Jason Garrett likes to constantly remind players, fans and the media that the Cowboys must be good “in all three phases” of the game. In fact, “all three phases” is right up there in the coachspeak pantheon alongside “process,” “challenge,” and “competition.” But while it may be coachspeak, it is also relevant.
Football Outsiders tracks team efficiency over “all three phases”, and their numbers show that while the Cowboys declined on offense and defense in 2017 versus the year before, they actually improved a little on special teams - and that’s despite Dan Bailey missing a chunk of time and coming back without his usual accuracy.