Countdown to Kickoff

Days Hours Minutes Seconds
Cleveland Browns
VS
Dallas Cowboys

Sunday

September 8, 2024

4:25 PM ET

Cleveland, OH

Dallas Cowboys
VS
New Orleans Saints

Sunday

September 15, 2024

1:00 PM ET

Dallas, TX

Dallas Cowboys
VS
Baltimore Ravens

Sunday

September 22, 2024

4:25 PM ET

Dallas, TX

New York Giants
VS
Dallas Cowboys

Thursday

September 26, 2024

8:15 PM ET

New York, NY

Pittsburgh Steelers
VS
Dallas Cowboys

Sunday

October 6, 2024

8:20 PM ET

Pittsburgh, PA

Dallas Cowboys
VS
Detroit Lions

Sunday

October 13, 2024

4:25 PM ET

Dallas, TX

San Francisco 49ers
VS
Dallas Cowboys

Sunday

October 27, 2024

8:20 PM ET

San Francisco, CA

Atlanta Falcons
VS
Dallas Cowboys

Sunday

November 3, 2024

1:00 PM ET

Atlanta, GA

Dallas Cowboys
VS
Philadelphia Eagles

Sunday

November 10, 2024

4:25 PM ET

Dallas, TX

Dallas Cowboys
VS
Houston Texans

Monday

November 18, 2024

8:15 PM ET

Dallas, TX

Washington Commanders
VS
Dallas Cowboys

Sunday

November 24, 2024

1:00 PM ET

Washington, D.C.

Dallas Cowboys
VS
New York Giants

Thursday

November 28, 2024

4:30 PM ET

Dallas, TX

Dallas Cowboys
VS
Cincinnati Bengals

Monday

December 9, 2024

8:15 PM ET

Dallas, TX

Carolina Panthers
VS
Dallas Cowboys

Sunday

December 15, 2024

1:00 PM ET

Carolina, NC

Dallas Cowboys
VS
Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Sunday

December 22, 2024

8:20 PM ET

Dallas, TX

Philadelphia Eagles
VS
Dallas Cowboys

Sunday

December 29, 2024

4:25 PM ET

Philadelphia, PA

Dallas Cowboys
VS
Washington Commanders

Sunday

January 5, 2025

TBD

Dallas, TX

Is Dallas’ preseason approach hindering the team’s progression?

Is Dallas’ preseason approach hindering the team’s progression?

For the second-straight year the ended the preseason with a 1-2 record. The last time they posted a winning record in preseason play was a 2-1 mark in 2022.

It also marked the fifth-straight year that failed to take a single preseason snap.

Sep 26, 2022; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush (10) warms up in front of quarterback Dak Prescott before the game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

Despite not playing their star player much, if at all, in the preseason, Dallas has gone on to make the playoffs in the last three years.

Other NFL teams have had their top players log some time on the field in live action in August. Jacksonville even had its starting quarterback, Trevor Lawrence, lead multiple drives in the finale.

Diving into the numbers, is it possible to see how the Cowboys’ preseason approach impacts its regular season outcomes?

Recent Results

The Cowboys are 10-18 in the preseason since 2016 – the beginning of the Dak Prescott Era if you will. They have made the playoffs in five of those previous eight years.

By comparison, from 2007-2015 – the nine seasons that was the QB1 in Dallas – the Cowboys made the playoffs in four of those years.

Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo releases a pass against the Washington Redskins on December 22, 2013

Dallas was 17-19 in the preseason during Romo’s run. They sometimes played five preseason games back then, while three is the new norm now.

Over the past 17 seasons – with two franchise quarterbacks – the Cowboys are a combined 27-27 in preseason play with nine playoff appearances.

With no appearances at all in the NFC Championship Game. Which also means no appearances either over that time.

Which begs the question: Is a strong preseason showing a must to make a deep playoff run?

Mixed Results

In the 1970s, the Cowboys used strong preseason showings to launch title runs.

Dallas went 6-0 in their first Super Bowl winning season in 1971. They went 3-3 six years later to kick off the 1977 championship-winning season.

But two decades later – a mere 14 seasons between Super Bowl appearances – the 1990s dynasty run didn’t need a winning preseason at all, it would seem.

In 1992, the Cowboys started out with a 2-3 preseason record. They ended the year by destroying the Bills in Super Bowl XXVII in Pasadena.

In 1993, the preseason was marked by Emmitt Smith’s holdout and ended with a 1-4 record that became an 0-2 regular season start.

Emmitt Smith eludes the tackle of Tyronne Stowe during the Dallas Cowboys' 16-10 victory over the Phoenix Cardinals on Nov. 22, 1992 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, AZ. Photo by Richard Paolinelli.

Smith returned for the third game against the Cardinals in Phoenix.

The 1993 season ended with a second straight Super Bowl win over the Bills, this time in Atlanta.

The 1995 season began with a 2-3 record but ended with the Cowboys hoisting their fifth Lombardi trophy.

It would seem the teams of the 1990s were talented enough to show up when the games actually matter. But is that the same for the Cowboys of the 21st Century?

Not at all.

Laying Down A Strong Foundation

Looking at the record over the past eight seasons under Prescott, Dallas is clearly not firing off the blocks when the calendar flips to September.

In the Prescott Era, the Cowboys are 3-5 in season openers. The Cowboys were 6-3 in season openers under Romo.

Since Prescott began sitting out the preseason, the Cowboys are just 1-3 in season openers.

Last year, when they routed the 40-0 to begin the year, was the first year they won a season-opener this decade.

It was also the first time they opened the season with a win and went on to make the playoffs since 2017. Frankly, that should come with an asterisk, since the Giants were that abysmal in 2023.

During Prescott’s run the Cowboys’ best start has been 3-0 – and that came back in 2019. The last year Prescott played in the preseason.

Oct 13, 2019; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) throws a pass against the New York Jets during the second quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The Cowboys brain trust – bankrupt as it may be – insists that sitting Prescott out reduces the wear and tear on his body.

But given the track record of the last eight years, is this approach hindering the team during the regular season?

Possibly.

If the Cowboys again fail to advance beyond the divisional round in January, it could be time for a new approach to the preseason.

The key to building a strong house is laying down a solid foundation. In the NFL, that begins in the preseason.

Maybe the Cowboys need to take another look at those blueprints?

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