The NFL offseason is often a time for genuine hope for every fan base, but also false hope for many as well. Every team is undefeated for the next 3-4 months, but not every team is a legitimate contender even if they will be improved. The Dallas Cowboys? I’m here to tell you why having hope for the Cowboys is not false hope at all. Why the Cowboys are legitimate Super Bowl contenders heading into the 2023 NFL season.
Because they are.
The Cowboys play in a division with two other playoff teams including a team that went to the Super Bowl last year. Despite playing in a tough division and despite being in the prime time spotlight a lot this season, the Cowboys are poised to potentially win their sixth title in franchise history, their first since 1996.
5 reasons the Cowboys will be Super Bowl LVIII Champions
1. Dallas Cowboys have important coaching continuity
The Dallas Cowboys have some really important coaching continuity that I think can lead to them winning a championship in 2023. Although Mike McCarthy has certainly been the butt of many jokes, he does have a ring in his collection from when he was the head coach of the Green Bay Packers. Say what you want about McCarthy and his coaching style or how much he really has to do with it all, but there aren’t many current NFL head coaches who can claim to have previously won a title.
One coach who got rather close is on McCarthy’s staff. Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn has taken the Cowboys’ defense to new heights and he returns yet again after taking head coaching interviews the last couple of offseasons. Quinn was previously the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, who infamously lost after holding a 28-3 lead in the Super Bowl against Tom Brady and the Patriots.
Still, having these two coaches on either side of the ball is massive for the Cowboys especially when they’ve been implementing their system and style and leading a certain way over the last handful of years. To have this kind of consistency is already critical enough, but to have two coaches who have rings (Quinn won a Super Bowl as Seattle’s DC not long after McCarthy won with the Packers) is one big reason why this Cowboys team can get over the top.
2. Dak Prescott has arguably the best weapons he’s had
The Cowboys made a massive mistake in the 2022 offseason when they dumped Amari Cooper in a trade with the Cleveland Browns, re-signing an injured Michael Gallup instead. That will go down as one of their worst blunders of the last decade, I’m afraid.
They attempted to atone for that mistake in the 2023 offseason by trading for the well-traveled Brandin Cooks, one of the best receivers in the league but also seemingly one of the most replaceable. If Cooks can rack up 1,000 yards receiving with the Cowboys, he will have done so with five different NFL teams:
- Texans
- Rams
- Patriots
- Saints
Adding Brandin Cooks to the mix for pennies on the dollar (in terms of the trade compensation) is such a huge move for an offense that already ranked 4th in scoring last year despite being fairly one-dimensional at receiver with CeeDee Lamb. The targets Dalton Schultz was eating up can now be eaten up by a much more dynamic player in Cooks, who will prove to be a major impact addition for Dallas.
3. Cowboys have top-tier defensive stars
There aren’t many teams who have players the caliber of Micah Parsons. The Dallas Cowboys have one of the best “closers” in the game in Parsons, who racked up 26 QB hits, 13.5 sacks, and three forced fumbles a season ago. When you’re in a close game late in the fourth quarter, having someone like Micah Parsons can completely determine the outcome. He can either cause a fumble to give your team a chance to come back or he can create pressure to make sure you don’t lose a close lead.
And he’s not alone on that Dallas defense, either. The Cowboys have players like DeMarcus Lawrence, Trevon Diggs, and now Stephon Gilmore among others to make up their star-studded defense.
4. Cowboys excel in two critical areas offensively
The Cowboys can win the Super Bowl in the 2023 NFL season because they are really good in two critical areas offensively.
They were 5th in the NFL last year in third-down conversion rate, converting at a 45.5 percent clip. Having the ability to win on third down like that is massive in today’s NFL and the benefits are obvious. More converted third downs equals more extended drives which equals more scoring. As previously mentioned, the Cowboys ranked 4th in the NFL in points scored and their ability to convert on third down is a big reason for that.
The other major area the Cowboys excel in offensively? They were number one in the NFL in red zone offense a season ago. Out of 56 red zone opportunities, the Cowboys converted 40 into touchdowns. That 71.6 percent conversion rate in the red zone was best in the league, and it helped the Cowboys rank 6th in the NFL last season in terms of scoring percentage per drive.
Essentially, only five teams in the NFL were more likely to score on a given possession than the Cowboys last year. This offense needs to limit turnovers but they are clearly a well-oiled machine offensively and they don’t get cheated in key situations like third down and in the red zone.
5. Cowboys defense creates turnovers as well as anyone
Another reason you should be taking the Dallas Cowboys seriously as a Super Bowl contender in 2023 is the fact that they create turnovers at a high rate defensively. As a matter of fact, their 33 turnovers forced last season ranked 1st in the NFL — 16 interceptions and a whopping 17 fumble recoveries. Last season, 16.7 percent of defensive drives ended in turnovers for the Cowboys.
That’s wild.
It also helped lead the Cowboys to not only a top-five scoring offense but a top-five defense in terms of points allowed.
Conclusion
When you add all of this up, you have improved weaponry on offense for Dak Prescott, who could end up in the MVP conversation. You have important coaching continuity and coaches who have rings in their collection. You have a playmaking defense that not only took the ball away more than any other team in the league but also allowed the fifth-fewest points last season. You have an offense that excels on third down and in the red zone. The Dallas Cowboys should be taken seriously as Super Bowl contenders in 2023.