It’s early, but the excitement is already starting for this Dallas Cowboys football team. It happens every season. With a clean slate comes new expectations. And with two decades with either Tony Romo or Dak Prescott under center, it has always felt like this team has a fighting chance.
The oddsmakers don’t share that same sentiment. The Cowboys' win total is set at 7.5 games sandwiched between the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers, two teams that haven’t had a winning season since 2017. The Cowboys, on the other hand, are just a year removed from completing their third-straight 12-win season. The lack of faith feels a bit overdone, but hey, who doesn’t like a good underdog?
Prescott is entering his 10th season in the NFL. He has dealt with some bad luck injuries in recent years, but when he’s healthy, he’s mostly been very productive. During his last healthy season in 2023, he finished second in the MVP voting. Over the last six years, he’s alternated between strong seasons and injuries.
2019: Healthy, 4,902 yards, 30 TDs
2020: Injured
2021: Healthy, 4,449 yards, 37 TDs
2022: Injured
2023: Healthy, 4,516 yards, 36 TDs
2024: Injured
The injuries are concerning, especially when you consider he didn’t miss a single game his first four years in the league and that he’ll be 32 years old next month. Every time he goes down, we’ll be holding our breath.
But it’s also satisfying to see that healthy Prescott equals a good performance. And when you look at some of the changes happening on offense, the table is set for Dak to continue that pattern.
It starts in the trenches. The Cowboys used their top draft resource to select guard Tyler Booker. They also used their top draft resource last year on tackle Tyler Guyton. And a couple of years before that, they used another first-round pick to take Tyler Smith. Three first-rounders, three Tylers. Combine that with second-year player Cooper Beebe and veteran Terence Steele, and the Cowboys have a nice, young group of offensive linemen.
But it’s not just the Jimmys and the Joes, it’s the X’s and the O’s. The Cowboys have two new offensive line coaching specialists on staff, Klayton Adams and Conor Riley. We’ve all heard about how they are going to revamp the rushing attack, as Adams helped the Arizona Cardinals become a top-five rushing offense for the first time in 44 years. Meanwhile, at Kansas State, Riley had produced back-to-back seasons where they averaged at least 200 yards rushing, something they hadn’t done in over 20 years.
But it’s not just about the run game. Those two excel at pass protection. Last year, under Adams' watch, the Cardinals allowed the fifth-fewest sacks and the third-fewest pressures. And this was with zero Pro Bowl offensive linemen. Riley wasn’t too shabby either. During his first five years on staff, Kansas State allowed an average of fewer than two sacks per game in all five seasons, an achievement never accomplished before in school history. The combination of Adams and Riley should mean great things for the Cowboys' offense.
And many of those great things will come from the dynamic receiving duo of CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. The Cowboys traded a third-round pick for Pickens, and he is expected to boost the team’s passing game. On the first day of minicamp, the Prescott/Pickens chemistry was already showing as they connected several times, including a deep shot down the sideline. When you look at Prescott’s big seasons above, you’ll find quality WR2s on the roster like Amari Cooper, a healthy Michael Gallup, and a healthy Brandin Cooks.
But it doesn’t stop there. The team also had contributing WR3s in those seasons. Players like Randall Cobb and Cedrick Wilson Jr. add to the mix. The Cowboys have a slew of WR3 candidates on their roster. Whether it’s Jalen Tolbert, Jonathan Mingo, or KaVontae Turpin, this offense will have weapons. And it doesn’t have to be one of those guys. It could be different ones taking turns from week to week. The point is, a healthy Prescott with good protection should make this a very potent unit.
Obviously, the proof is in the pudding, but it’s hard not to get excited about what this offense can do. Between better talent and better coaching, the Cowboys could end up surprising some people, and who doesn’t like surprises!