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The Dallas Cowboys were very sturdy on both sides of the football in the 2021-22 season. They finished as the NFC East champions with a 12-5 record but were ultimately bounced from the playoffs in their Wild Card loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
A healthy Dak Prescott running one of the most electrifying passing offenses did wonders, of course. Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard managed the backfield workload efficiently, and the defense was vastly improved with rookie Micah Parsons turning into one of the NFL’s most feared linebackers and Trevon Diggs spearheading the secondary unit.
We can expect that this team will have very little trouble making another run at a 10-plus win campaign, but that’s not to say they won’t be working diligently this offseason to avoid a repeat of last year’s conclusion. They have a lot of free agents that would be difficult to part with. On the defensive side, linebackers Leighton Vander Esch and Randy Gregory will require a lot of thought, along with safety Keanu Neal. And as powerful as their receiving corps has grown, they also have decisions to make on how to retain the depth.
Super Bowl odds: +1400
The Cowboys haven’t been to a Super Bowl since 1996, which always makes it confusing why fans and oddsmakers think each year will be the year. It cannot be debated that this is one of the league’s most talented rosters, but the fact remains, their road has always ended with a wild-card or divisional-round loss when they’ve had similar aspirations during the 2000’s.
Conference odds: +650
Dallas should have no issues with stacking the points on the offensive side of the ball in the 2022-23 campaign. Coming off a year where they led the league in total offensive yards and points per game, they have a bevy of big-play wideouts who are capable of looking unstoppable at times. With CeeDee Lamb as Prescott’s main target of the future, there will be some sorting out over the next few months about who will remain in the Cowboys’ passing attack. Amari Cooper could be the first domino to fall if he is moved to another team, which likely determines what will happen with unrestricted free agent pass catchers Cedrick Wilson, Noah Brown and Michael Gallup. No matter the outcome, this is a roster that will have yearly NFC champion upside.
Division odds: -160
The oddsmakers have the Cowboys as clear favorites to win the NFC East division next season, and rightfully so. They were the unquestioned powerhouse against their rival teams, with a combined 6-0 record against the Philadelphia Eagles, the Washington Football Team and New York Giants. While these aren’t the most alluring odds for a division winner, the gambling public can feel pretty confident that the Cowboys can repeat as champs.
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