Dallas Cowboys have won their last championship 22 years ago and ever since that, they haven’t got close. The team from Texas didn’t see the NFC Championship in the last two decades, and they are just one of three teams who failed to go that far. In those 22 years, only nine times have we watched Dallas in the playoffs, and they have more seasons with eight or fewer wins than playoff appearances since 1996.
With all these stats in mind, the fans have to face reality. For them, seeing the players holding the trophy could be just a dream. However, Dan Graziano of ESPN New York wrote a column of 25 predictions over the next three years and here is one of his predictions: “Dallas Cowboys will win one of the next three Super Bowls.”
“It just feels as if people are sleeping on a team that went 9-7 last year while its best player/key to the offense was suspended for six games. Assuming Ezekiel Elliott plays all 16 games, there’s no reason not to like the Cowboys as 2018 contenders. And with their dominant offensive line all under contract and Dak Prescott still on his rookie deal at quarterback, there’s no reason to think there’s any major drop-off coming in the short term,” explained Graziano.
He makes some points that are hard to argue with. Elliott is definitely an asset and one of the best running backs in the league, and he is standing behind one of the top three offensive lines in NFL. Also, another great thing for the team from Texas is to have Prescott on the rookie contract, and that will last for the upcoming two years. He showcased his talents early on, and he will play on a huge discount, which will allow Dallas to bring some other pieces before they decide to pay the man.
Next year, the $25 million will come off the books, and that is far more crucial from a cap perspective. Expect that money to go to keeping both Prescott and DeMarcus Lawrence. It is better for the Cowboys to offer long-term contracts to these players than applying the franchise tag to either of them.
Do you want more reasons why Dallas is a legit contender for the title? There has been a major improvement on the defensive end, and for the first time in many years, the Cowboys defense might actually be better than its offense. Furthermore, the team has stars at the key positions to make a run for the Super Bowl.
But there is the other side of the coin as well, and this squad could fail miserably. First of all, Jason Garrett and his coaching staff could not be capable of leading America’s Team to the end. He received a lot of criticism in the past years, and this might be his final year at the Cowboys bench. He will either show that he possesses the skills necessary to be the head coach of this franchise, or he will leave after the season. Perhaps finding a new coach is the solution, but in that case, don’t expect results in the first year or two.
Dallas could easily be placed among the top five teams in the NFC, but that is not good enough if Cowboys want to shoot for the stars. The fans would not bear to watch another playoff game against Aaron Rodgers. It would be too much for them. And let’s not forget the squad’s inability to use home turf to their advantage. That is something which needs to be corrected instantly.
Last five Super Bowl winners all had one thing in common – they were excellent when playing in their cities and the Cowboys have recorded 20-20 at home since 2013.
So, will America’s Team win the Lombardi in the upcoming years? It is hard to tell. It is a bold prediction by Graziano, and if something doesn’t change drastically for the Dallas Cowboys, it is unlikely to see them as the top team in the league.
