that even in a league dominated by high-powered offenses, having a strong defense that can limit opponents' points is crucial for winning in the playoffs and reaching the Super Bowl. They point to how the defenses of the Seahawks and Patriots helped them reach the big game, with the Seahawks' defense shutting down the 49ers in the divisional round and the Patriots' defense stifling the Broncos on the road.

  • The Super Bowl was played on February 9, 2026.

The players

Dallas Cowboys

An NFL team based in Dallas, Texas that is looking to return to the Super Bowl for the first time since the 1990s.

Seattle Seahawks

An NFL team that reached the Super Bowl in 2026 with a strong defensive unit.

New England Patriots

An NFL team that reached the Super Bowl in 2026 with a stifling defense that helped them defeat the Broncos on the road.

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What they’re saying

“Defense wins championships. It's how both teams got there. Sure, their offenses have spectacular players and I'm not trying to takeaway from that whatsoever. When I think of what wins in the playoffs though, it's what helped New England shut down Denver on the road: their defense. It's what helped the Seahawks cruise against the 49ers in the divisional round: their defense.”

— Tommy, Dallas Cowboys Mailbag Staff Writer (statenews.net)

What’s next

The Cowboys will need to focus on improving their defensive unit in the offseason if they want to follow the blueprint laid out by the Seahawks and Patriots to reach the Super Bowl.

The takeaway

In the modern NFL, where high-powered offenses dominate, the key to winning championships still lies in having a strong, disciplined defense that can limit opponents' scoring. The Cowboys would be wise to learn this lesson from the Seahawks and Patriots' Super Bowl runs.