HENDERSON, Nev. – The sayings “dedication to excellence” and “simply win, child” encapsulated what the Raiders represented as they bulldozed their option to three Tremendous Bowl titles with a take-no-prisoners fashion that endeared and villainized them.
Dallas grew to become the self-proclaimed “America’s Group” because the Cowboys constructed one of many NFL’s most profitable and influential groups that owns 5 Vince Lombardi Trophies and, just like the Raiders, a swagger that has attracted them to a big phase of NFL followers whereas alienating others.
And the Miami Dolphins — although with out the nationwide following of the opposite two groups — proved perfection might exist because the dominant group of the early Seventies that remained a high contender into the ’80s.
All three franchises are no less than a technology faraway from their glory days. The Raiders have not performed within the Tremendous Bowl in 22 years, the Cowboys in 29 and the Dolphins in 40. Dallas’ final Tremendous Bowl look additionally was its final championship, however the Raiders are 41 years from their most up-to-date title and it is at 51 years for the Dolphins.
And none seem near ending such droughts.
This lengthy stretch of not successful the large one was once more prolonged this season with the Philadelphia Eagles claiming the Tremendous Bowl with a 40-22 victory over the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs.
Las Vegas and Dallas will enter subsequent season with new coaches and Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel’s future past subsequent season is unclear after Miami took a noticeable step again in 2024.
“The objective is at all times to win and it has been to win playoff video games and compete for Tremendous Bowls and that won’t change,” Dolphins basic supervisor Chris Grier stated. “It was a really disappointing 12 months. It was a tough 12 months. A number of classes have been realized, and sadly, I feel generally it’s a must to undergo these to take the next move and really dedicated and excited for 2025 and the problem.”
The three groups can look to the Pittsburgh Steelers as hope of returning to such a distinguished place.
After successful 4 Tremendous Bowls within the the ’70s, the Steelers did not return to the championship sport for 16 years and did not win all of it for 26 years. That title started a six-year stretch by which the Steelers made the Tremendous Bowl 3 times and gained it twice.
However it’s been a wrestle within the 14 seasons since to return to that prominence. The Steelers have not gained a playoff sport since they made the AFC championship sport within the 2016 season.
This season ended with 5 consecutive losses that included a one-and-done playoff look.
“After dropping 5 in a row, it’s laborious to say we’re nearer,” Steelers President Artwork Rooney II stated. “I feel the largest piece of the puzzle, I hold saying this, we’ve acquired to deal with the quarterback place. And also you go searching and type of see the groups which can be at that subsequent degree, that’s the place they’re, they usually’re there for that purpose.”
Las Vegas hasn’t had a championship-type quarterback since Wealthy Gannon took the then-Oakland Raiders to the Tremendous Bowl within the 2002 season. Dak Prescott was largely anticipated to be that caliber of QB for the Cowboys, however hasn’t taken them to that degree. Nobody has really reminded followers in Miami of Dan Marino since he final suited up in 1999.
So the place do the three groups stand?
Raiders
The membership is on its fourth full-time coach since transferring to Las Vegas in 2020, having employed Pete Carroll final month. Proprietor Mark Davis turned over a lot of the teaching search to seven-time Tremendous Bowl-winning quarterback and minority proprietor Tom Brady, so he hopes his presence within the group will assist it lastly rediscover its championship roots.
Las Vegas has practically $100 million in salary-cap house for new basic supervisor John Spytek, in keeping with overthecap.com, to make over a roster that has a variety of holes, particularly on the offensive facet. Essentially the most notable want is quarterback, a spot the Raiders determine to deal with via free company, the draft or each.
“We’ll see what we construct right here,” Davis stated. “However it’s nonetheless the Raiders. That is one thing all people’s acquired to recollect.”
Cowboys
Proprietor Jerry Jones had one of many NFL’s all-time dominant groups when Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin led the Cowboys to 3 championships in 4 seasons within the early to mid-Nineteen Nineties.
Jones has been trying to find that success since and he’s proven endurance at coach and QB. Jason Garrett acquired nearly 10 years to attempt to break via and McCarthy was introduced again for the ultimate season of his contract after dropping to the Inexperienced Bay Packers 48-32 within the wild-card playoffs a 12 months in the past. It was arguably the worst defeat in Jones’ 35 years as proprietor.
McCarthy is not going to be return subsequent season, and whether or not Brian Schottenheimer is the reply at coach is way from certain.
The Cowboys even have had simply two beginning quarterbacks — Tony Romo and Prescott — because the the center of the 2006 season. Prescott will enter the primary 12 months of a four-year, $240 million contract, the primary within the NFL to common $60 million per season. His $89.9 million salary-cap hit subsequent season is prohibitive, that means Dallas seemingly might want to restructure his contract.
“Each group who made a training determination was how they resolve for his or her quarterback,” Cowboys government vice chairman of personnel Stephen Jones stated. “That’s the way you win on this league. I feel we’ve acquired the most effective, if not one of the best, by way of our quarterback, and he’s the last word chief. We simply should proceed to place the items round. We’re not naive. I do know our followers, they’re not going to imagine and there’s going to be strain till we get the job executed, and definitely we didn’t get the job executed this 12 months.”
Dolphins
Miami confirmed indicators in 2023 that it may very well be making a return to contender standing, going 11-6 behind McDaniel and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. However a few of the shine McDaniel’s inventive play calling got here off this previous season because the Dolphins went from first in yardage and second in scoring to 18th and twenty second, respectively.
That drop in manufacturing pressured McDaniel to reply whether or not another person ought to deal with play-calling. McDaniel did not rule it out, however stated he believed the group was higher with him on the controls.
Questions of whether or not Tagovailoa is the long-term answer at QB additionally haven’t gone away, significantly given his concussion historical past.
“This 12 months, once more we had excessive expectations,” Grier stated. “Accidents occur and I’m not utilizing that as an excuse. It’s what it’s. Each group offers with it. I might say our greatest one, it doesn’t matter what occurs, is clearly the quarterback. When he misses 6 1/2 video games, once we miss it by a sport entering into the playoffs, to me that’s the distinction there.
“The objective is at all times to win and it has been to win playoff video games and compete for Tremendous Bowls and that won’t change.”
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AP Sports activities Writers Schuyler Dixon, Will Graves and Alanis Thames contributed to this report.
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