"Honestly don't know" - Troy Aikman clueless on how to fix "heartbreaking" Cowboys

With the Super Bowl upon us, the Dallas Cowboys, who train in the summer in Oxnard, California, are once again on the outside looking in as the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals battle later tonight in Super Bowl LVI in Inglewood, California.

Former Cowboys Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman was a recent guest on The Rich Eisen Show and had a startling revelation to make about his former squad when asked what he thought was missing from the team:

“I honestly don’t know. There was a time where I thought I did know. When you take a year like this, and they’re as talented as any team in football. I put their roster up against anyone. They played great, but when you go into the postseason and you don’t play your best football, this isn’t the first time this has happened.”

Aikman was drafted by Dallas as the first overall pick of the 1989 NFL Draft, so he knows more than a thing or two about the team and owner Jerry Jones. Aikman added the following about Jones:

“I do know this: It’s heartbreaking for that organization and for Jerry Jones to have the team that they had...and not to get out of the first round is really defeating and it makes for a long offseason.”

How can the Cowboys advance further next season?

NFC Wild Card Playoffs - San Francisco 49ers v Dallas Cowboys

The 2021-2022 NFL season started off with a bang for "America's Team." After dropping their season opener against the defending world champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers by a narrow margin of 31-29, the team rallied off six consecutive wins to take control of the NFC East.

Behind a stellar first half of the season from quarterback Dak Prescott and a light-out defense led by All-Pro rookie linebacker Micah Parsons, the team looked poised to make a deep push into the playoffs.

But all that changed after Prescott suffered a calf injury in a Week Six victory over the New England Patriots.

And then there were several time management issues from head coach Mike McCarthy, including a dire one in the waning minutes of their NFC Wild Card loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

In that game, with only 14 seconds on the clock and no timeouts remaining, the Cowboys called for a quarterback draw from the 40-yard line in 49ers territory. Prescott scrambled for 17 yards and time expired before the team could get off another play to lose 23-17.

With an explosive offense, dynamic defense, and most of their key coordinators staying put, the question of whether or not the team will advance rests with Mike McCarthy and how well (or poorly) he adjusts to his lack of time management skills during a game.