3 Reasons Dak Prescott and Cowboys Have Emerged As Super Bowl Contenders

Dak Prescott and his Dallas Cowboys have won 3 straight games, the latest of which was against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs on Thanksgiving Day.

In that win, they overcame a stellar Chiefs offensive juggernaut, while also doing their part on both sides of the ball. It was in stark contrast to when America’s team had a brilliant offense, but their defense became the butt of jokes.

They were losing games, despite the best efforts of Prescott and his offensive unit. For weeks on end, their defensive performances saw the unit hover around the bottom of the league in yards and points allowed.

At that point, the playoffs looked like a distant dream with fans and analysts poking fun at owner Jerry Jones for his ‘delusional’ hopes of making the postseason.

Then the team also dealt with the death of Marshawn Kneeland. Suddenly, it felt as if the team was heading into a deep hole, both performance-wise as well as mentally, from where it would be difficult to claw out of.

Fast-forward to now, and there is a legitimate belief that America’s Team is suddenly Super Bowl LX contenders. That logic is not without reason, and there are quite a few things that could see the Cowboys make a run to capture their first Vince Lombardi Trophy in more than 3 decades.

Dak Prescott and his offense are a handful

Jerry Jones made amends for his 2024 offseason mistakes by bringing in George Pickens via trade, and also added a 3rd ‘Tyler’, who also happens to be a stud prospect on the offensive line.

To be fair to the billionaire, it seems he has been working on his vision for a while, especially when it came to the offensive line, as they are now a good mix of young and old.

That core young O-line has been steady at keeping Dak Prescott clean, and the league has always taught everyone that a clean quarterback means he has time to make big plays.

Now that he does not have to constantly hit the dirt, the highest-paid QB in the league is getting a chance to connect with his two elite receivers and a capable tight end unit. The result, when an opposing defense decides to control one primary player, Prescott has others to sling the ball to, and that has led to a team that is one of the best in total yards and points per game.

If anyone had doubts about how they would fare against stud defenses, these past two games, both against league-leading units, have proved that the likes of Dak Prescott, his young O-line, George Pickens, CeeDee Lamb, and the others are a handful.

Jerry Jones’ vision for the Cowboys’ defense is finally coming alive

As mentioned above, the Dallas Cowboys did not have a problem scoring, other than in that one game against the Denver Broncos. It was the poor performance of the defense that could not hold up its end of the bargain.

Now, that situation has flipped, after Jerry Jones brought in star defensive tackle Quinnen Williams and linebacker Logan Wilson at the trade deadline.

He had earlier stated that his vision was to have a stout D-line that could not just wreak havoc in the passing game, but also stop top running backs from having a feast.

Since their Week 10 bye, the unit has allowed an average of approximately 70 yards in their last 3 games. More importantly, they stopped last year’s NFL Offensive Player of the Year, Saquon Barkley, to just 22 yards on 10 carries.

This is what was missing when Micah Parsons was on the team. Now, it seems Jerry Jones was correct to let him go. After all, he used the draft capital to turn his defense into something meaningful.

What has surprised many is the speed with which they have started to work with each other. On the other hand, the healthy secondary is playing its best ball.

1st-year HC Brian Schottenheimer doing all the right things

When a team ends up possessing one of the best offenses in the league, a good to great special teams squad, and a capable defensive unit, they are usually considered good to fight for a Super Bowl.

But when the Dallas Cowboys come into question, most of the criticism usually lands at the feet of their head coach. Jerry Jones has burned through some good coaches and raised eyebrows when he selected Brian Schottenheimer to lead his team.

Surprisingly, the 1st-year head coach has not placed a foot wrong all season. From defending defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus to reprimanding his two superstar WRs publicly, and also embracing them when they performed, the 52-year-old has been impeccable.

He has led the team with aplomb and has been very attentive to details. Some might feel that his lack of experience could undermine the Dallas Cowboys if they are to make a run for the Super Bowl. But if he can keep his head on a swivel and make a note of everything that needs to be accounted for, the Colorado native should be able to make himself the 3rd rookie head coach to win a Super Bowl.

Also Read:

• “You Just Want To Start Trouble?”: Shedeur Sanders Diplomatically Deflects Kevin Stefanski ‘Sabotage’ Question
• Shedeur Sanders Thanks Donald Trump For Being His ‘Supporter’ After Stellar Week 12 Debut