What chance do you give the Cowboys of winning the NFC East?
The Cowboys seem to be flying under the radar right now, even though they are likely to be right in the thick of things when the NFC East divisional race officially kicks off later this year. With that in mind, here are three reasons why they will win the division in Brian Schottenheimer’s first year as head coach.
George Pickens unlocks Cowboys passing attack
We’re not even two full years removed from Dak Prescott finishing second in MVP voting. Brian Schottenheimer was the offensive coordinator that year, too, so he knows what it looks like when Prescott is firing on all cylinders.
Now, Prescott is healthy and back under center in Dallas. Not only that, but star receiver CeeDee Lamb is now being flanked by George Pickens, who has done nothing but turn heads consistently in minicamp and OTA’s. His elite vertical threat should open up much more underneath for Lamb and others, like Jake Ferguson and Jalen Tolbert.
If Pickens does indeed have that kind of impact, and with Schottenheimer keeping the bones of the offense from that electric 2023 season, it wouldn’t be a total surprise to see the Cowboys put up one of their best passing attacks in franchise history. They certainly have the talent for it, provided everyone plays up to their potential. If that happens, the Cowboys could ride that wave all the way to a division title.
Defense clicks under Matt Eberflus
Matt Eberflus is back in Dallas, this time as the defensive coordinator, and his track record precedes him. While his tenure as the Bears head coach was, shall we say, not a rousing success, Chicago never lacked for great defense under his watch. The same goes for the Colts when Eberflus was there.
Now, Eberflus gets to work with Micah Parsons, Osa Odighizuwa, DaRon Bland, and – eventually – both Trevon Diggs and DeMarvion Overshown. This bunch flashed in Mike Zimmer’s creative, yet complex, system last year but never really gelled as an overall unit. Eberflus’ more simplistic scheme seems to fit everyone much more comfortably.
If that’s the case, this defense could get back to the way it was when Dan Quinn was in town. That is to say lots of sacks and takeaways, two things Eberflus prioritizes. That worked wonders in the Quinn years, with three consecutive 12-win seasons and two division titles, and it could turn out very similarly in 2025.
Toughest opponents take a step back
The Cowboys draw a really tough six-game stretch towards the end of the season, wherein they’ll face off against the Eagles, Chiefs, Lions, Vikings, Chargers, and Commanders. Many expect the Cowboys to be underdogs in each one of those games, but there’s a decent chance at least one of them ends up not being that tough.
The Cowboys are plenty familiar with the Eagles and Commanders, of course. The Lions may have crushed Dallas last year, but they were 0-2 against the Cowboys in the Dan Campbell era before that, and have now lost both their coordinators to head coaching jobs.
The Vikings are now entering the J.J. McCarthy era, postponed a season when the quarterback tore his meniscus in the preseason opener. Between the rehab and having never seen McCarthy play in the NFL, it’s fair to wonder if the Vikings will be any good. The Chargers, on the other hand, still lack playmakers on offense and moved on from Joey Bosa on defense.
Of course, none of these teams will be easy wins, but it shouldn’t be a complete shock if at least a few of these six games ends up not being the auto-loss that so many seem to anticipate right now.
