Why Are Cowboys Top Contenders For Super Bowl 2023?

The NFL season began on Thursday, with the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs against the no longer-minor Detroit Lions. The Cowboys play their first regular-season game on the road against the division foe New York Giants on Sunday night.

The Cowboys haven’t won a Super Bowl since the season ended in 1995, but hope springs eternal! North Texas is a brighter, happier place when the Cowboys win.

When was the last time the Cowboys won double-digit games and began 2-0? That would be the 2007 club, probably the most talented group in the last two decades to fail to make the playoffs.

For those who may have forgotten, that 2-0 Dallas club went 13-3 with 11 Pro Bowlers, two Hall of Famers in their prime (DeMarcus Ware and Terrell Owens), and a future Hall of Famer in Jason Witten. Their claim to fame is a close loss in the divisional round to a Giants club that went on to overcome an unbeaten New England Patriots squad in the Super Bowl. Looking back, it’s reasonable to say that the Cowboys might have been much, much bigger.

Over the previous two seasons, Dallas has matched for the NFL’s second-best regular-season record, trailing only Kansas City.

After Aaron Rodgers was traded to the New York Jets, the Dallas Cowboys quarterback is currently the NFL’s longest-tenured signal caller on a single franchise. And, coming off the poorest statistical season of his career, he’ll be under even more pressure to perform for America’s Team.

But if anybody believes Prescott can lead the Cowboys to the promised land and break their 26-year drought, it’s Jerry Jones. Jones voiced faith in his quarterback’s ability to get the job done when chatting with ESPN at Dallas’ training camp on Saturday.

However, with a 40-0 victory over the rival Giants followed by a 30-10 victory over the Jets in Week 2, it’s difficult not to be optimistic. Furthermore, even after just two weeks and as many victories, America’s Team’s domination to thus far makes it difficult not to consider a return to the Super Bowl.

The Cowboys have now failed to advance to the NFC Championship Game in 12 consecutive postseason attempts. So, based on the past, there’s no reason to think of this squad as a Super Bowl candidate.

Why Are Cowboys Top Contenders For Super Bowl 2023?

Great Offence – That begins with Tony Pollard’s promotion to RB1 following Zeke’s departure. Pollard has been one of the most explosive and effective backs in the NFL since his debut, so his presence in the backfield is an upgrade, especially given Elliott’s inefficiency last season and recently.

Aside from that, the Cowboys signed Brandin Cooks to their receiver corps. Last season, this passing game definitely lacked in terms of complimenting CeeDee Lamb, as Michael Gallup failed to be productive after returning from injury. As a result, bringing in a proven veteran who can also take the top off the defence is a huge benefit. Add in the development of second-year player Jalen Tolbert, and the picture becomes even more impressive.

Efficient Quarterback – The owner has faith in The QB and the team. When asked he said, “I am guarded, because obviously when you’ve been at this thing as long as I have, you know that you can have this thing turn on you,” Jones said. “But I fundamentally like where we are. We were able to get through our training camp [when] we didn’t play our key starters. Now that we’ve got two games under our belt, they have played a lot of reps. We look to be — knock on wood — in pretty good shape relative to our injuries as we go past this into our third game. I’ll take it.”

Dak Prescott wasn’t required to do much after the defence and special teams destroyed the Giants in Week 1. He only threw 24 passes, but he was chastised for only completing 13 of them for 143 yards and no touchdowns.

To be sure, he was expected to do more in the Jets’ Week 2 victory. Prescott completed 31 of his 38 throws for 255 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. Without a doubt, a great game. However, he has only 62 total passing attempts and less than 400 passing yards through two weeks.

Prescott isn’t pushing throws at the moment. He’s looking for excellent matches with his arsenal of weapons. And he’s taking what the defence offers him, which is enough given the playmakers around him.

Dominant Defence- If the adage that defence wins championships holds true during the 2023 NFL season, the Dallas Cowboys should be considered a favourite to win the Vince Lombardi Trophy. The Cowboys’ defence is loaded with talent, youth, and leadership, as well as a defensive coordinator regarded as one of the finest in the league.

DeMarcus Lawrence, one of the finest two-way defensive ends in the game, leads the defensive line. Lawrence is an excellent run-stopper who can also get to the quarterback.

The secondary already had Trevon Diggs, but this offseason’s trade added Stephon Gilmore to the mix – he had an interception in Week 1. Then, at the corner, DaRon Bland and Jourdan Lewis give depth. For Quinn’s approach, the safety room is three deep with above-average players. Demarcus Lawrence is still vastly underappreciated, as are Osa Odighizuwa and Johnathan Hankins in the interior.

The bookend at defensive end is Micah Parsons, and while the Cowboys and Quinn have yet to formally label the All-Pro as a full-time DE, it’s evident he’ll spend most of his time there again. Parsons is among the elite playmakers in the league and has 26.5 sacks through his first two seasons in the NFL.

 

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